Errol Walsh

Coyotes recorded a clutch of Errol’s songs on an eponymous CD which was awarded the Best Album 1997 accolade by the British Country Music Association.

The music wasn’t strictly ‘country’, but ‘Americana’ was becoming quite hip at this time and the Coyotes game plan when releasing the CD was to avoid being labelled as a ‘British Country Band’ which they did by offering little or no information about the band’s history hoping they would be judged on content alone.

Whether or not this was the case, the band won the Best Album 1997 accolade and many people were convinced that the band was American in origin.

In the same year Errol flew to Nashville to record ‘Waltzin’ in the Water’ as a solo project using Nashville session players. Through a label connection, he was fortunate enough to obtain the services of some of the ‘Dead Reckoning’ stable of musicians and via this album, Errol won the Northern Lights Festal award in N. Ireland for contribution to Irish Music

“Tender Mercies” (1990-1993)

Errol Walsh (Gtr.vox)

B.J. Cole (Pedal Steel)

Luce Langridge (Drums)

Bob Loveday (Fiddle)

John Bently (Bass/Vox)

Tender Mercies was Errol’s first serious step in London towards putting together a band with recording potential.

Many of the members had impressive track records as session players but, for various reasons, that recording potential never came to fruition.

Tender Mercies made quite an impression on the British ‘country’ music scene building a cult reputation through festival appearances, but stood somewhere on the fringes as they weren’t strictly ‘country’…. Regarded as’ too bluesy to be country’ and ‘too country to be blues’, the band fell between two stools. This wasn’t regarded, by the band at any rate, to be a disadvantage… they were trying to chart new territory and didn’t want the restrictions of being labelled…. but labels are hard to avoid and it eventually led to frustration and the break-up of the band.

“Coyotes” (1987-1990)

The original ‘Coyotes’ was a functional working band with no recording ambitions but provided Errol with a golden opportunity to make contact with like-minded London musicians and establish his credentials as a singer songwriter.

“The Business” (1983-1986)

Errol Walsh (Gtr.vox)

Tommy Moore (Bass)

James Delaney (Keyboards)

Fran Breen (Drums)

Jimmy Faulkner (Gtr)

James Delaney, Fran Breen and Jimmy Faulkner were replaced in the first year by Davy Gaynor (Drums), Pat O’Farrell (gtr/vox) and Don Baker (Vox/Harmonica)

The Business was a country-blues band originally inherited from Paul Brady’s ‘Hard Station’ album musicians. The second line-up was more permanent and, even after Errol left, held sway in Slattery’s of Capel Street on Sundays for over 10 years!

The band continues to this day under the loving guidance of the redoubtable Pat O’Farrell… a blues guitar player whose reputation amongst the Dublin blues cognoscenti is peerless.

“Errol Walsh’s Honky Tonk Heroes” (1983-1986)

Errol Walsh (Gtr.vox)

Declan McNeilis (Bass/vox)

Brian Harris (Gtr)

Davy Whyte (Drums/vox)

Percy Robinson (Pedal Steel)

This band ran parallel with The Business (time-wise) as an outlet for Errol’s more country leanings featuring lots of original material alongside Merle Haggard and George Jones tunes.

“Stagalee” (1978-1982)

Errol Walsh (Gtr.vox)

Tommy Moore (Bass)

James Delaney (Keyboards)

Greg Boland (Gtr)

Carl Geraghty (Saxes)

Colin Tully (Saxes/Keys)

John Forbes (Drums)

Stagalee started in Tralee Co. Kerry before moving to Dublin where its turnover of musicians was prodigious including members of Moving Hearts, Cado Belle, Boomtown Rats and Rob Strong’s Rockets to name but a few, and included musicians such as bassist Eoghan O’Neill, keyboard & sax player Dave McHale, bassist Gavin Hodgson, singers Maggie Reilly and Honor Heffernan and many more too numerous to mention.

Hit single: “Give a Little Love”

“Rodeo” (1974-1978)

Errol Walsh (Gtr.vox)

Dougie Gough (Gtr.vox)

Jonnie Miles (Drums)

Nicky Ash (Keyboards)

Dusty McSheffrey (Bass)

Ireland’s first authentic Country Rock band Rodeo toured Ireland in the late 70’s before crossing the channel on an English tour with Horslips which culminated in a residency in London’s ‘Hope & Anchor’ in Islington.

The ‘Hope & Anchor’ at that time was being run by Dave Robinson (Stiff Records) and other regulars included Frankie Miller, Kokomo, Ace, Ducks Deluxe, Bees Make Honey. Rodeo’s influences were American imports like The Band and The Eagles.