Tom Dowd's Favourite

reel

Key signature: Eminor

Submitted on June 29th 2004 by petemay.

This tune has been added to 15 tunebooks.

Also known as John Egan's, The Leitrim , Rogha Thomáis Uí Dhubhda.

Recordings of a tune by this name:

• An Phíb by Dicky Deegan
• An Traidisiun Beo by Angelina Carberry
• Baker's Well by Baker's Well
• Bakerswell by Bakerswell
• Barr Na Cuille by Neil Mulligan
• Bruach An TSuláin by The Abbey Céilí Band
• Cairde Cairdín by Diarmuid O'Brien
• Call The Tune: Music For The Sets Volume 4 by Various Artists
• Castle Ceili Band by Castle Ceili Band
• Foinn Seisiun 2 by Ceoltóirí Cultúrlainne
• Give Us A Penny And Let Us Be Gone by Teada
• Keelwest by Paul McGrattan
• Lucky In Love by Charlie Lennon And Mick O'Connor
• Midnight On The Water by The Kings River Band
• Notes From The Heart by Mick, Louise And Michelle Mulcahy
• Pride Of The West by John Wynne And John McEvoy
• Sweeter As The Years Roll By by James Keane
• The Frost Is All Over by Paul McGrattan
• The Moneymusk by Hammy Hamilton
• The Ships Are Sailing by Comhaltas Concert Tour Group 1978
• Toss The Feathers by Mountain Dew

X: 1
T: Tom Dowd's Favourite
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K: Emin
GA|BE ~E2 GEDE|GEDE G3A|BE ~E2 GE D2|BcdB A2 GA|
BE ~E2 GEDE|GEDE G3A|BE ~E2 GE D2|BcdB A2EF|
G2 G2 GBdB|G2 GB AGED|G2 GF GABd|gedB AGEF|
G2 G2 GBdB|G2 GB AGED|G2 GF GABd|gecB A2z2|

Simple but effective

I first learned this reel from the dots, browsing through Breandan Breathnach's "Ceol Rince na hEireann" Book 1 (it's no.115), and I was taken by it's pleasing simplicity. There's a nice change between E minor and G major between the A and B music, and it makes a good tune to start off a set of reels; you can disappear into an A minor/major or D major tune after it with great lift. I reckon any tune with Dowd in the title is worth a look! Pete Coe (Ripponden) says the same about any tune with Jackson in the title...

# Posted on June 29th 2004 by petemay

Drag her round the road?

A version of this tune would appear to be in the data base already as the E minor reel `Drag her round the road`also known as Andy McGann`s No 42 or The Bunratty reel.

# Posted on June 29th 2004 by cos

Drag her round the road!

http://thesession.org/tunes/display.php/1148

# Posted on June 30th 2004 by slainte

Well, "Tom Dowd's Favourite" at least doesn't have the vaguely (or not so vaguely) misogynistic overtones of "Drag her round the road," allowing of course for personalization of inanimate objects as female, blabbity blah, etc.

# Posted on June 30th 2004 by maderinerue

Did you ever get that job in a museum?

I`m sure Andy McGann wouldn`t consider dragging a female around with him at his age...

# Posted on July 1st 2004 by cos

Drag her round the road... maybe!

Thanks for that enlightening connection between these two tunes; I'd never spotted that the A music is similar, despite knowing the other tune well. I would say that the B music's substantially different, but they're no doubt of the same family. My mate Andy P. reckons there's only one Irish tune, and all the others are just variants. Anoraks please discuss. But maybe not here or Jeremy might complain!

# Posted on July 3rd 2004 by petemay

Tom Dowd's Favourite (reel)

This version of "Drag Her Round the Road" is on Paul McGrattan's "Frost Is All Over" and Angelina Carberry's recent album "An Traidisiun Beo." It seems Breathnach collected from the flute playing of John Egan, and in fact Paul McGrattan recorded it as "John Egan's."

# Posted on December 9th 2005 by slainte

Tune with similarities here http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/5478

# Posted on April 18th 2007 by Dow

This is on the Mulcahy Family's Notes From The Heart as "John Egan's", track 4, middle tune of the 3.

# Posted on April 6th 2008 by Dow