The Saw Doctors
Encyclopedia
The Saw Doctors are an Irish
rock
band
. Formed in 1986 in Tuam
, County Galway
, they have achieved eighteen Top 30 singles in Ireland, including three number ones. Their first number one, "I Useta Lover
," topped the Irish charts for nine consecutive weeks in 1990, and still holds the record for the country's all-time biggest-selling single. Renowned for their live performances, the band has a cult following, especially in Ireland, the United Kingdom
, and the United States
. On 15 February 2008, they received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Meteor Ireland Music Awards
.
(formerly a member of defunct Tuam reggae
band, Too Much for the White Man), Davy Carton
(formerly a songwriter and guitarist with short-lived Tuam punk
band Blaze X
), and local vocalist Mary O'Connor. The trio got their start playing small gigs in local venues such as Tuam's Imperial Hotel. O'Connor left the group the following year to emigrate to London
. Carton and Moran added other musicians, and carried on with the band.
Moran and Carton have been the only constant presences in the Saw Doctors' ever-shifting line-up. Past members have included singer, guitarist, and mandolin player John "Turps" Burke; bass player Pearse Doherty; keyboard and accordion player Tony Lambert; keyboard player and guitarist Derek Murray; and drummers Padraig Stevens, John Donnelly, Jimi Higgins, and Fran Breen. The fluidity of the band's line-up in part accounts for the variety of musical influences, including pop, punk, rock and roll, and traditional Irish, that make up the band's signature sound.
At present, the Saw Doctors are Leo Moran (vocals, guitar), Davy Carton (vocals, guitar), Kevin Duffy (keyboards), Anthony Thistlethwaite
(bass guitar, saxphone), and Eímhín Craddock (drums).
and The Stunning
. They also proved to be a success when they played at the 1988 Galway Arts Festival
. In the spring of 1988, when The Saw Doctors were playing a six-week residency at the Quays Bar in Galway, their live show attracted the attention of The Waterboys
, who were then recording their Fisherman's Blues
album in nearby Spiddal
. Pub sessions and budding friendships among the two groups would prove fruitful for the Saw Doctors' future, and would see eventual crossovers between the two groups. The band's current bass player, Anthony Thistlethwaite
, and former drummer, Fran Breen, have both been members of The Waterboys.
In the autumn of 1988, The Saw Doctors filmed a rockumentary
on a flat-bed truck while driving between Galway
and Salthill
. A parody of U2
's newly released Rattle and Hum
film, in which U2 played Bob Dylan
's "All Along the Watchtower
" from a flat-bed truck in San Francisco, The Saw Doctors' Crackle and Buzz had its world premiere at the Claddagh Palace
Cinema in Galway. The Saw Doctors played live from the cinema's balcony, caricaturing the short acoustic set U2 played atop the Savoy Cinema on O'Connell Street
when Rattle and Hum premiered there on 27 October 1988. Footage from the tongue-in-cheek stunt was featured on RTÉ
's main evening news.
In late 1988 and early 1989, The Saw Doctors accompanied The Waterboys on tours of Ireland and Great Britain
. In August 1989, The Waterboys' frontman Mike Scott
produced
the band's first single
, "N17," a song about an Irish emigrant
longing to be driving on the N17 trunk road that connects Galway with the Saw Doctors' hometown of Tuam. Although "N17" did not chart upon its original release, the band's appearance at the inaugural 1990 Féile
music festival in Thurles
, County Tipperary
, cemented their reputation as a live act. The song became known as the band's anthem.
Following their success at Féile, the band released their second single, "I Useta Lover
," a humorously off-colour paean to an ex-girlfriend. The single topped the Irish charts in September 1990 and spent nine weeks at number one, becoming Ireland's all-time best-selling single. A re-released "N17" reached number one in the Irish charts at Christmas 1990, and the following year, the band's debut album If This Is Rock and Roll, I Want My Old Job Back
entered the Irish albums chart at number one.
In 1992 the band released their second Album All The Way From Tuam
, which included live favorites "Green & Red Of Mayo", "Exhilarating Sadness" and "You Got Me On The Run" as well as the singles "Wake Up Sleeping", "Pied Piper", "Never Mind The Strangers", "Me Heart Is Living In The Sixties Still" and their next number one hit, "Hay Wrap". After the release of All The Way From Tuam the band parted company with Warner Music, and formed their own record label
Shamtown Records.
The first release under their new Shamtown label was the "Small Bit Of Love" EP
which gained them their first Top 30 hit in the UK Singles Chart
and an appearance on BBC Television
's Top Of The Pops
.
