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All About the Freshmen (1962-1980)

Photo Gallery - Band Lineups - Discography - Audio samples - Where Are They Now?

The Story

Although definitely one of the earliest "pop bands" the Freshmen, from Ballymena, were different from the rest of the showband fodder of the early 1960's. Billy Brown, an extremely talented piano and sax player, had been playing since he was twelve. By the time he got to college, he had his first professional gig with the Billy McFarland Band out of Belfast.

Another member of the McFarland band, bass player Torry McGahey and Billy became fast friends and eventually decided it was time to strike out on their own. Together they formed The Freshmen in early 1962. They recruited the best of musicians, each one a singer in their own right. The original lineup included: Barney McKeon (vocals), Maurice Henry (sax), Torry (bass), Damien McIlroy (guitar), Sean Mahon (trombone), Davy McKnight (drums) and Billy (sax and piano).

The band's new sound took Northern Ireland by storm. They were starting out just at the same time as The Beatles and The Beach Boys and they were poised to ride the crest of the "pop" wave in Ireland. Before long, the band attracted the interest of a new manager, Peter Dempsey (band member Maurice Henry had previously handled the band's bookings). Peter ran dances in Andersontown and through this, met Johnny Flynn and made a host of connections in the South...uncharted territory for the Freshmen.

By 1963, they were beginning to make inroads in the South when Barney decided to leave. The search was on for a replacement and the band recruited Limerick singer, Tommy Drennan. With Tommy out front, the band continued to prosper, garnering rave reviews from the press and the punters. Within a year though, Tommy had grown homesick and returned to Limerick, leaving the band in bit of a bind. Billy filled in for a time, but eventually they found their ideal front man in Derek McMenamin, a handsome, tall singer whose good looks, charm, and talent rivaled any of the other leading front men of the time.

With Derek in place, the band cut its first record in London during a tour of England in February, 1964, She's The One You Love. Released in summer, the single faded quickly, making little impact. For a time in early 1964, Derek left the band to complete his college education where he was studying to become a teacher. By summer, he had taken his finals and was back with the band. At the end of 1964, the band announced that Derek was changing his last name to Dean and the band also changed its name to Derek and the Freshmen.

In 1965, the band recorded and released more singles. The first, I Stand Alone, failed to make an impression. However, their recording of Yenka was a top ten hit in November 1965. Over the next two years, the band's reputation and status went from strength to strength. They became the top Northern Band to play the South and at one point were ranked as the number four showband behind only the Royal, Miami and the Cadets. In August 1966, the band announced that it was changing its name once again and would be known as Derek Dean, Billy and the Freshmen, an obvious nod to Billy's growing influence in the band.

In 1967, the Freshmen were part of the showband elite in Ireland. Their record, Papa-Oo-Mow-Mow reached number seven in the Irish charts and stayed in the charts for eight weeks well into 1968. They started a string of top ten hits and the band was doing extremely well as the money came pouring in. They released Go Granny Go, Number 12 in August 1968, Just to See You Smile, Number 9 in March 1969, and Halfway to Where, Number 10 in April 1970.

1970 was the year the band released their second album, Peace On Earth. The album was heralded as an artistic masterpiece and is still regarded by many as the greatest Irish pop album ever made. The same year, they performed their "Peace Concert" at the RDS in Dublin which featured noted actor Micheal MacLiammoir as narrator (the role he also played on the album). Amid all the success though, trouble was brewing. The band had become too identified with the Beach Boys sound and as the Beach Boys fortunes' faded, so too did the Freshmen's.

In March, 1971, Billy left the band to form his group, The Billy Brown Superband. He recruited one of the finest lineup of musicians perhaps ever to play the ballroom circuit. Billy was joined by Johnny Brown (bass), Dessie Reynolds (drums), Keith McDonald (sax), Pascal Haverty (sax), Tiger Taylor (guitar), and Mike Nolan (RIP-trumpet). The musicianship was excellent, but the band lacked originality and that "certain" spark, lasting less than a year.

