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Bio:
The Mad Lads were a raw R&B band from Belfast who
supported Them
on many occasions at the Maritime Hotel and eventually took over
Them's residency
at the club.
They signed to Decca Records in 1965 through the Solomon connection.
Decca pushed the group in a pop direction. Their sole 45 for Decca was recorded at
Decca's studios in London. The B-side was written by Kenny McDowell,
who was the only band member to actually play on the single, along with
Andy White (drums) and Phil Coulter (keyboards).
A third track "Answer Your Phone" was recorded during the sessions.
The producer for this session was Bert Berns, who'd already
done Them's immortal "Here Comes The Night".
The single was released under the name Moses K & The Prophets
to avoid
confusion with an act signed to Stax Records. According to Kenny McDowell
in Irish Folk, Trad and Blues: A Secret History,
the manager sacked all the band members circa January 1966,
apart from Kenny. The plan was
to assemble a new backing band behind Kenny as Moses K but this never happened.
Kenny McDowell later joined Them in the USA and was later in
SK'BOO.
The renaming of the band provided the rest of the group the opportunity to continue
as The Mad Lads and by April 1966 they were gigging with
new frontman Billy Williamson.
Dougie McIlwaine left to join the King Bees in
November 1966.
A second single, this time credited to The Mad Lads, was released
on Emerald in 1967.
The B-side may feature Kenny McDowell's vocal for "Answer Your Phone"
as it's credited
to producer Bert Berns. The A-side was reputedly recorded in Dublin prior to
the Decca recordings,
which suggests it may also feature Kenny McDowell on vocals. This would
mean both sides were
two years old when Emerald released them. Can anyone confirm this?
Help!: We need your help to complete this entry. If you can tell us more about this band then please do! We welcome any corrections, missing details, connections to other bands, where are they now, etc. We also need photos, scans, copies of releases or live or demo recordings, and any other memorabilia gathering dust in the attic.