"The Heart of Ireland" - Various Artists
Compilation Album
U2 Related Content:
- "The Marguerita Suite" (Studio Version) - Sharon Shannon (featuring Adam Clayton) (05:53)
Full Track Listing
Only a Woman’s Heart – Mary Black
The Voice – Eimear Quinn
Living for Loving – Johnny Logan
The Wild Rover – The Dubliners
Brown Eyed Girl – Van Morrison
In the Ghetto – Eleanor Shanley
The Marguerita Suite – Sharon Shannon (with Adam Clayton) (5:50)
Sailing By – Sinead Lohan
Solid Ground – Dolores Keane
Intuition – Frances Black
Let it Be – De Dannan
Writing on the Wall – Sean Keane
The Weakness in Me – Frances Black and Kieran Goss
Wonderful Thing – Leslie Dowdall
No Fronteirs – Mary Black
Long Before Your Time – Johnny McEvoy
Make Me an Island – Joe Dolan
Rock and Roll Kids – Harrington and McGettigan
Background Information
This 1997 compilation on Arcade Records was released in the UK in 1997. The compilation was put together at a time when interest in Irish music was gaining momentum around the world. It was one in a deluge of compilations collecting Irish songs in hopes of reaching this new audience. The song “The Marguerita Suite” was recorded by accomplished Irish according player, Sharon Shannon. Adam Clayton of U2 played bass on the track.
Sharon Shannon is an Irish musician known for her work with the accordion and the fiddle. She has had a successful recording career as a solo artist, starting with this album, 1991’s “Sharon Shannon”. She has also been a member of The Waterboys, performing and touring with that band. Sharon was with the band for 18 months. Her first solo recording, “Sharon Shannon” got started in May of 1989 during a three day recording session in Winkles Hotel, Kinvara, Ireland. The recording session was put in place to work on a solo album for Shannon and she soon found herself surrounded by other artists, including Adam Clayton. Within a week of those sessions, Shannon had joined The Waterboys, and spent a year touring with them, and then did a tour with Christy Moore before returning to recording her solo album.
The song that Adam Clayton performs on during these sessions was “The Marguerita Suite” where he performs acoustic bass. Also appearing on the song are Donal Lunny (of Planxty), Steve Wickham and Anthony Thistlewaite (of The Waterboys), Philip King (producer and performer), and Liam O’Maonlai (of Hothouse Flowers). The track itself is made up of three parts, a waltz written by King, and two jigs. The waltz is entitled “The Peeking Pup Waltz” and it is on this portion of the song on which Adam plays acoustic bass. The two jigs are “Graham Townsend’s Jig” from the Cape Breton tradition, and “Paidin O’Raifearta’s”.
Adam Clayton would return to the song in December 1992, as he appeared on an RTE Studios “Late Late Show” performance of the song. The show was a tribute to Sharon Shannon, and Clayton joined other performers such as Philip King and Liam O’Maonlai on stage. Sharon Shannon herself performed on the show. They performed the first section of the song only, and did not perform the jigs which end the song on the recording.
Liner Notes
The Marguerita Suite: This selection is composted of a waltz, written by Philip King, and two jigs, the first is Graham Townsends from the Cape Breton tradition and the second Paidin O’Raifearta’s learnt from the playing of Dermy Diamond. The Peeking Pup Waltz: Sharon (accordian), Donal Lunny (bouzouki), Steve Wickham (fiddle), Adam Clayton (acoustic bass), Philip King (harmonica), Liam O’Maonlai (piano), Anthony Thistletwaite (electric and acoustic mandolins). Graham Townsend’s Jig: Sharon (accordion), Donal (bouzouki and bodhrans), Liam (piano). Paidin O’Raifearta’s: Sharon (accordeon and fiddle), Donal (bouzouki and bodhrans), Liam (Piano), Anto (hammond organ).