Hothouse Flowers
Encyclopedia
The Hothouse Flowers are an Irish rock
group that combines traditional Irish music
with influences from soul
, gospel
and rock.
and Fiachna Ó Braonáin
(who had known each other as children in an Irish
-speaking school, Coláiste Eoin
) began performing as street musicians, or buskers
, on the streets of Dublin,Ireland
as "The Incomparable Benzini Brothers". They were soon joined by Peter O'Toole, and had won a street-entertainer award within a year. They renamed the group "Hothouse Flowers" (the name was suggested by singer Maria Doyle Kennedy
during a brain-storming by band-members and friends in the Trinity College Arts Block cafe) and began writing songs and performing throughout Ireland. Rolling Stone
magazine
called them "the best unsigned band in Europe".
In 1986 Bono from the band U2
, saw the Flowers performing on television and offered his support. They released their first single
, "Love Don't Work This Way", on U2's Mother Records
label, which quickly led to a deal with the PolyGram
subsidiary London Records
.
Their first album
, People was released in May 1988, and was the most successful debut album in Irish history. It reached the #1
slot in Ireland within a week and eventually reached #2 in the UK Albums Chart
. The international success of the album received a boost when a music video
for the first single, "Don't Go", was played in the interval between contestants and the scoring in the 1988 Eurovision Song Contest
. This propelled the song to #11 in the UK Singles Chart
, the highest position the band would ever achieve in this chart. Meanwhile, at home, "Feet on the Ground", the album's second single, reached #1 in the Irish singles chart. In September 1988, the band appeared on the bill at the Reading Festival. In June 1989 they played at the Glastonbury Festival
, and appreared there again the following year.
The group's second album, Home was released in June 1990. It was recorded sporadically during extensive touring; with sessions in Dublin, London
, a rented house with a mobile recording
set-up in Carlow, Ireland, and one day of work with Daniel Lanois
in New Orleans, while Bob Dylan
was taking a break from his sessions with Lanois. The album did not have the overwhelming success of the first record, but it did reach #1 in Australia
. The two singles from the album, "Give It Up" and "I Can See Clearly Now
" (a cover version
of the Johnny Nash
song) reached #30 and 23 respectively in the UK Singles Chart
.
In 1992, The Hothouse Flowers joined Def Leppard
— the combined group going by the name The Acoustic Hippies From Hell — to record three songs ("From the Inside", a cover of the Rolling Stones
' "You Can't Always Get What You Want
", and a cover of Jimi Hendrix
's "Little Wing
") that were included as B-sides
on Def Leppard's single "Have You Ever Needed Someone So Bad
", from their album Adrenalize
.
Songs From the Rain was released in March 1993. Though it received good reviews and achieved some chart
success in Australia
and Ireland, worldwide sales were disappointing. In an attempt to boost record sales (and especially to break in to the United States
charts), the record label
and the band's management
kept the group on the road almost continuously for the entire year. The band also participated in the Another Roadside Attraction
tour in Canada
that year, and collaborated with The Tragically Hip
, Crash Vegas
, Midnight Oil
and Daniel Lanois
on the one-off single "Land
" to protest forest clearcutting
in British Columbia
.
By early 1994, Ó Maonlaí had decided that the group was suffering from physical, mental and creative exhaustion, and he called for a year-long sabbatical.
The year-long break turned into several years, as the band members recouped their energy and experienced changes in their personal lives, including divorces, marriages, the birth of children and the death of Ó Maonlaí's father. The group also split from their long-time manager, and Leo Barnes (saxophone) and Jerry Fehily (drum kit) left the group. O'Toole and ó Braonáin spent some of their time off from the Hothouse Flowers recording and touring with Michelle Shocked
. Ó Maonlaí worked with Tim Finn
and Andy White
, while also studying traditional Irish music.
In May 1998 they released Born. Joined by Wayne Sheehy on drums and Rob Malone on bass guitar
, this album contained extensive songwriting contributions from O'Toole, who (freed from his bass responsibilities) played mostly guitar
, bouzouki
and keyboards
on the recording. The music also incorporated more elements of electronic loop
s, synthesizers and studio effects. The following month, they appeared at the 1998 Glastonbury Festival
.
