Uisce Beatha (band)
Encyclopedia
Uisce Beatha was a Canadian
folk rock
band in the 1990s. Formed in London, Ontario
, the band consisted of Alan Glen on lead vocals and banjo
, John Glen on mandolin
and tin whistle
, Paul Meadows on fiddle
and harp
, Damian Morrissy on bass guitar
, Doug Watt on guitar
and Marty Coles on drum
s later replaced by ex Gurriers drummer Patrick McLaughlin. The band took its name from uisce beatha
, the traditional Irish
name for whisky
(literally "water of life" in Irish Gaelic).
The band's best-known song was "Drinking with the Lord", a parody
of the Christian
hymn
"Lord of the Dance
" as a drinking song
.
The band released two albums as Uisce Beatha, and were a popular draw on the Canadian folk festival
circuit. They were sued in 1997 by a Scottish
distillery over rights to the band name, and subsequently changed their name to Red. They released one album under that name, but subsequently broke up.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
folk rock
Folk rock
Folk rock is a musical genre combining elements of folk music and rock music. In its earliest and narrowest sense, the term referred to a genre that arose in the United States and the UK around the mid-1960s...
band in the 1990s. Formed in London, Ontario
London, Ontario
London is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada, situated along the Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. The city has a population of 352,395, and the metropolitan area has a population of 457,720, according to the 2006 Canadian census; the metro population in 2009 was estimated at 489,274. The city...
, the band consisted of Alan Glen on lead vocals and banjo
Banjo
In the 1830s Sweeney became the first white man to play the banjo on stage. His version of the instrument replaced the gourd with a drum-like sound box and included four full-length strings alongside a short fifth-string. There is no proof, however, that Sweeney invented either innovation. This new...
, John Glen on mandolin
Mandolin
A mandolin is a musical instrument in the lute family . It descends from the mandore, a soprano member of the lute family. The mandolin soundboard comes in many shapes—but generally round or teardrop-shaped, sometimes with scrolls or other projections. A mandolin may have f-holes, or a single...
and tin whistle
Tin whistle
The tin whistle, also called the penny whistle, English Flageolet, Scottish penny whistle, Tin Flageolet, Irish whistle and Clarke London Flageolet is a simple six-holed woodwind instrument. It is an end blown fipple flute, putting it in the same category as the recorder, American Indian flute, and...
, Paul Meadows on fiddle
Fiddle
The term fiddle may refer to any bowed string musical instrument, most often the violin. It is also a colloquial term for the instrument used by players in all genres, including classical music...
and harp
Harp
The harp is a multi-stringed instrument which has the plane of its strings positioned perpendicularly to the soundboard. Organologically, it is in the general category of chordophones and has its own sub category . All harps have a neck, resonator and strings...
, Damian Morrissy on bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, Doug Watt on guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
and Marty Coles on drum
Drum
The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments, which is technically classified as the membranophones. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player's hands, or with a...
s later replaced by ex Gurriers drummer Patrick McLaughlin. The band took its name from uisce beatha
Uisce Beatha
Uisce beatha is the name for whiskey in the Irish language. The word "whiskey" itself is simply an anglicized version of this phrase, stemming from a mispronunciation of the word uisce. This may in turn have influenced the Modern Irish word fuisce...
, the traditional Irish
Irish language
Irish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now spoken as a first language by a minority of Irish people, as well as being a second language of a larger proportion of...
name for whisky
Whisky
Whisky or whiskey is a type of distilled alcoholic beverage made from fermented grain mash. Different grains are used for different varieties, including barley, malted barley, rye, malted rye, wheat, and corn...
(literally "water of life" in Irish Gaelic).
The band's best-known song was "Drinking with the Lord", a parody
Parody
A parody , in current usage, is an imitative work created to mock, comment on, or trivialise an original work, its subject, author, style, or some other target, by means of humorous, satiric or ironic imitation...
of the Christian
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
hymn
Hymn
A hymn is a type of song, usually religious, specifically written for the purpose of praise, adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification...
"Lord of the Dance
Lord of the Dance (hymn)
Lord of the Dance is a hymn with words written by English songwriter Sydney Carter in 1967. He adapted the tune from the American Shaker song "Simple Gifts"...
" as a drinking song
Drinking song
A drinking song is a song sung while drinking alcohol. Most drinking songs are folk songs, and may be varied from person to person and region to region, in both the lyrics and in the music...
.
The band released two albums as Uisce Beatha, and were a popular draw on the Canadian folk festival
Folk festival
A Folk festival celebrates traditional folk crafts and folk music.-Canada:Alberta*Calgary Folk Music Festival*Canmore Folk Music Festival*Edmonton Folk Music Festival*Jasper Folk Festival*Wild Mountain Music FestOntario*Barriefolk...
circuit. They were sued in 1997 by a Scottish
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
distillery over rights to the band name, and subsequently changed their name to Red. They released one album under that name, but subsequently broke up.
Discography
- 1991 - Drinking With the Lord (SOCAN)
- 1992 - The Mystic of the BajaThe Mystic of the BajaThe Mystic of the Baja is an album by Canadian folk rock band Uisce Beatha . It was recorded in 1992.-Track listing:#"Whose Child Is This"#"Promises"#"Lose That Skin"#"Maggie Coulter"#"Where the River Meets the Sea"#"Take Me Now"...
(EMI) - 1994 - Voice of the VoyagerVoice of the VoyagerVoice of the Voyager is an album by Canadian folk rock band Uisce Beatha . It was recorded at dB Studios, London, Ontario, January 1994.-Track listing:#"If You Have to Laugh"#"I Won't Give Up"#"Heartbeat"...
(EMI) - 1995 - Living in a Cuckoo Clock (6-song EP)
- 1998 - The Fantabulous MushmanThe Fantabulous MushmanThe Fantabulous Mushman is an album by Red, released in 1998 on Page Publications. It was the band's first and only release after changing their name from Uisce Beatha.-Track listing:# Just Doesn't Matter # Misconception...
(no/PageMusic/EMI), as Red