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Musical Memories
"Music washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life." - Berthold Auerbach
 My first memories of music are from around 1980 when I was three years old. I remember being a toddler toddling around the kitchen, trying to stay out of range of the range. Ian Dempsey was on Radio 2, and he read a request from a guy who was requesting a song for himself. The song was Maybe by Thom Pace, better known as the theme song to Grizzly Adams. I would later get this theme song mixed up with that of The Littlest Hobo. 'Maybe tomorrow I'll wanna settle down.'

TV themes are among the more prominent of my musical memories. Batman, Wonder Woman, The Fall Guy, The Bionic Woman, Simon and Simon, Cagney and Lacy, The A Team, McGuyver, Coronation Street and Ireland's own weekly half-hour drama Glenroe. '"Well Holy God" says Miley' says I when I was a little fella. Sunday evening, homework done, pajamas on and ready for bed at nine.

We had singing class every Thursday at school and were inspired by such rollicking tunes as From a Distance, The Streets of London, Morning has Broken and Mull of Kintyre. When I was 11, I sang From a Distance at my cousin's wedding in Cavan. A year later, I was back, but this time I was ready to wow them with my Elvis impersonations. I sang abbreviated versions of Good Luck Charm, Blue Suede Shoes and Don't Be Cruel. The man said I was doing a brilliant job and I have it on tape. That was the year of my confirmation you see, and I'd been given a lot of dosh by generous Catholics. I'd bought my first tape recorder and tapes (Elvis, The Carpenters, and I reluctantly admit, Jive Bunny). I'd also bought the first of many mini tape recorders, and left it close to the speaker when I went on stage. A decade later my wife would record a less shrill Brendan singing Elvis songs at an English karaoke bar. But that's a story for another time.

My family weren't much into music. Ma and Da liked the country and western. Among the few tapes I remember my brother Gene owning were some by Charlie Pride and Tom Jones. Picture poor misguided Brendan writing the lyrics to Green Green Grass of Home as he presses and depresses the pause button on the auld Phillips tape recorder.

My fame would spread quickly. I emulated my hero Elvis by winning a local talent competition when I was 13. I sang Wonderful Tonight, a song recommended by my Auntie Eileen. A failed attempt at winning the Balyna Talent Show was Liam Reilly's Somewhere in Europe. It couldn't win the Eurovision song contest man, what was I thinking? And classmate Alan Kenny got me to join in the chorus of an Irish soccer song. "Give it a lash Jack, give it a lash Jack, Never never never say no. Oirland, Oirland, Repubilic of Oirland, rev it up and here we go." Jaysis, did I really sing that? And why the fuck do I still remember the words?


 

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