By 1999 they had reached the end of their contract with London Records, and both the label and the band decided not to renew. The label head allowed the group the rights to record songs from their past London releases and produce a live record. Live was self-released by the group later that year, taken mostly from an October 1998 show in the National Stadium, Dublin, with one track from a November show in Tokyo
. Sheehy and Malone left the group shortly after the release of the record. Dave Clarke, formerly of Blue in Heaven
, joined on drums and O'Toole returned to the bass.
In 2000 London Records released a compilation album
of songs from their four previous albums titled Best of.
During the band's official hiatus between Songs From the Rain and Born, band members had both written songs individually, and sporadically got together to write collaboratively. Some of these songs were never released, while others altered significantly to become some of the tracks on Born. In 2003 the Flowers collected these unreleased recordings and issued them as Vaults: Volume 1.
In February 2004 the band released their latest album, Into Your Heart, produced by the band and John Reynolds. The first single, "Your Love Goes On", reached #3 on the Irish charts. The album also reached #3 on the Irish Album Chart. The record was released on the RubyMusic label in Europe
and distributed by Redeye in the United States. They have toured extensively in support of the record, including a performance at the Glastonbury Festival in 2004. Peter O'Toole left the band after this.
Ó Maonlaí has done several tours as a solo
acoustic
performer, and released an album in 2005 called Rian.
In 2007, Ó Braonáin appeared on Belinda Carlisle
's album, Voila
, singing a duet
with her on a cover of "Bonnie and Clyde". The Hothouse Flowers appeared at the Glastonbury Festival Acoustic tent in 2007. Ó Braonáin and Clarke have also branched out with a former member of The Pogues
to form a group called Pre-Nup. They have recently opened some shows in America for The Hothouse Flowers. An album by Pre-Nup, Hell to Pay, was released on 4 September 2007.
In late 2008, Ó Maonlaí released his follow up album to Rian, entitled To Be Touched.
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...
group that combines traditional Irish music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
with influences from soul
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
, gospel
Gospel music
Gospel music is music that is written to express either personal, spiritual or a communal belief regarding Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music....
and rock.
Career
The group first formed in 1985 when Liam Ó MaonlaíLiam Ó Maonlaí
Liam Ó Maonlaí is an Irish musician best known as a member of the Hothouse Flowers. Ó Maonlaí formed the band in 1985 with his schoolmate Fiachna Ó Braonáin....
and Fiachna Ó Braonáin
Fiachna Ó Braonáin
Fiachna Ó Braonáin plays the guitar and sings vocals with the Irish band Hothouse Flowers. Born in Dublin, he received his school education at Scoil Lorcáin and Coláiste Eoin...
(who had known each other as children in an Irish
Irish language
Irish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now spoken as a first language by a minority of Irish people, as well as being a second language of a larger proportion of...
-speaking school, Coláiste Eoin
Coláiste Eoin
Coláiste Eoin is an Irish language Catholic voluntary secondary Gaelscoil for boys, under the trusteeship of the Edmund Rice Schools Trust located in Booterstown, County Dublin, Ireland. It prides itself in the Irish culture, having successful hurling and football teams, traditional music bands,...
) began performing as street musicians, or buskers
Busking
Street performance or busking is the practice of performing in public places, for gratuities, which are generally in the form of money and edibles...
, on the streets of Dublin,Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
as "The Incomparable Benzini Brothers". They were soon joined by Peter O'Toole, and had won a street-entertainer award within a year. They renamed the group "Hothouse Flowers" (the name was suggested by singer Maria Doyle Kennedy
Maria Doyle Kennedy
Maria Doyle Kennedy is an award-winning Irish actress and singer. She is possibly best known for her roles as Natalie, in cult film The Commitments, Queen Katherine of Aragon in the award winning The Tudors and as the title character's wife Frances in The General.-Early life:She is an honours...
during a brain-storming by band-members and friends in the Trinity College Arts Block cafe) and began writing songs and performing throughout Ireland. Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
magazine
Magazine
Magazines, periodicals, glossies or serials are publications, generally published on a regular schedule, containing a variety of articles. They are generally financed by advertising, by a purchase price, by pre-paid magazine subscriptions, or all three...
called them "the best unsigned band in Europe".