The band released their third studio album Same Oul' Town
in February 1996. It went on to peak at number six in the UK Albums Chart
. It included the hit single
s "World Of Good", "To Win Just Once" and the double A-side "Clare Island" / "Everyday". However, the hit singles dried up for the band after the success of Same Oul' Town. Many line-up changes happened over the next few years. However, the band had successful British and US
tours, as well as appearing at the Glastonbury Festival
and Oxegen
.
In October 1998, their fourth album Songs From Sun Street was released, which included tracks that had been part of the live show for the previous few years including "Galway & Mayo", "Tommy K" & "I'll Be On My Way". They also appeared in the 1999 Walter Foote film
The Tavern as well as contributing songs to its soundtrack
.
The fifth studio album Villains?
was released in 2001 and contained the minor hit "This Is Me". Entertainment.ie said in its review "to many music fans they're a novelty act that's long since passed its sell-by date. It would be a shame, however, if their dodgy image obscured the music, since Villains? is by some distance the best album they've ever made."
Pearse Doherty left the band after the touring of Villains? was completed leaving only Carton and Moran as members from the early days. The line-up changed to include Anthony Thistlethwaite on bass guitar. Thistlethwaite had been playing saxophone on and off with the band since the late 1980s, even playing on their first single "N17".
Live In Galway was released on CD
and DVD
in 2004. Another live album
, Live On News Years Day as well as the sixth studio album The Cure followed. Their career was giving a boost when at the 2008 Meteor Irish Music Awards
, The Saw Doctors received the Lifetime Achievement Award. The week before the Meteor Awards the band appeared on the Podge & Rodge Show on RTE
. When on the show they covered
The Sugababes song "About You Now
", and later decided to release the track as a single. In October 2008 "About You Now" reached number one in the Irish chart, some seventeen years since their last chart-topping feat.
They followed this with the release of another live album and DVD, Live At The Melody Tent, recorded in Cape Cod
in the summer of 2008. "She Loves Me" charted at number two. In 2009 after six studio albums, Universal Music released To Win Just Once - The Best of The Saw Doctors. The compilation album
featured twenty two of their tracks, and went platinum
within weeks of release.
During 2010 the band played a number of music festival
appearances, including playing at the 40th anniversary of the Glastonbury Festival. September 2010 saw the release of their seventh album, The Further Adventures of... The Saw Doctors
.
) and showing them on tour in Brooklyn
, New York
. A follow-up live album, New Year's Day, again featured the band in the Black Box Theatre, this time on New Year's Day 2005. The band donated profits from this album to victims of 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake
.
The band performed three songs at Celtic Park
, Glasgow
on 21 November 2006 before Celtic F.C.
's UEFA Champions League
match with Manchester United F.C.
.
comedy series Give My Head Peace
. Under the name "The Folk Footballers," Leo Moran and former Saw Doctor Padraig Stevens released The First Fifteen, a collection of songs that celebrated the Galway football team in the wake of its success in the 1998 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship
. Re-released in 2001, when Galway again won the All-Ireland football championship, the album included a host of local talent. Further collaborations brought a self-titled album by another side-project band, The Shambles". Guinness
used the Saw Doctors song "Never Mind the Strangers" in an advertisement campaign for Harp Lager
in the US. The Saw Doctors made an appearance in The Tavern and "Same Oul' Town" was featured in the film. The Saw Doctors appeared on the 2007 Killinascully Christmas special. The band reappeared in 2010 Killinascully Christmas special
. Fueled by those in Ireland as well as those of Irish descent in the US, UK, and elsewhere, this unofficial fan club prides itself on seeing the band live as many times as possible. They meet online in a forum on the band's website and pursue ongoing global conversations about the band.
and The Sensational Alex Harvey Band, won £852,000 (Irish punts), or approximately €1 million (euro
) in today's currency, when he hit the jackpot in the Irish National Lottery's Lotto game. Lambert, who at the time was living in a converted bus that he had driven from his native Wales
to Galway and parked just off the N17 road, had purchased his winning ticket in a local Claregalway
shop. After his win, he left the band and settled in County Galway
, where he restored an old house and built his own recording studio.
Coincidentally, the Saw Doctors' song "To Win Just Once" was written and recorded shortly before Lambert hit the Lotto jackpot. It is the only song on the Same Oul' Town album that features his musicianship.
. It is due for release in December 2011.
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
. Formed in 1986 in Tuam
Tuam
Tuam is a town in County Galway, Ireland. The name is pronounced choo-um . It is situated west of the midlands of Ireland, and north of Galway city.-History:...
, County Galway
County Galway
County Galway is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the city of Galway. Galway County Council is the local authority for the county. There are several strongly Irish-speaking areas in the west of the county...
