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From: Derry
Active: 1979-1981
Style: Powerpop
Lineup:
- Gerry McCandless - guitar/vocals
- Jackie Hamilton - bass/vocals
- Austin Barrett - drums
Bio:
Fantastic powerpop signed to Real Records, a Sire subsiduary. The Moondogs
were an excellent band who couldn't quite shake a misguided Undertones
comparison and were tragic victims of the curse of Todd Rundgren. They
split in November 1981. And yet at one point they had their own TV show
on Ulster Television! (OK so lots of crappy bands had shows on ITV...)
More details to follow.
Jackie Hamilton (left) later became a regular face on BBC Nothern Ireland.
Jackie Hamilton co-hosting Channel One on BBC NI in 1984
Gerry McCandless later played with Derry band Graffiti
Check out the semi-officia site (see links below).
Not to be confused with the Liverpool band who released a single in 1979.
Dates
• 12 August 1979 - Sunday gig at The Dandelion Market, Dublin
• 2 February 1980 – Undertones and Moondogs at The Arcadia, Cork
Discography
• She's Nineteen / Ya Don't Do Ya
7" - Good Vibrations Records GOT-10 - November 1979 - PS
• 1st Peel Session
Recorded 01.04.1980, broadcast 10.04.1980
tracks:
School Girl Crush
Who's Gonna Tell Mary
Talking In The Canteen
Roddie's Gang
• Who's Gonna Tell Mary? / Overcaring Parents
7" - Real Records - ARE-13 - UK - September 1980 - PS
7" - Real Records - ??? - France - 1980 - PS
7" - Real Records - ??? - IRL - 1980 - PS?
• Talking in the Canteen // Make Her Love Me / You Said
7" - Real Records ARE-14 - UK - February 1981 - PS - some with neckerchief
7" - Pathé Marconi - 2C-008-84311/PM 100 - France - 1981 - PS, grey label, large centre hole
7" - label? - ??? - Australia - 1981 - no PS
Some UK copies were shrinkwrapped with a free neckerchief!
• Imposter / Baby Snatcher
7" - Real Records - ARE-16 - UK - May 1981 - PS
2x7" - Real Records - ARE-16 & ARE-13 - UK - 1981 - PS, sticker
The double disc edition contained a free copy of ARE-13 plus a sticker
matrix side A: "WEA T/P-3 ARE-16-A1", side B: "WEA T/P-2 ARE-16-B1"
• 2nd Peel Session
Recorded 27.04.1981, broadcast 18.05.1981
tracks:
Dream Girl
Home Is Where The Heart Is
That's What Friends Are For
I'm Not Sleeping
• That's What Friends Are For
LP - Sire Records - 204061 - Germany - 1981 - inner sleeve
LP - bootleg - MOON 25 - Germany - 1999 - with 3 bonus tracks, no inner sleeve
side one:
Ya Don't Do Ya ¹
She's 19 ¹
I Wanna be a Pop Star
Who's Gonna Tell Mary
That's The Way It Goes
That's What Friends are For
Schoolgirl Crush
I Lit a Fire
side two:
Home Is Where the Heart Is
Dream Girl
Zulu
This Girl
I'm Not Sleeping
Dressed to Kill
Talking in the Canteen ¹
¹ bonus tracks on bootleg reissue LP only.
Notes:
The album was recorded in NYC in 1981 at producer Todd Rundgren's Bearsville studio.
By all accounts it was a frustrating experience which split the band in November 1981.
• various artists - Now In Session
LP - Downtown Radio - DTR SC1 - 1982
See Compilations section for full track listing.
tracks: That's What Friends Are For
• John Peel Sessions
CD - Detour Records - DRCD040 - UK 2003
Collects all 8 tracks from both Peel Sessions.
Compilation Appearances
• v/a - Good Vibrations: The Punk Singles Collection
CD - Anagram Records - CDPUNK36 - UK - 1994
See Compilations section for full track listing.
tracks: Ya Don't Do Ya
• v/a - The Good Vibrations Story
CD - Dojo Records - CD180 - UK - 1994
See Compilations section for full track listing.
tracks: She's Nineteen
• v/a - Bloodstains Across Northern Ireland
LP - bootleg - ??? - UK - 1998
See Compilations section for full track listing.
tracks: You Said
• v/a - Powerpearls #3
LP - no label - PEARL 2 - 1998
tracks: Who's Gonna Tell Mary
• v/a - Killed By Death #F.U.2
LP - Redrum - ??? - 2000?
tracks: Make Her Love Me
Moondogs Reunion
The Moondogs began rehearsing again in 2000, playing live dates and demo-ing new
material. New recordings by reformed bands are usually pale imitations of the
glory days, so it was a very pleasant surprise when the "Red Fish" album came
out in 2003, as it contains several top-notch powerpop gems and is highly
recommended.
• 2001 Rehearsal/Demo
CDR - demo - 2001
Recently offered on ebay, this contains 9 demos of "Red Fish" songs plus
a 4 song rehearsal of old material, all dating from 2000/2001.
tracks:
It Feels So Good (unfinished)
Every Day Things
Ego
I Am Changing My Life
You Won't Find Her
A Brighter World
Getting Off In Amsterdam
TV Girl (1978 redone)
She Looks So Beautiful
She's 19 (rehearsal)
You Said (rehearsal)
Schoolgirl Crush (rehearsal)
Trembling (rehearsal)
• Red Fish
CD - Reekus Records - RK CD11 - IRL 2003
tracks:
Getting Off In Amsterdam
How Can I Tell
So Beautifull
Bring On The Sunshine
It Feels So Good
Oh No
You Won't Find Her
I Am Changing My Life
A Brighter World
I Only Called To Say Hi
The Boy Who Used To Sing
Ego
• Getting Off In Amsterdam / Everydaythings
CDS - Reekus Records - RK CDS12 - IRL 2003 - promo [200 copies]
Moondogs Matinee
Help!
We need your help to correct and/or complete this entry. If you can provide more
information about this band, have scans, photos or any other memorabilia we can
use, or spare copies of any releases,
then please get in touch.
See Also:
External Links:
http://themoondogs.free.fr
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