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Bio:
Band formed by session musicians Garvan Gallagher (ex Trench Band and
Midnight Well among
many others), Don Harris (ex Spud, Peggy's Leg,
The Urge), Paul Barrett (co-owner of STS Studios located above Claddagh Records
office in Dublin) and Ben Rice.
Metropolis played light and nimble jazz-rock fusion, possibly pulling in too many directions at
times and sometimes Ben Rice's sax seems to domiante proceedings too much
for my tastes, but these are minor criticisms of an LP that is certainly worth
seeking out. It's almost entirely instrumental, apart from occasional vocals.
Nice cover artwork by Sonny Condell too.
The album was preceeded by a single "Skyways" b/w "Avril" which included guests
Greg Boland (Scullion, ex Supply Demand & Curve
and Stagalee,
guitar on the A-side)
and Keith Donald (Moving Hearts, sax on both sides). Both
tracks are included on the LP.
Their debut single was the last to be released on the short-lived Phaeton label while
the album came out on the parent Claddagh label bearing the Phaeton logo.
Garvan Gallagher was later in the Fleadh Cowboys and Mary Black's Band.
Not to be confused with the UK band Metropolis who released "The European Suite" LP on their
own Havoc House label in 1985 (later on CBS) from which a potentially confusing promo single
"Dublin" / "Theme for Liberty" was issued.
Notes:
Recorded at Keystone Studios, summer 1981. Produced by Metropolis and Andrew Boland.
Front cover photo montage by Sonny Condell.
The bands name was omitted from the printed label. This was rectified with a hand-stamped
"Metropolis" present on at least one label.
Guests include Greg Boland (guitar on "Skyways"),
Keith Donald (saxes on "Avril" and "Skyways"),
and Gerry O'Beirne of Midnight Well (12-string guitar on "Moving Shadows" and
"The American Way". Also thanked are Owen Buckley, John Grimes, Trevor Knight (Auto Da Fe),
Paul McAteer and Patsy Tracey.
Help!: We need your help to complete this entry. If you can tell us more about this band then please do! We welcome any corrections, missing details, connections to other bands, where are they now, etc. We also need photos, scans, copies of releases or live or demo recordings, and any other memorabilia gathering dust in the attic. If you can help, then please get in touch.