Origins: From Clare to Here (Ralph McTell)

Subject: Origins: From Clare to Here
From: GUEST,mdclavey
Date: 14 Jul 04 - 06:19 PM

I've been looking for some background material on the Ralph McTell song "From Clare to Here". I've been unable to lay my hands on either his songbook "Summer Lightning" or the disc "From Clare To Here: The Songs Of Ralph McTell", both of which reportedly having background material. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Subject: RE: Origins: From Clare to Here
From: Leadfingers
Date: 14 Jul 04 - 06:27 PM

The story I have is that Ralph wrote the song for that old Kerry Man Noel Murphy , but Kerry did not scan . Then one of the Irish singers recorded it with a slight variation in the tune and Ralph had to learn the variation cos the record sold so well .
I will now sit back and wait to be corrected !

Subject: RE: Origins: From Clare to Here
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 15 Jul 04 - 05:11 AM

Whan my Mum first heard it she wondered why he was singing 'it's a long way from there to here'. Honest!

Not much help though...

Cheers

DtG

Subject: RE: Origins: From Clare to Here
From: Sooz
Date: 15 Jul 04 - 02:17 PM

Ralph introduces the song as written after a chance comment of a young lad he worked with on a building site "its a long way from Clare to here". (Rather than a long way from here to Clare)

Subject: RE: Origins: From Clare to Here
From: open mike
Date: 15 Jul 04 - 03:38 PM

Nanci Griffith has recxorded this one...on her "best of" c.d. 1993

Subject: RE: Origins: From Clare to Here
From: Fliss
Date: 31 Oct 04 - 03:08 PM

The Guitar & Songs of Ralph McTell 1984

Ralphs comments on the song :-
"In between trips to Europe I worked on building sites and wrote this song about some of the lads I worked with. It is a song in the minor key. I love Irish traditional music and I tried to get the feel of an Irish ballad into this melody. This is one of those occasions, unusual for me, where I started with the words and then added the tune."
He goes on to say that most people sing the chorus differently to how he wrote it.

Ive been a fan since the late 70s.

fliss

Subject: RE: Origins: From Clare to Here
From: MartinRyan
Date: 01 Nov 04 - 04:22 AM

I once saw a poster for a McTell gig with the spelling "From Claire to here"!

Regards

Subject: RE: Origins: From Clare to Here
From: Hrothgar
Date: 01 Nov 04 - 05:30 AM

They were just trying to make it perfectly Claire.

Subject: RE: Origins: From Clare to Here
From: MartinRyan
Date: 01 Nov 04 - 06:14 AM

I recently heard a nice line from a Dubliner living for many years in exile in Clare:

"It's the only part of the world I know where you can get a sixty miles an hour FOG!".

Regards

Subject: RE: Origins: From Clare to Here
From: Peterr
Date: 01 Nov 04 - 07:59 AM

Noel Murphy says Ralph McTell wrote it with him in mind. And you can get 60 mph fog in Cornwall too (Murphy's current residence)

Subject: RE: Origins: From Clare to Here
From: Den
Date: 01 Nov 04 - 08:53 AM

I heard the building site story too. I heard that Ralph wrote it after working with some Irish lads on a building site.

Subject: RE: Origins: From Clare to Here
From: GUEST,Monk "O"Grady
Date: 15 Dec 04 - 09:25 PM

I love the song. I've heard it sung "work hard To the crack" but McTell sings "For" the crack. What IS the crack? My family used to be Irish, but dropped the "O" to become "good Americans".

Subject: RE: Origins: From Clare to Here
From: alison
Date: 16 Dec 04 - 12:19 AM

its "craic" = fun, good times

as in "go down the pub for a bit of craic", or "the craic was good"

but it does get you some weird looks if you say it to someone who then looks at you like some druggie. I once told an Aussie that "we'd had great craic at a party" and she looked at me very concerned and said "you don't really do that stuff, do you?"

slainte

alison

Subject: RE: Origins: From Clare to Here
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 16 Dec 04 - 03:23 AM

"Craic" is a relatively modern transliteration of the English word "crack", and leads to all kinds of misunderstandings when people try to make it sound more Irish by omitting the article (if you say "we had a great crack" you may still confuse, but you're less likely to shock). The matter was gone into in some depth in the discussion Pedantic Crack, also touching on inappropriate use of the neologistic "sesiun" and the fantasy origins of "didgeridoo", before wandering off into the usual complete obscurity.

Subject: RE: Origins: From Clare to Here
From: muppett
Date: 16 Dec 04 - 05:23 AM

Ralph Mctell was on the Mike Harding Show last night and he spoke about the background of the song. It did come about from his friendship with a young Irish Lad when he was in the building trade.You can hear the interview (and the concert to celebrate his 60th B.Day) again if you log onto the Radio 2 web page and follow the directions.

Subject: RE: Origins: From Clare to Here
From: GUEST,Monk "O" Grady
Date: 23 Dec 04 - 11:02 PM

Thanks, all. Great information. Now when I sing it I'll have some idea what I'm singing about.

Subject: RE: Origins: From Clare to Here (Ralph McTell)
From: Felipa
Date: 11 Nov 23 - 03:09 PM

When Ralph McTell sang the song at a gig I attended this week, he introduced this song saying he got the phrase "it's a long way from Clare to here" from a fellow worker he was talking to at a building site.

Frank Gallagher played low whistle as accompaniament to Ralph's voice and guitar; it was magic.

Subject: RE: Origins: From Clare to Here (Ralph McTell)
From: GUEST,Ray
Date: 11 Nov 23 - 04:55 PM

The song also resulted in an invitation for Ralph to join Planxty!

Subject: RE: Origins: From Clare to Here (Ralph McTell)
From: GUEST,Ray
Date: 11 Nov 23 - 04:55 PM

The song also resulted in an invitation for Ralph to join Planxty!

Subject: RE: Origins: From Clare to Here (Ralph McTell)
From: Felipa
Date: 11 Nov 23 - 03:09 PM

When Ralph McTell sang the song at a gig I attended this week, he introduced this song saying he got the phrase "it's a long way from Clare to here" from a fellow worker he was talking to at a building site.

Frank Gallagher played low whistle as accompaniament to Ralph's voice and guitar; it was magic.