Side One Darling Companion The Light Snowblind Friend Sunny Outside I Used To Know You You Never Wanted Me Side Two Its About Time Bet No-One Ever Hurt This Bad Seems Like a Long Time My Old Man I Know You Rider Gospel Changes Hey, That's No Way to Say Goodbye
McCanned 1972—Polydor 2904 003 LP

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I will do my best to unravel the confusion connected with 2 early Jim McCann solo releases, “McCanned” and “Streets of London”. As far as I can tell there are 3 versions (total) of these 2 albums.

I believe above is the original version of “McCanned”, This record is not in my collection. However, I found copy for sale on a Japanese auction site—including images of front and back covers, as well as the vinyl label [below].

back cover	catalog number	vinyl label

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Below is the copy of “McCanned” in my collection. It has a different catalog number (than the above release), and has the “Folk Mill” logo in the upper right corner— other than that the front and back covers are almost identical. The primary difference is that (8 of 13) the songs are different. My copy of “McCanned” has the same track list as the “Streets of London” album. Another difference is record label (on the above release) is title “Jim McCann”, while the below vinyl label is titled “McCanned”. Additionally, songs from “McCanned” and “Streets of London” were released on the 2004 CD titled “Seems Like a Long Time”. Finally…I have found reference to another early LP titled “McCann”, allegedly Jim McCann's first solo LP, but to date I have not been able to find any specific information on this album.

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		Side One Ploughboy Lads Sam Hall Sullivan's John Carroll Bawn Rainy Day Streets of London Side Two The Light Snowblind Friend I Used To Know You You Never Wanted Me Hey, That's No Way to Say Goodbye Gospel Changes
McCanned 1972—Polydor 2489 053 LP [Folk Mill]

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Produced by JOHN D'ARDIS at Trend Studios, Dublin
Recording Engineer, FRED MEIJER
Sleeve Designed and Photographed by ROY ESMONDE
Artwork by Drawing Board
Compiled by George McManus

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Jim McCann is an entertainer and a very good one when he is on stage. On record we can only concern ourselves with his singing or rather what he sings.
That he is a vocalist with a great deal of talent and experience goes without saying really. He has been around long enough working in folk clubs, cabaret and in concert, both in his native Ireland and in Britain, to gain a reputation that deserves to be a lot bigger.
Jim McCann has closely been associated with the folk scene, and although he sings folk songs, some of the time, he is not just a folk singer.
The songs on this album will dispel any misconception about that. They embrace the various types of songs that Jim is likely to perform in a nights work, and maybe one or two that he wouldn't.
The songs range from traditional material like "Ploughboy Lads" and "Carroll Bawn" to the contemporary equivalent of these old folk songs whose creators have become anonymous with time.
The modern compositions include Ralph McTell's beautifully simple and effective "Streets Of London," now a standard in contemporary repertoire and a true folk song of today, Hoyt Axton's "Snowblind Friend," that carries a grim warning behind its gentle exterior, and Leonard Cohen's appealing "Hey, That's No Way To Say Goodbye."
Jim McCann's performances have a great understanding and sensitivity in their approach and his choice of songs on this album is uncompromising. Each one is a song of depth and quality, matched by the treatment they receive. Which is why sometimes he chooses just his own accomplished guitar accompaniment or will go for a suitable fuller sound provided by a small group. Yet he is always at ease with either.
Above all the album illustrates the scope and variety that Jim McCann has in his music and on this album he uses it to the full to give us something that will bear listening to often.

TONY WILSON