Page 16 - Irish Examiner USA

entertainmentexaminer
16

IRISH EXAMINER | September 30th, 2020
Pete Newman performed a number of gigs for charities and composed a special
T THHEE IIRRIISSHH EEXXAAMMIINNEERR musical number for the Mother Jones Festival.
He was the beloved husband of Frances (nee Hayes) and loving father of Sharon
M MUUSSIICC AANNDD EENNTTEERRTTAAIINNMMEENNTT (Mohammed) and Conor. Sadly, missed by his heartbroken family son-in-law
Mohammed, Conor’s partner Mary, grandchildren Deewon, Roman and Dylan, his
pet dog Jack, sisters Kitty and Margaret, brothers John and Tony, sisters-in-law,
nephews, nieces, grandnephews, grandnieces, relatives, neighbors’ close friends.
G GUUIIDDEE:: RROOCCKK,, CCOOUUNNTTRRYY,, JJAAZZZZ,, May he rest in peace.
I was just watching Moone Boy an Irish comedy series that is on Hulu right now
that is only brilliant and got to listen to the theme song “Where’s me Jumper” by
T TRRAADD,, FFOOLLKK,, BBAALLLLAADDSS,, BBLLUUEESS,, The Sultans of Ping FC who are an Irish band formed in 1988 by Niall O’Flaherty,
Pat O’Connell, Paul Fennelly and Ger Lyons. The band’s name is a play on the Dire
Straits song “Sultans of Swing”, dating from a time when “it was sacrilege to say any-
C CLLAASSSSIICCAALL AANNDD LLOOTTSS MMOORREE thing whatsoever funny or nasty about Dire Straits.”
Following a number of lineup changes, the band came to the attention of the Irish
and UK music press, when “Where’s Me Jumper” was released in January 1992.
Welcome to our regular music and entertainment guide, brought After several other independently released singles, the band signed to Epic Records,
through a deal organized by Record’s Martin Heath. With Epic, the band released
to you by Paddy McCarthy for your reading enjoyment their debut album “Casual Sex In The Cineplex”, and its follow up “Teenage Drug”,
with additional tracks gaining a Japan-only release. “Teenage Drug” was
renamed “Teenage Planet Sexy War” in Japan, and included the single “Michiko”.
Renaming themselves as The Sultans, they released their third album “Good Year
For Trouble” in 1996. However, the album cover’s artwork caused problems, as
major record chains like HMV and Virgin decided that the display
of bondage and S&M was too explicit. By this time, Rhythm King had been absorbed
into Arista Records, as Martin Heath became the head of the department. The
record label released the band from their contract.
Following a split in 1996, McCarthy joined the band Pharmacy, O’Flaherty was
involved in producing the Japanese girl band Mika Bomb, while McFeely formed
the rock and roll band, Sister, and later recruited former bassist with The Young
Offenders, Steve Hackett.
McCarthy moved to Stockholm where he taught English. Vocalist Niall
O’Flaherty subsequently pursued a career in academia. The band reformed as The
Sultans of Ping in 2005, and played a number of gigs with Jim Bob of Carter The
Unstoppable Sex Machine. In 2006, the group played a show with Radio 2’s Mark
Radcliffe, and his band The Family Mahone, as part of Manchester’s yearly Irish
Festival. That same year, the Sultans of Ping released their live “DVD U Talk 2
Much: Live at The Cork Savoy Theatre” on Cherry Red Records. The band played
several gigs in 2007, at the Brixton Academy in London (with Carter The
Unstoppable Sex Machine), in Glasgow, and in Roscommon. They played a number
of gigs in 2008, including Southend, London and Cork.
Drummer Morty McCarthy has written a book on Cork slang entitled “Dowtcha
Boy”. The title of the song “Give Him a Ball and a Yard of Grass”, which appeared
on their first album, about Nottingham Forest player Nigel Clough based on a quote
from football manager Brian Clough about John Robertson. The song contains sev-
eral more of his sayings in its lyrics. This was given away free with Nottingham
Forest Fanzine “Brian” as a one track flexi-disk in April 1992.
The band were announced as the support act for Carter The Unstoppable Sex
Machine’s “Norf and Sarf” show at London’s Brixton Academy in November 2011.
In April 2015, the Sultans played a one-off sold-out gig at the Soundhouse, Leicester.
Today, Niall O’Flaherty is a lecturer in the History of European Political Thought
at King’s College London., specializing in 18th and 19th century thinkers such
as Thomas Robert Malthus and Charles Darwin. Pat O’Connell is in banking in
London. Alan McFeely moved into film music. Morty McCarthy teaches English in
Sweden.
“Where’s Me Jumper” featured as the theme song to the Sky 1 series of
2012, “Moone Boy”, and was the closing song in the Irish comedy of 2016, “The
Young Offenders”. The band later explained that the song was based on a real inci-
dent in Nottingham hotspot The Black Orchid, however the item lost was in fact a
cardigan.
“Give Him a Ball and a Yard of Grass” is the theme song used by Irish national
I am starting off my music page with some very sad news on a long-time friend radio station Newstalk 106/108 on their “Off The Ball” sports show.
of mine. His actual name was Peter Newman but he went under the stage name of The band members changed a few times so here are the line ups Niall O’Flaherty
Pete Duffy when he was performing. Pete died last Saturday in a misfortunate acci- – vocals, Pat O’Connell – guitar, Paul Fennelly – bass (until 1990), John McAuliffe –
dent when he brought his son to play football with the the College Corinthians in bass (until 1991), Alan McFeely – bass (1991–1996), Ian Olney – bass (from 2005),
Doonybrook, Douglas in County Cork. Morty McCarthy – drums (from 1991), Ger Lyons – drums (until 1991) and Samuel
Pete, who was 75 years old but acted like someone half that, died after he was Steiger – guitar (from 1995). I hope they come back and reform as they will sell out
struck by a reversing van in the car park of a sports ground in Cork City. People whereever they play. C
rushed to his assistance and gardaí and paramedics were on the scene within min-
utes but he was pronounced dead before he could be transferred to hospital. He was
a musician, poet and author who was “an inspiration to all he knew”. I had the pleas-
ure of performing with him before I emigrated to New York.
Peter played in a band called The Reptiles who were a semi-pro band and played
all over Munster and especially in Cork City where they were very well liked. Pete
was the bass player, RIP; Pat Keating was on lead guitar, RIP; Dave Callahan was
the drummer, RIP; and Billy Bulman the guitar player who now resides in Portugal.
This just came to me and I had to include it: musician Ger O’Sullivan met
Newman at an open-mic event in Gallagher’s pub in Cork City a few years ago. He
said Pete was a “a very talented songwriter, poet and storyteller.”
“He was an inspiration. Age was just a number to Pete. I used to joke with him
and say ‘I want to be Pete when I grow up.’ His music and positivity will be sadly
missed. He lived many lives in his life. He made us all smile.”