The Sultans Of Ping FC
Encyclopedia
The Sultans of Ping FC are an Irish
band
formed in 1988 by Niall O'Flaherty, Pat O'Connell, Paul Fennelly and Ger Lyons. The band's name is a play on the Dire Straits
song "Sultans Of Swing
", dating from a time when "it was sacrilege to say anything whatsoever funny or nasty about Dire Straits".
Following a number of line up changes the band came to the attention of the UK
and Irish music press
, when the humorous pop
-punk song "Where's Me Jumper" was released. After several other independently released singles
, the band signed to Epic Records
, through a deal organised by Rhythm King Records
's Martin Heath.
With Epic, the band released their debut album
Casual Sex In The Cineplex
, and its follow up Teenage Drug. Already a cult
hit in the UK, by this time The Sultans Of Ping were also becoming popular in Japan
, with many tracks gaining release in that market only. The latter album was called Teenage Planet Sexy War in Japan, and included the single "Michiko".
and Virgin decided that the display of bondage
and S&M
was too explicit. By this time, Rhythm King
had been absorbed into Arista Records
, as Martin Heath became the head of the department. The record label released the band from their recording contract
.
, while McFeely formed the rock and roll
band, Sister, and later recruited a former member of The Young Offenders Steve Hackett. McCarthy moved to Stockholm
where he taught English.
The band reformed as The Sultans of Ping in 2005, and played a number of gigs with Jim Bob
, from the band Carter The Unstoppable Sex Machine. In 2006, the group played a show with Radio 2
's Mark Radcliffe
, and his band The Family Mahone
, as part of Manchester
's yearly Irish Festival. The band played several subsequent gigs in 2007, at the Brixton Academy in London (with Carter The Unstoppable Sex Machine), in Glasgow, and in Roscommon.
They have played a number of gigs in 2008 including Southend, London and Cork.
Drummer Morty McCarthy has written a book on Cork slang
entitled Dowtcha Boy. The title of the song "Give Him a Ball and a Yard of Grass", which appeared on their first album, is a quote from the renowned soccer coach Brian Clough
about Nottingham Forest player John Robertson, and the song contains several more of his sayings in its lyrics
. This was given away free with a Nottingham Forest Fanzine as a one track flexi-disk.
The band have been announced as the support act for Carter The Unstoppable Sex Machine's 'Norf and Sarf' show at London's Brixton Academy in November 2011. The band were keen to play the Manchester leg too, but unresolvable scheduling conflicts prevented this.
As The Sultans Of Ping:
As The Sultans:
As The Sultans Of Ping:
As The Sultans:
As The Sultans Of Ping:
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,...
band
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
formed in 1988 by Niall O'Flaherty, Pat O'Connell, Paul Fennelly and Ger Lyons. The band's name is a play on the Dire Straits
Dire Straits
Dire Straits were a British rock band active from 1977 to 1995, composed of Mark Knopfler , his younger brother David Knopfler , John Illsley , and Pick Withers .Dire Straits' sound drew from a variety of musical influences, including jazz, folk, blues, and came closest...
song "Sultans Of Swing
Sultans of Swing
"Sultans of Swing" was the first single release of the British rock band Dire Straits. First released in 1978, its 1979 re-release caused it to become a hit in both the UK and USA....
", dating from a time when "it was sacrilege to say anything whatsoever funny or nasty about Dire Straits".
Following a number of line up changes the band came to the attention of the UK
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...
and Irish music press
Music journalism
Music journalism is criticism and reportage about music. It began in the eighteenth century as comment on what is now thought of as 'classical music'. This aspect of music journalism, today often referred to as music criticism , comprises the study, discussion, evaluation, and interpretation of...
, when the humorous pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
-punk song "Where's Me Jumper" was released. After several other independently released singles
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...
, the band signed to Epic Records
Epic Records
Epic Records is an American record label, owned by Sony Music Entertainment. Though it was originally conceived as a jazz imprint, it has since expanded to represent various genres. L.A...
, through a deal organised by Rhythm King Records
Rhythm King Records
Rhythm King Records Ltd was an independent record label founded in the mid 1980s by Martin Heath, Adele Nozedar, DJ Jay Strongman and James Horrocks.-Beginnings:...
's Martin Heath.
With Epic, the band released their debut 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...
Casual Sex In The Cineplex
Casual Sex In The Cineplex
Casual Sex in the Cineplex is the debut album by The Sultans of Ping FC, recorded for Rhythm King and released in 1993.-Track listing:#"Back in the Tracksuit"#"Indeed You Are"#"Veronica"#"2 Pints of Rasa"#"Stupid Kid"#"You Talk Too Much"...
