The Dubliners - Black Velvet Band
Black Velvet Band / Maloney Wants A Drink
Major Minor MM 530 (1969)
Founded in 1962, they were an Irish folk band originally named The Ronnie Drew Ballad Group. The band unhappy with their original name renamed themselves after the book "Dubliners" written by James Joyce.
Although in their 50 year lifetime they had many members the main success was due to the lead singers Luke Kelly and Ronnie Drew. Luke Kelly died in 1984 and the other main singer Ronnie Drew died in 2002 however the band continued until 2012 when the only remaining original member of the band, Barney McKenna, died.
The band has been credited with introducing Irish music throughout the world and influenced bands such as The Pogues with their legacy still being heard today with bands such as the Dropkick Murphys and Flogging Molly. Such was the success of the band, many of the Irish traditional songs they covered are seen today as the definitive versions.
The band released several 45s on the Transatlantic label before being signed to Major Minor in the UK. This 45 was their third on the label and reached in the UK #15.
Major Minor was a label set up by Phil Solomon who owned the pirate radio station Radio Caroline. As expected the output of the label was heavily played on the station. Just before the UK government closed the pirate stations down the label secured the rights to the US label Roulette Records which gave them several UK chart hits such as Tommy James & The Shondells' "Mony Mony".
In 1970 EMI acquired the rights to the Major Minor catalogue and licensing contracts and the label ceased to be in March 1971.
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