This site has evolved from my passion for the music of Mary Black - her song selections, musical interpretations, and live performances - and a desire to share this with others. The information has been gathered from my personal collection - and Internet/Web searches, and comments and additions received from others. I extend many thanks to those who introduced me to Mary Black's music, those who have furthered my enjoyment of it with additional recordings, and those who have helped me with additional information. More effusive thanks - and credits - are listed on my Mary Black Main Page.
Where I have been able to obtain the information, I include details of non-US releases. However, as I am located in the US, and Mary Black is the #1 female artiste in Ireland, with many international appearances, I apologize up front for the possible US focus of this information. Feel free to send me information on non-US releases, etc. (Send it to "webmaster @ house-of-music.com", without the "quotes" and removing the spaces in the address. Sorry - too much spam) I'd be delighted to include it in this document, and fully credit you above.
Details for most recordings are available on a separate page for each recording, reached by selecting the highlighted link. Many of the individual recording pages include a small scan of the album artwork, with a larger scan available for viewing by selecting the smaller image.
Artwork reproduced is done so with the permission of the licensing right holder, Dara/Dolphin, received from Joe O'Reilly in September of 1995. Please respect the rights of the original copyright holder and do not reproduce or distribute these images. Feel free to link to them, with proper crediting.
Webster Records - this St. Louis-based record store features a webpage on Mary's recordings, as well as the songbook of her early material and the book, A Woman's Voice. Dan Warner is a big fan of Mary's music.
CD: Meldac (Japan); Dara (Ireland); CURB D2-77888 (US)
Release Date: 12 March 1997 (Japan); 14 March 1997 (Ireland); 18 March 1997 (US)
Produced by: Larry Klein
SONG FOR IRELAND
CD: Gift Horse (US)
Release Date: 3 November 1998
A collection of contemporary and traditional Irish songs from her previous albums.
SPEAKING WITH THE ANGEL
CD: Curb/Atlantic (US)
Release Date: 7 March 2000 (US)
THE BEST OF MARY BLACK, VOL. 2 (1991-2001)
2 CD Box Set: Curb Records (US), Phantom (overseas)
Release Date: 6 November 2001
Disc one features tracks from previous albums. The bonus disc features previously unreleased studio recordings, live tracks & material licensed from other labels. track listings are different for the US and import versions US RELEASE:
Mary Black tracks include: Disc One:
12 - Sonny: Emmylou Harris, Dolores Keane, Mary Black
13 - Grey Funnel Line: Emmylou Harris, Dolores Keane, Mary Black
16 - No Frontiers: Mary Black Disc Two:
10 - The Dimming of the Day: Richard Thompson with Mary Black and Dolores Keane
Release Date: Dara Records 1992, Gift Horse September 1993, Celtic Corner February 25, 1994
compilation album: Seoda - From the Irish Tradition
CD: Gael-Linn CDCTD 003
Release Date: 1991
contains one track from General Humbert: II Gael-Linn 1982:
4. Mo Ghile Mear
compilation album: Pluirin na mBon / A Woman's Love
CD: Clo Iar-Chonnachta CICD 091
Release Date: 1993
contains two tracks from General Humbert II Gael-Linn 1978
1. Fare Thee Well, My Own True Love
11. Amhran Pheter Baille
