Sister Irene O’Connor - Fire

Strap yourself in tight before listening to this one, you’re in for a wild ride.  This is a track I stumbled on to via WFMU’s blog nearly 2 and a half years ago.  I was so struck by the beautiful haunting lyrics, the simplicity of the early drum machine tones, and the heavy vocal reverb.  The production quality and vocals sound like something off a Broadcast side venture, but no its an extremely rare private-pressed Catholic LP rip from 1976 of Sister Irene O’Connor singing prayers.  

Listen to Mass: Emmanuel (Text: I.C.E.L.) and tell me that’s not the most only enjoyable time you’ve ever listened to some Catholick prayers.  Sister Irene was goin to town with her drum machine, all creepy carnival style. 

I’m guessing this was a ploy at pulling some young blood back into the Church in the ’70s, but maybe (fingers crossed) she just really wanted to rock out and this was the only way she could justify gettin the church to buy her a drum machine and a guitar?

In any event, the whole reason I’m so psyched with renewed vigor is after two and a half years of searching for the whole album beyond the 3 tracks I’d heard, someone just filled my request on what!!!  This is the beauty of the largest private online music torrent source in the world: this random nun’s LP from ‘76 that I would never have found a physical copy of…or couldn’t even buy if I tried, is now in my possession.

We are living in an age of musical access enlightenment.

I’m passing on the wealth to you, don’t sleep on it. Click on the album cover above to download an LP rip of the whole album.  Thanks to Black Sand, the original ripping source.