In 1982 Mike Scott, "the founder and only permanent member of The Waterboys," recruited saxophone player Anthony Thistlethwaite, drummer Kevin Wilkinson, and bassist Nick Linden to record songs for a new project that he named after a line in the Lou Reed song "The Kids." The songs would become their first album.
"A Girl Called Johnny," a tribute to Patti Smith, had been released both as a seven inch and as a twelve inch single in March of 1983, preceding the album by four months. The album also includes the songs "December," "I Will Not Follow," and "Savage Earth Heart."
The Waterboys went on to release the exquisite This is the Sea in 1985 and captured the heart of this writer. The band "are one of the most fascinating and unpredictable bands the British Isles have ever produced. A mighty musical train powered by the twin fuels of rock'n'roll and celtic soul, The Waterboys have consistently challenged critics and audience alike, busting musical boundaries and creating a motherlode of cracking music along the way."
Quoted material: wikipedia.org & midlandsmusicfestival.ie