also includes tracks by: Sinead Murray, Ann Mulqueen, Mary O'Sullivan,
Dolores Keane, Brid na Chathain, Nancy Roach, Ellin Ni Bheaglaoich, Mairead
Taggart, Ann Marie Nic Dhonncha
compilation album: Putumayo Presents: The Best of Folk Music vol 3, Contemporary Folk
CD: Rhino R2--714448
Release Date: October 1993
Past the Point of Rescue
also includes tracks by: John Stewart, Indigo Girls, Greg Trooper, Christine Lavin, John McCutcheon, Joan Baez, Kristen Hall, Greg Brown, Catie Curtis, John Gorka, Cliff Eberhardt
compilation album: Festival Irish Folk, Volume One
CD: Colleen COL-3113
Release Date: 1994
[recordings taken from the live concerts at the National Stadium]
12. Loving Hanna
compilation album: Festival of Irish Folk, Volume Three
CD: Colleen COL-3115
Release Date: 1994
[recordings taken from the live concerts at the National Stadium]
compilation album: Putumayo Presents: Women of the World (Celtic)
CD: Putumayo World Music PUTU120-2 / M120-2
Release Date: 1995
3. Treasure Island
13. Song For Ireland
also includes tracks by: Maire Brennan (of Clannad),
Maighread Ni Dhomhnaill, Karen Matheson (of capercaillie),
Connie Dover, Maire Breatnach, Maura O'Connell, Fiona Joyce,
Nancy McCallion (of The Mollys), Mairead Ni Mhaonaigh (of Altan)
compilation album: A Treasury of Irish Song
CD: Shanachie 79094
Release Date: 1995
Mo Ghile Mear
also includes tracks by: Maighread Ni Dhomhnaill, Clannad, Triona Ni Dhomhnaill,
Iarla O Lionaird, Dolores Keane, Deirbhile Ni Bhrolchain, Aine Ui Chellaigh,
Mairead Ni Mhaonaigh
compilation album The Loving Time
CD: Dara TORCD 085, Celtic Corner
Release Date: 1996 (Dara), 1997 (Celtic Corner)
6. Summer Sent You
14. The Loving Time
also includes tracks by: Noel Brazil, Sinead Lohan, Paul Brady,
Frances Black, Brian Kennedy, Kieran Goss, Leslie Dowdell
Note: Promotional sleeve foldout with
front showing Royal Albert Hall against a blue sky and
reverse showing album covers for albums: Mary Black (GRA MC-CD-LP 001), Collected (GRA MC-CD-LP 002), Without The Fanfare (GRA MC-CD-LP 003), By The Time It Gets Dark (GRA MC-CD-LP 004), Babes In the Wood (GRA MC-CD-LP 008), No Frontiers (GRA MC-CD-LP 005)
and unfolds to a vertical calendar for 1992, with die cut Royal Albert Hall at night at the top, and the wording: Mary Black In Concert At The Royal Albert Hall - January 31st, 1992 / Pentax
The Band:
Carl Geraghty (sax),
Maura Breathnach (fiddle),
Declan Sinnott (guitar),
Noel Bridgeman (percussion/vocal on 'Goin' Back'),
Garvan Gallagher (bass),
Pat Crowley (piano, accordian)
Special guests:
Noel Brazil (guitar & vocals on 'Roisin'),
Donal Lunny (synthesizer on 'No Frontiers')
Tracks:
- No Frontiers (Jimmy MacCarthy) - from 'No Frontiers' -
GRALP 009/GRA CD 009)
- I Just Wanna Dance With You (R. Cooke/J. Prine)
- Going Back (Goffin/King)
- Roisin (Noel Brazil)
Album Credits: Produced by: Declan Sinnott Engineers: Philip Begley Tracks 2, 3, & 4,
Dan Fitzgerald Track 1
Tracks 2, 3, 4 recorded live onto R-DAT at Lansdowne Studios, Dublin on
12th September, 1989. No Overdubs, No Remixes, No Second Chances!
Note: The reverse shows a thumbnail illustration of the
"No Frontiers" album cover, but the artwork is not the same as
that shown on GPS 2 - "Adam At the Window"/"Carolina Rua" for the same album; GPS 2 illustrates "No Frontiers" with the profile against
trees that is used on the US label release of that album.
No Frontiers
Vinyl 7" single: Grapevine GPS 4 (paper sleeve)
Release Date: 1992 The Grapevine Label Ltd.
