Extraordinary man: the Christy Moore files
October 02, 2024
Christy Moore and I go back more than 50 years, says Colin Randall. Today I make him my Artist of the Week at the Salut! Live Facebook group in honour of one of the grandest figures of Irish music.
Singer, songwriter, raconteur, wit, showman and philanthropist, he has contributed enormously to folk from the early days of the revival when he took advantage of a strike to abandon a safe but dreary job in a bank in his native Co Kildare to cross the Irish Sea and try his luck as a roving minstrel.
I'm an ordinary man, nothing special nothing grandI've had to work for everything I own I never asked for a lot, I was happy with what I got Enough to keep my family and my home
The words written by Peter Hames from Grimsby sum up Moore rather well. But for all his efforts to present himself as someone very bit as regular as the narrator of the song, Moore is one of the least ordinary men I know.
Christy Moore at the Liverpool Philharmonic, 2008. From Richiecoss
A search of Christy Moore at this site produces several pieces about or referring to him. Here's a a brief guide:
- In praise of two rousing examples of the live experience: Viva la Quinta Brigade, his tribute to irishmen who fought Franco's forces in the Spanish Civil War, and Joxer Goes To Stuttgart putting a hilarious account of Irish fans at the 1988 Euro tournament in Germany to the Match of the Day theme tune:https://www.salutlive.com/2024/02/binge-listening-to-christy-moore-fighting-gas-in-in-spain-singing-for-ireland-in-germany.html
- Making a bride's day: the tape he made, at my request, for a Devon-Irishwoman's wedding: https://www.salutlive.com/2021/03/whats-the-news-whats-the-news-christy-moore-asked-the-reporter.html
- A short Salut! Live interview to mark the release of his last album, Flying Into Mystery: https://www.salutlive.com/2021/11/christy-moore-clock-winds-down.html
- Reporting the Troubles: my chapter, which quotes Moore on how his attitude to violence evolved, in a book of journalistic memories of working in Ireland during the decades of conflict: https://www.salutlive.com/2022/03/reporting-the-troubles-and-catching-some-wonderful-irish-music-.html
- A Cover Story instalment Moore's version of January Man: https://www.salutlive.com/2024/01/cover-story-january-man.html
- Bill Taylor's Cover Story comparing (very favourably) Moore's version of Shine On You Crazy Diamond to the Pink Floyd original: https://www.salutlive.com/2019/07/cover-story-41.html
For me, Christy Moore's best cover is Pink Floyd's "Shine On You Crazy Diamond." Flawless and beautiful. I have, of course, written about it:
https://www.salutlive.com/2019/07/cover-story-41.html
Posted by: Bill Taylor | October 02, 2024 at 03:17 PM