ROCK-O-LLECTIONS

By Frank “Smokin”

This Sunday is St. Patrick’s Day and I’m sure the entire weekend will be filled with everything Irish. It will be the wearin’ of the green, corned beef and cabbage, many parades, green beer, shamrocks, leprechauns, and everything Irish. We should also give thanks for some great music created by those talented Irish performers that have graced our charts over the years. 1964 gave us the British invasion musically with the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, the Who, Herman’s Hermits, Gerry and the Pacemakers, Petula Clark and Dusty Springfield to name a few. The Irish too have had many hits on our pop charts. U2 with Bono are an example and are proud members of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Van Morrison with his unique sound has dominated the charts over many decades with songs like “Brown-Eyed Girl” and “Domino.” For those into the softer sound, Enya placed “Orinico Flow” on the charts in 1988. “Linger” was a top 10 hit from the Irish alternative rock band The Cranberries in 1993. “The Boys Are Back in Town” was a big hit for Thin Lizzy in 1976. They were formed in Dublin. The Script, another Dublin band had a hit in America with “Breakeven.” Northern Irish band Snow Patrol gave us “Chasing Cars” in 2006. Gilbert O’Sullivan had the biggest selling record in 1972 called “Alone Again (Naturally). That song, along with “Clair” and “Get Down” solidified this Waterford, Ireland singer’s presence on the American charts. The controversial artist Sinead O’Connor was born in Dublin. 

You may not have known that some of these artists were Irish, but one group truly came out and made that perfectly clear. They were The Irish Rovers and in 1968 they had a top 10 hit with the very Irish sounding “The Unicorn.” Irish recording artist Carl Corcoran, besides being a daily disc jockey on WTBQ, did a Saturday morning program with us called “A Drop of the Irish.” He also performed locally at Bodles Opera House in Chester before moving back to Ireland to become a disc jockey on Irish radio. In Ireland, he was already popular under a stage name of “Jamie Stone.” Although with no charted hits in America, he has received many awards in Ireland and for me, the way I musically celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. Carl calls into WTBQ every St. Patrick’s Day to celebrate with us. In fact, Taylor’s favorite love song is Forever and More, written and sung by Carl. Take a listen, even if you are not in love, you will fall in love with this song. So, however you celebrate, Irish or not, you must admit it’s an uplifting holiday and a perfect time of the year with our eyes on spring and the wearin’ of the green!