Helen O'Hara
Encyclopedia
Helen O'Hara is a British
musician, formerly a member of the band Dexys Midnight Runners
between 1982 and 1987, including performing on songs such as "Come on Eileen
" from the Too-Rye-Ay
album.
After leaving the band she worked with rock
performers such as Graham Parker
, Tanita Tikaram
and Mary Coughlan
. She also recorded a New Age album with keyboardist Nicky Hopkins
.
joining Gunner Kade, a band led by Ken Pustelnik, drummer from The Groundhogs
. She then joined a band called Wisper, who combined their solo career with backing various artists. Wisper evolved into Uncle Po who won the BBC's Quiz Kid band competition in 1977, subsequently releasing a single on the BEEB label "Use My Friends" (so rare that a copy sold in 2006 on eBay
for over £80). Uncle Po included Rob Williams on guitar and Gavin King on vocals.
, a band founded by ex-Dexys
founder Kevin 'Al' Archer, she had also been offered a place with Rowland's new line-up of Dexys—the result of a session she and two other violinists from the university had carried out as part of Kevin Rowland
's decision to revamp the band's sound and image. Rowland has said that he saw O'Hara standing at a bus stop with her violin case and stopped to meet her. The more prosaic truth is that of the three violinists at the session she was the only one with any rock and roll experience, and therefore the only one to be able to play a solo by feel. This she did well enough to be immediately drafted in. Within months she was touring the US as "Come On Eileen
" reached #1 in the charts. With the singles "Jackie Wilson Said (I'm in Heaven When You Smile)
" (a Van Morrison
cover) and "Let's Get This Straight (From The Start)" maintaining their popularity, the group continued to tour until 1983 with a nucleus of Rowland, Adams, O'Hara and Shelton augmented by other musicians.
In 1985 she was part of the nucleus of the band that wrote and recorded Don't Stand Me Down
.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
musician, formerly a member of the band Dexys Midnight Runners
Dexys Midnight Runners
Dexys Midnight Runners are a British pop group with soul influences, who achieved their major success in the early to mid 1980s. They are best known for their songs "Come On Eileen" and "Geno", both of which went No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart....
between 1982 and 1987, including performing on songs such as "Come on Eileen
Come on Eileen
"Come On Eileen" was a single released by Dexys Midnight Runners in 1982. The song was written by Kevin Rowland, "Big" Jim Paterson, and Billy Adams; it was produced by Clive Langer and Alan Winstanley. It also appeared on the album Too-Rye-Ay...
" from the Too-Rye-Ay
Too-Rye-Ay
Too-Rye-Ay is the second album by Dexys Midnight Runners, released in August 1982 . The album is best known for the hit single "Come On Eileen".-Track listing:#"The Celtic Soul Brothers" – 3:08...
album.
After leaving the band she worked with rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
performers such as Graham Parker
Graham Parker
Graham Parker is a British rock singer and songwriter, who is best known as the lead singer of the popular British band Graham Parker & the Rumour.-Early career :...
, Tanita Tikaram
Tanita Tikaram
Tanita Tikaram is a British pop/folk singer-songwriter, best known for the hits "Twist in My Sobriety" and "Good Tradition" from her 1988 debut album, Ancient Heart...
and Mary Coughlan
Mary Coughlan (singer)
Mary Coughlan is an Irish jazz and folk singer and actress. She has received great acclamation in her native country, for her emotional and heartfelt jazzy musical renditions.-Background:...
. She also recorded a New Age album with keyboardist Nicky Hopkins
Nicky Hopkins
Nicholas Christian "Nicky" Hopkins was an English pianist and organist.He recorded and performed on noted British and American popular music recordings of the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s as a session musician....
.
Early years
O'Hara began her music career in her home town of BristolBristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
joining Gunner Kade, a band led by Ken Pustelnik, drummer from The Groundhogs
The Groundhogs
Groundhogs are a British rock band founded in late 1963, that toured extensively in the 1960s, achieved prominence in the early 1970s and continued sporadically into the 21st century.-Career:...
. She then joined a band called Wisper, who combined their solo career with backing various artists. Wisper evolved into Uncle Po who won the BBC's Quiz Kid band competition in 1977, subsequently releasing a single on the BEEB label "Use My Friends" (so rare that a copy sold in 2006 on eBay
EBay
eBay Inc. is an American internet consumer-to-consumer corporation that manages eBay.com, an online auction and shopping website in which people and businesses buy and sell a broad variety of goods and services worldwide...
for over £80). Uncle Po included Rob Williams on guitar and Gavin King on vocals.
Dexys Midnight Runners
O'Hara left Uncle Po in late 1977 to study music at Birmingham School of Music (now UCE Birmingham Conservatoire), graduating in 1982 with an offer to join the Madrid Philharmonic. However, after a stint with The Blue Ox BabesThe Blue Ox Babes
The Blue Ox Babes were an English pop group, formed in early 1981 by the former Dexys Midnight Runners guitarist Kevin 'Al' Archer, together with his girlfriend Yasmin Saleh, and former Dexys keyboard player Andy Leek. Archer was keen to mix the soul sounds of his previous group with folk styles...
, a band founded by ex-Dexys
Dexys Midnight Runners
Dexys Midnight Runners are a British pop group with soul influences, who achieved their major success in the early to mid 1980s. They are best known for their songs "Come On Eileen" and "Geno", both of which went No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart....
founder Kevin 'Al' Archer, she had also been offered a place with Rowland's new line-up of Dexys—the result of a session she and two other violinists from the university had carried out as part of Kevin Rowland
Kevin Rowland
Kevin Rowland is an English singer-songwriter and former frontman for the pop band Dexys Midnight Runners, which had several hits in the early 1980s, the most notable being "Geno" and "Come On Eileen".-Career:...
's decision to revamp the band's sound and image. Rowland has said that he saw O'Hara standing at a bus stop with her violin case and stopped to meet her. The more prosaic truth is that of the three violinists at the session she was the only one with any rock and roll experience, and therefore the only one to be able to play a solo by feel. This she did well enough to be immediately drafted in. Within months she was touring the US as "Come On Eileen
Come on Eileen
"Come On Eileen" was a single released by Dexys Midnight Runners in 1982. The song was written by Kevin Rowland, "Big" Jim Paterson, and Billy Adams; it was produced by Clive Langer and Alan Winstanley. It also appeared on the album Too-Rye-Ay...
" reached #1 in the charts. With the singles "Jackie Wilson Said (I'm in Heaven When You Smile)
Jackie Wilson Said (I'm in Heaven When You Smile)
"Jackie Wilson Said " is a song written and performed by Van Morrison and featured as the opening track on his sixth studio album, Saint Dominic's Preview. It was released by Warner Bros...
" (a Van Morrison
Van Morrison
Van Morrison, OBE is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and musician. His live performances at their best are regarded as transcendental and inspired; while some of his recordings, such as the studio albums Astral Weeks and Moondance, and the live album It's Too Late to Stop Now, are widely...
cover) and "Let's Get This Straight (From The Start)" maintaining their popularity, the group continued to tour until 1983 with a nucleus of Rowland, Adams, O'Hara and Shelton augmented by other musicians.
In 1985 she was part of the nucleus of the band that wrote and recorded Don't Stand Me Down
Don't Stand Me Down
Don't Stand Me Down is the third studio album by Dexys Midnight Runners, released in September 1985 .-Recording:In an interview with HitQuarters saxophonist Nick Gatfield described the recording as a "long drawn out painful process"...
.
Solo discography
- Southern Hearts (Romanza) (1990) - New World Music CD 212
- A Night in Ireland (1998) - New World Music CD 450