The Band:
Carl Geraghty (sax),
Maura Breathnach (fiddle),
Declan Sinnott (guitar),
Garvan Gallagher (bass),
Pat Crowley (piano accordian)
Special Guest:
Donal Lunny (synthesizer on "No Frontiers")
Tracks:
- No Frontiers (Jimmy MacCarthy) - from 'No Frontiers' -
GRALP 009/GRA CD 009)
- I Just Wanna Dance With You (R. Cooke/J. Prine)
Album Credits: Produced by: Declan Sinnott Engineers: Dan Fitzgerald Track 1
Philip Begley Track 2.
Track 2 recorded live onto R-DAT at Lansdowne Studios, Dublin on
12th September, 1989. No Overdubs, No Remixes, No Second Chances!
Title track from the album 'No Frontiers' GRALP009
Note: The reverse shows a thumbnail illustration of the "No Frontiers" album cover, but the artwork is not the same as that shown on GPS 2 - "Adam At the Window"/"Carolina Rua" for the same album; GPS 2 illustrates "No Frontiers" with the profile against trees that is used on the US label release of that album.
The Moon and St. Christopher
CD: Grapevine GPS 5
Release Date:, 1992 The Grapevine Label Ltd.
(in association with PENTAX)
Tracks:
- the moon and st christopher (mary chapin carpenter)
- ellis island (noel brazil)
- tearing up the town (noel brazil)
- there's a train that leaves tonight (d. sinnott/t. henderson)
Tracks:
- Wonder Child
- The Circus
- Saw You Running
- If I Gave My Heart To You, featuring Shane Howard
- Into the Blue
- Ring Them Bells, featuring Joan Baez (Live at the Bottom Line, New York, April '95) - from Joan Baez: Ring Them Bells (Grapevine)
- Only A Woman's Heart, featuring Emmylou Harris
- Who Knows Where the Time Goes
Album Credits: Produced by: Declan Sinnott except
If I Gave My Heart To You by Mary Black and Shane Howard
Ring Them Bells by Mary Black and Joan Baez
Only A Woman' Heart by Mary Black Engineered by: Billy Robinson except
Only A Woman's Heart by Pearse Dunne Executive producer: Yutaka Matsuzawa (meldac) A&R: Yoshinaga Kakimi (meldac) Official representative for Japan: Yoko Nozaki Promotion:Seiichi Hasegawa (meldac) Mastering Engineer: Kenji Abe (Tokyo CD Center) Art Direction and Design: Akira Kumano Photo Artwork: Ichiro Kamei
One and Only
CD: Curb D2-73010, 1997
Tracks:
- One and Only (Scott Cutler, Annie Previn) 4:01
- I Will Be There (Paul Brady, John O-Kane) 4:21
Produced by: Larry Klein
One and Only
CD: Dara TORCDS 086, 1996
Tracks:
- One and Only (Cutler/Previn) 4:01
- Almost Gone (David Gray) 3:36
- One and Only - radio edit - 3:26
Musicians on One and Only:
Jerry Marotta (drums),
Larry Klein (bass),
Michael Landau (electric guitar),
Greg Leisz (acoustic guitar),
Bill Shanley (electric high-strung guitar and mandolin),
Jim Cox (Hammond organ),
Pat Crowley (accordian),
Frank Gallagher (fiddle and whistle)
Musician on Almost Gone:
Jerry Marotta (drums),
Garvan Gallagher (bass),
Bill Shanley (electric guitar, acoustic guitar, and mandolin),
Greg Leisz (lap steel guitar, pedal steel guitar),
Pat Crowley (Hammond organ, piano)
Album Credits: Produced by: Larry Klein Engineer: Tony Phillips Recorded and mixed at Capitol Studios, Hollywood, California, October/November 1996. From the forthcoming album, Shine.
Album artwork copyright record labels as attributed. Dara record artwork reproduced with permission of Joe O'Reilly / Dara Records, 1995. Other artwork reproduced without permission.
Mary Black Discography