It’s a great time for the St. Patrick’s Day Jukebox! There it is, up against a green wall in a green tavern, blasting out the tunes that made the holiday bubble like the Guinness Stout. Everybody wants an Irish song, so the jukebox is loaded. With quarters.
The Old School Podcast begins with The Belfast Gypsies who sound like the Irish group Them with good reason. Brothers Jackie (the organist) and Pat (the drummer) McAuley had been along for that band’s string of successes that spotlighted lead singer Van Morrison. Somehow they hooked up with LA producer Kim Fowley in London in 1966, and formed a band that would produce one album, with the confusing title “Them Belfast Gypsies.”
Since we heard Them without Van, it’s fitting we hear something from Van without Them. A lesson in recent Irish history comes next from John and Yoko. The “Mr. Tambourine Man”-era Byrds offer a Scottish/Irish ballad. The closer is from Johnny Cash. What’s a good memory filled holiday traditionally celebrated with alcohol without a cry in your beer tear jerker?
Stick around for the videos. Ole Bing himself solves a holiday mystery centered around fashion and Irish cuisine. Roger Daltry and Sinead O’Connor rock steady with the Chieftains, the Pogues reminisce, the Irish Rovers and Dr. Dog sing about The Unicorn. Then get out the green handkerchiefs as Sinead returns to bid farewell to Molly Malone and St. Patrick’s Day.
This is a free newsletter so share with your holiday wishes! Also download this episode on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts! Faith and begorrah y’all!
GLORIAS‘S DREAM Belfast Gypsies
LINDEN ARDEN STOLE THE HIGHLIGHTS Van Morrison
SUNDAY BLOODY SUNDAY John Lennon, Yoko Ono
WILD MOUNTAIN THYME The Byrds
DANNY BOY Johnny Cash
Share this post