Racontour Archive - 2020 onwards

Artist: Sultans of Ping F.C.

Album: Casual Sex in the Cineplex

Year: 1993

Notable fact: The band later explained that the song was based on a real incident in Nottingham hotspot The Black Orchid, though the item lost was in fact a cardigan!

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Artist: The Cranberries

Album: Everyone else is doing it, so why can’t we?

Year: 1993

Notable fact: 

The song famously has three videos nol less! The first by John Maybury, the second from Peter Scammell and the third one was directed by Nico Soultanakis..

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Artist: U2

Album: Achtung Baby

Year: 1991

Notable fact: Berlin’s famous transport hub, Berlin Zoologischer Garten station, may seem like an unlikely inspiration for the opening track of an much anticipated album. The band had decamped to the German capital for the recording of the album and to capture the atmosphere of a unified city once again. The station is now a shrine for all U2 fans.

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Artist: The Pogues featuring Kirsty MacColl

Album: If I should fall from Grace with God

Year: 1987

Notable fact: The Pogues used to stage an annual concert in London every Christmas, even after their split. It was assumed by many attending that Shane might well be on his last Christmas, but it was poor Kirsty MacColl who departed well before in a tragic boating accident in Mexico. Shane finally left us at when else but Christmas and effectively got a state funeral!

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Artist: The Waterboys

Album: 1985

Year: This is the Sea

Notable fact: Their Hibernophile roots were showing even back then. The album features Old England being a line from James Joyce's Dubliners. Other notable tunes form theat classic album include Don't Bang the Drum, Spirit and Be my Enemy.

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Artist: Bagatelle

Album: Bagatelle

Year: 1980

Notable fact: Bagatelle was the debut album of the band. The song was released as a single that year and became the band’s breakthrough hit, spending months in the Irish charts. The reaction of the crowd in 1980 in the video here make sit clear that this was a bona fide classic from the off.

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Artist: Christy Moore

Album: Ride On

Year: 1984

Notable fact: Written by songwriter Greg Stephen about a legendary matchmaking festival in the west of Ireland, the task of bringing it to life was left to Christy. He brought his trademark style and mischief to the song and it was released in 1979 to great acclaim. Says the great man about the song: ‘it’s like I’m back at the festival, surrounded by laughter, dancing, and the promise of love. It’s a song that never gets old’. Too true. 

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Artist: The Undertones

Album:The Undertones

Year: 1978

Notable fact: When The Undertones debut album was released in May 1979, this was not included. When it was released in October 1979, the album was expanded to include it and Get over you. It made its debut in 1978 as a stand-alone single.

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Artist: Van Morrison

Album: Moondance

Year: 1970

Notable fact: Released just weeks into the 1970s, it was Track 5 after Caravan on Side One. It was never released as a single, which probably adds to its stature.

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Artist: Luke Kelly/The Dubliners

Album: Hometown!

Year: 1972

Notable fact: Patrick Kavanagh’s ghost looms large in this song based on the old melody The Dawning of the Day. The definitive version most know actually comes from the 1983 Prodigal Sons sessions, but we’re right to kick this off as the first tune as its genesis are in the late 60s when Kavanagh met Kelly in The Bailey as the video tells us.

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