Horslips

• John Fean - guitars, banjo, vocals
• Charles O'Connor - fiddle, mandolin, concertina, vocals,
• Jim Lockhart - keyboards, flute, tin whistles, uilleann pipes, vocals
• Barry Devlin - bass guitar, vocals
• Eamon Carr - drums, bodhrán, percussions

Bio:

Horslips were the most mainstream of the wave of Irish bands incorporating traditional influences in their music at the dawn of the 70s, and also the most successful. The band was formed in 1970 by Eamon Carr (drums), previously with Tara Telephone and one of the main instigators of the group's direction; Jim Lockhart (keyboards, flute) from Dublin with a strong traditional music background; Charles O'Connor (guitar, mandolin, fiddle), from Middlesborough, who worked in an advertising agency and had a strong interest in traditional music; 'Spud' Murphy (guitar) and Gene Mulvanney (bass). The group scored good early exposure as the resident group on the RTE TV series Fonn, playing electric arrangements of traditional Irish tunes. Declan Sinnott replaced Spud Murphy and Barry Devlin replaced Gene Mulvanney. This lineup recorded "Johnny's Wedding", the A-side of the debut single released on the band's own Oats label in March 1972. Sinnott had left by then, replaced by Gus Guest (ex Deep Set, who plays on the B-side) who in turn was replaced by the summer by Johnny Fean (ex ...), yielding the definitive lineup of the band. The final important part of the puzzle was manager Michael Deeney.

The band recorded their classic debut LP "Happy To Meet" in 1972 which is tinged with elements of late psychedelia and inspired by Sweeney's Men. The follow up was their earlty masterpiece "The Tain", which often draws (inadequate) comparisons to Jethro Tull. This had the early 70s progressive sound.

   

   

side one
Happy to Meet
Hall of Mirrors
The Clergy's Lamentation
An Bratach Bán
The Shamrock Shore
Flower Among Them All
Bím Istigh Ag Ól

side two
Furniture
Ace and Deuce
Dance to Yer Daddy
Scalloway Ripoff
The Musical Priest
Sorry to Part
The High Reel [1978 DJM reissue bonus track]

Notes: Sold 10,000 copies on release in Ireland according to Billboard. In April 1973 the band signed a distribution deal with RCA in the UK and (later) Atlantic in other territories. The 1973 issues in UK, France, Germany and the USA are the same as the original Irish version except the pictures on the first and last page of the booklet are different. "The High Reel" was added as a bonus track to the DJM re-issue in June 1978.

side one
Setanta
Maeve's Court
Charolais
The March
You Can't Fool The Beast
Dearg Doom
Ferdia's Song
Gae Bolga

side two
Cú Chulainn's Lament
Faster Than The Hound
Silver Spear
More Than You Can Chew
The Morrigan's Dream
Time to Kill!

2010 CD Bonus track:
The Tain Live Extended Sequence [My Father's Place, New York, 1974]

Notes: The Tain is a concept album based on the ancient Irish legend of the Táin Bó Cúailnge (The Cattle Raid of Cooley). "Dearg Doom" and "Faster Than The Hound" were performed (mimed) on The Old Grey Whistle Test.

   

side one:
Nighttown Boy
The Blind Can't Lead the Blind
Stars
We Bring the Summer with Us
Sunburst

side two:
Mad Pat
Blindman
King of the Fairies
Lonely Hearts
The Best Years of My Life

2010 CD Bonus tracks:
Mad Pat / Blindman [Recorded at Quartier Latin, Berlin 1976]
King Of The Fairies [Recorded at Sigma Sound, Philadelphia, 1978]
Lonely Hearts [Recorded at My Father's Place, Long Island, NY 1974]

Notes: Loosely based on the travels of the famed 18th century blind harper, Turlough O'Carolan (mainly side one). The cover shows a tired looking band.

tracklisting:
Rug Muire Mac Do Dhia
Sir Festus Burke/Carolan's Frolic
Snow That Melts The Soonest
Piper In The Meadow Straying
Drive The Cold Winter Away
Thompson's / Cottage To The Grove
Ny Kirree Fo Naghtey
Crabs In The Skillet
Dennis O'Connor
Do'n Oiche Ud I Mbeithil
Lullaby
The Snow And Frosts Are All Over / Paddy Fahey's
When A Man's In Love

   

   



side one
Daybreak
March Into Trouble
Trouble (With a Capital T)
The Power and the Glory
The Rocks Remain
Dusk
Sword of Light
Dark

side two
Warm Sweet Breath of Love
Fantasia (My Lagan Love)
King of Morning, Queen of Day
Sideways to the Sun
Drive the Cold Winter Away
Ride to Hell

2010 CD Bonus tracks:
Daybreak
Drive The Cold Winter Away
Ride To Hell
Sideways To The Sun
Sword Of Light
Dark [programmed as one one track, The Bottom Line, New York, 1978]
The Rights Of Man [Quartier Latin, Berlin, 1976]
Trouble (With A Capital T) [Park West, Chicago, 1980]

