We sit down with icon Phil Coulter to find out the songs that made him…
What track do you have on repeat?
Lux Aeterna by Voces 8, a wonderful a cappella vocal group. I find it really peaceful and calming, a great escape from the hustle and bustle!
What’s your favourite sing-along song?
I’m a graduate of ‘the ballad boom’ and still have a soft spot for songs like The Wild Rover. That’s why I’m loving working with The Dubliners Encore. I’m also a fan of early rock ’n’ roll, so am just as likely to be at the piano bashing out Da Doo Ron Ron!
What do you listen to when in a bad mood?
It used to be Billy Connolly whose records I produced for years. We actually had a big hit single with our version of that very twee C&W song Divorce! Now I’m into another Glaswegian comic, his heir apparent, Kevin Bridges. Hilarious.
What artist are you loving at the moment?
I’m enjoying the younger crop of Irish acoustic groups like Amble and Kingfishr, good songs and singers. I also love the TV series Bláth na h-Óige, featuring young sean-nÓs players and singers like Piaras Ó Lorcáin.
What did you listen to growing up?
I was lucky that my teenage years coincided with the explosion of pop and rock ’n’ roll. Buddy Holly, Fats Domino, Elvis. Listening to Presley’s Heartbreak Hotel on an old wireless in my attic bedroom, I’d never have dreamed that one day he’d have a major hit with one of my songs, My Boy.
Best concert you’ve ever been to?
Without a doubt it was a stadium gig years ago in Florida by The Eagles at full strength. Each song was better than the last. It was thrilling to hear 20,000 fans join in the chorus of songs like Take It To the Limit. Their encore Desperado was like an anthem….spine tingling.
What’s the best thing about being an artist?
Folks ask where I get the energy from, touring at my age, 83. My answer is always the same: from my audience. When I hear a full house singing along with one of my songs like Ireland’s Call or Steal Away it makes the gig like a shared experience. I get a real buzz from that.
And what’s the worst?
In wintertime, arriving to soundcheck at the gig after a four hour drive and it’s already dark – and raining! You just have to suck it up. Liam Neeson told me years ago that when the going was tough on a film set, rather than whinge about it he’d remind himself of what life was like when he was driving a forklift truck in Ballymena!
What’s next?
We’ve been on a great roll recently, in the charts with Another King and Country. I checked back in my history and discovered that top of the charts in 1964 was Foolin’ Time by Butch Moore, my very first hit! Right now we’re prepping for our National tour in November/December, thirty something dates all around the country, from major venues like the National Concert Hall to the Siamsa Tire in Tralee. We’ll be revisiting some of our big songs and favourite melodies in Tranquility By Candlelight – I can’t wait!
Phil Coulter kicks off his 29-date Tranquility By Candlelight tour, on the 4th of November, which includes The National Concert Hall on the 8th of December. Full tour dates on philcoulter.com
