A Drop of the Hard Stuff

Infobox Album
Name = A Drop of the Hard Stuff
Type = studio
Artist = The Dubliners


Released = 1967
Recorded =
Genre = Irish folk
Length = 43:07
Label = Major Minor Records
Producer =
Reviews =
Chronology = The Dubliners
Last album = "Finnegan Wakes"
This album = "A Drop of the Hard Stuff"
Next album = "More of the Hard Stuff"

"A Drop of the Hard Stuff" is an album by The Dubliners. It was originally released in 1967 on Major Minor Records (SMLP3 and MMLP3). When it was reissued, it was renamed "Seven Drunken Nights" because the first track became a hit single. The album cover provides biographical sketches of the band line-up: Ronnie Drew, Luke Kelly, Barney McKenna, Ciaran Bourke and John Sheahan. Four of the songs are sympathetic to the IRA, but this was before "The Troubles" properly began in Ireland. "Limerick Rake" is sung unaccompanied. Most of the songs concern rogues and drinking. "Weila Waile" is a tragic murder ballad, sung with a certain jollity. The album reached number 5 in the album chart, and stayed in the charts for 41 weeks.

Track listing

All songs traditional.

Side One
#"Seven Drunken Nights" – 3:43
#"The Galway Races" – 3:17
#"The Old Alarm Clock" – 1:56
#"Colonel Fraser & O'Rourke's Reel" (instrumental) – 2:36
#"The Rising of the Moon" – 2:36
#"McCafferty" – 2:26
#"I'm a Rover" – 4:49

Side Two
#"Weila Waile" – 3:25
#"The Travelling People" – 3:50
#"Limerick Rake" – 3:10
#"Zoological Gardens" – 2:09
#"The Fairmoye Lasses and Sporting Paddy" (instrumental) – 1:55
#"The Black Velvet Band" – 4:26
#"Poor Paddy on the Railway" – 2:49