In 1986 Bono from the band U2
U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
, saw the Flowers performing on television and offered his support. They released their first single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
, "Love Don't Work This Way", on U2's Mother Records
Mother Records
Mother Records was a record label founded by the band U2 in 1984 and distributed by parent Island Records. The intent was 'to unearth fresh musical talent in Éire '...
label, which quickly led to a deal with the PolyGram
PolyGram
PolyGram was the name of the major label recording company started by Philips from as a holding company for its music interests in 1945. In 1999 it was sold to Seagram and merged into Universal Music Group.-Hollandsche Decca Distributie , 1929-1950:...
subsidiary London Records
London Records
London Records, referred to as London Recordings in logo, is a record label headquartered in the United Kingdom, originally marketing records in the United States, Canada and Latin America from 1947 to 1979, then becoming a semi-independent label....
.
Their first album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
, People was released in May 1988, and was the most successful debut album in Irish history. It reached the #1
Record chart
A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
slot in Ireland within a week and eventually reached #2 in the UK Albums Chart
UK Albums Chart
The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
. The international success of the album received a boost when a music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
for the first single, "Don't Go", was played in the interval between contestants and the scoring in the 1988 Eurovision Song Contest
Eurovision Song Contest
The Eurovision Song Contest is an annual competition held among active member countries of the European Broadcasting Union .Each member country submits a song to be performed on live television and then casts votes for the other countries' songs to determine the most popular song in the competition...
. This propelled the song to #11 in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
, the highest position the band would ever achieve in this chart. Meanwhile, at home, "Feet on the Ground", the album's second single, reached #1 in the Irish singles chart. In September 1988, the band appeared on the bill at the Reading Festival. In June 1989 they played at the Glastonbury Festival
Glastonbury Festival
The Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts, commonly abbreviated to Glastonbury or even Glasto, is a performing arts festival that takes place near Pilton, Somerset, England, best known for its contemporary music, but also for dance, comedy, theatre, circus, cabaret and other arts.The...
, and appreared there again the following year.
The group's second album, Home was released in June 1990. It was recorded sporadically during extensive touring; with sessions in Dublin, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, a rented house with a mobile recording
Sound recording and reproduction
Sound recording and reproduction is an electrical or mechanical inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording technology are analog recording and digital recording...
set-up in Carlow, Ireland, and one day of work with Daniel Lanois
Daniel Lanois
Daniel Lanois born September 19, 1951 in Hull, Quebec) is a Canadian record producer, guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter. He has released a number of albums of his own work and has produced albums for a wide variety of artists, including Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Peter Gabriel, Emmylou Harris, Willie...
in New Orleans, while Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
was taking a break from his sessions with Lanois. The album did not have the overwhelming success of the first record, but it did reach #1 in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. The two singles from the album, "Give It Up" and "I Can See Clearly Now
I Can See Clearly Now
-Certifications:-Charts:-Other covers:The song also appears in various other films, such as Grosse Pointe Blank, The Break-up, Thelma & Louise, Antz, Deep Blue Sea, Envy, Hitch, Shrek 2s Far Far Away Idol, Viktor Vogel – Commercial Man and Jennifer's Body, as well in a 2009 advertisement for Lipton...
" (a cover version
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of the Johnny Nash
Johnny Nash
John Lester "Johnny" Nash, Jr. is an American pop singer-songwriter, best known in the US for his 1972 hit, "I Can See Clearly Now". He was also the first non-Jamaican to record reggae music in Kingston, Jamaica.-Life and career:...
song) reached #30 and 23 respectively in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
.
In 1992, The Hothouse Flowers joined Def Leppard
Def Leppard
Def Leppard are an English rock band formed in 1977 in Sheffield as part of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal movement. Since 1992, the band have consisted of Joe Elliott , Rick Savage , Rick Allen , Phil Collen , and Vivian Campbell...
— the combined group going by the name The Acoustic Hippies From Hell — to record three songs ("From the Inside", a cover of the Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
' "You Can't Always Get What You Want
You Can't Always Get What You Want
"You Can't Always Get What You Want" is a song by The Rolling Stones released on their 1969 album Let It Bleed. Written primarily by Mick Jagger with assistance from Keith Richards, it was named as the 100th greatest song of all time by Rolling Stone in its 2004 list of "500 Greatest Songs of All...
", and a cover of Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix
James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix was an American guitarist and singer-songwriter...
