Country Folk Feature (1969-1982)
Photo Gallery -
Band Lineups -
Discography
- Audio samples -
Where Are They Now?
The Story
In the November 21st, 1969 issue of Spotlight, the
Insight column announced that promoters Johnny Kelly (formerly of
the Capitol) and Johnny McNally (who ran the Airlines dance in
Dublin's Crystal Ballroom) had signed Margo (O'Donnell) to front a new band,
which was soon revealed as The Country Folk. The
new band debuted on St. Stephen's Night, 1969.
Born Margaret O'Donnell in Kincasslagh, Co.
Donegal Margo is one of the real enigmas of the Irish entertainment
scene. She started her career with local band, The Keynotes and her
debut disc, Bonny Irish Boy, actually cracked the Irish Top 20, no
mean feat for a newcomer to the scene. Her second record, Road By
The River made it to number two, establishing her as a bona fide
star with the "Country and Irish" set.
The original Country Folk lineup was made up of: Mick Bagnall
(bass), Paul Mitchell (steel guitar), Aidan Graham (drums), Colm
Graham (guitar), Roy Butterfield (guitar) and Owin St. John
(fiddle). In the August 8th, 1970 edition of Spotlight it was
reported that Owin left the band and was being replaced by a
sax player. The article also reported that Margo had been off the
road for a week due to an appendix operation. At the end of
January, 1970, an article in the Anglo-Celt reported Kieran Murphy
had left a band in London to join the Country Folk as well as guitar
player, John Winters and keyboard player Joe Murray.
The band was an immediate hit, partially
because of the rise in popularity of country bands at the time and
also the fact Margo had enjoyed success with the Keynotes.
Obviously6 Des Kelly experience and connection on the showband
circuit didn't hurt and the band was playing in the biggest
ballrooms in the country from the start.
Fronting the Country Folk, Margo
continued to build on her success and popularity with more hit
singles including a number one--I'll Forgive and I'll Try to Forget.
In the Spotlight National Show business Poll (whose results
were published in the January 16th, 1971 issue of the magazine),
Margo was voted top female artist, beating out Eurovision winner,
Dana (2nd), Kelley (3rd), and Sandie Jones (4th). The result
consolidated her position as one of the top acts on the ballroom
circuit. In February, 1971, Westport's Frank McCaffrey
(formerly with the Frielmen Showband) joined the Country Folk
In late 1972, several things happened. First, the band underwent several
changes and when the dust settled, only Margo, Dave Traynor, Joe
Murray and
Frank McCaffrey were left in the band. According to Julie Boyd's
column in the December 14, 1972 issue of Spotlight, the new lineup
was: Frank McCaffrey (bass), Ray Doherty (guitar), Paddy Higgins
(drums), Joe Murray (keyboards), Jim Malone (sax), Dave Traynor
(sax) and Margo (vocals). At the same time, Margo was given her own
prime time show on RTE television called "Margo and Co."
and every week she had different guest artists, usually from the
country n' Irish set.
The show would be rated as one of the top ten
shows on RTE at the time, beating out U.S. TV series like Hawaii
5-0 and Marcus Welby, MD.
It appears that around February of 1973, the
band changed its name to Margo & Co. (or possibly a new band was
formed, but we doubt it at this point). At the time, the band was
managed by John McNally and included new members Jim Mullaly
(keyboards) and Davy Traynor (sax). By this point Margo was
recognised as one of the top "Country & Irish" artists in Ireland
and it seemed everything she touched turned to gold.
However this would be short lived as in
July, 1974,
the singer was involved in a
serious car accident and was off the road for a while.
The initial report in the Evening Herald newspaper said she
had "minor injuries" but over the next few
months it would be described as a "serious accident" and Margo would
be in hospital for over a month.
After a four month recuperation, she joined with Mattie Fox (who had
previously been with the Country Blue Boys and the Grassroots) and
they headed up a revamped lineup of the Grassroots, with the new name, Country Pride.
The new band made their debut on Christmas Night, 1974.
As was the case with many showband stories,
actual facts can be hard to come by. An article in the Mayo News on
September 7th, 1974 reported that Frank McCaffrey had taken over for
Margo when she "went into cabaret." Other reports were that there
was trouble in the band which had been brewing for some time. One
way or another, Margo and the Country Folk parted ways, although
John McNally remained their manager. In the meantime, Ray Doherty had left to
the band join
the Big 8 and Kieran Murphy returned to the stage. The
band reverted to its original name, Country Folk, and continued on
without hardly missing a beat. Frank McCaffrey became the "front
man" and manager John McNally drafted Frankie Carroll
(bass/vocals) from the Brendan Shine Super Band and Michael Kane
(steel) from the Conquerors in the reorganisation of the lineup.
A report in the Tuam Herald on August 3rd, said
Margo had been released from hospital and it would be six to eight
weeks before she returned to the stage. However, one way or another,
despite all the different stories, the Country Folk were back
on the road in August, making their debut in the Mayflower Ballroom
in Drumshanbo of the 15th of August.
A
year later, Frankie would follow Ray Doherty into the Big 8, filling
the shoes left empty by the death of Tom Dunphy. They
released a single in November, 1974 which featured Frank singing
My Wild Irish Rose (the song had been a hit for Roly Daniels in
1971). The song did not make the charts but the band was doing
steady business. The Country Folk would remain on the road for ther
best part of another decade as the last advert we can find for them
gigging was in December, 1982.
Given that the band had originally been formed
to back one of Ireland's most famous singers in Margaret
"Margo" O'Donnell, it is amazing that in
the end she was only with the band for a little over three years of
their 13 year history.
There is little
More to come.....
click on thumbnails for full image
