The Cocktail reel

Also known as An Manglam, The Cock’s Tail.

There are 15 recordings of this tune.

This tune has been recorded together with

The Cocktail appears in 1 other tune collection.

The Cocktail has been added to 5 tune sets.

The Cocktail has been added to 76 tunebooks.

Download ABC

Seven settings

1
X: 1
T: The Cocktail
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Dmaj
|:DFFE D2 fe|dF F2 AFEF|DFFE D2 ed|cAAG EFGE:|
A2 A2 eA A2|eA A2 BG G2|A2 A2 eA AB|=c2 AG EFGE|
A2 A2 eA A2|eA A2 BF G2|A2 A2 abag|fgef dBAF|
# Added by Kenny .
2
X: 2
T: The Cocktail
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Dmaj
|:DFFE ~F3 E|DF ~F2 AFEF|DFFE F2 ed|cAAG EFGE:|
A2-A2-A2 GE|~A2 GA BGEG|A2-A2-A3B|=cBcG EFGE|
A3B ~A2 GE|~A2 GA BGEG|A2 a2 a2 zg|fdef dBAF||
3
X: 3
T: The Cocktail
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Dmaj
DFFE F3E|DF F2 AFEF|DFFE F3d|cAAG EFGE|
DFFE D2 FE|DF F2 AFEF|DFFE D3d|cAAG EFGE||
K:Am
EAcA eA A2|eA A2 BGEG|EAcA e3g|e3d cAAG|
EAcA eA A2|eA A2 BGBd|e3g aged|cAAG EA A2||
# Added by JACKB .
4
X: 4
T: The Cocktail
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Dmaj
DFF2 D2fe|dFF2 AFEF|DFF2 D2ed|cAAG EFGE|
DFF2 D2fe|dFF2 AFEF|DFF2 D2ed|cAAG EFGB||
A2 A/A/A eA A/A/A|eA A/A/A BFGB|A2 A/A/A eA A/A/A|gedB GBdB|
A2 A/A/A eA A/A/A|eA A/A/A BFGB|A2 A/A/A eaag|fgef dBAF:|
5
X: 5
T: The Cocktail
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Dmaj
DFF2 D2fe|dFF2 AFEF|DFF2 D2ed|cAAG EFGE|
DFF2 D2fe|dFF2 AFEF|DFF2 D2ed|cAAG EFGB||
A2 A2 eA A2|eA A2 AEGB|A2 A2 eA A2|gedB GBdB|
A2 A2 eA A2|eA A2 AEGB|A2 A2 eaag|fgef dBAF||
# Added by JACKB .
6
X: 6
T: The Cocktail
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Dmaj
|:DF~F2 D2fe|dF~F2 AFEF|DF~F2 DFed|cA~A2 EFGE:|
E~A3 eA~A2|eA~A2 BAGB|e~A3 eA~A2|gedB GABG|
E~A3 eA~A2|eA~A2 BAGB|e~A3 eaag|fgec dAFE||
7
X: 7
T: The Cocktail
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Cmaj
CEED ~E3D|CE~E2 GEDE|CEED EGAc|BGAF DEFD|
CEED ~E3D|CE~E2 GEDE|CEED (3EFG Ac|BGAF DEFD||
G3G GDFD|GD (3EFG AFDF|~G3^F GFGA|_BAB=F DEFD|
G2FD G2FD|GD (3EFG AFDF|Ggg^f ~g3=f|ecdB cAGE||

Ten comments

The Cocktail

An unusual tune this, but I like the change of key (mode ?) in the second part. At a Willie Clancy school flute class years ago Roger Sherlock played a tape of Northern flute players Gary Hastings and Gerry O’Donnell playing this reel, and it’s since been recorded by Desi Wilkinson, Liz Carroll, and is on the last “Beginish” CD, where they point out the obvious similarities to the “Dublin Reel”.
It has a strange feel to it , and I hope I’ve transcribed it properly - sounded OK on ABC.

Posted by .

Yes, sounds right!

Nice to see this tune appear and it’s more or less the way I play it having learned it from Gary Hastings c.1980. I believe Gary learned it from McConnell who probably learned it from the late Eddie Duffy, himself a great old flute-player. It has taken a while to get beyond the border and into general circulation. So it’s no longer quite the party piece it used to be. Marcas O Murchu and McConnell himself have also recorded it.

A version of this tune appears on Mick O’Brien and Caoimh

i disagree with quirls transcription of the Caoimhin’s version (i’m not gonna bother with the accent above the i). on the cd, the last measure goes | cAAG EFGE :| like listed in the first version posted. it was hard to tell which one was right, but when you listen to that last note of the first part going into the A of the second part, the interval is definately a 4th, and not a 2nd.

Posted by .

i hate to be nit picky, but my ear hears it is “=cBcG”. both of them natural, of course. i do really think quirl did a good job of transcribing, because for some reason i couldnt get this tune at all, even slowed down. but there were just one or 2 things i noticed that i hear differently.

Posted by .

The Cocktail

I came across Gary Hastings’ playing of the tune broadcast on RTE Radio a few years ago, and recorded it. The archive page of the programme isn’t available any more, so I uploaded it onto SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/the-roving-bachelor/gary-hastings-the-cocktail-eddie-duffys-jig-away-the-donkey


I did a bit of research and found this isn’t on any commercial recordings. It was recorded a few years before this video was recorded: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XgBg9PmDGtk

An Manglam

This version (setting #2) is closer to how Mick O’Brien and Caoimhin O’Raghallaigh play it on Kitty Lie Over.

The Cocktail, X:7

A version in C major played by Nathan Gourley and Laura Feddersen on the album Life Is All Checkered.