's "Little Wing
Little Wing
"Little Wing" is a song written by Jimi Hendrix. It was first recorded by The Jimi Hendrix Experience on their 1967 album Axis: Bold as Love...
") that were included as B-sides
A-side and B-side
A-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of gramophone records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s. The terms have come to refer to the types of song conventionally placed on each side of the record, with the A-side being the featured song , while the B-side, or...
on Def Leppard's single "Have You Ever Needed Someone So Bad
Have You Ever Needed Someone So Bad
"Have You Ever Needed Someone So Bad" is a 1992 single by British hard rock band Def Leppard from their multi-platinum album Adrenalize. In the United States, the song reached #7 on the Mainstream Rock charts, and #12 on the Billboard Hot 100...
", from their album Adrenalize
Adrenalize
-Deluxe Edition :*Tracks 1-4 are taken from the band's Live: In the Clubs, in Your Face EP, recorded at Bonn, Germany, on 29 May 1992*Tracks 5 & 6 taken from "Have You Ever Needed Someone So Bad" single....
.
Songs From the Rain was released in March 1993. Though it received good reviews and achieved some chart
Record chart
A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
success in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and Ireland, worldwide sales were disappointing. In an attempt to boost record sales (and especially to break in to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
charts), the record label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
and the band's management
Management
Management in all business and organizational activities is the act of getting people together to accomplish desired goals and objectives using available resources efficiently and effectively...
kept the group on the road almost continuously for the entire year. The band also participated in the Another Roadside Attraction
Another Roadside Attraction (festival)
Another Roadside Attraction is a now-defunct travelling music-and-arts summer festival developed by The Tragically Hip, the first of which took place in 1993. It promoted little-known bands and traveled all across Canada...
tour in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
that year, and collaborated with The Tragically Hip
The Tragically Hip
The Tragically Hip, often referred to simply as The Hip, is a Canadian rock band from Kingston, Ontario, consisting of Gordon Downie , Paul Langlois , Rob Baker , Gord Sinclair and Johnny Fay . Since their formation in 1983 they have released 12 studio albums, two live albums, and 46 singles...
, Crash Vegas
Crash Vegas
Crash Vegas was a Canadian folk rock band which formed in 1988, and achieved moderate success in the early 1990s.-Biography:The band was formed by Michelle McAdorey and Greg Keelor of Blue Rodeo in 1988. Jocelyne Lanois joined the band as bassist and shortly after Ambrose Pottie as drummer...
, Midnight Oil
Midnight Oil
Midnight Oil , were an Australian rock band from Sydney originally performing as Farm from 1972 with drummer Rob Hirst, bass guitarist Andrew James and keyboard player/lead guitarist Jim Moginie...
and Daniel Lanois
Daniel Lanois
Daniel Lanois born September 19, 1951 in Hull, Quebec) is a Canadian record producer, guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter. He has released a number of albums of his own work and has produced albums for a wide variety of artists, including Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Peter Gabriel, Emmylou Harris, Willie...
on the one-off single "Land
Land (song)
"Land" was a one-off charity single released in 1993, credited to The Tragically Hip, Midnight Oil, Crash Vegas, Hothouse Flowers and Daniel Lanois. All five artists were part of that year's Another Roadside Attraction tour....
" to protest forest clearcutting
Clearcutting
Clearcutting, or clearfelling, is a controversial forestry/logging practice in which most or all trees in an area are uniformly cut down. Clearcutting, along with shelterwood and seed tree harvests, is used by foresters to create certain types of forest ecosystems and to promote select species that...
in British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
.
By early 1994, Ó Maonlaí had decided that the group was suffering from physical, mental and creative exhaustion, and he called for a year-long sabbatical.
The year-long break turned into several years, as the band members recouped their energy and experienced changes in their personal lives, including divorces, marriages, the birth of children and the death of Ó Maonlaí's father. The group also split from their long-time manager, and Leo Barnes (saxophone) and Jerry Fehily (drum kit) left the group. O'Toole and ó Braonáin spent some of their time off from the Hothouse Flowers recording and touring with Michelle Shocked
Michelle Shocked
Michelle Shocked is the stage name of Michelle Karen Johnston, an American singer-songwriter.-History:Shocked received her first international exposure in Europe, particularly Britain, with her debut album The Texas Campfire Tapes .Her first U.S...
