Blue in Heaven

• Shane O'Neill - guitar/vocals
• Eamonn Tynan - guitar
• Declan Jones - bass
• Dave Clarke - drums
  
  

Bio:

Well known Dublin rock band who seemed to play support to every visiting indie band at SFX during 1983-85. Shane O'Neill and David Clarke had earlier been in a band called Amuse with Dave Long in 1981. Declan Jones joined them and then Dave Long left (forming Backwards Into Paradise). O'Neill and Clarke had also been in The Cretins with Rory Stokes of The Sussed. They were one of the first bands to play a Saturday afternoon half hour gig in Base X Records on Batchelor's Walk in Dublin in 1982. The band went through various lineups before Eamonn Tynan joined. There are undoubtedly many demo recordings but I have little information about them. Their early set ca 1983 included the track "Don't Forget". Another early track "Part Affair" was included in Dave Fanning's year roundup show circa christmas 1983. Another unreleased early demo only track is "The Lights Go Out" (1983). Blue In Heaven split in January 1989 during recordings for a projected album that included a brass section. None of these recordings have surfaced. The rhythm section turned down an offer to join Cactus World News and toured with Hank Halfhead instead. The band regrouped and continued through the 1990s as the Blue Angels

All Blue In Heaven's records are interesting and worth investigating. See their Trouser Press Guide entry for a discussion of their recording career.

Notes: The single version of "Julie Cries" has a polished produced by Hugh Jones, done at RG Jones Studios in Wimbledon. The later album version is rawer.

tracks:
Sometimes
The Big Beat
It's Saturday
Old Ned
All You
Fear
Julie Cries
Like a Child
In Your Eyes
Slowly

Notes: Recorded at Strawberry Studios and Yellow Two Studios in Stockport over a 3 month period during the winter of 1985, working at night only. Produced by Martin Hannett.

 

tracks:
Change Your Mind
Tell Me
Just Another Day
Sister
Be Your Man
Close Your Eyes
Rolling in the Crowd
Hope to God

Notes:
The cassette edition has a bonus track.

tracks:
She Is Everything (Oct '87)
Swinging (Oct '87)
Feel So Good (May '87)
Loose (live Sept '87)
On And On (Aug '83)

tracks:
Nothing Left In Life
When Will You Be Mine

tracks: Tell Me (live)

Notes:
Blue in Heaven performed a short but memorable set at Live Aid, consisting of the following three tracks "Red Dress", "Tell Me" and "Be Your Man". All three were broadcast by RTE.

Notes:
As none of Blue In Heaven's original releases were ever released on CD, they are ripe for bootleggers. This Rarities CD is often offered on ebay. It collects almost everything not on the two albums: all non-LP singles, almost all compilaton appearances, and the hard to find Rock'N'Roll EP. At least two different editions of this bootleg exist.

Sources:
Tracks 1, 3 and 4 are from the first single.
Tracks 5 and 13 from the second single.
Tracks 6 is from the third single.
Tracks 2,7,8,9,12 are the Rock'n'Roll RIP EP.
Tracks 10 and 11 are from the Solid Citizens cassette.

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.