, they have achieved eighteen Top 30 singles in Ireland, including three number ones. Their first number one, "I Useta Lover
I Useta Lover
"I Useta Lover" is a 1990 song by Irish rock group The Saw Doctors. It is the second single off the If This Is Rock and Roll, I Want My Old Job Back album. It stayed at the #1 position in the Irish chart for nine weeks and became one of the best-selling singles of all time in the country...
," topped the Irish charts for nine consecutive weeks in 1990, and still holds the record for the country's all-time biggest-selling single. Renowned for their live performances, the band has a cult following, especially in Ireland, the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. On 15 February 2008, they received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Meteor Ireland Music Awards
2008 Meteor Awards
The 2008 Meteor Music Awards ceremony was held in the RDS, Dublin on Friday, 15 February 2008. Nineteen awards were presented. It was the eighth edition of Ireland's national music awards. The event was later broadcast on RTÉ Two on Saturday, 16 February at 21:00...
.
Origins and line-up
The Saw Doctors were formed in 1986 by Leo MoranLeo Moran
Leo Moran is best known as lead guitarist and sometimes vocalist in the Irish folk rock band The Saw Doctors....
(formerly a member of defunct Tuam reggae
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
band, Too Much for the White Man), Davy Carton
Davy Carton
Davy Carton is a singer, songwriter, and rhythm guitarist from Tuam, County Galway, in the Republic of Ireland. He is best known as a core member of the Saw Doctors, the folk-rock band he co-founded with Leo Moran and others in 1987....
(formerly a songwriter and guitarist with short-lived Tuam punk
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
band Blaze X
Blaze X
Blaze X were an Irish punk band. The band was formed in Tuam, Co. Galway. They released a successful single in 1980, Some Hope which became Larry Gogan's Hit song of the week on 2FM. It's b-side, Rippy, about serial killer The Yorkshire Ripper was banned by the RTE. Their finest moment came when...
), and local vocalist Mary O'Connor. The trio got their start playing small gigs in local venues such as Tuam's Imperial Hotel. O'Connor left the group the following year to emigrate to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. Carton and Moran added other musicians, and carried on with the band.
Moran and Carton have been the only constant presences in the Saw Doctors' ever-shifting line-up. Past members have included singer, guitarist, and mandolin player John "Turps" Burke; bass player Pearse Doherty; keyboard and accordion player Tony Lambert; keyboard player and guitarist Derek Murray; and drummers Padraig Stevens, John Donnelly, Jimi Higgins, and Fran Breen. The fluidity of the band's line-up in part accounts for the variety of musical influences, including pop, punk, rock and roll, and traditional Irish, that make up the band's signature sound.
At present, the Saw Doctors are Leo Moran (vocals, guitar), Davy Carton (vocals, guitar), Kevin Duffy (keyboards), Anthony Thistlethwaite
Anthony Thistlethwaite
Anthony "Anto" Thistlethwaite is a British multi-instrumentalist best known as a founder member of the folk-rock group The Waterboys and later as a long-standing member of Irish rock band The Saw Doctors.After a year busking in Paris, playing tenor saxophone around the streets of the Latin...
(bass guitar, saxphone), and Eímhín Craddock (drums).
Rise to fame
The Saw Doctors rose to gain national attention during 1987 and 1988 as they toured in support of popular Irish bands such as the Hothouse FlowersHothouse Flowers
The Hothouse Flowers are an Irish rock group that combines traditional Irish music with influences from soul, gospel and rock.-Career:The group first formed in 1985 when Liam Ó Maonlaí and Fiachna Ó Braonáin began performing as street musicians, or buskers, on the streets of Dublin,Ireland as "The...
and The Stunning
The Stunning
The Stunning were an Irish rock band. They formed in 1987, and first split up in 1994. They have reformed twice in the 21st century.-Members:* Steve Wall* Joe Wall* Derek Murray...
. They also proved to be a success when they played at the 1988 Galway Arts Festival
Galway Arts Festival
Galway Arts Festival is an annual arts festival that takes place each July in Galway, Ireland. It is Ireland’s leading arts festival and one of the most successful and influential arts enterprises in the country. The Festival is one of the key European arts festivals...
. In the spring of 1988, when The Saw Doctors were playing a six-week residency at the Quays Bar in Galway, their live show attracted the attention of The Waterboys
The Waterboys
The Waterboys are a band formed in 1983 by Mike Scott. The band's membership, past and present, has been composed mainly of musicians from Scotland, Ireland and England. Edinburgh, London, Dublin, Spiddal, New York, and Findhorn have all served as homes for the group. The band has played in a...
