Clubsound are a

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from

Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ; ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, part of the United Kingdom in the north-east of the island of Ireland. It has been #Descriptions, variously described as a country, province or region. Northern Ireland shares Repub ...

. Formed in 1970, the band enjoyed particular success during the 1970s and 1980s. The original line-up featured

George Jones George Glenn Jones (September 12, 1931 – April 26, 2013) was an American Country music, country musician, singer, and songwriter. He achieved international fame for a long list of hit records, and is well known for his distinctive voice an ...

, drummer Bryan "Tommy" Thomas from Wales who wrote much of the comedy material (died c. 22 April 2022)), Dave McKnight, Barry Woods and Alan McCartney. They started in 1955 as a seven-piece

skiffle Skiffle is a music genre, genre of folk music with influences from American folk music, blues, Country music, country, Bluegrass music, bluegrass, and jazz, generally performed with a mixture of manufactured and homemade or improvised instruments. ...

band called Danie Sands and the Javelins. The band later did backing singing before evolving into a comedy cabaret act, with

Van Morrison Sir George Ivan "Van" Morrison (born 31 August 1945) is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and musician whose recording career started in the 1960s. Morrison's albums have performed well in the UK and Ireland, with more than 40 reaching the UK ...

often present.Suzanne McGonagle
'Tributes paid to founding member of cabaret act Clubsound'
''Irish News'', 26 April 2022. Retrieved 12 December 2024 Clubsound enjoyed several locally successful singles, including ''Belfast, Belfast'', ''The Professionals'' and ''Shankill Airways''.

Members

The original lineup featured Jones, Thomas, Woods, McCartney and McKnight. The later lineup featured Jones, Woods, McCartney, McKnight, Jimmy Black and Harry Hickland. Jones stated in 1997: "The main nucleus of Clubsound was myself, Tommy Thomas, Billy Bingham, Harry Hickland and Eddie McCrudden". Early practice sessions would take place outside Jones' house.

, then a part-time saxophone player, would often join these sessions. Indeed, a band called The Monarchs was formed prior to Clubsound that included Morrison. After the Monarchs disbanded, and Morrison went on to lead the band

Them Them or THEM, a third-person singular or plural accusative personal pronoun, may refer to: Books * ''Them'' (novel), 3rd volume (1969) in American Joyce Carol Oates' ''Wonderland Quartet'' * '' Them: Adventures with Extremists'', 2003 non-fict ...

, the other members of the Monarchs formed Clubsound. The band got its name from a suggestion made by Dermot O'Donnell, manager of the Abercorn Bar in Belfast.Matthew Leslie
'Clubsound back in town to end 52-year career on a high'
''Fermanagh Herald'', 16 September 2022, accessed 12 December 2022 The Abercorn Cabaret Club was to become the band's residency for three years. Though no longer a permanent band, Clubsound have had intermittent reunion tours, sometimes writing new material. After Thomas' death, Jones paid his friend a warm tribute: "Yesterday we said goodbye to our dear friend Tommy Thomas and although he may be gone his legacy will never be forgotten, especially in little gems like 'Belfast, Belfast''that he wrote for Clubsound ... I know there will be a few snowflakes who weren't born when this was released and probably frown, but let me assure you that songs like this and many others written by Tom, brought many moments of laughter to many people during the darkest hours of the troubles across Northern Ireland".

References

{{Reflist Musical groups from Northern Ireland