. Ó Maonlaí worked with Tim Finn
Tim Finn
Brian Timothy "Tim" Finn, OBE is a New Zealand singer and musician. Finn is most known for his music with New Zealand 1970s and 1980s rock group Split Enz, and later for his solo work, a temporary membership in his brother Neil's band Crowded House and his joint efforts with Neil Finn as the Finn...
and Andy White
Andy White (singer-songwriter)
Andy White is an Irish singer/songwriter and poet, born in Belfast. He started writing poetry and music from a young age, penning a poem called "Riots" aged nine. He attended Methodist College Belfast. He studied English Literature at Robinson College, Cambridge University, graduating in 1984...
, while also studying traditional Irish music.
In May 1998 they released Born. Joined by Wayne Sheehy on drums and Rob Malone on bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, this album contained extensive songwriting contributions from O'Toole, who (freed from his bass responsibilities) played mostly guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, bouzouki
Bouzouki
The bouzouki , is a musical instrument with Greek origin in the lute family. A mainstay of modern Greek music, the front of the body is flat and is usually heavily inlaid with mother-of-pearl. The instrument is played with a plectrum and has a sharp metallic sound, reminiscent of a mandolin but...
and keyboards
Keyboard instrument
A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
on the recording. The music also incorporated more elements of electronic loop
Music loop
In electroacoustic music, a loop is a repeating section of sound material. Short sections of material can be repeated to create ostinato patterns...
s, synthesizers and studio effects. The following month, they appeared at the 1998 Glastonbury Festival
Glastonbury Festival
The Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts, commonly abbreviated to Glastonbury or even Glasto, is a performing arts festival that takes place near Pilton, Somerset, England, best known for its contemporary music, but also for dance, comedy, theatre, circus, cabaret and other arts.The...
.
By 1999 they had reached the end of their contract with London Records, and both the label and the band decided not to renew. The label head allowed the group the rights to record songs from their past London releases and produce a live record. Live was self-released by the group later that year, taken mostly from an October 1998 show in the National Stadium, Dublin, with one track from a November show in Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
. Sheehy and Malone left the group shortly after the release of the record. Dave Clarke, formerly of Blue in Heaven
Blue in Heaven
Blue in Heaven was a 1982–1989 Irish rock quartet from Churchtown, Dublin, Ireland led by singer Shane O'Neill. They reformed in 1990 as The Blue Angels...
, joined on drums and O'Toole returned to the bass.
In 2000 London Records released a compilation album
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
of songs from their four previous albums titled Best of.
During the band's official hiatus between Songs From the Rain and Born, band members had both written songs individually, and sporadically got together to write collaboratively. Some of these songs were never released, while others altered significantly to become some of the tracks on Born. In 2003 the Flowers collected these unreleased recordings and issued them as Vaults: Volume 1.
In February 2004 the band released their latest album, Into Your Heart, produced by the band and John Reynolds. The first single, "Your Love Goes On", reached #3 on the Irish charts. The album also reached #3 on the Irish Album Chart. The record was released on the RubyMusic label in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and distributed by Redeye in the United States. They have toured extensively in support of the record, including a performance at the Glastonbury Festival in 2004. Peter O'Toole left the band after this.
Ó Maonlaí has done several tours as a solo
Solo (music)
In music, a solo is a piece or a section of a piece played or sung by a single performer...
acoustic
Acoustic music
Acoustic music comprises music that solely or primarily uses instruments which produce sound through entirely acoustic means, as opposed to electric or electronic means...
performer, and released an album in 2005 called Rian.
In 2007, Ó Braonáin appeared on Belinda Carlisle
Belinda Carlisle
Belinda Jo Carlisle is an American singer who gained worldwide fame as the lead vocalist of the Go-Go's, one of the most successful all-female bands and the first such group whose members wrote their own songs and played their own instruments...
's album, Voila
Voila (album)
-Personnel:*Belinda Carlisle - vocals*Natacha Atlas - additional vocals on "Ma jeunesse fout le camp", "La Vie en rose", "Bonnie et Clyde" and "Des ronds dans l'eau"*Brian Eno - keyboards*Sagat Guirey - Flamenco guitar*Graham Henderson - accordion...
