A Drop of the Hard Stuff

1967 studio album by The Dubliners

A Drop of the Hard Stuff

Cover to the original edition of the album

Studio album by

The Dubliners

Released| 1967 (1967)
Genre| Irish folk
Length| 43:07
Label| Major Minor
Producer| Tommy Scott
The Dubliners chronology
| Finnegan Wakes
(1966)  | A Drop of the Hard Stuff
(1967)  | More of the Hard Stuff
(1967)

|
|

Singles from  A Drop of the Hard Stuff

1. "Seven Drunken Nights" / "Paddy on the Railway"
Released: 30 March 1967
2. "The Black Velvet Band" / "Maloney Wants a Drink"
Released: 30 August 1967

Alternative cover

Seven Drunken Nights

A Drop of the Hard Stuff is the debut studio album of the Irish folk group The Dubliners. It was originally released in 1967 on Major Minor Records (SMLP3 and MMLP3). When it was reissued, it was renamed Seven Drunken Nights after the first track became a hit single. The album reached number 5 in the UK album chart, and stayed in the charts for 41 weeks. The album cover provides biographical sketches of the band line-up: Ronnie Drew, Luke Kelly, Barney McKenna, Ciarán Bourke and John Sheahan. "Limerick Rake" is sung unaccompanied. Most of the songs concern rogues and drinking. "Weila Waile" is a tragic murder ballad, sung with a certain jollity.

The album title is both an allusion to hard liquor, particularly Irish whiskey, and to the musical difficulty of the fourteen songs chosen for the album[citation needed], which emphasize the considerable depths of talent of the group, from the intricate fiddle and banjo work on "The Galway Races" and the reels, to the impressive a cappella rendition of "Limerick Rake".

## Track listing[edit]

All songs are traditional compositions, with the exception of "The Travelling People," which was written by English performer Ewan MacColl.

Side oneNo.| Title| Length

|
|

1.| "Seven Drunken Nights"| 3:43
2.| "The Galway Races"| 3:17
3.| "The Old Alarm Clock"| 1:56
4.| "Reels: Colonel Fraser & O'Rourke's Reel"| 2:36
5.| "The Rising of the Moon"| 2:36
6.| "McCafferty"| 2:26
7.| "I'm a Rover"| 4:49

Side twoNo.| Title| Length

|
|

1.| "Weile Waile"| 3:25
2.| "The Travelling People"| 3:50
3.| "Limerick Rake"| 3:10
4.| "Zoological Gardens"| 2:09
5.| "Reels: Fermoy Lasses & Sporting Paddy"| 1:55
6.| "The Black Velvet Band"| 4:26
7.| "Paddy on the Railway"| 2:49

* Track 5 misspells Fermoy as "Fairmoye" on disc sleeve.

## Charts[edit]

Chart (1967)  | Peak
position

|

Irish Albums (IRMA)[1] | 1
UK Albums (OCC)[2] | 5

## References[edit]

1. ^ "GFK Chart-Track Albums: Week {{{week}}}, {{{year}}}". Chart-Track. IRMA.
2. ^ "The Dubiners | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart.

* v
* t
* e

The Dubliners

* Ciarán Bourke
* Ronnie Drew
* Luke Kelly
* Barney McKenna
* John Sheahan

* Bobby Lynch
* Jim McCann
* Seán Cannon
* Eamonn Campbell
* Paddy Reilly
* Patsy Watchorn

Studio albums|

* A Drop of the Hard Stuff
* More of the Hard Stuff
* Drinkin' and Courtin'
* At It Again
* At Home with The Dubliners
* Revolution
* Double Dubliners
* Plain and Simple
* Now
* A Parcel of Rogues
* 15 Years On
* Together Again
* Prodigal Sons
* 25 Years Celebration
* The Dubliner's Dublin
* 30 Years A-Greying
* Further Along

Live albums|

* The Dubliners
* In Concert
* Finnegan Wakes
* Live at the Albert Hall
* Hometown!
* Live
* Live at Montreux
* Live in Carré
* 21 Years On
* Alive Alive-O
* Live from the Gaiety
* Live at Vicar Street
* A Time to Remember
* An Evening with The Dublin Legends: Live in Vienna

Compilation
albums|

* The Best of The Dubliners
* It's The Dubliners
* A Drop of The Dubliners
* Spirit of the Irish: Ultimate Collection
* The Best of the Original Dubliners
* 40 Years
* A Night Out with The Dubliners
* Too Late to Stop Now: The Very Best of the Dubliners
* Live at Vicar Street
* The Late Late Show Tribute
* The Very Best Of: The Dubliners
* Original Dubliners
* 50 Years
* 20 Greatest Hits
* Drinking and Wenching
* Home, Boys, Home

Irish chart
singles|

* "Nelson's Farewell"
* "The Black Velvet Band"
* "All For Me Grog"
* "Seven Drunken Nights"
* "Never Wed An Old Man"
* "Dirty Old Town"
* "Hand Me Down My Bible"
* "Free the People"
* "Raglan Road"
* "Don't Get Married"
* "The Irish Rover"
* "Jack's Heroes"
* "The Rose"
* "Red Roses for Me"
* "The Ballad of Ronnie Drew"
* "The Rocky Road to Poland"
* "The Auld Triangle"

Other singles|

* "The Wild Rover"
* "Whiskey in the Jar"
* "Four Green Fields"

DVDs|

* Live from the Gaiety
* Live at Vicar Street

Tours|

* Dubliners 50 Years Anniversary Tour

Related articles|

* Discography
* Ronnie Drew discography
* Gerry O'Connor

* Category

Authority control databases |

* MusicBrainz release group

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