, who were then recording their Fisherman's Blues
Fisherman's Blues
Fisherman's Blues is the 1988 album by The Waterboys. The album marked a change in the sound of The Waterboys', abandoning their earlier grandiose rock sound for a mixture of traditional Scottish music, country music and rock and roll. Critics were divided on its release with some disappointed at...
album in nearby Spiddal
Spiddal
Spiddal is a village on the shore of Galway Bay in County Galway in Ireland. It is west of Galway city on the R336 road. Spiddal is on the eastern side of the county's Gaeltacht near Connemara, and is a tourist centre with a scenic beach, harbour, and shore fishing.-The village:The Mac...
. Pub sessions and budding friendships among the two groups would prove fruitful for the Saw Doctors' future, and would see eventual crossovers between the two groups. The band's current bass player, Anthony Thistlethwaite
Anthony Thistlethwaite
Anthony "Anto" Thistlethwaite is a British multi-instrumentalist best known as a founder member of the folk-rock group The Waterboys and later as a long-standing member of Irish rock band The Saw Doctors.After a year busking in Paris, playing tenor saxophone around the streets of the Latin...
, and former drummer, Fran Breen, have both been members of The Waterboys.
In the autumn of 1988, The Saw Doctors filmed a rockumentary
Rockumentary
The term rockumentary is a neologism denoting a documentary about rock music or its musicians. The term was used by Bill Drake in the 1969 History of Rock & Roll radio broadcast, and by Rob Reiner in the 1984 mockumentary film This Is Spinal Tap....
on a flat-bed truck while driving between Galway
Galway
Galway or City of Galway is a city in County Galway, Republic of Ireland. It is the sixth largest and the fastest-growing city in Ireland. It is also the third largest city within the Republic and the only city in the Province of Connacht. Located on the west coast of Ireland, it sits on the...
and Salthill
Salthill
Salthill is a seaside area of Galway city, Ireland. It lies within the townland of Lenaboy and attracts many tourists all year round...
. A parody of U2
U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
's newly released Rattle and Hum
Rattle and Hum
Rattle and Hum is the sixth studio album by rock band U2 and companion rockumentary directed by Phil Joanou, both released in 1988. The film and the album feature live recordings, covers, and new songs...
film, in which U2 played Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
's "All Along the Watchtower
All Along the Watchtower
"All Along the Watchtower" is a song written and recorded by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan. The song, which has been included on most of Dylan's greatest hits compilations, initially appeared on his 1967 album John Wesley Harding. Over the past 35 years, he has performed it in concert more...
" from a flat-bed truck in San Francisco, The Saw Doctors' Crackle and Buzz had its world premiere at the Claddagh Palace
Claddagh Palace
The Claddagh Palace cinema, originally called the Estoria, opened its doors in 1939, and was located in Lower Salthill in Galway, Ireland. The cinema closed in 1995, and was redeveloped as an apartment complex....
Cinema in Galway. The Saw Doctors played live from the cinema's balcony, caricaturing the short acoustic set U2 played atop the Savoy Cinema on O'Connell Street
O'Connell Street
O'Connell Street is Dublin's main thoroughfare. It measures 49 m in width at its southern end, 46 m at the north, and is 500 m in length...
when Rattle and Hum premiered there on 27 October 1988. Footage from the tongue-in-cheek stunt was featured on RTÉ
RTE
RTÉ is the abbreviation for Raidió Teilifís Éireann, the public broadcasting service of the Republic of Ireland.RTE may also refer to:* Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, 25th Prime Minister of Turkey...
's main evening news.
In late 1988 and early 1989, The Saw Doctors accompanied The Waterboys on tours of Ireland and Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
. In August 1989, The Waterboys' frontman Mike Scott
Mike Scott (musician)
Michael 'Mike' Scott is the founding member, lead singer and chief songwriter of rock band The Waterboys. He has also produced two solo albums, Bring 'em All In and Still Burning...
produced
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
the band's first single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
, "N17," a song about an Irish emigrant
Emigration
Emigration is the act of leaving one's country or region to settle in another. It is the same as immigration but from the perspective of the country of origin. Human movement before the establishment of political boundaries or within one state is termed migration. There are many reasons why people...
longing to be driving on the N17 trunk road that connects Galway with the Saw Doctors' hometown of Tuam. Although "N17" did not chart upon its original release, the band's appearance at the inaugural 1990 Féile
Féile Festival
Féile was a music festival held in the Republic of Ireland between 1990 and 1997. Most years it was in Semple Stadium in Thurles, North Tipperary, hence the nicknamed of "TheTrip to Tipp". In 1995, it was held in Páirc Uí Chaoimh in Cork city; Féile 96 was indoors at the Point Depot in Dublin. ...
music festival in Thurles
Thurles
Thurles is a town situated in North Tipperary, Ireland. It is a civil parish in the historical barony of Eliogarty and is also an ecclesiastical parish in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cashel and Emly...
