All About the Red Seven/Columbia
Showband (1959-1969)
Photo Gallery -
Band Lineups -
Discography
- Audio samples -
Where Are They Now?
The Story
In 1959, a group of lads from Arklow, Co.
Wicklow got together and called themselves The Red Seven Showband.
They started playing locally and ended up with the lucrative
residency for three seasons at the famous Tara Ballroom in Courtown.
The original Red Seven (pictured right) included:
Joe Weadick
(trombone), Pete Coburn (vocals), Larry Kenny (trumpet), Des Mulhall (drums),
Pat Tyrell (bass), Paud O'Brien (sax/clar), and Eamonn Lee (RIP-guitar).
The band played mostly locally, but continued
to do very well. Eventually,
they decided they wanted to take the big step of turning
professional (a dilemma faced by many resident bands in the late
fifties and early sixties) and in anticipation of the
move, renamed themselves as The Columbia Showband in 1963.
By the time The Columbia was launched, only Joe
Weadick and Pat Tyrell remained of the original 1959 lineup. The new
members of the band were:
Freddie Cutland (guitar),
Jim Tyrell (trumpet/keyboards), Eddie "Mack" McElheron (vocals/guitar),
Georgie Byrne (drums), Liam O'Reilly (guitar) and Mick Tyrell (bass).
The following year, 1964, when the band went
professional, Liam O'Reilly decided to leave the band. He would go
on to join The Quartermasters in the years that followed. In
1965, founder member Joe Weadick left and he was replaced by Pat
McCarthy on trombone. Now only Pat Tyrell remained of the original
band.
For the next four years, the band enjoyed
growing success on the ballroom scene. They released several
singles, including Way Out of Reach which entered the Irish
Charts on January 3, 1966 and climbed to number six. Their last
single was released in early 1968 and was called Baby Come Back.
An article in New Spotlight magazine told of an LP in the works,
which unfortunately never materialized.
When the band called it quits in 1969, Jim and
Mick Tyrell and George Byrne went to the newly formed Ranchers with
lead singer Frankie Carroll. Eventually, they would form the
Jim Tyrell Trio
(see photo below). Meanwhile, Pat Tyrell, Eddie Mack and
Freddie Cutland formed the well known local band, Family. Pat
McCarthy went on to join the Miami and Billy Brown band in later
years.
Photo
Gallery
Click on thumbnails for full images
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Eddie Mack: |
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Freddie
Cutland: Freddie now lives in Klidare. |
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Liam
O'Reilly: Liam joined local band, the
Quartermasters, after leaving the Columbia and continued to
play music. He is now retired and living in Arklow. |
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Mick Tyrell: |
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Georgie
Byrne: |
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Jim Tyrell: Jim
went on to join the Ranchers after leaving the Columbia and
ended up with his very popular Jim Tyrell Trio for many
years. Sadly, Jim passed away on May 14, 2007. He will be
missed. |
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Joe Weadick: Three
members of the Red Seven band, Joe Weadick, Larry Kenny and
Pete Coburn, now form the nucleus of Arklow's All Stars
Showband. The other members of the All-Stars Showband are
Dave Canavan, Pat Byrne, John Joe Brauders, Gerry McDonald
and Bobby Byrne |
| |
Pat
Tyrell: |
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Pat
McCarthy: Pat McCarthy went on from the Columbia to
join the Miami showband. He is still playing today with
Paddy Cole's jazz band and lives in Arklow. |
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Oliver
Merrigan: |
