The 4 of Us

Last updated

The 4 of Us
Origin Newry, Northern Ireland
Genres Rock
Years active1988–present
MembersBrendan Murphy
Declan Murphy

The 4 of Us are a rock band from Newry, County Down, Northern Ireland. [1] [2] Of the four founding members, only brothers Brendan and Declan Murphy have remained continuously part of the group; the occupants of the other positions have varied.

Contents

History

The 4 of Us released their first album, Songs for the Tempted on CBS Records in 1989, with the single "Mary", becoming one of the most played songs on Irish radio that year.[ citation needed ] Consequently, the album went double platinum in the Republic of Ireland and won Best Album of the Year at the Irish Music Awards, defeating the internationally known act U2.

The album Man Alive followed on Sony/Columbia Records in 1992, and saw the group enter the UK charts for the first time, with the album entering the chart at No. 64, and the single, "She Hits Me" spending four weeks on the chart peaking at No. 35. [3]

The band then lost momentum, scrapping the release of Amplifier, their proposed third album but released two singles, "Change (Amplifier Version)" and "Someone's Got to Lose" in 1997.

They did not separate however, and eventually returned to recording albums, releasing the largely acoustic-based Classified Personal on the FUTURE INC. label in 1999. [2] [4]

2000s

Off the Record, an album of re-recordings of the band's best known songs appeared on EMI in 2000 and included the previously unreleased songs "The Girl Next Door" and "She's So Real".

In 2003, the single "Sunlight", which would appear on the 2004 album Heaven and Earth, began to receive airplay and was voted fourth in a poll to find the 'best Irish single ever', conducted by the national radio station Today FM.[ citation needed ]

In November 2006, the band released the album Fingerprints and followed this with a live album, Live at Vicar Street in 2009.

Throughout 2010/2011 via their Facebook page, the band previewed exclusive content, including previously unreleased tracks "The Way the River Flows" and "I Guess I Wasn't Made for These Times" which was made available as a free download single for a limited period.

On 21 October 2011, Brendan confirmed via The Gerry Anderson Show on BBC Radio Ulster, that a brand new studio album is in progress and scheduled for release in 2012. He also mentioned the possibility of a 'Best Of...' compilation in the very near future.[ citation needed ]

Declan announced on 5 December 2011 via Facebook that the previously unavailable third album Amplifier would be released as a free download on the band's official website.

On 14 August 2013, the first track "Seventy-Three" from the new album Sugar Island was premiered on the band's The4OfUsMurphyMusic YouTube channel. This was followed up on 10 September with "Hell to Pay".

On 25 March 2015, "Birds Eye View" was premiered before getting its mastered radio release on 8 April.

Solo work

In 2010, Brendan Murphy released his first solo album Walk with Me [5] with brother Declan playing on several tracks. Via Brendan's Facebook, the non-album song "She Comes at Night" was made available as a limited free download single in May 2011 and, due to popular demand, again in November 2011. Also via Brendan Murphy's Facebook page, two demos of "Shadow on the Sun" and "Raise the Dead Man", co-written with string arranger Kevin Malpass, were previewed.

Recognition

Discography

Albums

Singles

Related Research Articles

Skid Row were an Irish blues rock band of the late 1960s and early 1970s, based in Dublin and fronted by bass guitarist Brendan "Brush" Shiels. It was the first band in which Phil Lynott and Gary Moore played professionally before finding greater fame with Thin Lizzy.

Pallas are a Scottish progressive rock band from Aberdeen. They were one of the bands at the vanguard of what was termed neo-prog during progressive rock's second-wave revival in the early 1980s. Other major UK acts included Marillion, IQ, Twelfth Night, Pendragon and Solstice.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dropkick Murphys</span> American Celtic punk band

Dropkick Murphys are an American Celtic punk band formed in Quincy, Massachusetts in 1996. Singer and bassist Ken Casey has been the band's only constant member. Other current members include drummer Matt Kelly, singer Al Barr, guitarist James Lynch, multi-instrumentalist Tim Brennan and multi-instrumentalist Jeff DaRosa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Doves (band)</span> English alternative rock band

Doves are an English indie rock band, formed in Manchester in 1998. The band is composed of twin brothers Jez and Andy Williams, and Jimi Goodwin. Additionally, the band employs Martin Rebelski, as a touring and session musician on keyboards. The band released five studio albums between 2000 and 2020, three of which reached #1 on the UK album charts. A compilation album, The Places Between: The Best of Doves, was released in April 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Call Me (Blondie song)</span> 1980 single by Blondie

"Call Me" is a song by the American new wave band Blondie and the theme to the 1980 film American Gigolo. Produced and composed by Italian musician Giorgio Moroder, with lyrics by Blondie singer Debbie Harry, the song appeared in the film and was released in the United States in early 1980 as a single. "Call Me" was No. 1 for six consecutive weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, where it became the band's biggest single and second No. 1. It also hit No. 1 in the UK and Canada, where it became their fourth and second chart-topper, respectively. In the year-end chart of 1980, it was Billboard's No. 1 single and RPM magazine's No. 3 in Canada.