During this time, the Freshmen continued to tour without Billy. The early seventies saw the band continued to slip in popularity and earnings. Following a false start with his superband, Billy teamed up with Mike O'Brien to form Brown and O'Brien in 1972. Sadly, this band did find the magic either and Billy rejoined the Freshmen after folding Brown and O'Brien in late 1973, but then Lindsay Lunny left the band around the same time. 

Throughout the mid to late seventies, the Freshmen continued to play, ending up as a six piece and trying to make a living in a scene that was slowly dying and well past its prime. Around 1978, Torry McGahey left the band, breaking the final remaining link to the original Freshmen lineup. Although Billy Brown had been an original member, he had left the band for several years. Although we are not sure, we think the band called it quits around 1980.

By 1980, the Freshmen, one of the greatest components of pop music in Ireland, were finally no more. After almost twenty years the band who had smoothly made the transition from pure 60's showband to 70's pop group successfully (while staying true to their legacy of producing quality music) called it quits.

In the years after the showband era ended, the late Billy Brown would continue to record, write and produce excellent music. His legend as one of Ireland's most gifted musicians continued to grow, but on June 6, 1999, at the age of 56, Billy left the stage for good, leaving the Irish music scene without one of the guiding lights that illuminated the landscape of the showband era. 

Photo Gallery      

Click on thumbnails for full images

Freshmen -1963 (BS) Freshmen - 1964 Freshmen - mid 60's (MN) Freshmen (BF) Freshmen - 1966 (LR)
Freshmen - 1966 Freshmen - 1967 Freshmen - 1969 The Freshmen - 1970 (SM) Freshmen - 1970 (DD)
Freshmen Live (DD) Derek Dean & The Freshmen - 1971 Derek Dean (LR) Billy Brown Superband - 1971 Billy Brown Band - 1971
Freshmen - 1971 Derek Dean & The Freshmen - 1972 Freshmen - 1978 The Freshmen - 1979 Billy Brown - 1966
Billy Brown- 1971 Billy Brown Billy Brown - 1971 Article - 1971 Billy Brown Poster (TP)
         
Coming Soon Coming Soon Coming Soon Coming Soon Coming Soon
Record Sleeves
Halfway To Where - 1970 Peace On Earth - 1971 Le Linda - 1972 All My Trials - 1973 You've Never Heard Anything Like It - 1978
A - Freshmen - 1968 B - Freshmen - 1968 B - Billy Brown B - Billy Brown B - Billy Brown
       
B - Billy Brown Coming Soon Coming Soon Coming Soon Coming Soon
Year Vocals Guitar Bass Drums Sax/Keyboards Sax/Vocals Trombone
1962 Barney
McKeon
Damien
McElroy
Torry
McGahey
Davy
McKnight
Billy
Brown
Maurice
Henry
Sean
Mahon
1963 Tommy
Drennan
Damien
McElroy
Torry
McGahey
Davy
McKnight
Billy
Brown
Maurice
Henry
Sean
Mahon
1964 Derek
Dean
Damien
McElroy
Torry
McGahey
Davy
McKnight
Billy
Brown
Maurice
Henry
Sean
Mahon
1971 Derek
Dean
Damien
McElroy
Torry
McGahey
Davy
McKnight
Ivan
Laybourne
Maurice
Henry
Sean
Mahon
1972 Derek
Dean
Damien
McElroy
Torry
McGahey
Linsey
Lunny
Ivan
Laybourne
Ray
Donnan
Sean
Mahon
1973 Derek
Dean
Tiger
Taylor
Torry
McGahey
Brian
Donaghey
Billy
Brown
  Sean
Mahon
1974 Derek
Dean
Tiger
Taylor
Torry
McGahey
Paddy
Freeney
Billy
Brown
  Sean
Mahon
1978 Derek
Dean
Tiger
Taylor
Peter
James
Paddy
Freeney
Billy
Brown
Francis
Rosato
 
1979 Derek
Dean
Brian
Baynes
Pat
Carey
Paddy
Freeney
Billy
Brown
Francis
Rosato
 

Discography (partial list):

Singles:

