Page 16 - Irish Examiner USA

entertainmentexaminer
16

IRISH EXAMINER | July 29th, 2020
T THHEE IIRRIISSHH EEXXAAMMIINNEERR from Ireland consisting of Mick Foster and Tony Allen. In their 40-year career,
they have released over 30 albums, many of which entered the UK Albums
Chart. Along with “A Bunch of Thyme” (entering the Irish chart in 1979 and
M MUUSSIICC AANNDD EENNTTEERRTTAAIINNMMEENNTT becoming their first No. 1 single), “Maggie” became a No. 1 in New
Zealand for four weeks, making the two songs their signature tunes. They
started in the 1970s as a duo, but in 1982 they added a band to their show.
They have achieved album and video sales in excess of 22 million worldwide.
G GUUIIDDEE:: RROOCCKK,, CCOOUUNNTTRRYY,, JJAAZZZZ,, Foster and Allen began in 1975 when they were playing in country
music bands around Ireland. Soon after, they formed a small group and went
over to the UK to work the Irish music venues on a short tour. At this stage
T TRRAADD,, FFOOLLKK,, BBAALLLLAADDSS,, BBLLUUEESS,, they had the idea of working together as a duo, playing easy listening music
with traditional Irish instrumentals. When their UK tour finished, they decid-
ed to let the band return to Ireland whilst they stayed behind to try to break
C CLLAASSSSIICCAALL AANNDD LLOOTTSS MMOORREE into the public eye.
They played several venues in the London area and the reaction was favor-
able; they decided to remain as a duo, and Foster and Allen were formed.
Welcome to our regular music and entertainment guide, brought After a time working around the circuit in the UK and Ireland, they released
their first single, “The Rambles of Spring”. This made an impact on the Irish
to you by Paddy McCarthy for your reading enjoyment market and Foster and Allen were soon in demand for cabaret venues all over
Ireland.
Butch Moore (10 At the end of 1979, Foster and Allen released the single, “A Bunch of
January 1938 – 3 April Thyme” in Ireland, and it entered the Irish chart. Despite the romance and
2001) was an Irish singer. charm of the music and lyrics the song is in reality a warning to young women
He was born James to protect their virginity. The girl in the song ultimately ignores the warnings
Augustine Moore and becomes infected with syphilis. It became their first number one single,
in Dublin and was a show- and stayed on the chart for 40 weeks.”
band icon during the It was not until 1982 that this single was released in the UK. It was played
1960s. He achieved by all the radio stations in Britain, and peaked at No. 18 in the UK Singles
celebrity status as Ireland’s Chart. At the time, Foster and Allen were in the United States on a tour. They
first contestant in were contacted and told to fly back to the UK to appear on BBC
the Eurovision Song Television’s Top of the Pops. Demand for Foster and Allen’s services at ven-
Contest in 1965 and ues all over Ireland and the UK increased as a result.
attracted huge crowds They released another single, “Old Flames”, which peaked at No. 51 in the
with the Capitol UK chart. They undertook their first concert tour of the UK in 1983, and this
Showband in the State’s tour was boosted by the release of another single “Maggie”. This reached No.
many ballrooms. 27 in the UK Singles Chart and became a No. 1 in New Zealand for four
Moore was at the weeks. Foster and Allen have toured Ireland, the UK, the US, Canada, South
height of his success, when Africa, Australia and New Zealand. They have also had their own TV series
he won the National Song Contest to represent Ireland in the Eurovision Song on RTÉ Television in Ireland.
Contest 1965, in Naples, singing “Walking the Streets in the Rain”. The song In the early days, Mick Foster and Tony Allen performed on stage as a duo,
reached number one on the Irish Singles Chart, but failed to chart in the UK. but in 1982 (when the concert tours started) they added a band to their show,
Butch Moore married Norah Sheridan (born June 1940) in 1962. They had thus giving a much fuller sound to their program. On the recording front,
three children; Karen, Grainne and Gary. He played with a number of bands Foster and Allen have released over 30 albums, many of which entered the UK
before securing his big break with the Capitol Showband in 1958. Its line-up Albums Chart. As well as the albums, they have released thirteen videos. The
included band leader, Des Kelly, and Paddy Cole, who is still involved in the video “Souvenirs and Memories” reached No. 3 in the UK video chart around
entertainment business, and an early songwriter for the band was Phil Christmas 1991, the “By Request” video went straight into the No. 1 spot in
Coulter. 1993. Their DVD/video release “After All These Years” became Top 10 in the
The Capitol achieved a considerable degree of success in the early 1960s. It
toured America in 1961, and two years later became the first showband to UK. To date, Foster and Allen have achieved album and video sales in excess
of 22 million worldwide.
appear on the new RTÉ television service. The Capitol played in the London They are still touring but as you know, all live entertainment is at a stand-
Palladium in 1964 on a night when the lineup included Roy Orbison. As the still during this pandemic. C
lead singer with the Capitol Showband, he rivaled the Royal
Showband’s Brendan Bowyer as Ireland’s most popular showband vocalist.
His marriage to Norah broke down in 1969 and when his career went into
a decline, he emigrated to the United States in 1970, where he spent the last
31 years of his life.Butch Moore married Irish ballad singer Maeve Mulvany
(born 1945) in 1972 in the
United States. They
formed a very successful
group known as Butch N
Maeve with a mixture of
ballads and pop.
They also owned a pub
in Massachusetts named
after a song they sang
“The Parting Glass”. They
had three children, Rory,
Tara and Thomas. Butch
died of a heart attack on 3
April 2001 and Maeve on
14 February 2004; she had
planned to move back to
Ireland where she had
bought a house in
Cormeen, County Meath.Ireland
Rest in Peace Maeve and Butch I had the privilege of meeting them in the
Parting Glass in Massachusetts that was owned by them. RIP.
I first got to meet these boys when I hired them for a Festival in
Carrigaline, Co Cork and a couple of years later for the Macroom Irish Trad
Festival back in the early 80s and they have not stopped since so here is a lit-
tle inside on them.
Yes, they are none other than Foster and Allen, a musical duo