Horslips - At The BBC

Few bands have left as distinct a mark on the musical landscape as Horslips.

Emerging in the early 1970s, they more or less created 'Celtic Rock', drawing from Irish traditional music & British/American rock, crafting a sound that was both timeless & radical. The BBC captured the band in the 1970's & again during their unexpected Indian summer return in the 2010s. 'At The BBC' gathers these vital recordings - spanning nearly 50 years - into one definitive collection.

2LP Edition

This 2LP collection gathers a carefully curated selection of performances captured by the BBC during the band's groundbreaking 1970's heyday & their powerful return to the stage decades later.

LP1 showcases Horslips in full flight during a 1974 BBC Radio 1 In Concert broadcast, capturing the mythic energy of their classic albums 'The Tain' & 'The Book Of Invasions'. Tracks like "Dearg Doom," "Charolais," &"You Can't Fool The Beast" bristle with invention & intent. The disc also includes sessions from Sounds of the 70's & The John Peel Show, preserving the raw brilliance of one of Ireland's most visionary bands at the peak of their creative powers.

LP2 moves forward to 1979, with a triumphant return to Radio 1's In Concert, where tracks such as "The Power & The Glory" & "Sword Of Light" demonstrate the band's ability to evolve while staying true to their roots. The album closes with rare recordings from BBC Radio Ulster (2011) & BBC NI (2019) - a poignant reminder of Horslips' long shadow & final flourish, including the elegiac "Sideways To The Sun".


5CD Edition

Disc 1 begins the journey in 1973-74, landmark years in which Horslips took their fusion of mythology & musicianship to the airwaves & concert halls of Britain. Included are performances from Radio 1's In Concert, The Old Grey Whistle Test, Radio 1's Sounds of the 70's, 2nd House (BBC 2) & Radio 1's John Peel Show, showcasing the group in full flight, brimming with invention & zeal. By 1979, fresh from the inevitable hard slog of trying to conquer America, Horslips returned to Radio 1's In Concert with a set that captured their ability to fit in with the times & the power of their live performances.

Disc 2 continues with an unplugged 'comeback' session from 2010 & a BBC NI performance in 2019 of 'Sideways To The Sun' - written about magical Irish beings disappearing from mortal sight - which would, perhaps fittingly, prove to be their last official recording.

Disc 3 presents Horslips' unique 2011 performance with the Ulster Orchestra at Belfast's Waterfront Hall, in its previously unreleased BBC Radio Ulster broadcast mix. Including epic suites from classic albums 'The Tain' & 'The Book Of Invasions' & fan favourites like the eight-minute 'I'll Be Waiting', a showcase for late guitarist Johnny Fean (d. 2023), many - including band members - view this concert as Horslips' finest hour (and a quarter).

Disc 4 is a bonus disc, comprising recently discovered 1979 'working mixes' of the album 'Short Stories, Tall Tales', recorded at Dublin's Windmill Lane. They offer an intimate glimpse into a band in transition, shifting from the US FM rock that had influenced recent albums towards the spikier, sharper British New Wave sound.

'At The BBC' is completed by a DVD bringing together clips from The Old Grey Whistle Test, 1974 documentary material & magical fan footage of two songs from the 2011 Waterfront Hall concert, synced to sparkling BBC audio. Presented in a deluxe hardback book package with rare photographs & extensive liner notes by band biographer Mark Cunningham, legendary BBC producer Jeff Griffin & curator Colin Harper, 'At The BBC' is a celebration of a band whose influence still echoes through the decades. The mastering is shared by Eroc in Germany & band associate Cormac O'Kane who mastered 'More Than You Can Chew'.