, County Tipperary
County Tipperary
County Tipperary is a county of Ireland. It is located in the province of Munster and is named after the town of Tipperary. The area of the county does not have a single local authority; local government is split between two authorities. In North Tipperary, part of the Mid-West Region, local...
, cemented their reputation as a live act. The song became known as the band's anthem.
Following their success at Féile, the band released their second single, "I Useta Lover
I Useta Lover
"I Useta Lover" is a 1990 song by Irish rock group The Saw Doctors. It is the second single off the If This Is Rock and Roll, I Want My Old Job Back album. It stayed at the #1 position in the Irish chart for nine weeks and became one of the best-selling singles of all time in the country...
," a humorously off-colour paean to an ex-girlfriend. The single topped the Irish charts in September 1990 and spent nine weeks at number one, becoming Ireland's all-time best-selling single. A re-released "N17" reached number one in the Irish charts at Christmas 1990, and the following year, the band's debut album If This Is Rock and Roll, I Want My Old Job Back
If This Is Rock and Roll, I Want My Old Job Back
If This Is Rock and Roll, I Want My Old Job Back is a 1991 album by Irish rock group The Saw Doctors. It was their debut album, and propelled them to national stardom. It included two of their most famous hits, I Useta Lover and N17, the former was a nine-week number 1 in the Irish charts...
entered the Irish albums chart at number one.
In 1992 the band released their second Album All The Way From Tuam
All the Way from Tuam
All The Way From Tuam is the second studio album by Irish rock band The Saw Doctors. The CD was released on The Saw Doctor's own record label, Shamtown Records and has the catalogue number of SAWDOC002CD...
, which included live favorites "Green & Red Of Mayo", "Exhilarating Sadness" and "You Got Me On The Run" as well as the singles "Wake Up Sleeping", "Pied Piper", "Never Mind The Strangers", "Me Heart Is Living In The Sixties Still" and their next number one hit, "Hay Wrap". After the release of All The Way From Tuam the band parted company with Warner Music, and formed their own record label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
Shamtown Records.
The first release under their new Shamtown label was the "Small Bit Of Love" EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
which gained them their first Top 30 hit in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
and an appearance on BBC Television
BBC Television
BBC Television is a service of the British Broadcasting Corporation. The corporation, which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a Royal Charter since 1927, has produced television programmes from its own studios since 1932, although the start of its regular service of television...
's Top Of The Pops
Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops, also known as TOTP, is a British music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly from 1 January 1964 to 30 July 2006. After 25 December 2006 it became a radio program, now hosted by Tony Blackburn...
.
The band released their third studio album Same Oul' Town
Same Oul' Town
Same Oul' Town is the third studio album by Irish rock band The Saw Doctors. The CD was released on The Saw Doctors' own record label, Shamtown Records and has the catalogue number of SAWDOC004CD.-Track listing:#"All The One"#"Same Oul Town"...
in February 1996. It went on to peak at number six in the UK Albums Chart
UK Albums Chart
The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
. It included the hit single
Hit single
A hit single is a recorded song or instrumental released as a single that has become very popular. Although it is sometimes used to describe any widely-played or big-selling song, the term "hit" is usually reserved for a single that has appeared in an official music chart through repeated radio...
s "World Of Good", "To Win Just Once" and the double A-side "Clare Island" / "Everyday". However, the hit singles dried up for the band after the success of Same Oul' Town. Many line-up changes happened over the next few years. However, the band had successful British and US
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
tours, as well as appearing at the Glastonbury Festival
Glastonbury Festival
The Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts, commonly abbreviated to Glastonbury or even Glasto, is a performing arts festival that takes place near Pilton, Somerset, England, best known for its contemporary music, but also for dance, comedy, theatre, circus, cabaret and other arts.The...
and Oxegen
Oxegen
Oxegen is an annual music festival in Ireland held since 2004, sponsored by Heineken. As of 2007, 2008, 2009, the festival has been cited as Ireland's biggest music festival. And by 2009, the festival is cited as the greenest festival, being a 100% carbon neutral event in Ireland. It was previously...
.
In October 1998, their fourth album Songs From Sun Street was released, which included tracks that had been part of the live show for the previous few years including "Galway & Mayo", "Tommy K" & "I'll Be On My Way". They also appeared in the 1999 Walter Foote film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
The Tavern as well as contributing songs to its soundtrack
Soundtrack
A soundtrack can be recorded music accompanying and synchronized to the images of a motion picture, book, television program or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack of a film or TV show; or the physical area of a film that contains the...
.
