22 August 1974 And why not Abbeyshrule? Surely every village, parish, sráidbhaile and townland in the country has its own celebratory ballad, right? What's more, Abbeyshrule in Co. Longford is in the heart of what the nearest tourist office would call Goldsmith Country, so perhaps Brendan Shine is waxing lyrical here about his favourite 18th … Continue reading Brendan Shine – ‘Abbeyshrule’
Tag: 70s
The Times – ‘If Ma Could See Me Now’
25 July 1974 Footnotes first: The Times were an Irish showband, and not US vocal group The Tymes who would have a number one in Ireland six months later with 'Ms Grace'. The Irish group included the two Swarbrigg brothers from Cootehill in Co. Cavan, credited as writers of 'If Ma Could See Me Now', … Continue reading The Times – ‘If Ma Could See Me Now’
Charles Aznavour – ‘She’
18 July 1974 I once stood behind Charles Aznavour in a queue at the bank in Paris. He was courteous to the teller and got his business done quickly. That, I'm sorry to say, is my best celebrity encounter story from the eight-and-a-half-years I spent Seine-side. You've probably had starrier celeb sightings or meetings in … Continue reading Charles Aznavour – ‘She’
Big Tom and The Mainliners – ‘Old Love Letters’
11 July 1974 Sensational news for those of you emotionally invested in the Big Tom Memorial Statue in Castleblayney: to facilitate the renovation of the neighbouring Market House, in August 2026 the statue was boarded off and no longer visible. This provoked a less-than-gruntled one-star review which has caused the statue's Tripadvisor rating to fall … Continue reading Big Tom and The Mainliners – ‘Old Love Letters’
Mouth & MacNeal – ‘I See A Star’
30 May 1974 Not the pair of mismatched TV cops their name suggests, Mouth & MacNeal were the no-less-incongruous singing duo who represented the Netherlands at Eurovision 1974. Mouth in particular seems to have fancied their chances; on game night (in the video below) he bursts onto the stage waving giddily at all and sundry, … Continue reading Mouth & MacNeal – ‘I See A Star’
Joe Cuddy – ‘Any Dream Will Do’
9 May 1974 "Aha!", the elders would say: "Joe Cuddy sang that!" This was a common reaction in the Ireland of 1991 to Jason Donovan topping the Irish charts with 'Any Dream Will Do'. (Other reactions were also available.) Joe Cuddy topped the Irish charts with it too. It was his second number one of … Continue reading Joe Cuddy – ‘Any Dream Will Do’
ABBA – ‘Waterloo’
25 April 1974 The unluckiest pop song in history is 'Si' by Italian singer Gigliola Cinquetti. An impressive blend of hushed early-'70s bedsit folk-pop and sweeping orchestral balladry, it was selected as Italy's entry for the 1974 Eurovision. That's when its problems began. Eurovision 1974 happened to coincide with campaigning in Italy for a yes-no … Continue reading ABBA – ‘Waterloo’
Terry Jacks – ‘Seasons In The Sun’
18 April 1974 Sometimes my French still comes in handy. 'Seasons In The Sun' is a translation and cover of a Jacques Brel song called 'Le Moribond', a title which means 'The Dying Man'. Brel's original, like other songs of his, is set to an upbeat martial tempo, and it has a cynical, worldly-wise humour; … Continue reading Terry Jacks – ‘Seasons In The Sun’
Paper Lace – ‘Billy, Don’t Be A Hero’
4 April 1974 This is the first of two number ones in a row that are death ballads. It's also the first of two huge 1974 hits for Paper Lace, and the second of those, the knuckle-gnawingly awful 'The Night Chicago Died', deals with death too. I can also confirm that listening to 'Billy, Don't … Continue reading Paper Lace – ‘Billy, Don’t Be A Hero’
Tina – ‘Cross Your Heart’
21 March 1974 Sharing its name with a brand of bra which could well have been the template for the singer's slightly daring dress at Eurovision 1974, 'Cross Your Heart' was one of eight songs all performed by Tina at Ireland's national selection contest. Yes, you're right: we've already seen Tina at the top of … Continue reading Tina – ‘Cross Your Heart’
