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The Dooleys

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  • The Dooleys

    Alright, I am going to get laughed at with regards to this one, but I actually thought they were a great group.

    According to the Guinness Book of Hit Singles, the were a family group hailing from Manchester with the most number of members (seven of them, methinks?) Of course, not all of them performed at once on their hits. I suppose they could have been as big as the Brotherhood of Man if they tried, but their lack of number one hits was probably one reason why they weren't as big as they were in the late 1970s. Some even thought that they would be the British Jacksons or Osmonds. Not quite. If only I had been ten years older...

    Their 1981 hits (towards the end of their chart run) almost sounded sub-ABBA, and I bet that Eurovision would have been a great showcase for them if they had a chance - I know that up to around 1982 they were still around on television, mostly doing Wednesday 8.00 pm shows like Starburst. After that, they appeared around 20 years later on After They Were Famous which says a lot.

    David Hamilton interviewed Jim Dooley on the radio a few years ago and we found out that they were formed in 1967 and turned professional in 1974 - I don't think that they got prominence as a result of Opportunity Knocks or New Faces (did they?), but just a case of "right time, right place". One family member happened to be called Tom Dooley - a namesake of the Kingston Trio's 1958 song. Jim's father was a pianist and his mother was an opera singer, so one can see where the musical influence came from originally.

    I found a couple of songs on some old Contek C90 tapes - Love of My Life was one of them - that should have been the Christmas 1977 number one, (with sincere apologies to Sir Paul McCartney and Wings of course), but they had settled for number nine instead. It gives me a warm and magic glow every time I listen to it - I felt like that as a child, and things haven't changed over 35 years on - it feels like a perfect world when one listens to it - being in love and all that. I have assumed that it must have been a Christmas hit as it was in the charts in December of 1977 and also the fact that radio stations hardly ever play it, unless it is part of Pick of the Pops or Name The Year features. I suppose it is seen as the trainspotting or the Skoda driving of pop music these days but I don't care.

    Wanted was another one on another tape that felt magical, and so was The Chosen Few. Listened to Honey I'm Lost and I loved it. I doubt that Steps was a more recent version of them - no they were not.

    Around ten years ago, with no shame I got a Best of the Dooleys CD off Amazon and I just love listening to it. I suppose that my listening tastes to music stem from the fact that I had elderly parents who used to have things like that on the radio.

    I very much doubt that most people on here share my unusual tastes towards music like this, but I thought that they were great. If I wanted to listen to them, or indeed George Formby singing about being a window cleaner, it is certainly my own prerogative at the end of the day.
    I've everything I need to keep me satisfied
    There's nothing you can do to make me change my mind
    I'm having so much fun
    My lucky number's one
    Ah! Oh! Ah! Oh!

  • #2
    Re: The Dooleys

    They remind me of my last years at school, they were good, Love of my Life & Chosen few.

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: The Dooleys

      There is a lovely YT clip of Love of My Life which is illustrated by a montage of various images from the 1970s - opening titles from TV programmes, old adverts, news reports and so on. Looked really lovely.
      I've everything I need to keep me satisfied
      There's nothing you can do to make me change my mind
      I'm having so much fun
      My lucky number's one
      Ah! Oh! Ah! Oh!

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: The Dooleys

        Was listening to BBC Radio Newcastle online yesterday afternoon and Simon Logan played "Love of My Life" as part of his Guess the Year thing he does - a huge surprise!
        I've everything I need to keep me satisfied
        There's nothing you can do to make me change my mind
        I'm having so much fun
        My lucky number's one
        Ah! Oh! Ah! Oh!

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: The Dooleys

          The Dooleys appeared on at least two occasions on the BBC's Seaside Special in the late 70s. Once, they were on the same show as pop duo Dollar. Anyone remember them? I suppose it was, and still is, fashionable and trendy to decry groups like the Nolans, Dooleys, Dollar etc for being not at all edgy, but to be honest I would pick looking at pretty girls singing and dancing all day over some so-called edgy sourpuss.

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: The Dooleys

            I particularly enjoyed the song DONT GRAB ME
            Ejector seat?...your jokin!

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: The Dooleys

              Originally posted by tex View Post
              I particularly enjoyed the song DONT GRAB ME
              Never heard of that one.
              I've everything I need to keep me satisfied
              There's nothing you can do to make me change my mind
              I'm having so much fun
              My lucky number's one
              Ah! Oh! Ah! Oh!

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: The Dooleys

                Originally posted by George 1978 View Post
                Never heard of that one.
                Dont grab me by the Dooleys!
                Ejector seat?...your jokin!

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: The Dooleys

                  The Dooleys ha ha made Brotherhood of Man look like Motorhead.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: The Dooleys

                    Originally posted by whitewall66 View Post
                    The Dooleys ha ha made Brotherhood of Man look like Motorhead.
                    Indeed and motorhead made the ramones look like the dooleys
                    Ejector seat?...your jokin!

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: The Dooleys

                      Originally posted by tex View Post
                      Dont grab me by the Dooleys!
                      Ah.
                      I've everything I need to keep me satisfied
                      There's nothing you can do to make me change my mind
                      I'm having so much fun
                      My lucky number's one
                      Ah! Oh! Ah! Oh!

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Re: The Dooleys

                        Originally posted by George 1978 View Post
                        Ah.
                        I know, lowbrow humour
                        Ejector seat?...your jokin!

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Re: The Dooleys

                          Originally posted by tex View Post
                          I know, lowbrow humour
                          Ever thought of becoming a comedian, Tex?
                          I've everything I need to keep me satisfied
                          There's nothing you can do to make me change my mind
                          I'm having so much fun
                          My lucky number's one
                          Ah! Oh! Ah! Oh!

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Re: The Dooleys

                            Originally posted by George 1978 View Post
                            Ever thought of becoming a comedian, Tex?
                            People laughed when i said i wanted to be a comedian....well their not laughing now!
                            Ejector seat?...your jokin!

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Re: The Dooleys

                              Geddit? ....Meh, i'll get my coat
                              Ejector seat?...your jokin!

                              Comment

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