The Saw Doctors   •   New Year's Day

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  • New Year's Day
    • 2005 - Shamtown SAWDOC 012CD CD (IRL)
  • Tracklist
    1. High Nellie (L. Moran, D.Carton & P. Stevens)
    2. Exhilarating Sadness (L. Moran & D. Carton)
    3. To Win Just Once (L. Moran & D. Carton)
    4. Never Mind The Strangers (L. Moran & D. Carton)
    5. Green and Red of Mayo (L. Moran, D. Carton & Jarir Al Majar)
    6. Villains (L. Moran)
    7. I Useta Lover (L. Moran, D. Carton, P. Cunniffe & P. Stevens)
    8. Tommy K (L. Moran, D. Carton & P. Stevens)
    9. Michael D. Rocking in the Dáil (L. Moran)
    10. N17 (L. Moran & D. Carton)
    11. Galway and Mayo (L. Moran) including Maroon and White (L. Moran & P. Stevens)
    12. Joyce Country Céilí Band (L. Moran, D. Carton & P. Doherty)
    13. That's What She Said Last Night (L. Moran, D. Carton & P. Stevens)
    14. It Won't Be Tonight (L. Moran & D. Carton)
    15. What A Day (D. Carton)
    16. Hay Wrap (L. Moran, D. Carton, P. Doherty, J. Donnelly & J. Burke)

  • The Saw Doctors
    • Davy Carton: Vocals & Guitar
    • Leo Moran: Guitar & Vocals
    • Fran Breen: Drums
    • Anthony Thistlethwaite: Bass Guitar & Harmonica
    • Jim Higgins: Keyboards & Accordion
    • Martin "Mouse" McHugh: Backing Vocals
  • Credits
    • Recorded by Paul Keegan in the Black Box, Galway on January 1st 2005
    • Cover Image: "Connemara in a Nutshell" © 2005 Jimmy Lawlor

Sleeve Notes

Paul Keegan, our sound-man, phoned me on January 3rd. He said the cd from New Year's night sounded great and would we be interested in releasing it and donating the money to the tsunami fund. I immediately thought it would be a right idea and phoned the others. I knew if Keego said it sounded good then it couldn't be half bad, cos he's not renowned for being too flaithiúlach with compliments, and so the operation was put in motion. We listened to the songs, prioritised the ones that hadn't been on the 'Live In Galway' album and chose the best of the rest. (World Of Good got left off although it hadn't been on the previous live collection — Keego thought we hadn't played it too well! He was right, of course)

He then took the raw cd up to Robyn Robbins' studio in Enniskillen to have it tidied up and polished, what they call 'mastered' in the business. We decided that a simple sleeve would suit the intention of the album and Ollie suggested that we sign a thousand copies, number them, make it a limited edition, sell them for €15 and give the €15,000 to the disaster fund. Great, we thought, though we'd never signed a thousand of anything before and had no idea how long it might take Larry Hynes put the sleeve together and Davy did out the set-list for the back of the sleeve, like he does every night for the gig.

In the short time it took Tony of Mid Atlantic to manufacture the covers and cds — at a considerable discount for the fund, it must be said — e-mails were piling in. Orders were taken and in the ensuing chaos in the office with Ollie and Amanda working hard to keep things organised (Try putting a couple of hundred of anything into different envelopes, addressing them and getting them to the post-office) things got a bit mixed up, with the result that when the day of the launch of the cd arrived and we assembled in the Bold Art Gallery to announce its birth on Jimmy Norman's show on Galway Bay FM, the demand on the internet had far exceeded what was imagined and cds were also promised to all the local record shops, not to mention the scheduling of a signing in Red Light Records that evening.

Yes, we must apologise, yes there were disappointed and disgruntled loyal fans who had ordered theirs in time, only for their order not to be honoured. The interest in the album far outstripped our estimations and while there being too much demand for something you're supplying is a better problem to have than no-one wanting it, it is, nevertheless, a major problem.

We listened to people's complaints and suggestions and decided that while we were morally obliged to preserve the original limited edition, we were also obliged to make the album available to those who had made the effort and put, and wanted to put, their money out for such a good cause. We decided that we would re-issue the cd of the gig with a different sleeve and debated whether we should sign them or not, so here it is.

Paul records most of our gigs on a cd burner, and we rarely pay much, if any, attention to Ills efforts, other than to ask him now and again for a copy of one of them to have a listen on a bus Journey to see how the songs are coming on. With the band practically oblivious to the recording machine and the audience comprising eight hundred madly enthusiastic teenagers from No Name Clubs all over Connacht, we feel, as Keego originally pointed out, that we'd got a good little live album and we're delighted that we've been able to channel the money towards the cause. Bob D'Silva and Mike Weerakoon, two Sri Lankans living and working in Galway, have undertaken to collect funds for the Galle region of their homeland, specifically for the children of the Galle region who suffered as a result of the Tsunami Flood. The proceeds of the limited edition CD have been handed over to Bob and Mike's Relief Fund.

In the run-up to the launch, we decided we would auction the #1 cd on Jimmy Norman's show on the Friday morning. There were a few bids already in on the internet, taking it up towards the two hundred euro mark, hut along came our friend and ex-manager of the Galway Ladies, All-Ireland Champion football team with a massive winning bid of two thousand euro. PJ's cheque has also been donated to Bob and Mike's Fund. A more generous and fun-loving man you will never meet, well done PJ. and thanks!

Thanks for your support and hope you enjoy the songs

Leo Moran
February 2005