, singing a duet
Duet (music)
A duet is a musical composition for two performers. In classical music, the term is most often used for a composition for two singers or pianists; with other instruments, the word duo is also often used. A piece performed by two pianists performing together on the same piano is referred to as...
with her on a cover of "Bonnie and Clyde". The Hothouse Flowers appeared at the Glastonbury Festival Acoustic tent in 2007. Ó Braonáin and Clarke have also branched out with a former member of The Pogues
The Pogues
The Pogues are a Celtic punk band, formed in 1982 and fronted by Shane MacGowan. The band reached international prominence in the 1980s and early 1990s. MacGowan left the band in 1991 due to drinking problems but the band continued first with Joe Strummer and then with Spider Stacy on vocals before...
to form a group called Pre-Nup. They have recently opened some shows in America for The Hothouse Flowers. An album by Pre-Nup, Hell to Pay, was released on 4 September 2007.
In late 2008, Ó Maonlaí released his follow up album to Rian, entitled To Be Touched.
Current members
- Liam Ó MaonlaíLiam Ó MaonlaíLiam Ó Maonlaí is an Irish musician best known as a member of the Hothouse Flowers. Ó Maonlaí formed the band in 1985 with his schoolmate Fiachna Ó Braonáin....
- vocals, keyboards, guitar (1985-present) - Fiachna Ó BraonáinFiachna Ó BraonáinFiachna Ó Braonáin plays the guitar and sings vocals with the Irish band Hothouse Flowers. Born in Dublin, he received his school education at Scoil Lorcáin and Coláiste Eoin...
- guitar, vocals (1985-present) - Dave Clarke - drums (1999-present)
Former members
- Peter O'Toole - bass (1985-2004), guitar (1998-1999)
- Leo Barnes - saxophone (1985-1998)
- Jerry Fehily - drums (1985-1998)
- Wayne Sheehy - drums (1998-1999)
- Rob Malone - bass (1998-1999)
- Kieron Kennedy - guitar (2001)
Albums
- PeoplePeople (Hothouse Flowers album)People is the debut album by celtic rock group Hothouse Flowers, released in 1988. This album to date is the biggest selling debut album by an Irish artist in Ireland.-Track listing:#"I'm Sorry" – 3:36#"Don't Go" – 3:48#"Forgiven" – 3:21...
- 1988 - UKUK Albums ChartThe UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
#2 - HomeHome (Hothouse Flowers album)Home is the second album by the Irish rock band Hothouse Flowers. Released in 1990 via London Records, it reached number 2 on the UK Albums Chart and spent 1 week at number 1 on the Australian charts. The band did an extended tour in Australia, and had built up a significant following there, which...
- 1990 - UK #5 - Songs From the Rain - 1993 - UK #7
- Born - 1998
- Live - 1999
- Hothouse Flowers: The Best Of - 2000
- The Vaults: Volume 1 - 2003
- Into Your Heart - 2004
- Hothouse Flowers: The Platinum Collection - 2006
- Goodnight Sun - 2010
Singles
| Year | Title | Chart positions | Album | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Modern Rock | U.S. Mainstream Rock | UK UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
IRL Irish Singles Chart The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured... |
|||
| 1988 | "Don't Go Don't Go (Hothouse Flowers song) "Don't Go" is the first single released by Irish rock group Hothouse Flowers from their 1988 album People. The song was included on the Australian compilation album 88 The Winners. The song was also performed by the Hothouse Flowers as the interval act of the 1988 Eurovision Song Contest. In 2005... " |
7 | 16 | 11 | - | People |
| "I'm Sorry" | 12 | 23 | 53 | - | ||
| 1990 | "Give It Up Give It Up (Hothouse Flowers song) "Give It Up" is a single released by Irish Rock group Hothouse Flowers from their second album Home. The song hit number 12 in the U.S. Modern Rock and 30 in the UK Charts.-Charts:... " |
2 | 29 | 30 | - | Home |
| "I Can See Clearly Now" | - | - | 23 | - | ||
| 1993 | "Thing of Beauty" | 14 | 32 | - | - | Songs From The Rain |
| "Emotional Time" | - | - | 38 | - | ||
| 1998 | "You Can Love Me Now" | - | - | 65 | - | Born |