"And a Bang on the Ear" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Single by the Waterboys | ||||
from the album Fisherman's Blues | ||||
B-side | "The Raggle Taggle Gypsy" | |||
Released | June 1989 [1] | |||
Length | 7:29 | |||
Label | Ensign, Chrysalis | |||
Songwriter(s) | Mike Scott | |||
Producer(s) | John Dunford, Mike Scott | |||
The Waterboys singles chronology | ||||
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"And a Bang on the Ear" is a song from Scottish-Irish folk rock band the Waterboys, released as the second single from their fourth studio album Fisherman's Blues . It was written by Mike Scott, and produced by John Dunford and Scott. The song reached No. 1 in the Republic of Ireland and No. 51 in the United Kingdom.
The song was recorded at Spiddal House in Spiddal, Connemara, County Galway, Ireland, in April 1988. [2] In 2006, fiddle player Steve Wickham recalled of the song, "We played a lot of takes before we got this right. It is often the simple ones that are the most difficult." [3] The single's B-side, "The Raggle Taggle Gypsy", was recorded live at Barrowlands Ballroom in Glasgow. [4]
On its release as a single, Music & Media wrote, "Easy-going, traditional folk material with a strong melody line and good lyrics. Stylewise, an uncompromising song but one that could be a hit." [5] Tim Nicholson of Record Mirror noted, "Song title of the week, and a jig so authentic that it's almost immune from criticism." [6] John Wilde of Melody Maker picked it as the "single of the week" and wrote, "This romp through Scott's old flames verges on the ridiculous, but I'm sure it's meant to. It's not just ridiculous. The Waterboys have never sounded quite so breezy." [7] Barbara Ellen of New Musical Express described the song as "charming" and wrote, "A gorgeously delivered fiddle-strewn folk love ballad, it only occasional sounds like a One-Man-Band falling over a pile of milk bottles. This is 'whispers-in-shadows' stuff, and Scott remains a gifted storyteller with his tongue firmly implanted in his cheek." [8]
In a review of Fisherman's Blues, Stereo Review described the song as "lilting, rollicking, and altogether effortless". The reviewer added, "It flows in a way that suggests Scott has arrived at some breakthrough in his conception of the Waterboys." [9] Audio picked the song as the album's "best cut" and described it as "a bouncy ditty full of cyanide and vinegar". [10] Ira Robbins, writing in The Trouser Press Record Guide , considered the song to be "rollicking" and one of the album's tracks to "make the most of Scott's adopted heritage". [11] Ian Abrahams of Record Collector felt the song had a "wistful romance". [12]
In a 2017 retrospective on the "best of Mike Scott", Tom Doyle of Q included "And a Bang on the Ear" as one of ten tracks on the list and described it as a "touching tune in which Scott takes us through the tales of each of his romances". [13]
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "And a Bang on the Ear" | 6:45 |
2. | "The Raggle Taggle Gypsy" | 4:36 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "And a Bang on the Ear" | 7:29 |
2. | "The Raggle Taggle Gypsy" | 4:36 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "And a Bang on the Ear (Edit)" | 6:45 |
2. | "And a Bang on the Ear" | 7:25 |
3. | "The Raggle Taggle Gypsy" | 4:35 |
The Waterboys
Production
Chart (1989) | Peak position |
---|---|
Ireland (IRMA) [14] | 1 |
UK Singles (OCC) [15] | 51 |
The Waterboys are a Scottish folk rock band formed in Edinburgh in 1983 by musician Mike Scott. The band's membership, past and present, has been composed mainly of musicians from Scotland, Ireland, Wales and England. Mike Scott has remained as the only constant member throughout the band's career. They have explored a number of different styles, but their music is mainly a mix of folk music with rock and roll. They dissolved in 1993 when Scott departed to pursue a solo career. The group reformed in 2000, and continue to release albums and to tour worldwide. Scott emphasises a continuity between The Waterboys and his solo work, saying that "To me there's no difference between Mike Scott and the Waterboys; they both mean the same thing. They mean myself and whoever are my current travelling musical companions."
The Best of The Waterboys 81–90 is a compilation album by The Waterboys, released 29 April 1991.
This Is the Sea is the third The Waterboys album, and the last of their "Big Music" albums. Considered by critics to be the finest album of their early rock-oriented sound, described as "epic" and "a defining moment", it was the first Waterboys album to enter the United Kingdom charts, peaking at number 37. Steve Wickham makes his Waterboys recording debut playing violin on 'The Pan Within' and subsequently joined the band, appearing on the video of "The Whole of the Moon". This Is the Sea is the last album with contributions from Karl Wallinger, who left the group to form his own band, World Party.
