Caroline Showband Story (1964-67-in
Ireland, -1977 in the UK)
Photo Gallery -
Band Lineups -
Discography
- Audio samples -
Where Are They Now?
The Story
There were apparently two bands called the
"Caroline Showband" in
the early 1960's as the first mention of the name we have found is
in February, 1963 when a Mullingar-based band placed adverts in the
Irish Independent as the Caroline Showband. However it is the
"other" Caroline Showband which is the subject of our story.
In December, 1964, it was reported in a variety of Irish papers
that a new band was to be launched that week. The same week, a story
appeared in the Sunday Independent saying that Kilkenny man, Jim Craig, of Caroline
Enterprises had approached Dublin-based drummer Kevin Brady to form a showband.
The band made its debut at a reception in Dublin's Gresham Hotel on
Tuesday, December 22nd, 1964. The original lineup included: Kevin
Brady (RIP-Dublin-drums), Earl Jordan (Buffalo, New York-vocals), Tony Kearns
(Drogheda-sax), Reginald Dunne (Dublin-guitar), Kevin Gregan
(Dublin-bass), Tony Coffey (Dublin-keyboards), Harry Burrows
(Birmingham-sax), and Michael Burns (Sligo-trumpet). The
manager was Frank Traynor of Dublin. On stage the band wore dark
blue suits with Earl decked out in a white blazer.
The band made its first appearance
at a reception in Dublin's Gresham Hotel on Tuesday, December 22nd.
Interestingly, the band debuted at the same time as the new
Nevada Showband featuring Maisie McDaniel
and the Millionaires Showband. Lead
singer Earl Jordan, although born in Buffalo, New York, came to
England with the US Air Force and arrived in Dublin in December,
1963.
Former
member, Mel Dean (who joined the band in 1966) sent us an email in
2009 and told us the band was put together by Ronan O'Rahilly who owned the pirate radio station, Radio Caroline. Earl
Jordan was recruited from the Derek Joys Showband (also managed by
Frank Traynor) to front the new
act. Mel told us that the band's program featured a lot of soul
music (James Brown) and they never quite hit it off with the punters
on the Irish dance circuit. The band lineup was: Earl Jordan
(vocals), Mel Dean (guitar) Tony Coffey (keyboards), Gerry Ryan
(bass), Kevin Brady (drums), Mike Burns (trumpet), Harry Burroughs
(sax), and Tony Kearns (sax). Earl Jordan was one of the first black
singers to tour Ireland, making the band a bit of a novelty act, but
it would not last long.
The band received plenty of press
coverage over their initial few months on the road and were often
(as were most bands back then) a tip for the top with their success
a forgone conclusion. The band hit the ground running and was soon
playing around the country.
They also had the support
of pirate radio station Radio Caroline which helped promote the band as
much as it could and at one point it was reported they had recorded
twelve songs to be played on the station. On January 21st, 1965 a note appeared in Tom
Hennigan's Going Places column in the Evening Herald
saying the band was looking for "a lady vocalist, one who can sing
pop numbers in in the dynamic, personality-plus manner of today's
showbands." Apparently this never happened. In April 1965, Kevin
Gregan had his guitar stolen along with his car from outside a Cabra
cinema.
It would appear than in May 1966,
the band changed managers, as they placed an ad n the paper saying
inquiries should "now be sent" to an address in Killester, Dublin.
In June, 1966 it was reported in the Munster Express
newspaper that Dave Coady had left the Atlantic Showband to join the
Caroline. We also know that Mel Deane joined the band around this
same time.
In early July, 1966, the band traveled
to Monte Carlo and played at the Monte Carlo ball for Princess Grace
of Monaco. By December, 1966, Dave Coady had left the band to join
the Clipper Carlton and we're
not quite sure who replaced him.
Mel takes up the story: "Going
to England in 1967 wasn¹t really a decision the band made in
advance. We went to the UK to do a tour of the Irish clubs. This was
the stock tour that many Irish showbands played in Irish clubs in
London, Birmingham and Manchester (mainly) plus other cities. We did
the tour and while in Manchester (The Irish Club in Plymouth Groove
- now a snooker hall) we were "spotted" by Joe Pullen - owner of the
'Talk of the North' nightclub in Eccles, Manchester.
At the time, the
Witnesses Showband were working around the Northern clubs and doing
really well. Most of the bands in the clubs at that time were three
guitars & drums that emulated the Beatles and other pop groups
but they didn’t do an act, just stood and played. The Witnesses put
on a show, dressed up, had brass instruments and were considered
very entertaining and very different at that time. Joe was impressed
that we had a black singer (Earl Jordon) and the music we were best
at (James Brown/Otis Redding etc) was popular in the clubs. He asked
us could we get a 45 minute cabaret act together that included some
humour - we said we¹d give it a go and, for the next 10 years or so,
that was that."
Tony Coffey did rejoin the band when Dave Coady left - Tony did a
summer season with the band in Skegness the first year they moved
but left after that ended - he was homesick and returned to Ireland.
Earl Jordan left the band almost immediately and was replaced by
Tony Woods when the Express Showband disbanded in August, 1967. The band changed its name to the Dunes. Eventually,
the boys became homesick and the band broke up with Mel Dean staying
in the UK, while the rest returned home. The band would make
occasional trips to trip in Ireland, the most notable being in 1969
when they played at a dance celebrating the opening of the O'Growney
GAA park in Drogheda.
More to come.....
click on thumbnails for full image
