Quare Groove vol 1

A collection of Irish Groove,

Punk-Funk, & Electro

Archaeology by John Byrne

Compiled by John Byrne,
Colm K, Jeremy Murphy, & Olan
Liner notes by John Byrne The actor Jonathan Ryan really believed
& Jeremy Murphy in the band and offered to pay for
Design by Aidan Moore a recording session. We then asked
Mastered by Shawn @ Optimum Mastering Steve Belton of the Fountainhead to
produce it, as he was the most studio-
experienced musician we knew. Noel
Eccles was brought in to play talking
Natural Wild drum, but otherwise we put the song
Hot & Sexable (Mega Mix) down as we played it live.

(Con O’Laoghaire / Rodney Callan) It took a lot of money to record a

Copyright Control track in those days. Our guitarist Paul
Feral Records, 1985 O’Reilly used a very temperamental
Above: Maggie Reilly
Con O’Laoghaire recalls: ‘The year get going in the Studio. I remember
Stagalee was Ireland’s card-carrying previous I had been to Carnival in thinking that the cost of that time
groove band of the late 70’s. They Trinidad where a woman told me she was a week’s wages!’
recorded a 45 (‘Give A Little Love’/ would see me later at a fete (a dance)
’7 Year Itch’) for then-manager Billy when she was dressed up and looking
McGrath’s Exit records in 1978. ‘Hot and Sexable’ and that gave me
The constant lynchpin of the band the chorus.
was singer and writer Errol Walsh.

The ‘Welcome Back Into My Life’/’Just

Good Friends’ single was released in at the end of the line that keeps
October of 1979 about a season after coming around and then catching up.’
Colin Tully & Maggie Reilly joined, Other than that, I had just a two-chord
Pumphouse Gang and featured Maggie & Errol fronting guitar groove. Then Rod Callan came up
Welcome Back Into My Life a side each. The label ‘Little Black with the bass line that underpins the
Records’was a purpose-built subsidiary track. I then wrote the rest of the
(Colin Tully / Errol Walsh) of longstanding showband stalwart lyrics and that was the song.
Celtic Songs independent label Dolphin Records.
Little Black Records, 1979
‘Welcome Back Into My Life’ is Colin’s Recorded Windmill Lane Studios,
Bands evolve, accruing and shedding tune with Errol’s lyrics. The song Dublin - 1985
members like onion layers, just all gained a reasonable amount of airplay
the time, and yes, just like the at the time, however it didn’t get Con O’Laoghaire – Vocals & percussion
weather. How many bands go like the enough attention to keep the band Denise Valerie – Vocals
following - the break-up remnants in motion. The Pumphouse Gang banner Rodney Callan – Bass & bass synth
of one band jumps country to graft stayed aloft just long enough to Paul O’Reilly – Guitar & guitar synth
directly into the works of another promote the new record - just for Kenny Strong – Keyboards
country’s still gigging second unit? a little less than half a year. Robbie Brennan - Drums
This is how ‘Pumphouse Gang’ arose. Stagalee ‘returned’ in the spring
Half of Scottish Soul-Funk cadre Cado of 1980. The band rolled onwards
Belle found their way into late 1970’s for a while, but came to a standstill
Ireland, dovetailing into a Dublin in 1981.
based funk unit called Stagalee.
Recorded Windmill Lane Studios, Natural Wild was a popular live act.
Dublin - 1979 We were listening to Afrobeat and Soca,
and often had a DJ before and after
Errol Walsh – Backing vocals & lyrics shows. We had a party vibe going at
Maggie Reilly - Vocals our gigs but Dance was a lonely place
Colin Tully - Saxophone in Ireland back then. The music press
James Delaney – Keyboards dismissed us as lightweight pop.
Tommy Moore – Bass
John Forbes - Drums

