At The BBC

Few bands have left as distinct a mark on the musical landscape as Horslips. Emerging in the early 1970s, they more or less created ‘Celtic Rock’, drawing from Irish traditional music and British/American rock, crafting a sound that was both timeless and radical. The BBC captured the band in the 1970’s and again during their unexpected Indian summer return in the 2010s. At The BBC gathers these vital recordings – spanning nearly 50 years – into one definitive collection. Disc 1 begins the journey in 1973-74, landmark years in which Horslips took their fusion of mythology & musicianship to the airwaves and concert halls of Britain. Included are performances from Radio 1’s In Concert, The Old Grey Whistle Test, Radio 1’s Sounds of the 70’s, 2nd House (BBC 2) and Radio 1’s John Peel Show, showcasing the group in full flight, brimming with invention and zeal. By 1979, fresh from the inevitable hard slog of trying to conquer America, Horslips returned to Radio 1’s In Concert with a set that captured their ability to fit in with the times & the power of their live performances. Disc 2 continues with an unplugged ‘comeback’ session from 2010 and a BBC NI performance in 2019 of ‘Sideways To The Sun’ – written about magical Irish beings disappearing from mortal sight – which would, perhaps fittingly, prove to be their last official recording. Disc 3 presents Horslips’ unique 2011 performance with the Ulster Orchestra at Belfast’s Waterfront Hall, in its previously unreleased BBC Radio Ulster broadcast mix. Including epic suites from classic albums ‘The Tain’ and ‘The Book Of Invasions’ and fan favourites like the eight-minute ‘I’ll Be Waiting’, a showcase for late guitarist Johnny Fean (d. 2023), many – including band members – view this concert as Horslips’ finest hour (and a quarter). Disc 4 is a bonus disc, comprising recently discovered 1979 ‘working mixes’ of the album Short Stories, Tall Tales, recorded at Dublin’s Windmill Lane. They offer an intimate glimpse into a band in transition, shifting from the US FM rock that had influenced recent albums towards the spikier, sharper British New Wave sound. At The BBC is completed by a DVD bringing together clips from The Old Grey Whistle Test, 1974 documentary material and magical fan footage of two songs from the 2011 Waterfront Hall concert, synced to sparkling BBC audio. Presented in a deluxe hardback book package with rare photographs and extensive liner notes by band biographer Mark Cunningham, legendary BBC producer Jeff Griffin and curator Colin Harper, At The BBC is a celebration of a band whose influence still echoes through the decades. The mastering is shared by Eroc in Germany and band associate Cormac O’Kane who mastered ‘More Than You Can Chew’.