The fifth studio album Villains?
Villains? (album)
Villains? is the fifth studio album by Irish rock band The Saw Doctors. The CD was released on The Saw Doctor's own record label, Shamtown Records and has the catalogue number of SAWDOC008CD.-Track listing:#"Villains"#"This Is Me"#"Still Afraid Of The Dark"...
was released in 2001 and contained the minor hit "This Is Me". Entertainment.ie said in its review "to many music fans they're a novelty act that's long since passed its sell-by date. It would be a shame, however, if their dodgy image obscured the music, since Villains? is by some distance the best album they've ever made."
Pearse Doherty left the band after the touring of Villains? was completed leaving only Carton and Moran as members from the early days. The line-up changed to include Anthony Thistlethwaite on bass guitar. Thistlethwaite had been playing saxophone on and off with the band since the late 1980s, even playing on their first single "N17".
Live In Galway was released on CD
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
and DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
in 2004. Another live album
Live album
A live album is a recording consisting of material recorded during stage performances using remote recording techniques, commonly contrasted with a studio album...
, Live On News Years Day as well as the sixth studio album The Cure followed. Their career was giving a boost when at the 2008 Meteor Irish Music Awards
2008 Meteor Awards
The 2008 Meteor Music Awards ceremony was held in the RDS, Dublin on Friday, 15 February 2008. Nineteen awards were presented. It was the eighth edition of Ireland's national music awards. The event was later broadcast on RTÉ Two on Saturday, 16 February at 21:00...
, The Saw Doctors received the Lifetime Achievement Award. The week before the Meteor Awards the band appeared on the Podge & Rodge Show on RTE
RTE
RTÉ is the abbreviation for Raidió Teilifís Éireann, the public broadcasting service of the Republic of Ireland.RTE may also refer to:* Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, 25th Prime Minister of Turkey...
. When on the show they covered
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
The Sugababes song "About You Now
About You Now
"About You Now" is a 2007 single by English girl group Sugababes, written by Cathy Dennis and producer Dr. Luke for the group's fifth studio album, Change...
", and later decided to release the track as a single. In October 2008 "About You Now" reached number one in the Irish chart, some seventeen years since their last chart-topping feat.
They followed this with the release of another live album and DVD, Live At The Melody Tent, recorded in Cape Cod
Cape Cod
Cape Cod, often referred to locally as simply the Cape, is a cape in the easternmost portion of the state of Massachusetts, in the Northeastern United States...
in the summer of 2008. "She Loves Me" charted at number two. In 2009 after six studio albums, Universal Music released To Win Just Once - The Best of The Saw Doctors. The compilation album
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
featured twenty two of their tracks, and went platinum
Music recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
within weeks of release.
During 2010 the band played a number of music festival
Music festival
A music festival is a festival oriented towards music that is sometimes presented with a theme such as musical genre, nationality or locality of musicians, or holiday. They are commonly held outdoors, and are often inclusive of other attractions such as food and merchandise vending machines,...
appearances, including playing at the 40th anniversary of the Glastonbury Festival. September 2010 saw the release of their seventh album, The Further Adventures of... The Saw Doctors
The Further Adventures of... The Saw Doctors
The Further Adventures of The Saw Doctors is a 2010 album by Irish rock group The Saw Doctors. It was their 7th studio album, long awaited after the released of The Cure Album. It was released on the 17th of September 2010 in Ireland and on iTunes and was released on 27 September 2010 in the UK...
.
Live shows and recordings
Although the Saw Doctors have released only six studio albums over their two-decade career, their live shows have brought them international renown. In 2004, the band recorded its show before a crowd at the Black Box Theatre, Galway, and released a live audio CD and a concert DVD, both titled Live in Galway. The DVD also contained a 50-minute documentary, "A Different Kind of World," following the Saw Doctors around their favourite locales in the West of Ireland (including a trip to Clare IslandClare Island
Clare Island is a mountainous island guarding the entrance to Clew Bay in County Mayo, Ireland. It is famous as the home of the pirate queen, Gráinne O'Malley...
) and showing them on tour in Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. A follow-up live album, New Year's Day, again featured the band in the Black Box Theatre, this time on New Year's Day 2005. The band donated profits from this album to victims of 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake
2004 Indian Ocean earthquake
The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake was an undersea megathrust earthquake that occurred at 00:58:53 UTC on Sunday, December 26, 2004, with an epicentre off the west coast of Sumatra, Indonesia. The quake itself is known by the scientific community as the Sumatra-Andaman earthquake...
.
