Biography
Established in 1960, the Capitol Showband assembled an original roster that included Butch Moore on vocals, Jimmy Hogan on lead guitar, Des Kelly on vocals and bass, Johnny Kelly on drums, Eddie Monahan at the piano, Paul Sweeney on trumpet, Patrick Loughman on trombone, and Eddie Ryan on saxophone, quickly ranking among Ireland’s leading showbands of the era. The group turned professional the next year, at which point Loughman and Ryan departed and were succeeded by Don Long and Paddy Cole. Operating from Dublin, the Capitol earned the distinction of becoming the first showband to perform on Irish television. Following their contract with Pye Records, they enlisted the songwriting talents of the still-unrecognized Phil Coulter, whose composition “Foolin’ Time” propelled the band into the Irish Top Ten. Like Coulter, they came under the management of Phil Solomon, whose considerable clout secured them a high-profile slot on the London Palladium stage.
By November 1964 the Capitol reached the top of the Irish chart with “Down Came the Rain,” an accomplishment they duplicated with Coulter’s arrangement of “Born to Be with You.” When Ireland made its Eurovision Song Contest debut in 1965, the Capitol served as the country’s entrants; Moore’s dramatic “Walking the Streets in the Rain” placed sixth in the final while simultaneously delivering the band its third consecutive Irish number-one hit. At the height of their popularity the Capitol stood second only to the Royal Showband, their crisp stage image reinforced by white trousers, white shoes, and blue jackets. Between 1965 and 1966 they maintained momentum through the releases “Born to Be with You,” “Our Love Will Go On,” “So Many Ways,” and “Christmas,” yet their momentum faltered sharply once Moore was bought out and embarked on a solo cabaret career. He later performed with the Kings, married singer Maeve Mulvany, and relocated to the U.S.A.
A reconstituted Capitol Showband brought in Noel McNeill and subsequently John Drummond to fill Moore’s role. Fronted by Des Kelly, the revised lineup achieved a notable comeback with “The Streets of Baltimore,” though by the close of the decade the original ensemble had disbanded. Cole went on to the showband supergroup the Big 8 Showband, while Kelly established himself as a manager, most prominently with the Irish folk outfit Sweeney's Men.
By November 1964 the Capitol reached the top of the Irish chart with “Down Came the Rain,” an accomplishment they duplicated with Coulter’s arrangement of “Born to Be with You.” When Ireland made its Eurovision Song Contest debut in 1965, the Capitol served as the country’s entrants; Moore’s dramatic “Walking the Streets in the Rain” placed sixth in the final while simultaneously delivering the band its third consecutive Irish number-one hit. At the height of their popularity the Capitol stood second only to the Royal Showband, their crisp stage image reinforced by white trousers, white shoes, and blue jackets. Between 1965 and 1966 they maintained momentum through the releases “Born to Be with You,” “Our Love Will Go On,” “So Many Ways,” and “Christmas,” yet their momentum faltered sharply once Moore was bought out and embarked on a solo cabaret career. He later performed with the Kings, married singer Maeve Mulvany, and relocated to the U.S.A.
A reconstituted Capitol Showband brought in Noel McNeill and subsequently John Drummond to fill Moore’s role. Fronted by Des Kelly, the revised lineup achieved a notable comeback with “The Streets of Baltimore,” though by the close of the decade the original ensemble had disbanded. Cole went on to the showband supergroup the Big 8 Showband, while Kelly established himself as a manager, most prominently with the Irish folk outfit Sweeney's Men.