Notes: The Book of Invasions: A Celtic Symphony is a concept album based on an ancient Irish legends as described in Lebor Gabala Erenn, a book of Irish mythology. The album is divided into three movements: "Geantrai" (side one), "Goltrai" (B1-B3) and "Suantrai" (B4-B6). This was the only Horslips album to enter the UK Top 40, peaking at #39.

tracklisting:
Motorway Madness
Johnnys Wedding
Flower Among Them All
Green Gravel
The Fairy King
Dearg Doom
The High Reel
King Of The Fairies
Phil The Fluter's Rag
Lipstick - Come Back Beatles
Lipstick - The Fab Four Four
Daybreak
Oisin's Tune

   



side one:
Before The Storm
Wrath Of The Rain
Speed The Plough
Sure The Boy Was Green
Come Summer

side two:
Stowaway
New York Wakes
Exiles
Second Avenue
Ghosts
Lifetime To Pay

2010 CD Bonus tracks:
New York Wakes [Recorded at Sigma Sound Studios, Philadelphia 1978]
Speed The Plough [Recorded in London 1978]
Sure The Boy Was Green [Recorded at The Bottom Line, New York 1979]

side one:
Sure the Boy Was Green
Red River Rock

side two:
Trouble
Bridge from Heart to Heart

 

 

 


side one:
The Man Who Built America
Tonight
I'll Be Waiting
If It Takes All Night
Green Star Liner

side two:
Loneliness
Homesick
Long Weekend
Letters From Home
Long Time Ago

2010 CD Bonus tracks:
The Man Who Built America [Park West, Chicago, 1980]
Lonliness [Sigma Sound, Philadelphia, 1978]
Homesick [The Bottom Line, New York, 1979]
Horslips presents Horslips

tracks:
Warm Sweet Breath of Love
Sure the Boy Was Green
An interview about the album ' The Man Who Built America ' including acoustic versions of tunes.

tracklisting:
Trouble With A Capital T
The Man Who Built America
The Warm Sweet Breath Of Love
The Power & The Glory
Blindman
Shakin' All Over
King Of The Fairies
Guests Of the Nation
Dearg Doom

tracklisting:
Trouble (With A Capital T)
The Man Who Built America
Guests Of The Nation
Faster Than The Hound
Huish the Cat
Mad Pat
The Wrath Of The Rain
Flirting In The Shadows
Cuchulainn's Lament
Ace & Deuce
Blindman
Furniture
The Power And The Glory
My Love Is In America
Long Weekend

tracklisting disc one:
The Return Of The Dancehall Sweethearts documentary

tracklisting disc two:
Return Of The Dancehall Sweethearts
Furniture (Live At The National Stadium, 1973)
Bim Istigh Ag Ol (Live At The National Stadium, 1973)
Dearg Doom (BBC Old Grey Whistle Test, 1974)
Faster Than The Hound (BBC Old Grey Whistle Test, 1974)
Charolais (BBC 2nd House, 1974)
Maeve's Court (BBC 2nd House, 1974)
Dearg Doom (BBC 2nd House, 1974)
The Snakes' Farewell To The Emerald Isle (RTE John Molloy's Dublin, 1975)
King Of The Fairies (RTE John Molloy's Dublin, 1975)
Ny Kiree Fo Nachty (Live At The National Stadium, 1975)
Mad Pat (Live At The National Stadium, 1975)
Blindman (Live At The National Stadium, 1975)
Johnny's Wedding (Live At The National Stadium, 1975)
Trouble With A Capital T (Live At The Cork Opera House, 1979)
The Man Who Built America (Live At The Cork Opera House, 1979)
Guests Of The Nation (Live At The Cork Opera House, 1979)
Loneliness (Live At The Cork Opera House, 1979)
Shakin' All Over (Live At The Cork Opera House, 1979)
The Man Who Built America (Original Promotional Video, 1979)

Notes: The first disc contains a documentary about the band made by Maurice Linnane. The second disc contains promo videos, TV appearances and live footage of the band in their heyday.

tracklisting:
King Of The Fairies
Flower Among Them All
Johnny's Wedding
Daybreak
Furniture
Loneliness
King Of Morning, Queen Of Day
Dearg Doom
Trouble
The Man Who Built America
I'll Be Waiting
The Power And The Glory
Speed The Plough
Long Week-End
Guests Of The Nation

disc one:
Furniture
Faster Than The Hound
Dearg Doom
Time To Kill!
Hall Of Mirrors
Flower Amang Them All
More Than You Can Chew
The Snakes' Farewell To The Emerald Isle
Nighttown Boy
Everything Will Be Alright
Trouble (With A Capital T) [Roll Back Version]
The Life You Save
Mad Pat
Blindman
The Blind Can't Lead The Blind
Flirting in the Shadows [Roll Back Version]
The Snow That Melts the Soonest

disc two:
Warm Sweet Breath Of Love
Come Summer
Sword Of Light
Sideways To The Sun
The Power And The Glory
Trouble (With a Capital T)
Rescue Me
Loneliness
The Man Who Built America
Long Weekend
Speed The Plough
Ghosts
Guests Of The Nation
Stowaway
Ricochet Man
I'll Be Waiting
Dearg Doom [Acoustic Radio Version]

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.