Before we wrap up Irish Week for 2012, a few more bands/artistes who sadly never quite made it, or did but only briefly to fade away. We salute you, and remember you here...
No Sweat were a short-lived AOR outfit who had a number one in Ireland with “Heart and soul”
but they had other good songs too, like this one, “Lean on me”
“Tear down the walls”
and “Stranger”.
Cry Before Dawn hailed from Wexford, and had a short but successful career but failed to make it big. Word has it that they reunited last year and are touring again, so perhaps second time round?
This is one of their bigger hits in Ireland, called “Gone forever”
though their only impression on the UK charts was “Witness for the world”.
They had other singles too, successful here in their native land but nowhere else (what does that prove? That we have better taste, are better able to appreciate good music?), one of which was “No living without you”
and “The seed that's been sown”.
Then there was Who's Eddie? Yeah, really... A decent Irish dance band who had minor local hits with songs like “Take me up”
and a cover of Donna Summer's disco classic “Hot stuff”, I kid you not!
But what we Irish do best is ROCK! And Sweet Savage, who produced a young guitarist you may have heard of, name of Vivian Campbell, are one of the old guard who never quite broke out as they should have done. Hailing from Belfast, they only lasted a few years and despite reforming last year, I fear it's not really the same without our Vivian. They had some great songs though, like “Take no prisoners”
“Killing time”
“Eye of the storm”
and “Straight through the heart”.
Another band, whom I've mentioned a few times, and whose album I'll be reviewing once I get my USB turntable sorted, is the Stars of Heaven, who hailed from my hometown, Dublin. There's little available of them on YouTube, so here's what I have. This is from the album I intend to review, “Speak slowly”, and it's simply called “28”.
This is the title track from their album “Sacred heart hotel”
and here's a great track called “Never saw you”.
Then we have An Emotional Fish, who nearly made it. This is “Celebrate”
and this is their biggest Irish hit, “Lace Virginia”
though “Time is on the wall” is great too: think it bears quite a resemblance to Bowie's “Five years”, personally...
… and this is “A hole in my Heaven”. Shows how popular they were briefly, as this is recorded on tour with, oh, what's their name? You know them...!
Hardly any information survives about Hinterland, but this is the one video I could find of them.
Another great band from north of the border, Energy Orchard were signed on the recommendation of the great Steve Earle, but despite that failed to make it big, lasting for just six years from 1990 to their breakup in 1996. They had some great songs during that period though, like this one, “Sailor town”
this one, simply entitled “Belfast”
“Stay away”
and a great rendition of the old trad song, “The star of the County Down”.
And yet another criminally ignored band from Dublin, Lir plied their trade from 1982 to about 1997, when they “went on hiatus”, but officially broke up. They did reunite later, but as with most projects this didn't really work. This is one of their songs, “In a day”
and this is “There are more things”
Finally, this is “The orchard song”.
There are so many other bands I could feature here --- the Pale, the Stunning, A House, Something Happens, Engine Alley, Light a big fire, Les Enfants --- but I'd be here well past Irish Week and possibly into Christmas! Suffice to say there have been tons of Irish bands who, despite not ever managing to break out and make it in the big leagues, still deserve your attention. Some great music out there; even if the bands no longer exist, the music lives on.
Slainte!