Above: Pumphouse Gang minus Maggie

Reilly with replacement vocalist
Honor Heffernan.
 Stuart Bingham (writer/producer/ Barry Brennan – Lead vocals
arranger) cites Chic as being a big Padraig Meehan – Guitar
Eddie Lee – Programming,
their ‘Good Times’ single at a record Backing Vocals & Bass
store in the Bahamas in 1979. The Bill Whelan – Synthesizer
single had just arrived & it received Steve McDonnell – Trumpet (solo)
several rewinds on the house system, Mike Nolan – Trumpet
as enthusiastic locals transformed Carl Geraghty – Saxophone
the store (& the footpath outside!) Lorraine Walls – Backing vocals
into a temporary nightclub. Paul Barrett – Programming
Dessie Reynolds – Percussion
Stuart Bingham – Backing vocals,
guitar & keyboards
Rosey McErlane - Vocals
Ardy Moorhead - Drums Their debut mini-album ‘Hyperspace!’
Ray Murray - Bass was recorded for Tara Records in 1985.
Bryce Norrie, Rosey McErlane, Recorded in Windmill Lane, it made use
Stuart Bingham, Ardy Moorhead, of sampling technology, drum machines,
Ray Murray - Hand claps and the cutting-edge technology at the
time, the Fairlight CMI workstation.
Sunshine
Give It To Me

(Stuart Bingham) Bing Music

Not On Label, 1981
Produced by Bill Whelan
Long before the arrival of any club
& Those Nervous Animals
scene in Ireland, socializing was done
Engineered by Philip Begley
in your local community dancehall. Live
music in those venues was played by
touring showbands. These groups were
predominantly cover bands who would
rely on a standard repertoire of chart
hits. Recorded output (largely in the
shape of 45rpm singles, pressed in
miniscule quantities) was generally Above: Hyperspace! Test Pressing
uninspired.
The lyrics of the title track
Sunshine from Belfast in Northern celebrated some of the band members
Ireland was one group that travelled obsession with primitive arcade video
Those Nervous Animals game machines, like Space Invaders and
the showband circuit from the early
Hyperspace! Pac-Man. The mini-album was co-produced
1970s. As the decade wore on,
international TV exposure helped by Bill Whelan, who would later attain
(Padraig Meehan / Barry Brennan / Eddie worldwide fame as the composer
Sunshine become one of the most popular
Lee) Mild Music of the music for the Riverdance show.
acts of the day. As a result they
Tara Records, 1985
released several singles. Many of these
were self-written & with a nod to the After the release, the band toured
Those Nervous Animals was formed in nationally and received a lot of
popular sounds of the day, rather than
the early 1980’s in Sligo. The group’s airplay. Those Nervous Animals last
covers of the same old standards.
founding members were Barry Brennan,
lead singer and instrumentalist, 90’s. They play the occasional gig,
guitarist Padraig Meehan and Eddie Lee
of slightly abstract danceable anarchy
Heads, Was Not Was & Defunkt.
years ago.
Their early Sligo gigs were lively
affairs in dank and sweaty rock
venues like the infamous Blue Lagoon
nightclub. As they became better known,
the band made the Baggot Inn its Dublin
home from home. Two self-funded 45s
were released on the band’s own Dead
Fly imprint including ‘The Business
Enterprise (My Friend John)’. This
became the group’s best-known single
when released in 1984.
‘Give It To Me’ was recorded in late
1979/early 1980 in Windmill Lane
Studios in Dublin, but didn’t see the
light of day until 1981 when the band
needed a b-side for their ‘Love Me,
Love Me Do’ single.
 Stano recalls: ‘White Fields was I was more interested in getting
started in the winter of 1981. The bass different types of musicians, and
Quare Groove vol 1
player for the session Jerome Rimson seeing what would happen if I mixed
was a contact of Deke O’Brien’s (Head different styles together. I wasn’t
A collection of Irish Groove, of Scoff Records). I remember waiting trying to write songs. I was just
Punk-Funk, & Electro outside the studio; it was so cold working in the studio, and seeing what
I had to go across the street into would evolve from the collaboration
a church to shelter from the weather. with the musicians.
This studio was ‘The Music Mint’ in
Sandycove (South Dublin suburb). The By accident the studio had really
engineer was Shai Fitzgerald. I had become my instrument. They said that
Archaeology by John Byrne started to write ‘Content To Write In the only person operating similar to
Compiled by John Byrne, myself was Brian Eno, but I was unaware
Colm K, Jeremy Murphy, & Olan recording myself. I ran out of funds to of him at that time.‘
Liner notes by John Byrne
& Jeremy Murphy at Scoff records to get the project Bass track recorded at Shai Fitz’s
Design by Aidan Moore completed. Deke had come across the Music Mint, Sandycove Dublin, Winter
Mastered by Shawn @ Optimum Mastering ‘Room’ single (released 1982). It was - 1981. All else recorded at Alto
recommended to him by Ferdia MacAnna Studios, Milltown Dublin - 1981
(aka Rocky DeValera) who fronted
His initial solo recordings were
another band who recorded for Scoff, Stano - Vocals,
released under the name Ultimate
The Rhythm Kings. drum programming & effects
Treason. ‘Losing Control’ began
Jerome Rimson – Bass
as a track called ‘So Cruel’
Robbie Wogan - Guitar
on the third Ultimate Treason
cassette release ‘Bite Back’.
Produced by Stano & Dave Freely
Engineered by Shai Fitzgerald,
When a B-side for the ‘Real Man’ single
Dave Freely & Terry Cromer
release under the Barry Warner name),
he repurposed ‘So Cruel.’ The vocals
and some synth lines were dropped out,
while some effects and voice snippets
were added. This resulted in what has

