Columbia recordings …
In 1961, The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem were signed to the America record label, Columbia. The group remained with Columbia until 1969. During this time the group enjoyed their greatest popularity; and it was also, the most prolific phase of their recording career.
Since the bulk of the Columbia LPs stayed in print (on vinyl) into the 1980's, the question arose as how to date these albums (as original or reissue). Answer: by the label — as Columbia would continue to alter their LP labels throughout the 1960s.
1961-1962 — Mono releases …
- This label (the "6 eye" - red & black) is on all mono (CBTM Columbia) pressings until 1962.
- Mono numbers through (approx.) CL 1800 were originally pressed on this label style. [1]
- A Spontaneous Performance Recording: 1961 - CL 1648 LP
- Hearty and Hellish: 1962 - CL 1771 LP
- Mono numbers through (approx.) CL 1800 were originally pressed on this label style. [1]
1961-1962 — Stereo releases …
- This label (the "6 eye" - red & black) is on all stereo (CBTM Columbia) pressings until 1962.
- Stereo numbers through (approx.) CS 8579 were originally pressed on this label style. [1]
- A Spontaneous Performance Recording: 1961 - CS 8448 LP
- Hearty and Hellish: 1962 - CS 8571 LP
- Stereo numbers through (approx.) CS 8579 were originally pressed on this label style. [1]
1962-1965 — Mono releases …
- "In 1962, Columbia switched to the '2 eye' label, which lasted in one form or another until 1970. The first variety featured the words
'Guaranteed High Fidelity' at the bottom for mono LP's" [1]
- The Boys Won't Leave The Girls Alone: 1962 - CL 1909 LP
- In Person At Carnegie Hall: 1963 - CL 1950 LP
- The First Hurrah!: 1964 - CL 2165 LP
- Recorded Live In Ireland: 1965 - CL 2265 LP
1962-1963: Stereo releases …
- The first "2 eye" stereo label featured "360 Sound" twice around the word STEREO at the bottom. [1]
- The Boys Won't Leave The Girls Alone: 1962 - CS 8709 LP
- In Person At Carnegie Hall: 1963 - CS 8750 LP [1] may also have this version — no stereo label currently available …
1963-1966: Stereo releases …
- "In Fall, 1963, arrows were added to the stereo logo." [1]
- The First Hurrah!: 1964 - CS 8965 LP
- Recorded Live In Ireland: 1965 - CS 9065 LP
- Isn't It Grand Boys: 1966 - CS 9277 LP
- In Person At Carnegie Hall: 1963 - CS 8750 LP [1] may also have this version — no stereo label currently available …
1965-1967: Mono releases …
- In 1965, the print on the mono release was changed to white, which contrasted better with the red. The print on the mono copies was
changed to conform to the stereo labels, now reading "MONO," flanked by "360 Sound." [1]
- Isn't It Grand Boys: 1966 - CL 2477 LP
- Freedom's Sons: 1966 - CL 2536 LP
1965/66-1969: Stereo releases …
- In 1965 or 66 [*] , the print the stereo releases was changed to white, which contrasted better with the red.
- Isn't It Grand Boys: 1966 - CS 9277 LP
- Freedom's Sons: 1966 - CS 9336 LP
- In Concert: 1967 - 6CS 9494 LP
- Home Boys Home: 1968 - CS 9608 LP
- Sing Of The Sea: 1968 - CS 9658 LP
- The Bold Fenian Men: 1969 - CS 9805 LP
- Christmas: 1969 - CS 9876 LP
- Flowers In The Valley: 1969 - CS 9932 LP
- * Other sources date this change as 1965. However, I have a Stereo copy of Isn't It Grand Boys, released in February 1966, with the black lettering and arrows. This could be a fluke, as this "black lettered" copy could have been printed in advance of the official change.
1967-1968: Mono releases …
- "At about the end of 1967, at approximately mainstream number CL 2490, the "360 Sound" references were removed from the mono label.
Columbia Mono albums were discontinued for regular distribution in 1968, at about album number CL 2811." [1]
- In Concert: 1967 - CL 2694 LP
Special Labels …
- This white label with green shamrocks would appear to be a one- time special release.
- The Irish Uprising: 1966 - CBS Legacy 32-B5-0001 LP
1970's & 1980's reissues …
- In 1970, the design was changed to a red background with black lettering and the word Columbia, in burnt orange, repeated around the
Perimeter; separated by the "Walking Eye" logo.
- I can confirm that 12 of the original 14 Columbia LPs were reissued on this label [**].
- The majority (10) of CBTM's Columbia LPs stayed in print until approx 1990, when Columbia "stopped pressing LPs on a regular basis".
The Boys Won't Leave Girls Alone
1962 - Columbia CS 8709 LP (stereo)
For reasons unkown (to me), Colubmia released a stereo version of The Boys Won't Leave Girls Alone that contains alternate (completely different) versions of 4 tracks. The songs in question are, "As I Roved Out", "MacPherson's Lament", Wild Colonial Boy" and "Shoals of Herring".
Not all stereo releases contain these different tracks. I have several copies of this album, mono and stereo, and only one with the alternate song versions.
- ** I can't (currently) verify whether The First Hurrah!, and Christmas stayed in print past 1969 — as I have not found a copy of either with the above "burnt orange" label.
- Hearty and Hellish and The Boys Won't Leave The Girls Alone both stayed in print past 1970, but did eventually go out of print.
- Hearty and Hellish and The Boys Won't Leave The Girls Alone and Christmas were reissued in 1987, by Shanachie records.
- I am not considering The Irish Uprising in this count (of 14 Columbia albums). However, this recording too was reissued, by Rego in the 1980's.
- All but The First Hurrah! have since been reissued in some form.
Sources:
- 1 Columbia LP Labels © 2002, 2005 Frank Daniels. I have edited some this information to make it Clancy & Makem specific. However, there are some inaccuracies at this website, when compared with CBTM releases in my collection.
- 2 I have also cross referenced this information with the Columbia Masterworks Labelography.