, and its follow up Teenage Drug. Already a cult
Cult
The word cult in current popular usage usually refers to a group whose beliefs or practices are considered abnormal or bizarre. The word originally denoted a system of ritual practices...
hit in the UK, by this time The Sultans Of Ping were also becoming popular in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, with many tracks gaining release in that market only. The latter album was called Teenage Planet Sexy War in Japan, and included the single "Michiko".
Controversy
After dropping both the FC and the Ping (and the of) from the band's name, The Sultans returned in 1996, with their third album Good Year For Trouble. However, the album cover's artwork caused problems, as major record chains like HMVHMV
His Master's Voice is a trademark in the music business, and for many years was the name of a large record label. The name was coined in 1899 as the title of a painting of the dog Nipper listening to a wind-up gramophone...
and Virgin decided that the display of bondage
Bondage (BDSM)
Bondage is the use of restraints for the sexual pleasure of the parties involved. It may be used in its own right, as in the case of rope bondage and breast bondage, or as part of sexual activity or BDSM activity.- Private bondage :...
and S&M
Sadism and masochism
Sadomasochism broadly refers to the receiving of pleasure—often sexual—from acts involving the infliction or reception of pain or humiliation. The name originates from two authors on the subject, Marquis de Sade and Leopold von Sacher-Masoch...
was too explicit. By this time, Rhythm King
Lizard King Records
Lizard King Records is a New York and London-based independent label. Lizard King's distribution goes through ADA in America and Pinnacle in the UK.-Artists:Current*Surefire*Greater Good*Me*OxzanaFormer*Clear Static*Drive-by Argument*Santogold...
had been absorbed into Arista Records
Arista Records
Arista was an American record label. It was a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment and operated under the RCA Music Group. The label was founded in 1974 by Clive Davis, who formerly worked for CBS Records...
, as Martin Heath became the head of the department. The record label released the band from their recording contract
Recording contract
A recording contract is a legal agreement between a record label and a recording artist , where the artist makes a record for the label to sell and promote...
.
Reformation
Following a split 1996, McCarthy joined the band Pharmacy, O'Flaherty was involved in producing the Japanese girl band Mika BombMika Bomb
Mika Bomb is a London-based, Japanese pop-punk band.Lead singer Mika Handa arrived in London in 1998, with the goal of playing in a punk band. Recruitment for the band began with the arrival in London of the guitarist Agi , who now sings in the electronic duo, Long Kuan Jiu Duan...
, while McFeely formed the rock and roll
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
band, Sister, and later recruited a former member of The Young Offenders Steve Hackett. McCarthy moved to Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
where he taught English.
The band reformed as The Sultans of Ping in 2005, and played a number of gigs with Jim Bob
Jim Bob
Jim Bob is the stage name for James Morrison, the London born writer and musician best known as the singer of indie punk band Carter USM.-Biography:Jim Bob was born James Neil Morrison in the city of London, on 22 November 1960...
, from the band Carter The Unstoppable Sex Machine. In 2006, the group played a show with Radio 2
BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2 is one of the BBC's national radio stations and the most popular station in the United Kingdom. Much of its daytime playlist-based programming is best described as Adult Contemporary or AOR, although the station is also noted for its specialist broadcasting of other musical genres...
's Mark Radcliffe
Mark Radcliffe
Mark Radcliffe is an English broadcaster who has worked in various roles for the BBC since the 1980s and remains one of Britain's most recognised DJs. He is currently a presenter on BBC Radio 2 and BBC 6 Music, where he hosts an afternoon show five times a week alongside Stuart Maconie, called...
, and his band The Family Mahone
The Family Mahone
The Family Mahone are a folk rock band from Chester, England. The most famous member of the band is the radio DJ Mark Radcliffe.-Discography:*Songs of the Back Bar *On the Razzle with the Family Mahone *Mahone Brew...
, as part of Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
's yearly Irish Festival. The band played several subsequent gigs in 2007, at the Brixton Academy in London (with Carter The Unstoppable Sex Machine), in Glasgow, and in Roscommon.
They have played a number of gigs in 2008 including Southend, London and Cork.
Drummer Morty McCarthy has written a book on Cork slang
Slang
Slang is the use of informal words and expressions that are not considered standard in the speaker's language or dialect but are considered more acceptable when used socially. Slang is often to be found in areas of the lexicon that refer to things considered taboo...
entitled Dowtcha Boy. The title of the song "Give Him a Ball and a Yard of Grass", which appeared on their first album, is a quote from the renowned soccer coach Brian Clough
Brian Clough
Brian Howard Clough, OBE was an English footballer and football manager. He is most notable for his success with Derby County and Nottingham Forest. His achievement of winning back-to-back European Cups with Nottingham Forest, a traditionally moderate provincial English club, is considered to be...
about Nottingham Forest player John Robertson, and the song contains several more of his sayings in its lyrics
Lyrics
Lyrics are a set of words that make up a song. The writer of lyrics is a lyricist or lyrist. The meaning of lyrics can either be explicit or implicit. Some lyrics are abstract, almost unintelligible, and, in such cases, their explication emphasizes form, articulation, meter, and symmetry of...
