You May Remember This

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Mama’s Boys – Needle In The Groove

Continuing our series of underrated Irish music since 1960, reader Friscondo has a thing for Fermanagh hard rock trio Mama’s Boys, who featured brothers Pat, John and Tommy McManus.

This single originally appeared on their 1982 album Plug It In and was re-recorded for their 1985 album Power And Passion.

Friscondo says:

“I’ll never understand how Mama’s Boys didn’t have a Top 10 US or UK hit with Needle In The Groove. Great tune, great video and great hair. Fermanagh never sounded so good.”

Nick says: Boys keep swingin‘.

Mama’s Boys

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9 thoughts on “You May Remember This

  1. Tarfton Clax

    Saw them support Black Sabbath and Motorhead in Dalymount Park 1983. Pat was the best guitarist there that day. And there were some damn fines ones onstage. He interpolated the theme from close encounters into one of his solos. Wonderful stuff.

  2. Itchysays

    Shame on you Nick for posting that version of Needle in the Groove… ;)

    That’s the 3rd version recorded for their album (Ablum as John used to pronounce it in his Fermanagh brogue) The Power & the Passion, following their signing to Jive records.
    This version caused much consternation with fans due to the processed vocals and the needless inclusion of
    a Hammond B-3 played awfully.
    To rectify this error of judgement I’m posting the original from their 1982 Plug it In album…which I had the
    pleasure of going through the 2”master tapes in Westland Studios eons ago.

    Give this a run out and you’ll hear the true potential they once harboured…and Pat’s nuanced playing at it’s finest.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZXnSoYcj1g

      1. Itchysays

        No Scundered…just EQ’d to approximate the tone of an AM Radio.

        Was your mutual friend in hospital Phil Begley by any chance…?

  3. Scundered

    I met Pat when visiting a mutual friend (a local record producer in hospital), they had a great chat about their antics as young fellas in the industry, a really sound bloke and such a wizard on the rock axe. He even played a violin during the sets too, which was well off the beaten track for most rock acts.

  4. Clampers Outside

    Great to see this track getting a shout out. Big fan of the Boys back in the day and posted that track myself in another Friday comp too :)

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