The band performed three songs at Celtic Park
Celtic Park
Celtic Park is a football stadium in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which is the home ground of Celtic FC. Celtic Park, an all-seater stadium with a capacity of 60,832, is the largest football stadium in Scotland and the sixth-largest stadium in the United Kingdom, after Murrayfield, Old Trafford,...
, Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
on 21 November 2006 before Celtic F.C.
Celtic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
's UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
match with Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
.
Other projects
The Saw Doctors' song "She Says" is used as the theme song to the BBC Northern IrelandBBC Northern Ireland
BBC Northern Ireland is the main public service broadcaster in Northern Ireland.The organisation is one of the three national regions of the BBC, together with BBC Scotland and BBC Wales. Based at Broadcasting House, Belfast, it provides television, radio, online and interactive television content...
comedy series Give My Head Peace
Give My Head Peace
Give My Head Peace was a satirical television comedy series on BBC Northern Ireland that pokes fun at political parties, paramilitary groups and the sectarian divide in Northern Ireland...
. Under the name "The Folk Footballers," Leo Moran and former Saw Doctor Padraig Stevens released The First Fifteen, a collection of songs that celebrated the Galway football team in the wake of its success in the 1998 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship
All-Ireland Senior Football Championship
The All-Ireland Senior Football Championship, the premier competition in Gaelic football, is a series of games organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association and played during the summer and early autumn...
. Re-released in 2001, when Galway again won the All-Ireland football championship, the album included a host of local talent. Further collaborations brought a self-titled album by another side-project band, The Shambles". Guinness
Guinness
Guinness is a popular Irish dry stout that originated in the brewery of Arthur Guinness at St. James's Gate, Dublin. Guinness is directly descended from the porter style that originated in London in the early 18th century and is one of the most successful beer brands worldwide, brewed in almost...
used the Saw Doctors song "Never Mind the Strangers" in an advertisement campaign for Harp Lager
Harp Lager
Harp Lager, is a pale lager brand created in 1960 by the Guinness Brewery in their Dundalk brewery. It is a leading lager brand in Ireland, and is also popular in Australia, Canada, Africa and the United States...
in the US. The Saw Doctors made an appearance in The Tavern and "Same Oul' Town" was featured in the film. The Saw Doctors appeared on the 2007 Killinascully Christmas special. The band reappeared in 2010 Killinascully Christmas special
Fans
The Saw Doctors have a rabid international fan base that has been compared to that of the Grateful DeadGrateful Dead
The Grateful Dead was an American rock band formed in 1965 in the San Francisco Bay Area. The band was known for its unique and eclectic style, which fused elements of rock, folk, bluegrass, blues, reggae, country, improvisational jazz, psychedelia, and space rock, and for live performances of long...
. Fueled by those in Ireland as well as those of Irish descent in the US, UK, and elsewhere, this unofficial fan club prides itself on seeing the band live as many times as possible. They meet online in a forum on the band's website and pursue ongoing global conversations about the band.
Lottery win
In April 1993, the Saw Doctors' keyboard and accordion player Tony Lambert, who had previously played with Bonnie TylerBonnie Tyler
Bonnie Tyler is a Welsh singer, most notable for her hits in the 1970s and 1980s including "It's a Heartache", "Holding Out for a Hero" and "Total Eclipse of the Heart".-Early life:...
and The Sensational Alex Harvey Band, won £852,000 (Irish punts), or approximately €1 million (euro
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
) in today's currency, when he hit the jackpot in the Irish National Lottery's Lotto game. Lambert, who at the time was living in a converted bus that he had driven from his native Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
to Galway and parked just off the N17 road, had purchased his winning ticket in a local Claregalway
Claregalway
Claregalway is a village situated about 10 km from the city of Galway in County Galway, Ireland. Claregalway was founded on the banks of the River Clare, hence the derivation of its name: Baile Chláir na Gaillimhe meaning "town on the Clare, in Galway"...
shop. After his win, he left the band and settled in County Galway
County Galway
County Galway is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the city of Galway. Galway County Council is the local authority for the county. There are several strongly Irish-speaking areas in the west of the county...
, where he restored an old house and built his own recording studio.
Coincidentally, the Saw Doctors' song "To Win Just Once" was written and recorded shortly before Lambert hit the Lotto jackpot. It is the only song on the Same Oul' Town album that features his musicianship.
Downtown
The Saw Doctors have recorded their version on the pop classic 'Downtown' with the original singer Petula ClarkPetula Clark
Petula Clark, CBE is an English singer, actress, and composer whose career has spanned seven decades.Clark's professional career began as an entertainer on BBC Radio during World War II...
. It is due for release in December 2011.