hip-hop/electro track.

Stano
White Fields (In Isis)

(John D Stanley) Dark Fox Music Ltd

Scoff Records, 1983

Although Stano may have come from a

post-punk generation of musicians and
Most of the recording for the album
much of his ‘Content To Write In I Dine
was done in Alto Studios. The engineer Barry Warner
Weathercraft’ LP could be considered
was Dave Freely, and the place was run Losing Control
ballpark in this area too, it also
by Terry Cromer. He had a big square (Barry Warner) Barry Warner Songs
basketball arena in the basement of Revolving Records, 1985
Irish recording collection to make
Robert Emmet’s house in south Dublin.
thoroughgoing use of a drum machine.
(Emmet was a famous late 18th century Barry Warner grew up a punk-kid in
The drum machine holds aloft Jerome
Irish revolutionary patriot) There was Limerick. His ears were opened to the
Rimson, while he’s making the wormiest Barry released a string of singles
a grand piano housed there, along with post-prog world by John Peel & record-
groove bass in creation on the ‘White from the middle of the 80s into the
a lot of home-made bass guitars that buying expeditions to Dublin. Rather
Fields’ piece contained here. It also early 90s, including what more would
Terry had built himself. than remain a consumer he became active
bolsters punk-funk bass slappers too,
classical pianists (Roger Doyle!), in producing his own music. He got (‘Just a Floor’/’Jack The Floor’, 1988
For the initial demos I was just involved in several late-70s/early 80s
session vocalist divas, electro-hippie Self Made Messiah) & a cover of David
using a pre-programmed rhythm box. underground ‘tape-only’ bands such
buskers, avant-guitarists wielding all Bowie’s ‘Sound & Vision’ that received
A few weeks into the recording Terry as The Date Rippers, David Depraved &
kinds of pedals and guitar synths, the thumbs up from Bowie himself. Barry
and so much more. Tripper Humane. Warner still produces music to this
on the market. At the time we were
day.
programming the rhythms as we were
recording the drum machine to tape.
Recorded in HQ Studios, Limerick – 1984
It had a bunch of knobs that I started
/ 1985
to play like a synth, moving the
Equipment used:
buttons up and down. This changed
Roland 808 drum machine,
the pitch of the ‘drums’. To my mind
Korg Poly-800 synth,
it sounded like Indian drums.
Belt-drive turntable, some vinyl and 2
I suppose the diversity of the record
Allen & Heath system 8 mixer,
Fostex B16,
a track, I tried to move away
Delta labs 1024 delay,
in a totally new direction.
Yamaha SPX 9 and KEF monitors
It was never planned.
Produced by Barry Warner
& Derek O’Sullivan
Engineered by Derek O’Sullivan
 If this early Irish Micro-Disney
Micro-Disney
music-making seems a mystery to those
Leper
accustomed to the later editions of the
(Cathal Coughlan / Sean O’Hagan)
London Microdisney (hold the hyphen!),
Copyright Control
it seems that Cathal Coughlan and Seán
Previously unreleased, 1981
O’Hagan had decided to make a very
different kind of sound together,
Welcome to the Micro-Disney 1981
as the original Micro-Disney slowly
Dave Fanning session. In Ireland
ran aground in the early months of
things were opening up with the dawn
1982.
of ‘independent’ music making. Many
people started capturing recordings
Recorded at RTE studios, Donnybrook,
of all sorts of music’s in the 1980’s
Dublin, March 31st, 1981
that might not have thought to do so
prior...
Cathal Coughlan - Vocals & horn
Sean O’Hagan — Guitar
Giordaí Ua Laoghaire - Guitar
Chris McCarthy - Bass
Dave Galvin - Drums

