Stockfisch-Records

Ranagri & Tony Christie

Four London musicians; one traditional Irish player, two classically trained, and one blues singer and guitarist, all with a passion for folk music.

A meeting in a pub in Richmond and the story of 'Ranagri the band' begins. Donal Rogers (vocals and guitar), Eliza Marshall (flutes/ethnic whistles), Eleanor Turner (harp) and Joe Danks (bodhran, Guitars) are all very well established within the music industry. They have recorded and performed with many artists including Stevie Wonder, Radiohead, Peter Gabriel, Paloma Faith, Cara Dillon, Luke Daniels, Hans Zimmer, Ennio Morricone, James Horner, the list goes on. However, between them all lies one common thread – the desire to have their own band and play their own music.

Ranagri

- Folk and world music,
poetry and songwriting.

Tony Christie - Is This the Way to Amarillo? No! This time he’s wending his way to Dublin, Limerick, Tullamore and Carrickfergus.

44 years after the release of his million-selling hit “Amarillo”, Tony Christie rounds off his long career with a nostalgic trip to his family’s Irish roots – and has produced an Irish folk album of the very highest musical and audio quality. For this project he was able to acquire the services of the band “Ranagri”. 12 of the most beautiful Irish folk classics including for instance „Wild Mountain Thyme“ and „Carrickfergus“, were recorded by Christie and the band in the grammy-nominated Stockfisch Studio in Northeim.

Stockfisch-Shop

Tony Christie

- "delivering the best music of his career." (The Guardian)

"Playing For Luck"

This sounds like a recipe for disaster. Here we have four stubbornly independent artistic individuals, a creative quartet of highly-trained instrumentalists, two women, two men, each with their own moving and impressive backgrounds, four unmistakable voices, four uniquely individual perspectives on root work and euphony - and yet: sometimes true magic lies in just such an unlikely but inspired mixture.

Regardless of whether you have an award-winning harpist, a flute player comfortable in all styles, a busy multi-instrumentalist or a singer-songwriter who travels the world, these different backgrounds and horizons, experiences and peculiarities flow seamlessly into the Ranagri melting pot. The resulting music-mixture is a unique, sometimes singable, sometimes mystical musical fairytale world between intricate folk music, noble and elegant pop, artful and beautiful sounds, sympathetic pub-rock and flowing, eloquent singer-songwriter art.


Click to view a Ranagri-Video on Youtube:
"The Strangler".


Super-Audio-CD Hybrid: SACD Stereo + CD-Layer
SFR 357.4096.2  •  total time 45:38

Ranagri "Playing For Luck" is also available as audiophile 180g-Vinyl-LP Edition.



SFR 357.8096.1  •  total time 45:38  •  LP

MUSIKER

Performing on this album "Playing For Luck":

Dónal Rogers  -  lead vocals, guitars, bass, memotron  /  Eliza Marshall  -  flute, bass flute, whistles, bansuri, shakuhachi, harmonium, backing vocals  /  Eleanor Turner  -  electric harp, clarsach, piano, backing vocals  /  Joe Danks  -  bodhrán, tenor guitar, guitar, drums, percussion, backing vocals  / 

           

"The Great Irish Songbook"

This album is not an idiosyncratic whim dreamed up over a few “jars” at the local pub, but brings to light an aspect of Tony Christie the artist (real name: Anthony Fitzgerald) which many won’t have expected. The songs have profited immensely from the contemporary arrangements, making the “golden oldies” shine with a new brilliance. Various successful albums tipped the vote away from naming the production „Simply in Love with Irish Music“ or alternatively „Made in Northeim“. Quite deservedly, this album has been called „The Great Irish Songbook” – the current album of the „Great Irish Singer“ Tony Christie.

With this SACD Tony Christie traces his family roots, which are very definitely in Ireland (not Amarillo). Like many of his generation, his great-grandfather went over to England looking for work. The legacy he left behind was a button accordion on the living-room cupboard and the songs of Ireland in the hearts of his family.

This is really Tony Christie’s masterful musical homage to his heritage and his ancestors. For his fans and all other interested parties this album is a very gratifying and uplifting journey to the mysteries of the Irish-Celtic music culture – modern and in excellent sound quality.


YouTube-Video of Tony Christie and Ranagri performing:
"The Star of The County Down".


Super-Audio-CD Hybrid: SACD Stereo + CD-Layer
SFR 357.4087.2  •  total time 47:02

This amazing recording with Tony Christie and Ranagri is also available as audiophile 180g-Vinyl-LP Edition.




SFR 357.8087.1  •  total time 47:02  •  LP

Musicians

Performing on this album "The Great Irish Songbook":

Tony Christie  -  vocal  /  Dónal Rogers  -  guitar, tenor-banjo, shaker, drum, monochord, tambourine, vocal  /  Jean Kelly  -  harp, electric harp  /  Eliza Marshall  -  flute, bass flute, whistle, low whistle, bansuri, harmonium, vocal  /  Tad Sargent  -  bodhrán, bouzouki, vocal  /  Manfred Leuchter  -  accordion  /  Jens Komnick  -  pipes  /  Lucile Chaubard  -  violoncello  /  Justin Stefan Ciuch  -  viola  /  Lutz Möller  -  harpsichord, keyboard  /  Mary MacMaster  -  backing vocal  /  Eilidh Shaw  -  backing vocal  /  Mairearad Green  -  backing vocal, accordion  /  Urs Fuchs  -  bass  /  Hans-Jörg Maucksch  -  bass

           

"Fort of the Hare"

October's gold in endless supply - late roses basking in the sun's mild rays. Knarled tree branches laden with ripened fruit. And that clear, fathomless blue. If this were to be captured in music, then what could it sound like? Just perhaps, not so unlike "Fort of the Hare", Ranagri's debut album on Stockfisch.

Ranagri sound like a precious, unspoiled spot of beauty – the Irish village of Ranagri that gave the band its name. The four Londoners marry musical influences ranging from classical, folk and blues. If their story did not exist, it would have to be invented. A get-together in the pub – a band's story comes into being.

Guitar and flutes, harp and bodhran, bouzouki – and each time these melodious voices oscillating between melancholy and pure joie de vivre. One has to listen to the chorus of their voices – it sounds just as they look when dancing: in video, in concert, and, ah yes please, definitely the pub. Two men, two women of a special calibre. Folk and world music, poetry and songwriting: vibrant, pristine, catchy, mellow, with a touch of anticipation. For October - and every month for evermore.


During the recording of "The Bogeyman" we let the cameras roll. You can see these studio impressions on the Stockfisch-Channel on YouTube.


Super-Audio-CD Hybrid: SACD Stereo + CD-Layer
SFR 357.4085.2  •  total time 48:10

MUSIKER

Performing on this album "Fort of the Hare":

Donal Rogers  -  vocals, guitar, bass drum  / Eliza Marshall  -  flute, bass flute, shakuhachi, bansuri, whistle, harmonium  / Jean Kelly  -  harps, kantele, bowed psaltery  / Tad Sargent  -  bodhran, bouzouki  / Hans-Jörg Maucksch  -  fretless bass