The Makem Brothers

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The Makem Brothers — Shane Makem, Conor Makem and Rory Makem — are Irish-born musicians who live in the United States and perform together and with two other brothers. They are the three sons of "The Godfather of Irish Music" Tommy Makem, and grandsons of legendary Irish source singer Sarah Makem.

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[edit] Biography

The brothers were born in Drogheda, County Louth, Ireland. Shane Makem was born in 1967, Conor Makem in 1968 and Rory Makem in 1969.

Shane and Conor graduated from Stonehill College in Massachusetts. Rory graduated from Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York, where he formed a band with Lisa Gentile, Lisa Lisa and the Country Jam.

The New Hampshire-based Irish folk musicians teamed up with The Spain Brothers, Liam and Mickey Spain, to become The Makem and Spain Brothers. Their combined forces preserve and advance folk music from Ireland, Scotland, Wales and New England, as well as whaling songs, fishing songs, mining songs, even Australian Bush songs. Influences include The Clancy Brothers, Ewan McColl, and The Corries.

[edit] The Band

Rory Makem: vocals, six string guitar, twelve string guitar, banjo, mandolin, bouzouki, bodhrán, harmonica

Conor Makem: vocals, bass, flute, concertina, whistles

Shane Makem: vocals, twelve string guitar, nylon string guitar, bodhrán

Liam Spain: vocals, guitar, mandolin, bouzouki, harmonica

Mickey Spain: vocals, guitar, nylon string guitar, bodhrán

[edit] Partial Discography

Note: The footnotes will take you to lyrics but not necessarily to The Makem Brothers' recordings of these songs, many of which are traditional.

[edit] The Makem Brothers

Outstanding in a Field, 1992

On The Rocks, 1995

1. The Diamond [1]

2. Mountjoy Prison (Rory Makem)

3. Straw into Gold

4. 23rd of June [2]

5. Hot Asphalt [3]

6. Bonnie Blue Bonnets

7. White Cockade [4]

8. Bridget O’Shea [5] (Conor Makem)

9. Bound Down for Newfoundland [6]

10. Old Stone Wall

11. Dark Eyed Molly [7]

12. Down the Road

Who Fears to Speak, 1997

1. Memory of the Dead [8]

2. Sean Bhean-Bhocht [9]

3. The Boys of Wexford [10]

4. Bold Robert Emmet [11]

5. Kelly the Boy from Killane [12]

6. Tom McArdle

7. Roddy McCorley [13]

8. General Monroe [14]

9. Bodenstown Churchyard [15]

10. Henry Joy [16]

11. Twenty Men from Dublin Town [17]

12. Rising of the Moon [18]

Stand Together, 2001

1. Farewell to the Rhonda [19]

2. Lean and Unwashed Tiffy [20]

3. Tinker’s Wedding

4. Blackbird (lyrics: Conor Makem)

5. Captain Kidd

6. Stand Together

7. Love, Won’t You Marry Me

8. Come to the Bower [21]

9. Spanish Stars [22] (lyrics: Conor Makem)

10. Fireship [23]

11. I’ll Neither Spin Nor Weave (Lyrics: Conor, Shane Makem)

12. Liberty

13. Kerry Recruit [24]

14. Crabber’s Claw (lyrics: Conor Makem)

[edit] The Makem Brothers with Mickey and Liam Spain

Like Others Did Before Us, 2004

1. Road to Gundagai [25]

2. Wild and Restless Foam (Mickey Spain)

3. Leezie Lindsay

4. Sound the Pibroch [26]

5. Fincairn Flax [27]

6. Whiskey Row (Liam Spain, Mickey Spain)

7. Willie’s Gone Awa’ [28]

8. Down in The Valley [29]

9. Paddy Kelly [30]

10. Freedom on the Wallaby [31]

11. Slan Abhaile (Conor Makem)

12. Three Drunken Maidens

13. Ha’Penny Bridge

[edit] The Makem and Spain Brothers

The Makem and Spain Brothers Live, 2005

1. Highland Paddy [32]

2. MacPherson’s Rant (a/k/a McPherson's Lament) [33]

3. Mingulay Boat Song [34]

4. New South Wales [35]

5. Whiskey Row (Liam Spain, Mickey Spain)

6. The Smuggler [36]

7. Congo River [37]

8. Goodbye to the 30 Foot Trailer [38]

9. Road to Gundagai [39]

10. Liberty

11. Jolly Waggoner [40]

12. Queensland Whalers [41]

13. When We Danced in Donegal/Tombigbee Waltz

14. Calling Me Home

[edit] External links

[edit] References