. This was given away free with a Nottingham Forest Fanzine as a one track flexi-disk.
The band have been announced as the support act for Carter The Unstoppable Sex Machine's 'Norf and Sarf' show at London's Brixton Academy in November 2011. The band were keen to play the Manchester leg too, but unresolvable scheduling conflicts prevented this.
Band members
- Niall O'Flaherty - vocals
- Pat O'Connell - guitar
- Paul Fennelly - bass (until 1990)
- John McAuliffe - bass (until 1991)
- Alan McFeely - bass (1991–1996)
- Ian Olney - bass (from 2005)
- Morty McCarthy - drums (from 1991)
- Ger Lyons - drums (until 1991)
- Samuel Steiger - guitar (from 1995)
Albums
As The Sultans Of Ping FC:- Casual Sex In The CineplexCasual Sex In The CineplexCasual Sex in the Cineplex is the debut album by The Sultans of Ping FC, recorded for Rhythm King and released in 1993.-Track listing:#"Back in the Tracksuit"#"Indeed You Are"#"Veronica"#"2 Pints of Rasa"#"Stupid Kid"#"You Talk Too Much"...
(Rhythm King RecordsLizard King RecordsLizard King Records is a New York and London-based independent label. Lizard King's distribution goes through ADA in America and Pinnacle in the UK.-Artists:Current*Surefire*Greater Good*Me*OxzanaFormer*Clear Static*Drive-by Argument*Santogold...
- Feb 93) #26 (UK Albums ChartUK 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...
)
As The Sultans Of Ping:
- Teenage DrugTeenage DrugTeenage Drug is the second album from Irish band The Sultans Of Ping FC. It was released in March 1994, and reached #54 in the UK album chart.- Track listing :# "Teenage Drug"# "Wake Up & Scratch Me"# "Teenage Punks"# "Curse"# "Michiko"...
(Epic RecordsEpic RecordsEpic Records is an American record label, owned by Sony Music Entertainment. Though it was originally conceived as a jazz imprint, it has since expanded to represent various genres. L.A...
- Mar 94) #57 (UK Albums ChartUK 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...
)
As The Sultans:
- Good Year For Trouble (Arista RecordsArista RecordsArista was an American record label. It was a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment and operated under the RCA Music Group. The label was founded in 1974 by Clive Davis, who formerly worked for CBS Records...
- June 1996)
Singles
As The Sultans Of Ping FC:- "What About Those Sultans?" EP featuring "Stupid Kid" / "Riot at the Sheepdog Trials" / "Eamon Andrews"
- "Where's Me Jumper" (Divine RecordsDivine RecordsDivine Records is a record label owned by Colm Walsh. Early in its career it was associated with bands like Just A Philistine, The Intoxicating Rhythm Section and The Poets That Know It, later a collaboration with Martin Heath and Rhythm King Records resulted in the first three The Sultans of Ping...
ATHY 01 - Feb 92) #67 (UK Singles ChartUK Singles ChartThe 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 ...
) #8 (Ireland) - "Stupid Kid" (Divine Records ATHY 02 - May 92) #67 (UK Singles Chart) #11 (Ireland)
- "Veronica" (Divine Records ATHY 03 - Oct 92) #69 (UK Singles Chart)
- "You Talk Too Much" (Rhythm King RecordsLizard King RecordsLizard King Records is a New York and London-based independent label. Lizard King's distribution goes through ADA in America and Pinnacle in the UK.-Artists:Current*Surefire*Greater Good*Me*OxzanaFormer*Clear Static*Drive-by Argument*Santogold...
6588877 - Jan 93) #26 (UK Singles Chart) #4 (Ireland)
As The Sultans Of Ping:
- "Teenage Punks" (Epic RecordsEpic RecordsEpic Records is an American record label, owned by Sony Music Entertainment. Though it was originally conceived as a jazz imprint, it has since expanded to represent various genres. L.A...
- Sep 93 ) #49 (UK Singles Chart) - "Michiko" (Epic Records - Oct 93 ) #43 (UK Singles Chart)
- "Japanese Girls" (Sony Japan - 1993)
- "Wake Up And Scratch Me" (Epic Records - Feb 94) #50 (UK Singles Chart)
- "Miracle Michiko" EP (Japan only release - 1994)
As The Sultans:
- "Mescaline" (1996) #21 (UK Independent Chart)
As The Sultans Of Ping:
- "Girlwatching" (2007)