Family and Place
by Paul Wexler
[From the insert of the 1993 re-release of Fuaim]
Family and place are the very essence of the Irish quartet Clannad. Originally named "an clann as Dobhar," which means "family from Dore," they became known simply as Clannad. Formed in Gweedore Donegal in the Northwest of Ireland, the group's original line-up included three siblings -- Maire Brennan and her brothers Ciaran and Paul, plus their two uncles, Padraig and Noel Duggan. They soon found themselves at the forefront of Irish music, a position they have held for the past two decades.
Clannad's musical family tree extends back many years. In the 1950's, Leo Brennan (father of Maire, Ciaran, and Paul) formed a show band, playing popular tunes on saxophone and clarinet and highland reels on the accordian. His wife is a music teacher who plays organ and harmonium, while her parents were villiage teachers steeped in old and ancient Irish folklore.
When Leo saw that his band's days were numbered, he acquired an old tavern in the area, where he still entertains today. "The house was always open to music," states Maire. "What this meant to us was a small stage to perform on." The band's genesis came when Maire (on vocals and Irish harp), Ciaran (on double bass and vocals), Paul (on tin whistles, flute, and vocals), Noel (on guitar), and Padraig (on mandolin and harmonica) would come up on stage to join Leo in a song. Soon the quintet was performing on its own. A typical set would range from the Beatles to a traditional song, from Donovan to a Joni Mitchell song in Gaelic.
In 1970, Clannad won first prize in the prestigious Letterkenny Folk Festival, which included the opportunity to record an album. "We went into the festival for a bit of fun," recalls Ciaran, "and to our suprise, we won."
Fuaim and Crann Ull
The group went on to record six traditional albums, developing their voices and creating the unique Clannad sound in the process. It was in Berlin in 1976, during the group's first European tour, that a standing ovation convinced Clannad to turn professional. In 1980, Maire and Ciaran's sister Enya joined the line-up, playing keyboards and singing in the band for the next two years. She performed on two Clannad albums, "Crann Ull" and "Fuaim."
Previously unreleased in the U.S., 1982's "Fuaim" is a benchmark album which marked an important turning point in both Clannad's and Enya's careers. Recorded at Dublin's famed Windmill Studios (the home recording base for U2, among many others), "Fuaim" features Enya on keyboards, harmony vocals, and lead vocals on two songs ("An tUll" and Buaireadh An Phosta"). Following the release of the album, Enya left Clannad to pursue a solo career. She has since enjoyed tremendous worldwide success.
Magical Ring and "Harry's Game"
Clannad's big break came later that same year, when they were asked to compose the theme for "Harry's Game," a three part television thriller about Northern ireland. The song, which was sung in Gaelic, reached the top five of the British charts that November. "Harry's Game" was also nominated for a BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Television Arts) award, and recieved the Ivor Novello award, England's equivalent of the Grammy.
In 1983, Clannad released "Magical Ring," which was comprised primarily of Clannad originals plus a few traditional songs. The album remained on the U.K. album charts for over six months, earning the group their first gold record award.
Legend - The Soundtrack to Robin of Sherwood
After a lengthy European tour, Clannad returned to the studio to begin working on songs for the television series "Robin of Sherwood." Aside from the resulting album, entitled "Legend," Clannad also wrote and performed the entire score for all 26 episodes. In 1985, the group recieved the British Academy Awardfor best soundtrack that year, and the "Legend" album earned the group their second U.K. gold award. By that time, U2 was using "Harry's Game" as the exit music for their live performances.
Macalla
Clannad's next album, 1986's "Macalla," yielded the hit single, "In a Lifetime," a duet between U2's Bono and Maire. The song hit the charts as Clannad undertook a 23-date, SAO English tour.
Sirius
1987's "Sirius" was recorded in London and Wales, and mixed in Los Angeles. Produced by Greg Landanyi and Russ Kunkel, the album featured guest appearences by Steve Perry, Bruce Hornsby, and J.D. Souther.
PastPresent
Clannad embarked on their first world tour -- a six month trek -- in February of 1988, taking in Ireland, the U.K., Australia, and the U.S. The latter half of '88 saw the group compose and record the music for "Atlantic Realm," a BBC-Television natural history series. "PastPresent," a retrospective album released in 1989, garnered English platnum for the group, and hit the top ten on the U.K. charts. Following the album's release, Paul left the band to persue solo interests.
Anam
In 1992, Clannad released their first album for Atlantic Records, "Anam." Included were ten new songs, plus two of the group's best-known tunes - 1982's "Harry's Game" (which was prominently featured in the 1992 motion picture "Patriot Games") and 1986's duet with Bono, "In a Lifetime." 1992 also saw the release of Maire's first solo album.
With haunting songs, mesmerizing vocals, and a captivating sound that blends elements of traditional Irish and contemporary music, Clannad continues to occupy a unique place in the modern musical world.