Lonnie Gordon is an American female dance, pop and R&B singer and songwriter. She scored several chart hits during the 1990s, most notably for her 1990 UK top 10 single "Happenin' All Over Again".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Frank and Walters</span> Irish alternative pop band

The Frank and Walters are an alternative pop band from Cork city in Ireland. The band was founded in 1989 and named in honour of two eccentric Cork characters.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brendan Benson</span> American musician (born 1970)

Brendan Benson is an American musician and singer-songwriter. He plays guitar, bass guitar, keyboard, and drums. He has released eight solo albums and is a member of the band The Raconteurs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oceansize</span> English rock band

Oceansize were an English rock band from Manchester, formed in 1998. The band consisted of Mike Vennart, Steve Durose, Richard "Gambler" Ingram, Mark Heron (drums) and Jon Ellis for the majority of its career, with Steve Hodson replacing Ellis on bass guitar in 2006.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jim Kerr</span> Scottish singer

James Kerr is a Scottish singer and the lead singer of the rock band Simple Minds, becoming best known internationally for "Don't You " (1985), which topped the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States. Other commercially successful singles include "Glittering Prize" (1982), "Someone Somewhere in Summertime" (1982), "Waterfront" (1983) and "Alive and Kicking" (1985), as well as the UK number one single "Belfast Child" (1989).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">She Wants Revenge</span> American rock band

She Wants Revenge is an American rock band, based in San Fernando Valley, California. Formed in 2004, the band is a duo of singer and guitarist Justin Warfield and multi-instrumentalist Adam Bravin. Their music has been influenced by post-punk, darkwave and gothic rock. The band has sold more than 300,000 records in the US.

Waterfront are a 1980s Welsh pop duo, comprising Phil Cilia and Chris Duffy, who had previously been in local Cardiff band The Official Secrets. The band met their manager, John Newman, when recording demos at his recording studio, Music Factory, in Cardiff. Newman remained with them as personal manager throughout their successful years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Air Traffic</span>

Air Traffic are an English alternative rock band from Bournemouth signed to EMI Records. Formed in 2003, the band consists of Chris Wall, David Ryan Jordan (Drums), Tom Pritchard (guitar) and Jim Maddock.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday</span> 1973 Single by Wizzard

"I Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day" is a Christmas song recorded by British glam rock band Wizzard. It was first released in December 1973 and, as with most Wizzard songs, was written and produced by the band's frontman Roy Wood—formerly of The Move and a founding member of Electric Light Orchestra. Despite the song's strong, long-lasting popularity, it has reached no higher than number four on the UK Singles Chart, a position it occupied for four consecutive weeks from December 1973 to January 1974. The song was beaten to the 1973 Christmas Number 1 spot by Slade's "Merry Xmas Everybody", which remained at the top of the charts for five weeks, from December 1973 to January 1974.

<i>The Meanest of Times</i> 2007 studio album by Dropkick Murphys

The Meanest of Times is the sixth studio album by American celtic punk band Dropkick Murphys. It was released on September 18, 2007, through their vanity label, Born & Bred Records, a division of Cooking Vinyl Records. The album was their first to not be released through Hellcat Records and their last to feature guitarist Marc Orrell, who left the band following the tour in support of the album. The picture on the album's cover was taken at Saint Brendan School in Dorchester, Massachusetts, close to Quincy, Massachusetts whence the band hails. Local kids posed in the picture.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">We Are the Fallen</span> American gothic metal band

We Are the Fallen is an American hard rock band consisting of Irish singer and former American Idol contestant Carly Smithson, guitarist Ben Moody, guitarist John LeCompt, drummer Rocky Gray, and bassist Marty O'Brien. Moody, LeCompt, and Gray are former members of American rock band Evanescence. The band's name alludes to Evanescence's 2003 album Fallen. Their debut album Tear the World Down was released in May 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Two Door Cinema Club</span> Northern Irish indie rock band

Two Door Cinema Club are a band from Bangor, Northern Ireland. The band formed in 2007 and is composed of three members: Alex Trimble, Sam Halliday, and Kevin Baird.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dommin</span> American rock band

Dommin is an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1999 by singer, songwriter, and guitarist Kristofer Dommin. The band is made up of Kristofer Dommin on vocals and guitar, Billy James on bass, Konstantine on keyboards, and Cameron Morris on drums. Dommin released their major label debut album, Love is Gone, in 2010 on Roadrunner Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Parade (group)</span> English pop music girl group (2009–2013)

Parade were an English girl group who formerly signed to Asylum Records. The group had five members: Emily Biggs, Lauren Deegan, Bianca Claxton, Jessica Agombar and Sian Charlesworth. On 11 February 2013, it was confirmed via the Parade Twitter account the group had disbanded following the departure of Bianca Claxton.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Origin (band)</span>

The Origin was an American alternative/indie rock/power pop band formed in San Diego, California in 1985. The classic line-up of the band consisted of Michael Andrews, Topper Rimel, Rony Abada, and Daniel Silverman. During the band's active years in the early nineties, they released two full-length albums and five singles, with two singles charting in the top 20 of the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart. They broke up in 1993.

References

  1. (24 January 2003). The 4 of Us to play Dublin in March, RTÉ.ie
  2. 1 2 (5 April 2003). Just the Four of Us, Billboard
  3. (13 March 1993). Hits of the UK, Billboard (listing "She Hits Me" debuting at #35 on UK chart)
  4. (9 October 2007). 'We can't wait to get back there', Derry Journal
  5. Live video + short interview
  6. Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 209. ISBN   1-904994-10-5.
  7. tolsen (2 January 2013). "The Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved 13 March 2022.