Albums
- If This Is Rock and Roll, I Want My Old Job BackIf This Is Rock and Roll, I Want My Old Job BackIf This Is Rock and Roll, I Want My Old Job Back is a 1991 album by Irish rock group The Saw Doctors. It was their debut album, and propelled them to national stardom. It included two of their most famous hits, I Useta Lover and N17, the former was a nine-week number 1 in the Irish charts...
(1991) - All the Way from TuamAll the Way from TuamAll The Way From Tuam is the second studio album by Irish rock band The Saw Doctors. The CD was released on The Saw Doctor's own record label, Shamtown Records and has the catalogue number of SAWDOC002CD...
(1992) - Same Oul' TownSame Oul' TownSame Oul' Town is the third studio album by Irish rock band The Saw Doctors. The CD was released on The Saw Doctors' own record label, Shamtown Records and has the catalogue number of SAWDOC004CD.-Track listing:#"All The One"#"Same Oul Town"...
(1996) - Sing A Powerful Song (compilationCompilation albumA compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
) (1997) - Songs from Sun StreetSongs From Sun StreetSongs From Sun Street is the 1998 studio album release of the Irish rock band, The Saw Doctors. The album was not only released on CD, but audio cassette and vinyl as well...
(1998) - Villains?Villains? (album)Villains? is the fifth studio album by Irish rock band The Saw Doctors. The CD was released on The Saw Doctor's own record label, Shamtown Records and has the catalogue number of SAWDOC008CD.-Track listing:#"Villains"#"This Is Me"#"Still Afraid Of The Dark"...
(2001) - Play It Again, Sham! [compilation] (2002)
- Live in Galway [live] (2004)
- New Year's Day [live] (2005)
- The CureThe cure (Saw Doctors Album)The Cure is the 6th studio recording release by Irish rock band The Saw Doctors. The CD was released on The Saw Doctor's own record label, Shamtown Records and has the catalogue number of SAWDOC013CD...
(2006) - That Takes the Biscuit (2007)
- Live At The Melody Tent [live] (2008)
- To Win Just Once / The Best Of The Saw Doctors [compilation] (2009)
- The Further Adventures of... The Saw DoctorsThe Further Adventures of... The Saw DoctorsThe Further Adventures of The Saw Doctors is a 2010 album by Irish rock group The Saw Doctors. It was their 7th studio album, long awaited after the released of The Cure Album. It was released on the 17th of September 2010 in Ireland and on iTunes and was released on 27 September 2010 in the UK...
(2010)
Discontinued releases
- "Friends Demos B-Sides" [contains other artists as well] (1994)
- "Somewhere Far Away" (1999)
- "Live On New Year's Day" [limited to 1000 copies, then re-released as "New Year's Day"] (2005)
Irish singles chart
| Single | Chart position | Date |
|---|---|---|
| "Red Cortina (Special Acapella 2010)" | 4 | 11.12.2010 |
| "She Loves Me" | 2 | 30.07.2009 |
| "About You Now" | 1 | 16.10.2008 |
| "I Useta Lover" (re-issue) | 7 | 01.11.2007 |
| "She Says" | 17 | 11.06.1998 |
| "Clare Island" / "Everyday" | 28 | 12.12.1996 |
| "To Win Just Once" | 24 | 27.06.1996 |
| "World Of Good" | 10 | 25.01.1996 |
| "Small Bit Of Love" | 5 | 03.11.1994 |
| "Me Heart Is Livin In The Sixties Still" | 27 | 08.07.1993 |
| "Never Mind The Strangers" | 11 | 26.11.1992 |
| "Pied Piper" | 3 | 17.09.1992 |
| "Presentation Boarder" | 7 | 12.12.1991 |
| "Hay Wrap" | 1 | 05.09.1991 |
| "Red Cortina" / "Only One Girl" | 4 | 11.07.1991 |
| "N17" | 18 | 14.03.1991 |
| "That's What She Said Last Night" | 3 | 28.02.1991 |
| "N17" / "It Won't Be Tonight" | 2 | 22.11.1990 |
| "I Useta Lover I Useta Lover "I Useta Lover" is a 1990 song by Irish rock group The Saw Doctors. It is the second single off the If This Is Rock and Roll, I Want My Old Job Back album. It stayed at the #1 position in the Irish chart for nine weeks and became one of the best-selling singles of all time in the country... " |
1 | 02.08.1990 |
British Singles Chart
| Single | Chart position | Date |
|---|---|---|
| "Stars Over Cloughanover" | 69 | 15.10.2005 |
| "This Is Me" | 31 | 01.06.2003 |
| "Simple Things" | 56 | 06.12.1997 |
| "To Win Just Once" | 14 | 13.07.1996 |
| "World Of Good" | 15 | 27.01.1996 |
| "Small Bit Of Love" | 24 | 12.11.1996 |