14 June 1963
Never mind the Beatles, here’s Ireland’s favourite music star of the time. Sixty years ago this month, in June 1963, American country crooner Jim Reeves was on an extensive tour of Ireland. Of the contemporary reports that are available online today, we can read how his dissatisfaction with the venue’s piano meant Reeves refused to go on stage for a full house of 1,600 punters in Kiltimagh, a snub which wouldn’t have done much for Mayo’s loser complex. On the other hand, he was rude and obnoxious to the people of Cork, so we know he can’t have been all bad.
The lasting effect of Jim Reeves’ June 1963 Irish tour seems to be as the origin story of the country & Irish style: simpering, milquetoast country-pop crooning for all the family, superannuated with native accordion. The country aspect is your God-fearing aw-shucks-ma’am tweeness, and ‘pop’ here is in the 1940s Bing Crosby sense of the word. Daniel O’Donnell, Nathan Carter and many other altar-boy-for-life male singers continue to plough that furrow across Ireland and seemingly every evening on TG4. Thanks, Jim.
If anything, ‘Welcome To My World’ sounds more mature and worldly-wise than any country & Irish singer would muster. Reeves’ deep, resonant baritone isn’t itself an unpleasant listening experience, but here it’s put to the service of a crushingly bland and excitement-free song, the sonic equivalent of Scott Walker spoon-feeding you mashed potato. Our more ambitious and upwardly-mobile young people of the time having emigrated en masse to Britain and America, the old folks and stay-behinds made this the sound of Ireland in June 1963 – and beyond.
Irish Number Ones 