The Arrows Story (1969-1972
then became Dickie's Band)
Photo Gallery -
Band Lineups -
Discography
- Audio samples -
Where Are They Now?
The Story
Editor's note: Every care
has been taken to present only factual information in our stories
based on first person reports, newspaper articles and photographic
archives. If you can add anything or correct info in this story,
please email us and let us know.
Pat Egan first announced the formation of the Arrows "Showband" in his Beat
column in Spotlight on February 15th, 1969 when he said that Eamonn
Gibney had left the Purple Pussycats to join a showband to be
managed by the Tom Doherty Organisation, which would be called the
Arrows. An article a month later described the band as "protégés" of
the Miami and that they would be managed by former Miami leader Joe
Tyrell, who was a Director of Miami Ltd. As was the rage in the late sixties, the beat scene in
Dublin was being decimated by the defection of its stars to the
showband scene. Although it is doubtful they complained much as
those that went finally started making some real money. However,
they generally gave up some of their artistic integrity in the
process (i.e., "sold their souls to the
devil").
P.J. Coyne, formerly with the Grassband, was recruited as drummer
and vocalist with the new outfit. The other members of the band
were listed as leader Steve Gilchrist (bass), Robert "Bobby" Murphy
(sax), Pearse
Turner (keyboards), Charlie Hebert (guitar) and Pat Devine (guitar). With
the backing of the team behind the Miami, the band was up and
running quickly playing across the country. In June of 1969
they released their first record, "Mercy
Mercy" which helped introduce them to dancers, but did not make the
charts.
In August, 1969,
Eamon Gibney left to be replaced by Irish-American singer Dave Heenan,
who joined the band to great fanfare.
His arrival was heralded as a new force on the showband scene with
"45 major television appearances and 15 singles to his credit" in
the States.
Unfortunately, he left after little more than a month to return to the United States
for reported "personal reasons." He was
replaced in mid-September, 1969 by Mick Roche who had previously been
with Dublin group, The Vampires (they also lost lead singer Tony
Kenny to the Sands showband a couple of years earlier). As far
as we can tell Pat Devine left the band around this time and Johnny
Riley (trumpet) and Fran Dennis (trombone) joined the band, bringing
their numbers to eight. Fran had previously been with the ill-fated
Danny and the Lions.
An
article in the Drogheda Independent in January 1970 praised
the band for their pop programme and added that
"their strong point, obviously, is Four Seasons numbers and
close-knit harmonies." It was reported in June that the band was
heading to Spain to take [art in a three day festival for groups in
Palma which included entering an original song which was "One Step,
Two Step," written by guitarist Charlie Herbert. It was reported a
short time later that they placed fifth in the competition. The were
voted "Top Performers" and were booked for a 15 day residency in the
Spanish resort in September.
As 1971 begun,
Mick created a minor stir when he complained in the Evening
Herald about the lack of airplay by RTE for their original
record. "They don't want to know us," he stated, "the DJ's always
ask, why can't they do something original...we have...and they don't
seem interested in playing our record."
As an aside, this
was always the way it seemed to be with Irish pop bands. Throughout
the early 1970's bands were writing their own songs, but would get
far more airplay if they covered an American or British hit record.
In June, 1971,
the band released its third single, the non-original Marty Robbins
song, "My Woman, My Woman, My Wife," which had been released the
previous year and made number one for Marty on the Billboard Hot 100
Country Charts. The record would enter the Irish charts on June 19th
and climb to number 11 on the Irish charts, becoming the band's one
and only hit record. As 1971 rolled along, the band were doing well
on the road, along with a plethora of other new pop bands which had
come on the scene in the past few years, bring a younger sound and
look to the ballrooms compared to the aging showbands of the 1960's
(who were still doing great business).
In November, the
band released its fourth and final record, "Let's Fall In Love
Again." Unlike their previous offering, it did not make the charts.
In
January 1972, the band added two female singers, Wendy Hutchinson
(sister-in-law of John Farrell) and Maria Dowdall, bringing their lineup to nine, one of the largest
on the circuit at the time. In May, 1972, a report in the Tempo
Column of the Evening Herald reported that the band had
selected two original songs, written by guitarist Charlie Herbert to
release for their next record, one called "Jenny
Bye Bye" and the B-side "Good Night Good Morning."
In June, 1972, not long after the girls
joined, the band headed on to Canada for a six week tour, but came back
without their lead singer, Mick Roche. Mick decided to stay in
Canada with The Dublin Corporation (formerly The Pacific) who had
emigrated to the country in 1971. He was taking over from Stuart
Smith who was temporarily filling in after the departure of Peter
Law, who had left the band. Peter would return to Ireland and was
trying to make it on the cabaret scene.
A
couple of months later, in September, 1972 Dickie Rock announced he
was leaving the Miami and the Arrows were drafted as his new backing
band. In October, before they changed over, the band released the
previously mentioned single which was sung by P.J. Coyne, "Jenny Bye
Bye." The last advert we can find for the Arrows was dated December
15th, 1972 when they played the Redbarn Ballroom.
Following this the Arrows became Dickie's Band.
The new band played their first gig in Dublin's Television Club on
December 18th, 1972 and made their "official" debut on Christmas night in the Top
Hat Ballroom in Dun Laoghaire.
In April, 1973, Fran
Dennis left the band. The last advert we can find for "Dickie's Band
" was in late 1979, after which he was billed as Dickie Rock and his
"Superband."
More to come......
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