She's The One You Love / I Love My Little Girl
Unknown label - 1964
I Stand Alone / Gone Away
Oriole Records - CD 305 - 1965
La Yenka / Don't Say Love
PYE Records - 7N.15964 - 1965
So This Is Love / King Cole Yenka
PYE Records - 7N.17037 - 1966
Cara Mia / Better Believe It
PYE Records - 7N.17230 - 1966
Papa Oom Mow Mow / Let's Dance
PYE Records - 7N.17432 - 1967
Go Granny Go / Look At The Sunshine
PYE Records - 7N.17592 - 1968
She Sang Hymns Out Of Tune / Mr. Beverly's Heavy Days
PYE Records - 7N.17757 - 1968
Just To See You Smile / Indian Lake
PYE Records - 7N.17689 - 1969
Halfway To Where / Time Hasn't Changed Her
CBS Records - S.4842 - 1970
Banquet For The World / Time Hasn't Changed Her
CBS Records - S.5168 - 1970
One Bad Thing / Everywhere There Is Love
CBS Records - S.7241 - 1971
Swannee River / Take The Time It Takes
CBS Records - S.7694 - 1972
Le Linda / My Home Town
CBS Records - S.8079 - 1972
All My Trials/Child Song / Hold On
Dolphin Records  - DOS.104 - 1973
I Found My Freedom / Listen To A Country Song
Dolphin Records - DOS.106 - 1973
The Leaving of Liverpool (solo Biily Brown)
Unknown label - February, 1974
Longer Boats / Alabama
Dolphin Records - DOS.122 - 1974
What Colour Is God's Skin / The Time Is Now
Dolphin Records - DOS.126 - 1974
Papa-Oo-Mow-Mow / Northwest Territory
Hawk Records - HASP 375 - 1975
Go Granny Go / Carpet Man
Dolphin Records - DOS.137 -1976
You Never Heard Anything Like It / Bombing Run
Release Records - RL 975 - 1979

Albums:

Movin On
PYE Records - NPL.18263 - 1968
Peace On Earth
CBS Records - CBS.64099 - 1970
Now and Then
Dolphin Records - DOLB.7015 - 1974

Audio Clips

       

Freshmen (DL)
You've Never Heard Anything Like It

Coming Soon Coming Soon Coming Soon Coming Soon

Where Are They Now?  

  Billy Brown: Billy sadly passed away.
  Barney McKeon: Unknown - if you have info please email us 
Tommy Drennan: Tommy went on to a career as leader singer with the Monarchs for eight years. He then formed Top League which also starred Shaun O'Dowd. He then put together his own All- Star band in the 1980's before moving into the cabaret scene where he still performs today.
  Damien McElroy: We understand that Damien emigrated to South Africa in the 70s and Barry Woods writes to tell us that Damien is still living and gigging in Durban with his brother Paul who played with the Newmen. Barry was also with the Newmen before he joined Clubsound,.  
  Torey McGahey: Teddie Palmer tells us Torry is still playing with Niamh Kavanagh & the Classics, and also with a band he has had going for years, The Illegals, a tribute to the Eagles.
  Davy McKnight: Davy played with Clubsound for many years and they recently re-formed but we don't know if he is back in the line-up.
  Maurice Henry:
  Sean Mahon: Sean we understand is still living in Dublin also. If you have info please email us 
  Derek Dean: Derek Dean, writes Teddie Palmer, also lives in Dublin, last time he heard, Derek he was selling in the Spanish property market. If you have info please email us 
  Ivan Laybourne: Ivan still lives in Larne, Co. Antrim.
  Ray Donnan: 
  Tiger Taylor: Tiger Taylor is still living in Dublin and gigs around the country from time to time.
  Paddy Freeney: Paddy now lives in Arklow and is the Managing Director of Litton Lane, a pro audio company located in Dublin. (Our thanks to Liam O'Reilly for the update)
  Peter James: 
  Francis Rosato: 
  Brian Donaghy: Brian lives in Dublin and works as a travel agent, but still plays in local clubs. In a recent email, Brian confirmed that information.

 

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In Loving Memory of Grant Gallagher: Sept. 21, 1990 - Nov. 18, 2006
© 2004-2008 GMS Productions