No need for Paddy to smile. He let the accordion do the smiling for him. One of the greatest box players that ever lived and composer of many traditional reels, jigs & hornpipes...R.I.P.

Revolutionized the B/C system on the Irish Button Accordion to play traditional Irish music in virtually any key. Often regarded as the King of the Accordion Players.

Super playing. And a collision between two value systems

Its a real privilige that these tapes/videos survive so that the likes of myself can hear and appreciate the sublime playing skills of Paddy O'Brien. Thanks for posting ☘️👍

Brilliant accordion playing beautiful style and ornamentation

Great player, I also love how points out - why smile when there's no reason for it.

Great player. Atrocious host. Thanks for sharing!

A complete master

An amazing player, and composer of many tunes that are Irish session staples today!

Absolutely brilliant playing from the master paddy O'brien

Fine musician and man

Marvellous. Brought a tear to my eye, thinking of my late uncle, who played the button accordion, as well as a general it's-neat-being-Irish-isn't-it feeling :)

Great vintage tv.

The accordion is a smilin', And the wee fairies are a dancin'.

My dad played the same type of accordion, self-taught. Back in `76 my parents went to Newfoundland where the instrument is still popular and he SMOKED all the locals. None of them rocked the left hand (bass) like he could. This guy Paddy did extraordinary things with a limited instrument. Masterful.

Complained that he didn't SMILE!!!!!! omg!

Thank you Richie for posting this here and also on your website. Great stuff!

Some people are smilers and some are not; we are all different. But wow! such a vibrant player and handsome also. I recall the Ted Mack show as a child in the 50s. I never saw the program much because my parents seldom watched it. Perhaps the host's personality had something to do with it.

ahh, Ted Mac's Amateur Hour and what an amazing performance!!!

Program host was codecending

The early days of TV was similar to photograohy.You were expected to smile

Reels and hornpipes are just soo cool and this guy can play the heck out of them. I'd love to see what a good Bluegrass band could do with this,

As a box player myself the concentration required to play these instruments the last thing you want is some idiot telling you to smile.

Rest In Peace, Paddy. There came Ireland through the mist but just for a moment.

magic

Where is Paddy O Brien from?

Smile ...we were on the road to long hair black hats shoddy clothing 200mph tempo...and a notion that if you were not drunk you had hopes in that direction...any views ...??

Interesting.

😊🇺🇲

He's into the MUSIC, the MELODY, the unque IRISH CADENCE . . heart and soul [ and fingers ! ]. So, quit distracting him with "smiles" and "smiling" ! The only button-box accordion players who smile are SOME Swiss guys, while playing their traditional dance tunes, playing to the camera, with their Alps in the background. But the SOUND created by Paddy DOES get THIS Prairie Grandpa -I'm a "cradle" accordion-sound lover, will turn 80 this August ] dancin' and excited and SMILING with joy " in me heart". Paddy's very focussed "straight face" is "A SECRET" which HIDES [ but barely ] all the celebration conveyed in his accordion's superbly-played musical tones. So, don't bother him; he's got work to do . . if ye know what I mean.

The aul musicians playing by ear were too busy concentrating to smile. You'd think some of them were chewing something but that was how they were. No fancy notes or reading music them times.

How old was Paddy here.

What a wack host. Playing was beautiful Pat. You`re weren`t a clown for everyone; no need to smile. Different times.

He could write a noveel in less than an hour! He's cool - not a smiling Joe

The host was so out of touch. You're witnessing, first-hand, that Americanising, "Plastic-Paddying" of Irish music that is prevelent everywhere today. He even referenced "When Irish Eyes Are Smiling" as some kind of back-up to his request for a smile, but that song has nothing to do with Irish people and wasn't part of our Irish song tradition. I get it occassionally, particularly from Americans. "Why don't you smile when you play?". "Why should I?".

im smiling