The Johnstons
Give A Damn
1969 - Transatlantic TRA 184 LP
[UK release]
Side One
Give a Damn (Dorough/Scharf) **
You Keep Going Your Way (Dave Cousins)
Urge for Going (Joni Mitchell) [1] *
Port of Amsterdam (Jacques Brel)
Funny in a Sad, Sad Way (Shay Healy) **
Hey, That's No Way to Say Goodbye (Leonard Cohen)
Side Two
Both Sides Now (Joni Mitchell) *
Julia (Jon Ledingham) [1] *
Sweet Thames Flow Softly (Ewan MacColl)
I Loved (Blau/Brel/etc) **
I Don't Mind the Rain on Monday (Bowen/Caroll) *
Walking Out on Foggy Mornings (Jon Ledingham)
Credits
Adrienne Johnston: Vocals
Luci Johnston: Vocals
Mick Moloney: Vocals & Guitar
Paul Brady: Vocals & Guitar
Daryl Runswick: Bass
Recorded at Sound Technique Studios — London, Aug/Nov 1968
Engineer: John R. Wood
Produced by Nathan Joseph
Cover pictures by Adam Ritchie
Design Brian Shuel
* arranged by Barry Booth
** arranged by David G Palmer
Sleeve Notes
The Johnstons are exceptional. They are Adrienne and Luci Johnston, vocals. Mick Moloney and Paul Brady, vocals and guitars. Their vocal blend is one of those unique things that comes once in a generation of vocal groups and their musical taste matches their ability. When I first met them some nine months prior to writing this, they were the most successful group in Ireland with a repertoire consisting nyinety per cent of traditional Irish material. They have in the last six months sifted through some 200 contemporary songs, anxious that if they were to turn their talents to contemporary material, it should be of the highest standard. These twelve songs they liked.
They are by Joni Mitchell, Jacques Brel, Leonard Cohen and Ewan MacColl, of writers whose names you will certainly know; and by an American, Stuart Scharf, two young Irishmen, Jon Ledingham and Shay Healy, an American resident in Dublin, Pat Carroll, and an English group. The Strawbs, all of whom you will certainly be hearing about in the future when the better modern song writers are being discussed.
All the songs have in common an intelligence and excellence that raise them far above the pop pulp average. So, too, do the four people singing them.
Notes
The LPs Give A Damn and The Barley Corn were released on the same day. Apparently this was to show the range of the Johnstons music — The Barley Corn featuring traditional songs, while Give A Damn containing contemporary folk.
In addition, Give A Damn was released in North America as Both Sides Now (see below), with 2 different tracks.
1 "Urge for Going" and "Julia" only appear on Give A Damn
"Wherefore and Why" and "My House" only appear on Both Sides Now
Related releases
Both Sides Now: 1969 - Polydor 543 065 LP
Canadian release of Give A Damn (same as USA version of Both Sides Now)
Give A Damn & Bitter Green: 1997 - Castle Essential ESM CD 525 CD
This CD features all the songs from the original UK LP — Give A Damn, but not the additional tracks from Both Sides Now.