SWEET
THURSDAY
Dear John Steinbeck Fans:
Here is a new music video with an original song I wrote about Ed 'Doc Ricketts. He
was Steinbecks main character in the story as well as Steinbecks friend. Sweet
Thursday & Cannery Row were my favorite books. I wrote the song many years ago,
but just recorded it in the studio. The song is simple and light. Fellow
bandmate James Nelson sang lead.
The song is in memory of the real 'Doc Ricketts' and the spirit of
Monterey's Cannery Row. My mom and dad took me there when I was just 4 years
old. The song 'Sweet Thursday' is on the Black Irish Bands 19th CD album, "California
Story".
(Please watch the video by clicking on the book cover!!)
Patrick Michael Karnahan
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HUNTINGTON BEACH
Dear Surf Music & Huntington
Beach Fans:
This is a new music video based on my original song, 'Huntington Beach' .
Way back then I spent a lot of my teen years on the beach with surf board
near by. I had a lot of good memories of the summer weather and the girls on
the beach. It was also the first time I got into the Beach boys and their
music.
When writing the song I tried to capture the feeling of the past. The Black Irish
Band was backed by our friends Crazy Ivan
from Tuolumne County. I hope you enjoy the original song.
The song is featured on the bands 19th CD album -California Story.
The album has many guest performances by Michael Martin Murphey. It's funny that I
brought his album Wildfire when I was into surfing in the
70s. I hope you enjoy this fun & simple song I wrote about the past!!!
Click the image or the link below to view the
music video
HUNTINGTON BEACH |
Manzanar
Overture
Dear Friends:
When I wrote Manzanar Overture years ago I wanted to put a few pictures to the
melody. I first visited Manzanar when I was 20 years old. I was driving
north on U.S. 395 and was tired of driving. I pulled over just before sunset,
started to rest, and then I saw this old building. It was the old guard station
of the relocation camp. As I walked around the old grounds, as the sun left the
sky, a feeling of great sadness and loss took place. Years later the feeling
would haunt me as I sit at a piano. The melody came to me from somewhere and I wrote
it down.
I would like to thank bandmate Steve McArthur who did a nice job on piano. I also want to
thank Mike Mooney who performed on sax and friend John Baker on French Horn. The
instrument at the head of the melody is a KOTO (Japanese instrument). It has an
interesting tone when paired with a piano. My Melodeon part I added last to give the
song a bit of sadness.
Please remember the people of Manzanar and let us hope it will never happen again in our
history!
Patrick Michael Karnahan
People of Manzanar
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Men of Iron
Dear Friends:
This song, 'Men of Iron' is on our new 19th Cd, California Story. I wrote the song
in 1995 and just re-recorded it.
As a folk songwriter I thought it was time to write a ballad based on the Chinese
Railroad workers that help build the Central Pacific Railroad. I first wrote a
ballad about my Irish that worked on the Union Pacific Railroad. Fellow Black
Irish bandmate Richard Restivo said to me, ' Patrick, what about the
Chinese?' I agreed, feeling that the Chinese were left out of a lot of the
history of the American West.
I hope you all understand about the great task that the Chinese undertook. Treated so
poor by others they over came many hardships to make the first Transcontinental Railroad
one of the greatest feats of history.
It is to the Chinese that gave their lives to the railroad that this song was written!
Patrick Michael Karnahan
Men of Iron |
