Today’s studio blog is about Utopia Studios.
https://willyoumeetmeonclareisland.wordpress.com/2022/04/01/the-studios-of-london-utopia-studios/
A drummer, a son of Jarrow, the Yorkshire Ripper and the Irishman who is one of the best songwriters of the past fifty years.
by 13 Comments
You get an up for posting that fkin tune, The best song about NI I’ve ever heard. It’s easy to forget how utterly hopeless the situation seemed in 1986. He put in a good perf. on Whistle Test about this time too, I can’t remember if he did this, but hilariously the Ramones were on the same show. Helluva green room that night….
PS. I’ve just got to the end of this and I think it’s the best entry yet. One from the heart indeed (I know it always is with you Niall but yer know wharramean).
Thanks, Moose. I loved researching this one and found a great video-interview with Phil Wainman, which fleshed out his story greatly. Paul has been an obsession of mine for a very long time, and is probably my ‘most seen artist.’
And good to see the mention of Nothing But the Same Old Story, the best song about the Irish emigrant experience, never bettered than in the acoustic thrash from Bringing It All Back Home, the TV series on that subject.
Oh, yes, @retropath2, it’s a belter of a performance. A few years back, Paul tweeted that he’d found a new ambient mic set up, and had fallen in love with it. We went to see him a few days later, in Bromsgrove, and the mic allowed him to back off a few feet, with no loss of sound.
So he could dance to his songs.
It was brilliant to see the satisfaction it gave him, and he did Nothing But and Busted Loose, back to back, spitting out the words and having the time of his life.
After the show, he came out to sign CD’s and I told him that the new set up was working brilliantly. He beamed with gratitude, grateful that anyone had noticed. I told him that having those two songs, back to back, was a hell of a one-two combination, and he looked concerned, “Too much?” he asked.
“You’re kidding,” I replied, “it was knockout!”
He grinned from ear to ear.
Another cracking installment in what is going to be a best selling book! One day.
Dare I say “best one yet”?
Thank, @Billybob-Dylan 🙏
Goodness me Niall, you’ve topped the lot. It’s a fabulous read, and you’ve opened my eyes to the wonders of Paul Brady on his own – I only knew him via Andy Irvine before – I shall be looking out for his own work now; what a start to the month! Thank you, once again.
Why, thank you, kind sir. I loved doing this one. The 2012 compilation, Dancer In The Fire, is a great entry into Paul’s career.
With a terrific revisiting of Arthur McBride.
On order before you could reply!
Let’s go there, so fecking brilliant it is. This is the origina one from the duet album with Andy Irvine, but is actually just Brady.
Majestic!
Saw Andy do this one solo, just a couple of months BC. Awesome up close!