Under-rated rock trio fronted by guitarist Jimmy Smyth from Navan. Jimmy was a
gifted musician but by all accounts the early band tended to dabble in different
styles, offering a varied set designed to show off Jimmy's playing and
suggesting they were unsure of which musical path to take. As a result the
record companys adopted a wait-and-see approach. By 1979 the band was focussed
on straightahead R&B in Dr.Feelgood/Pirates vein and they were signed by
Chrysalis Records.
Their first LP is great but was probably too trad rock for the punks. The second LP
didn't advance their cause much further. By 1981 the rhythm section was Davy Watson
(ex Male Caucasians, bass) and Tony Smyth (drums).
Neil Whiffen played bass somewhere along the way aswell.
They appeared on TV quite a few times
in the early 80s, and gigged heavily for several years before the split in 1983,
after which Jimmy moved to the USA. Tony Smyth joined the
No Name Band. Old boys
Doish Nagle and Paul Moran joined Phil Lynott's Grand Slam and
Pulling Faces
respectively.
The Jimmy Smyth Band toured Ireland in December 1985 with the
No Name Band in support.
The Bogey Boys relaunched
with a "Back To Basics Tour" in January 1986. As far as I know this later
version of the band did not record. Jimmy later became involved in production and soundtrack
work.
The Bogey Boys reformed for the Sportsman's Inn 25th Anniversary gigs in 2002?.
Jimmy Smyth, Tony Smyth, Davy Watson and Francis Geraghty of the No Name Band
regularly play together as Deep 6 in the Meath area. They released a CD titled "Undercover".
Jimmy's sister is famed country singer Gloria whose
version of "One Day At A Time" caused mass hysteria in Ireland where it topped
the charts for a record 37 years.
The band was managed by Brian Kennedy.
Discography
• Friday Night
LP - Chrysalis/Polydor Records - CHR 1241 - IRL - 1979
LP - Chrysalis Records - CHR 1241 - UK - 1979
LP - Chrysalis Records - 6307 684 - Germany - 1979
LP - Chrysalis Records - 51-1241 - Netherlands - 1979
Produced by Leo Lyons of Ten Years After
• Ain't No Rock'n'Roll Tonight / Okie From Muskogie
7" - Polydor Records - 2078 121 - IRL - 1979 - no PS
Hardest to find single
• Friday Night / Our Times
7" - Polydor Records - 2078 097 - IRL - 1979 - PS, blue vinyl
• Death of a Clown (Kinks) / You Can Go
7" - Chrysalis Records - CHS 2462 - IRL - October 1980 - no PS
Only single to chart in Ireland, reaching #29
• Obituary / She's The One
7" - Polydor Records - 2078 129 - IRL - 1981 - two different PS designs
• Jimmy Did It!
LP - Chrysalis/Polydor Records - CHR 1298 - IRL - 1980
LP - Chrysalis Records - CHR 1298 - UK - 1980
side one
The Word Is Out
Blind Eye
Who's Sorry Now?
Never Let Up
Bang Bang
side two
Lone Grey Mare
Do The Buzz
Trouble
The Emigrant
Stop Messin' Around
• various artists - The London R&B Sessions
LP - Albion Records - DAI-2 - UK 19??
CD - Albion Records - ALCD 9.00135 - UK - 19??
LP - Albion/Arista/EMI Records - SBLL 6132 - New Zealand - 1980
LP - Line Records - ALLP 4.00135 - Germany - 1986 - white vinyl
CD - Line Records - ALCD 9.00135 - Germany - 1986
Recorded live at the Hope & Anchor Bar
See Compilations section for full track listing.
tracks:
Madison Blues
You Can't Catch Me
• various artists - Non Stop Pop
LP - RTE Records - RTE 63 - IRL - 1982
See Compilations section for full track listing.
track: Obituary
Help!
We need your help to correct and/or complete this entry. If you can provide more
information about this band, have scans, photos or any other memorabilia we can
use, or spare copies of any releases,
then please get in touch.
