I was delighted to see that a cover version of a song I wrote back in the 90's 'Never too old to love', has been released again on a 10 cd box set from Foster and Allen.
As coincidence has it I'm in the middle re-recording a modernised version for my next album.
I'm always flattered when someone covers one of my songs and I'm grateful that so many artists have done so and thankful that they continue to do so.
I have a few further potential covers coming out shortly by a couple of artists based in Ireland and I'll hopefully be able to update you on that soon.
I've just finished recording the vocals on two songs for a major hollywood film that's coming out in the spring of next year.
It has a lot of big names in it, including at least one Oscar winner and several past nominees.
I'm sworn to secrecy on it at the moment as it's not fully confirmed that it's a done deal just yet, I'm hoping for the final thumbs up (or down) from the musical director shortly.
It's been 35 years since I released my original 'The Thatcher Song' album.
In it's original format it was initially released as an album cassette and vinyl LP.
In 1988, after the rights and catalogue of Crubeen Records were sold to the now defunct Prism Leisure label, an enhanced version of an album (with some tracks omitted and newer ones added) under the same title, was put together that included two of my most successfully covered songs, 'Never too old to Love' and 'De valera'.
The brilliant sleeve design was by the people who worked on 'Spitting Image', this artwork actually cost more to produce than the total budget for the actual recording of the whole original album, which was a very low budget affair to say the least!
It also featured some new tracks including 'Mother Englands Giro' and a freshly recorded version of my 'Drumshanbo Exile'.
To coincide with the 'Thatcher Song' anniversary, I recently wrote, recorded and released a little ditty about our current Prime Minister, Boris Johnson.
He's just solidly cemented himself into Maggies former den with a mega majority of seats via the recent general election, so the song will live on for a while yet.
I'm just mulling over the idea of doing a remix with updated lyrics.
The current version of the track is available via all normal streaming and download platforms incuding Spotify, Itunes, Google, Amazon, etc.
It is not available in hard copy CD format.
I also had the song remixed to make the lyrics/vocal clearer and to filter out some of the over busy backing tracks.
I'm getting lots of feedback on the song and have been asked for the lyrics of this and my 'No Hard Border Song' which I'll be adding to my lyrics page as soon as I get a chance.
Meanwhile the version below actually has the lyrics on the video with subtitles.
The 'No Hard Border Song' single has now been deleted from the standard platforms, but it will feature on a forthcoming compilation album that I hope to release in the spring of 2020.
It will continue to live on via youtube for the time being.
I
was gigging recently in Birmingham.
As with London, it's a city that was once a great heartland of Irishness.
Brum's Irish contingent has seen its better days numbers wise, but I'm very pleased to say that the Irish community up in the west midlands, be it less of a collosus thesedays, is very much alive and kicking.
One of my gigs was singing at a farewell service for a prominent and much beloved member of the Irish community up there and the church was packed to the rafters, moving and evocative.
Thanks to all at the recent gig in Addiscombe too, my fidder and I had a great night of songs, tunes and dancing with the party crowd there and it was wonderful to meet up with some old faces from my days at that great old Irish pub in Lewisham (sadly no longer there) the 'John Morden' and a couple of fellows from the old Croydon 'Tug of War' club.
I'm taking enquiries now for St Patrick's week in 2020.
It's best to
contact me sooner rather than later as I always get booked out for
that time of the year, usually by the end of the December.
St
Patrick's weekend in 2019 was a stormer for me and my band members.
I will let you know where and when my Patrick's week gigs are in 2020 in plenty of time.
'Jealous of the Angels' is a beautiful song written by Jenn Bostic about bereavement and I have had plays on it from across the globe and my Itunes sales have surprisingly been mainly in the USA, which of course is a great compliment.
Country songs such as that are predominantly the domain of US artists.
It's now pretty much a standard request for me to sing at funeral services, which is something that I'm doing more and more of thesedays.
The other 9 tracks on the album were all written by me and have all received healthy streaming figures on the main platforms as well as respectable sales of both the album and individual tracks, especially 'Circle of Love'.
You can hear this album in full also on youtube via the following embedded player.
My football team are Millwall and it was certainly a nerve jangling season in 2018/2019.
The football season 2019/2020 is now well under way and love getting along to see and cheer my team along whenever I can, home and away.
That's the great thing about the championship, it's so
unpredicatable.
I was sad to see Neil Harris go, I think
he did a great job in his time as manager and wish him all the
very best in his future career.
The real biggies at the Den so far were with our old friends Leeds United and our near neighbours Charlton Athletic, thankfully we got great results with both.
We're doing great at this point compared to last season and dare I say! juuuust a few points off of the play off spots.
We maintained that momentum against one of our bogey sides last Saturday at St Andrews.
I had a gig up there and managed to get along to the game in beforehand.
Shaun Williams' goal was a cracker and with a tad more luck we could have nicked all three points.
The Forest game was yet another cracker and we showed great character in nabbing that equaliser in added time.
We probably should have won it but not a major dissapointment.
Fabulous to get our 2nd away win of the season at Bristol City in the week and wouldnt it be super duper to get something at Derby County on Saturday?
Come on you lions!
