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Artist
Loudest Whisper
12+ albums
folk rockfolkpsych folkprogressive folkProgressive rock
about
A sort of cult Celtic prog-folk rock band with a theatrical bent, Loudest Whisper started off as another sort of band altogether. Formed in the early '60s in Fermoy, Ireland, by guitarists Brian O'Reilly and Michael Clancey, bassist John Aherne, and drummer Jimmy Cotter (all four members shared vocals), the band was initially known as the Wizards. The Wizards played mostly covers of Beatles, Hollies, and Spencer Davis songs and after Jimi Hendrix and Cream hit, the band took a turn into heavier blues territory, changing its name to Loudest Whisper as the 1970s opened. The band also had some lineup changes, with Cotter leaving and Brendan "Bunny" Nelgian coming in as his replacement on drums. When guitarist Paud O'Reilly (Brian's brother) joined, he switched over to drums and Nelgian became the group's lead singer. It was here that the general direction of the band changed. Brian's songwriting had always drawn heavily on American folk-rock groups like the Lovin' Spoonful and the Mamas & the Papas, but he had also been working in amateur musicals staged by a local theater group and finding his attention increasingly drawn to traditional Irish folklore as well. He decided in 1973 to fuse all of these strands and interests together in a Celtic musical based on the legend of the Irish King Lir. The resulting Children of Lir premiered in Fermoy on January 7, 1973, as a full-blown stage production, with Ron Kavanagh, a singer and guitarist who had recently joined the band, taking t
top songs
albums
The Children of Lir
The Children Of Lir (Deluxe Edition)
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Early Morning Hush
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The Children Of Lir (2006)
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History of U.K. Underground Folk-Rock 1968-1978, Vol. 1
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Loudest Whisper (Remastered)
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The Children of Lir (Deluxe Remastered Edition)
Loudest Whisper
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Peppermint Store, Codex Peppermintus
Early Morning Hush: Notes From the UK Folk Underground 1969-1976
Loudest Whisper 2
Children of Lir