EP4 - All the God's Men & Explicit Material by Blue in Heaven

This episode focuses on two albums by Blue in Heaven. The Dublin band released two albums on Island Records - All the God’s Men (1985) and Explicit Material (1986). These are very different records and sound at times almost as if they were created by two different bands. Blue in Heaven frontman Shane O’Neill, joins me for a discussion that takes in landmark Irish record label Mulligan Records (run by Shane’s father Seamus O’Neill and Donal Lunny); The Bothy Band’s live album, After Hours; his first band Amuse (with future Into Paradise mainman Dave Long); early punk gigs in Pearse Street’s Magnet bar; the original five-piece version of Micro Disney; the Edge producing Blue in Heaven’s first demo, signing to Island Records; playing gigs with U2 and New Order; working with producer Hugh Jones, Stiff Records boss Dave Robinson and Island Records boss Chris Blackwell; recording in Blackwell’s Compass Point Studios in the Bahamas. A lot of our conversation is taken up with a discussion of Blue in Heaven’s time at Strawberry Studios when the band worked with the legendary Factory Records producer Martin Hannett. We come full circle and talk about the beautiful album Moll & Zeis that Shane released this year alongside his old friend Dave Long. Episode notes are here.