The Chieftains: Kevin Conneff (vocals, bodhran); Martin Fay, Sean Keane (fiddle); Derek Bell (harp, tiompan, keyboards); Matt Molloy (flute); Paddy Moloney (Uilleann pipes, tin whistle).
Additional personnel: Colin James (guitar, mandolin); Dominic Miller, Paul Brady, Arty McGlynn, Foggy Little (guitar); Kieran Hanrahan (banjo); Terry Tulley (Scottish pipes); Carlos Nunez (Galician pipes); Brendan Begley, James Keane, Martin O'Connor (accordion); Steve Cooney (didgeridoo); Wally Minko (piano); James Blennerhassett, Ned Mann (acoustic bass); Joe Csibi (bass); Darryl Jones, Nicky Scott (bass); Noel Eccles, Tommy Igoe, Liam Bradley (drums); Jean Butler (foot percussion); Anuna Choir, Brian Masterson (background vocals); The Rolling Stones, Van Morrison, Sting, Ry Cooder, Mark Knopfler, Sinead O'Connor, Phil Coulter, Marianne Faithfull, Tom Jones.
Producers: Paddy Moloney, Chris Kimsey, Ry Cooder.
Engineers include: Chris Kimsey, Jeffrey Lesser, Brian Masterson.
Recorded at Lake House Studio, England; Windmill Lane and Westland Studios, Dublin, Ireland; Clinton Recording Studios, New York; Utility Muffin Research Kitchen, Los Angeles, California. Includes liner notes by Paddy Moloney.
"Have I Told You Lately That I Love You?," performed with Van Morrison, won a 1996 Grammy Award for Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals. THE LONG BLACK VEIL was nominated for a 1996 Grammy for Best Contemporary Folk Album.
With traditional instruments abounding, Celtic folk band the Chieftains are joined by some of the most distinctive vocalists in rock music for a tour of the Irish soul. Drenched in fiddles, Uileann pipes, harp, bodhran, and flute, THE LONG BLACK VEIL is a rousing triumph in this band's illustrious 30-year career.
Sting's vocals are showcased on "Mo Ghile Mear," a Scottish ayre and keening call to arms. "The Long Black Veil," a Lefty Frizzell song popularized by the Band, features Mick Jagger displaying an inherent American hills folk influence. "The Foggy Dew" and "He Moved Through the Fair," two Sinead O'Connor-led traditional tunes, glow with her vibrant voice. A powerful Tom Jones joins his Celtic brothers on the "Tennessee Waltz/Tennessee Mazurka" medley, posing comparisons between American and Irish folk music. Straight out of a smoky pub, the sensational, fog-and-gravel-voiced Marianne Faithfull contributes a sage "Love Is Teasin'." Rounding out the mostly traditional set is Ry Cooder, Mark Knopfler, and the soulful Van Morrison who reprises his "Have I Told You Lately That I Love You?" The Chieftains are revered by many, and some of their more famous fans have paid them a splendid musical tribute with THE LONG BLACK VEIL.
What the critics say...
Rolling Stone (2/9/95, pp.56-57) - 4 Stars - Excellent - "...THE LONG BLACK VEIL [is] an album of traditional music performed with the help of some of the biggest names in the business....the overall success of the album rests in the skilled hands of Chieftain leader Paddy Moloney..."
Entertainment Weekly (1/27/95, p.50) - "...an album featuring the likes of Sting, Mick Jagger, and Sinead O'Connor as guests of the reigning kings of traditional Irish music..." - Rating: A-
Q (3/95, p.97) - 3 Stars - Good - "...no doubt Uillean pipes squeezemaster Paddy Moloney schmoozed at championship level to nail Mick Jagger, Mark Knopfler, Sting and Tom Jones....Despite the rock stars, it's The Chieftains' album, their inspiration, their signature's on it, they hold it together..."
Uncut (8/02, p.100) - 4 out of 5 - "...The Chieftains are a treasure and every home should have at least one of their albums..."