Some Kind Of Wonderful ‘Just Like Me’ is a wonderfully

Just Like Me individual song that shows exactly why John Byrne thanks
(Some Kind Of Wonderful)
Thank you to Ian Richards, who believed
Copyright Control are bridged, Phil Mullen’s guitar in this project before the idea of it
Nienteeneightease Records, 1981 incites, Pete Deane’s vocals even existed.
are somehow controlled yet
simultaneously powerful & unhinged. Thanks to all my collab-men in this
representative of the unshackled Tommy Gilsenan’s bass propels, project for forbearance, and beyond.
creativity that accompanied the growth occasional sax squeals from Ray
of independent music making in early Shiels add a touch of seasoning & the The bit where the original tape caught
When the great irish music heritage
1980s Ireland. ‘Just Like Me’ was insistent drum/percussion duo of Paul a speed-wind at the very top of the
rush inevitably moves from tiny trickle
released in 1981 as a double A side Bibby & Danny Cunningham are given a song recording, a great start eh?
to unstoppable gold-dyke, you’ll
single with Tokyo Olympics (formerly DC welcome boost absent from the original No, you don’t hear this kind of thing
Nien) on the latter’s Nienteeneightease single release. The version included on a commercial recording every day,
dozen refry packages of great vintage
Records. on this release has received a new and no we’re not apologising for any
homegrown sounds in your local vinyl
remastering from the original tape. dysfunction.
vervists. When you do, you’ll be
wondering why the name of Eamonn Keane
The bit where Cathal the singer rant-
is thanked on the back of each
rappers the following ‘But now there
of ‘em..... Take a gander over
is no time to talk, my tongue has just
to his inviolably invaluable data-base
fallen off — PECKING ORDER — LICK THOSE
at www.irishrock.org, and see why!
BOOTS BOY!’

The bit where Giordaí the guitarist Image Credits

rears up into the piece like an entire Front Cover Photo sequence taken from –
Trinidadian steel band contained on ‘The Great Cities / Dublin’
one fret-board, doing so at the same Time Life Books, Amsterdam.
singers mention of ‘public toilets’... Photographer: John McDermott.

Back Cover Photo – Galway Races

‘Inside Ireland’ by Eilís Dillon.
Hodder & Stoughton.
Photographer - Tom Kennedy.
Recorded at Setanta Studios,
Dundalk - 1981 We’ve tried to track down both cover
photographers but no luck!
Phil Mullen - Lead guitar If you wish to get in touch:
Pete Deane - Lead vocals & rhythm info@allcityrecordlabel.com
support slots; they were equally
guitar
Paul Bibby - Drums All Micro-Disney images –
unreleased archive exists, however
Danny Cunningham - Percussion Dave Clifford / Vox
their released output is unfortunately
Tommy Gilsenan - Bass guitar Stano - Man and his dog - Derek Doody
limited to ‘Just Like Me’ & the ‘D’You
Ray Shiels – Saxophone Stano - Graveyard - Dave Clifford / Vox
Read My Letter’ single (Reekus Records,
1982). Real Man Sleeve - Jim Fitzpatrick.
Produced by Tony O’Meara The bit where..... well the whole 1 Barry Warner - Press shot - Dave Keegan
Engineered by Ronan Dennedy minute 59 seconds of the song. Three / Apple And Eve Studios, Dublin.
A skim through press cuttings of
the time showed that the music media
struggled with categorizing SKOW – but somehow in sync. The drummer
the labels that refused to stick tries to calm them down, all the while
include reggae, latin, ska, calypso, holding that sync...
Thank you to all the musicians who’ve
funk, soul, pop & rock.
a couple of generations down the line.