Cajun Sound Feature (1970-1976)
Photo Gallery -
Band Lineups -
Discography
- Audio samples -
Where Are They Now?
The Story
Editor's note:
This feature has been compiled from researching newspaper archives and
although every care
has been taken to present only factual information about the band if you can add anything or correct info in this story,
please email us and let us know.
The Cajun Sound was formed on the 5th of September, 1970 after
singer Tommy Fee (who had been with the Maurice Mulcahy Band for
five years), returned to his native Fermanagh to front the new
outfit. The band came on the scene just as the notion of the
"showband" (which played every kind of music) was
being split into pop or country bands. Cajun music, which was
described at the time as "an up-tempo type of country and
western music deriving its origins from the early French settler in
America" was proving popular with dancers. Tommy was described as
having a "Jim Reeves" type of voice (as did many of the country
singers of that time including Larry Cunningham and others).
The band's original lineup
included: Johnny Robinson (guitar), Bobby Robinson (bass), John
McElroy (trumpet), Danny Keane (ex-Maurice Mulcahy-sax), Pat Meehan
(drums), Jimmy McCombs (keyboards), and Tommy who also doubled on
trombone. The band was being managed by Sean McGrade who had
previously managed Philomena and the Dawnbreakers. As an aside, an
article in the Leitrim Observer reporting on the band named R.J.
Catterson as the drummer, but all other articles listed Pat Joe
Meehan, we will try to research this. There is also a little
confusion over the bass player as some articles named him as Bobby
Robinson, while a little later he was named as Bobby Kennedy.
The first dance advert we could
find them playing was in Cliffoney Hall, Co. Sligo on October 14th,
1970. Within weeks they were playing up and down the country from
their native Fermanagh to County Limerick and beyond. A glance at
their Christmas diary (see below) show them playing everywhere from
Kerry to Donegal.
In March, 1971, the band released
its first single, "The Engineer's Child" which
was also the first single on the new Velvet record label managed by
Jimmy Smith of the Mighty Avons. The label's records were being
distributed by EMI at the time. As with most singles released at the
time, it did not make the charts, but provided enough airplay on RTE
radio to help the band's reputation and increase their audience.
Throughout the
following year, the band did steady business (based on newspaper
adverts we have found) although they never reached the heights of
the top bands like Big Tom, Larry Cunningham and Philomena Begley.
They were basically playing a standard country and Irish programme
with some pop numbers thrown in for good measure (as most bands did
at the time). In December, 1971, the band released it second single,
the Conway Twitty hit, "I'll Have Another Cup of Coffee, Then I'll
Go" which was written and recorded by Claude Gray in 1960. It was on
the Release label, so the band had changed record labels As before
the record didn't make the charts, but the release continued to help
them build their business in the ballrooms.
It wasn't long
before the band was in the studio again and in May, 1972 they
released their third single on their third label, Flame Records. The
song was Tom T. Hall's "He Built The Church" (aka the Ballad of
Billy Crump from 1970).
Not only did
the band have a new record, but a new line-up as Pat Joe Meehan,
John McElroy and Danny Keane were gone and were replaced by Liam
Keenan (drums), Johnny Stinson (who doubled on fiddle and sax) and
Aidan McCarron (sax). Throughout 1972, the band continued to do well
on the road. Sean McGrade also continued to publicise the band in
local papers across the country and on a radio show which played
their records on a regular basis. The "sponsored show" was a staple
of the entertainment industry back then allowing promoters to ensure
their bands would be heard by the punters.
In December,
1972 the band announced a short tour of the Irish ballrooms in
England and also revealed that they had added a new rhythm
guitarist, Noel Corrigan from Enniskillen, to the line-up, but we do
not know who he may have replaced. The band kicked off 1973 by
releasing their fourth single, Charley Pride's 1972 hit "Seven Years
With A Wonderful Woman" and the band was back on the Velvet Record
label. An article in June 1973, announced Patsy Carroll had joined
the band on sax and he had previously played with the Swingtime
Aces.
The band would
release one more single in February, 1974, the Don William's classic
"Amanda" on the Release label. At some point in 1974, Ally Harron
from Derrylin replaced Johnny Robinson on guitar. Based on the
number of newspaper advert we could find for the band, their
business started to slow in 1975, but they were still holding their
own.
In January,
1976, Sean McGrade launched a new band around American Pie singer
Ronnie Griffiths called Driftwood. It is important to the story of
the Cajun Sound as Bobby Kennedy (bass) and Ally Harron (guitar)
were members of the new band's line-up and we are not sure who
replaced them.
Although we
don't know who replaced Ally and Bobby in the band, we do know that
the summer of 1976 would be their last as we found the last gig
advertised on
October 1st, 1976. Interestingly, we know that Tommy would use the
name Cajun Sound for gigs as recently as 1993, but are pretty sure
there was no band as he was playing in a two piece act in 1992
called Easy Listenin'.
More to come.....
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