The flying Carltons and the showband era.

jonniebgood1

There was a bit on the radio this morning about one of Irelands first showbands, the Carlton band. The band is getting attention recently due to a relation of the band starting a tribute act or some sort. It seems an interesting story though particularly there name change when they had to start flying to shows.

The Carlton Dance Band were later changed to the Flying Carltons as they were the first band to fly to a gig due to a busy schedule and that made them famous in their day. http://www.irishshowbands.net/pg_flying_carltons.htm

http://www.flyingcarlton.com/page4.php?SessionID=53148b1b4eb3deb02041f&view=thumbnailList&category=3

There was a story about them recently in the independent:

Regarded as the ' U2 of their era' the band recorded some notable first nationwide records, including becoming the first Irish band to fly to a gig and the first group from the Republic to headline at the King's Hall in Belfast. At the end of the night they had to play ' God Save the King' - and didn't know the words!

.......

They began life around 1939 and thrilled audiences the length and breath of the country for close on two decades.

They became the first band to fly to a show, Dublin to Limerick, and within two weeks were off to another one in London.

They played a residency in the Abbey Ballroom and their partnership became synonymous with good times in Drogheda.

'It was actually the Drogheda Independent that got them the name. They were called the Carlton before they took that first flight and then the paper christened them the Flying Carlton,' Aidan explained.

The arrival of Rock n' Rock killed the dancehall days in many ways and the years of travelling certainly took their toll on the members, Joe Leech passing away at the age of 54 in 1964.
http://www.drogheda-independent.ie/news/flying-carlton-were-the-u2-of-the-1950s-2876560.html

Does anyone know of them or their airplane?
Perhaps this thread could look at what part the showbands played in irish life during their time. I hear people talking about the era and it sounds interesting. Some of the bigger bands had a big following and also some of the venues would become famous although many are now delapisated or gone.

P. Breathnach

Some precursor to rock bands! Five of the eight members are wearing Pioneer pins.

It's odd that they are credited as being "one of Ireland's first showbands"; there is a widespread opinion that the very first showband had a very similar name: the Clipper Carlton. They were from Strabane.

slowburner

Odd that, because the chap at the bottom right is clearly Hindu.

jonniebgood1

P. Breathnach wrote: »

Some precursor to rock bands! Five of the eight members are wearing Pioneer pins.

It's odd that they are credited as being "one of Ireland's first showbands"; there is a widespread opinion that the very first showband had a very similar name: the Clipper Carlton. They were from Strabane.

The guy on radio said that 'the flying Carltons', originally just 'the Carlton band' formed in 1939. The clipper Carlton show band were a bit later according to this:

Founded in the late 1940's as Hugh Tourish and the Carlton, the Clippers are credited with starting the whole showband craze in the late 1950's. Up until that point all "orchestras," including the Clippers, sat behind music stands and read their music, playing the dance hits of the day and a wide range of musical styles. The only "frontmen" were the bandleaders and the entire band divided the songs among the members based on each musician's singing style.

One night in 1949, the band held a contest to find a new name and the "Clipper Carltons" were born. http://www.irish-showbands.com/Bands/clippercarltonf.htm

@slowburner- The dot may be a bit like father ted with the perfectly square piece of dirt on the window that made him appear like hitler from outside the window!

slowburner

Feck - you're right:D

dubhthach

Either way I don't think he has a pioneer badge (unless I'm blind) on so ye never know!

jonniebgood1

The Irish showbands website has a list of many of the bands from the 'showband' era. It includes a description of where the actual term comes from which I had'nt heard before.

The term "showband" was reportedly coined by legendary Belfast musician Dave Glover. In a 1989 interview on BBC Ulster radio he said that although the Clipper Carlton were the first band to put on a show with their "Saturday Night Jukebox" segment, he first added the word to his band's name, becoming The Dave Glover Showband. Although in later years the term would come to identify a broad range of musical styles, in the mid 1950's it meant just that...the band included a "show" in the middle of the evening. Usually this "show" included comedy skits, impersonations, or other acts that stopped the crowd in their tracks and they watched the "show" for up to a half hour or more, after which time dancing would be resumed http://www.irish-showbands.com/showbands.htm

Gerry720

Actually, although many people have claimed to have coined the term "showband" (and many sincerely believe they did), it has to be remembered that back in the 1950's someone in Belfast had no idea what someone in Waterford was doing, therefore it is obvious they could have each thought they coined the term. In actual fact the BBC Orchestra changed its name in the late 40's or early 50s to the "BBC Show Band." The first band in Ireland to actually call itself a "Show Band" was "Brian McCarthy and his Show Band" in a Cork Examiner newspaper classified advert in May 1952. The first band to use the single word "Showband" was Columba Gallagher, from Strabane and also an original member of the Clipper Carlton who are acknowledged as the first showband, but never used the word as part of their name. The "Columba Gallagher Showband" appeared in the classfied ads of the Irish Independent newspaper on April 20, 1955. On the same day in the same paper, the Dave Glover advert read "Dave Glover Orchestra." By the way, in January 1955, the Andy Hennessey Orchestra used the tagline "Ireland's Greatest Showband." Hope that helps.