Even Better Than the Disco Thing | ||||
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Compilation album | ||||
Released | 2008 | |||
Recorded | Marconi House, Digges Lane, Dublin, Ireland (2008) | |||
Genre | Acoustic, pop, cover versions | |||
Label | Today FM/RMG Chart | |||
Producer | Jenny Kelly Will Hanafin Siobhan Hogan Ann Gleeson Mairead Farrell Gavin Blake Pat Balfe Colin McElarney | |||
chronology | ||||
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Even Better Than the Disco Thing is an Irish charity album released by the commercial FM radio station, Today FM, for the Christmas market on 21 November 2008. The album features covers of well-known disco songs by a selection of Irish musicians. [1] Disc one features sixteen tracks, whilst disc two is labelled "Mix CD" and contains twelve of the same sixteen tracks all over again. All the songs were performed and recorded live on The Ray D'Arcy Show . [2] [3] The title is a pun on the Even Better Than the Real Thing series of charity CDs recorded in previous years on D'Arcy's show, but temporarily discontinued after the third edition in 2005. [4] They themselves are a reference to the U2 song "Even Better Than the Real Thing". Funds raised were donated to the National Children's Hospital and Barretstown. [5]
Tony Clayton-Lea of The Irish Times gave the album an unfavourable review. He commented, "If the image of Brian Kennedy strangling Never Can Say Goodbye, Jack L neutering Staying Alive, Juno Falls smothering Last Night a DJ Saved My Life, Fred defaming Fame, and Director stifling Ring My Bell are enough to turn you off your Christmas pudding, then so be it." However, he praised the tracks by Eric Bibb, Lisa Hannigan and Cathy Davey. [7]
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Even Better Than the Real Thing Vol. 2 is an Irish charity album featuring a variety of artists performing acoustic cover versions of popular songs. It was released in 2004 by RMG Chart Entertainment Ltd. Just like volume 1, most of the songs on the album were recorded live and acoustic on The Ray D'Arcy Show on Today FM.
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Even Better Than the Real Thing is the title of a number of Irish charity albums recorded on The Ray D'Arcy Show on Today FM and released over a number of years for the Irish Christmas market. The albums featured Irish artists performing covers of various pop songs until 2005 when the series was temporarily discontinued, although in 2008 Even Better Than the Disco Thing was released featuring covers of disco songs instead. The title is taken from the U2 song "Even Better Than the Real Thing".
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The 2008 Meteor Music Awards ceremony was held in the RDS Simmonscourt, Dublin, on Friday, 15 February 2008. Nineteen awards were presented. It was the eighth edition of the Republic of Ireland's national music awards. The event was later broadcast on RTÉ Two on Saturday, 16 February at 21:00 and was hosted by comedian Dara Ó Briain for the first time since 2004.
The Ray Darcy Show on Today FM has already put together a number of cover version albums to aid various charities. The latest is Even Better Than The Disco Thing with Cathy Davey, Lisa Hannigan, Jape, Republic Of Loose, The Blizzards Duke Special, Director and many more getting on down. All proceeds go to the National Children's Hospital and Barretstown.
If the image of Brian Kennedy strangling Never Can Say Goodbye , Jack L neutering Staying Alive , Juno Falls smothering Last Night a DJ Saved My Life , Fred defaming Fame , and Director stifling Ring My Bell are enough to turn you off your Christmas pudding, then so be it. [...] The only ones to get it right are non-Irish blues singer Eric Bibb ( Dancing Queen ), Lisa Hannigan ( Upside Down ) and Cathy Davey ( I Feel Love ).