Fisherman's Blues is a 1988 album by The Waterboys. The album marked a change in the band's sound, with them abandoning their earlier grandiose rock sound for a mixture of traditional Irish music, traditional Scottish music, country music, and rock and roll. Critics were divided on its release with some disappointed at the change of direction and others ranking it among The Waterboys' best work. The album was The Waterboys' best selling album, reaching a number 13 placing on the U.K. charts on release, and 76 on the Billboard 200.
Michael Scott is a Scottish singer, songwriter and musician. He is the founding member, lead singer, guitarist and songwriter of rock band The Waterboys. He has also produced two solo albums, Bring 'em All In and Still Burning. Scott is a vocalist, guitarist and pianist, and has played a large range of other instruments, including the bouzouki, drums, and Hammond organ on his albums. Scott is also a published writer, having released his autobiography, Adventures of a Waterboy, in 2012.
Room to Roam is the fifth studio album by The Waterboys; it continued the folk rock sound of 1988's Fisherman's Blues, but was less of a commercial success, reaching #180 on the Billboard Top 200 after its release in September 1990. Critical response continues to be mixed. Allmusic describes it both as "not quite as [musically] successful" as Fisherman's Blues, but also as a "Celtic rock classic". The front and back covers were designed by Simon Fowler based upon photography by Stefano Giovannini and Sean Jackson.
Steve Wickham is an Irish musician. Originally from Marino, Dublin, but calling Sligo home, Wickham was a founding member of In Tua Nua and played violin on the classic U2 song "Sunday Bloody Sunday", as well as recordings by Elvis Costello, the Hothouse Flowers, Sinéad O'Connor, and World Party. He is a long-standing member of The Waterboys. Wickham plays both rock and roll and traditional Irish music, and has developed a rock music technique for violin he calls the "fuzz fiddle".
"The Raggle Taggle Gypsy", is a traditional folk song that originated as a Scottish border ballad, and has been popular throughout Britain, Ireland and North America. It concerns a rich lady who runs off to join the gypsies. Common alternative names are "Gypsy Davy", "The Raggle Taggle Gypsies O", "The Gypsy Laddie(s)", "Black Jack David" and "Seven Yellow Gypsies".
"A Girl Called Johnny" is a song from Scottish-Irish folk rock band The Waterboys, which was released in 1983 as the lead single from their debut studio album The Waterboys. The song was written by Mike Scott and produced by Rupert Hine. It reached No. 80 in the UK Singles Chart and remained in the Top 100 for three weeks.
"Fisherman's Blues" is a song from folk rock band The Waterboys, which was released in 1988 as the lead single from their fourth studio album of the same name. It was written by Mike Scott and Steve Wickham, and produced by Scott. The song reached number 3 on the US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart, number 13 in Ireland and number 32 in the UK.
"Glastonbury Song" is a song by Scottish-Irish folk rock band the Waterboys, released in July 1993 as the second single from their sixth studio album, Dream Harder (1993). It was written by Mike Scott and produced by Scott and Bill Price. The song reached No. 29 in the UK and No. 12 in Ireland.
"Everybody Takes a Tumble" is a song from Scottish-Irish folk rock band The Waterboys, released as the only single from their ninth studio album Book of Lightning. It was written by Mike Scott and Anthony Thistlethwaite, and produced by Scott and Phil Tennant.
"The Whole of the Moon" is a song by Scottish band the Waterboys, released as a single from their album This Is the Sea in October 1985. It is a classic of the band's repertoire and has been consistently played at live shows ever since its release. Written and produced by Mike Scott, the subject of the song has inspired some speculation.
"How Long Will I Love You?" is a song by folk rock band the Waterboys from their fifth studio album, Room to Roam (1990). Written by Mike Scott, it was released as the album's lead single. The song was subsequently covered by English singer Ellie Goulding and released as the second single from her album Halcyon Days (2013). Goulding's version is included on the soundtrack to the 2013 film About Time, which also features a different cover by Jon Boden, Sam Sweeney and Ben Coleman.
Modern Blues is the eleventh studio album by The Waterboys, released on the independent label Harlequin and Clown in 2015. It was produced by Mike Scott, with two tracks being co-produced with Paul Brown. Modern Blues reached No. 14 on the UK Albums Chart and No. 2 on the UK Independent Albums Chart.
"A Life of Sundays" is a song by the Scottish-Irish folk rock band The Waterboys, which was released in 1990 as a track on their fifth studio album Room to Roam. It was written by Mike Scott and produced by Barry Beckett and Scott. In the United States, the song reached No. 15 on Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart and remained on the chart for nine weeks.
"World Party" is a song by the Scottish-Irish folk rock band The Waterboys, released in 1988 as a track on their fourth studio album Fisherman's Blues. It was written by Mike Scott, Trevor Hutchinson and Karl Wallinger, and produced by Scott. In the United States, the song reached No. 19 on Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart and remained on the chart for six weeks. It also peaked at No. 48 on Billboard's Album Rock Tracks chart.
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