The song – widely known for its appearance in Steve Martin’s film ‘The Jerk’ – is a wee bit longer than the original composition and features Frank duetting with his sister Richael.

Some copies – like this one – came in a wee metal tin. Other artists included on the tape include The La’s, Orbital, Meat Puppets and a personal ‘favourite’, Bananarama.

Nice.

1991 Go! Discs / London Records / FFRR Records / Polygram SAC383 (US) Follow @fivehungryjoes

‘Connemara’ is sung by Eddi Reader and was inspired by John’s recent discovery of details of his Connemara Grandfather, John Keane and family, all of whom were singers, musicians, fisherman and tale tellers (the boy’s from good stock don’t you think?). The song tells the funny story of his great Uncle Colm Keane’s first meeting with Seamus Ennis in the 1940′s when Seamus was collecting songs in Connemara for Alan Lomax, one of the great field collectors of folk music of the 20th century. The two men became great friends with Colm being the source for over 200 songs.

It’s another great song and another great album. Hopalong and buy it here. It won’t disappoint.

2011 Alan Kelly / Black Box Music BBM006

Guest vocalists on the album include Kris Drever and Eddi Reader, where the latter sings like a bird on John Douglas’ tribute to Robert Burns, ‘I Hung My Harp Upon the Willows’ – which as you know appeared on the Trashcans’ last LP, ‘In The Music’.

It’s a very different version of the song and has a countryish feel with piano accordion, double bass (John plays geetar by the way), and Eddi’s singing is, as ever, truly engaging.

It’s a belter!

2009 Black Box Music BBM004

The Trashcans made over 75 appearances in 2005, touring in Scotland, England, Ireland, North America and Japan.

Here’s a promo poster for the early part of the UK tour – and very nice it is too.

Ticket stub from the Glasgow show…

January 2005

This Polygram Records compilation was number two in a series of programmes aired in 1991/2, and included various artists from several labels under the Polygram umbrella including Go! Discs, Fontana, London and FFRR. Therefore we have the usual suspects like The La’s, The High, James and the Trashcans – represented here by, ‘Even The Odd’, from debut album Cake.

Very trendy!

Roughly translated as: ‘The first record on vinyl was the EP “Obscurity Knocks” in February 90, which was for several weeks in the independent charts of England. Pointed out as one of the best guitar bands of the year. This music and the album to debut “Cake”.’

A wee footnote: This LP was given a mention in Finn Hartley’s book. ‘Who’s He? an A-Z of The Trash Can Sinatras’

1991 Polygram Records Brazil 845 864-1

There were around 100 made and sent out to various radio stations. The band’s tour manager, Ben Marts and sound guy Sean got together and ‘remastered’ some of the tracks, trimmed some of the songs and changed some levels to fit it all on the disc. To be honest, I can’t tell the difference.

The artwork was put together by Shane Locke, although by his own admission – not to his usual high standards.

A copy of this CD made it onto eBay and was sold for just over $200 – obviously bought by a TCS die-hard – and caused a fair amount of discussion on the band’s forum.

That’s about it really. All the best for now…

2011 BoTSpro-1

Dead easy? No really. It was pretty difficult, especially if you were on my side of the Atlantic. Needless to say, the winners came from the other side of the water.

In the end there were three joint winners – Randy Schreck, who sent me this picture, was one of them – who were given the opportunity to participate in their own Skype chat with the band and win some autographed items.

The picture is an early promo from the Cake era and includes, from left to right: John, George, Paul, Stephen and Frank. It is also autographed by band members past and present.

Magic!

1990-91 Cake era

It’s very rare and very nice.

2009 Victor Entertainment Inc. VICP-64691

Recorded at Billboard Live shows, Japan in September of 2009, this CD covers a wide selection of her career highs, from Fairground Attraction’s, ‘Perfect’, all the way to the recent Love is the Way. It’s a great album with stunning and haunting vocals and the crowd participation is worth the purchase fee alone. In fact, the album closes with a Japanese children’s song, Usagi, sung a cappella with the audience.

Eddi is joined by regular band members Roy Dodds, Boo Hewerdine, Alan Kelly, Kevin McGuire and I have it on good authority that the Trashcans John Douglas is ‘all over it’.

Magical!

2010 Eddi Reader ERCD01

Ah, takes me back to my school days when I was chucked out of art class for allowing the word ‘fuck’ to pass through my lips. My teacher proceeded to give me a lecture on said word and gave me 100 lines as well – I wouldn’t have minded that much, but I was in 5th year at secondary school! Crazy hippy teacher!

Anyhow, here’s a small advert which appeared in the NME to promote 9th single, ‘To Sir, With Love’

December 1996 NME Magazine Follow @fivehungryjoes