Beatland: A Quick Look at Irish Beat

Ireland: For most of the 1960s and the following decade, live music was dominated by that peculiarly Irish phenomenon, the showband . These groups of neatly-coiffed, shiny-suited cover-version merchants toured the country, playing their selections in vast ballrooms (barely a few of which survive today). Enthusiasm tended to supersede talent, but their regimentation did provide a training ground for future stars such as Rory Gallagher and Eric Bell (Thin Lizzy's first guitarist).


Irish Beat Spins off: The most successful group was Bluesville , led by Ian Whitcomb, an American studying at Trinity College, which had a US top ten hit with You Turn Me On . Meanwhile, in Belfast, George Ivan Morrison had got together with guitarist Billy Harrison to form Them.


Three Jolly Little Dwarfs: The Orange Machine (Dublin) Pye 1968. This was one of the best-ever "psychedelic" singles and reached No.14 in the Irish charts. The B-side, “Real Life Permanent Dream” has made this single much sought-after by record-collectors worldwide. A copy (with rare picture-sleeve) sold for GB£65.00 (approximately Euro 95.00) on eBay recently. Ernie Durkan later joined The Gentry, then Buckshot, Tommy Kinsella joined the Cotton Mill Boys and drummer Jimmy Greally became a successful radio broadcaster. Lead guitarist w
as Robin Crowley.

Songs:
Three Jolly Little Dwarfs.mp3
Did Ye Get Healed?.mp3
You Turn Me On.mp3
Karoake-Thin Lizzy.mp3

First and second sections culled from Travelotica.com.
Third section from Irishshowbands.net.
W from the house of Aries (your time to shine starts now)
E from Ulysses
D from a set of painted wooden letters
N from the Houston Post
E from the American Meat Goat Industry
S is a snake
D from Pitchfork Media
A from Nonalignment Pact
Y is brought to you by Thin Lizzy