The Quireboys

'Quitters never win and winners never quit' goes the old adage. It could well have been written for British rock 'n’ roll ragamuffins The Quireboys, lead by the charismatic and gravelly-voiced Spike. They’ve certainly been around (since 1986 to be precise) and they’ve certainly been in the spotlight when their first album 'A Bit of What You Fancy’ hit the charts and sold over a million copies worldwide (200.000 copies in the UK alone). Better still, the album went Platinum in Canada and Japan but to top it all, the band was managed by Sharon Osborne from 1989 to 1993. If this seemed too good to be true then it probably was, for Grunge had come crashing into planet Good-Time-Rock to leave a gaping hole thereafter. The Quireboys released a second album, titled 'Bitter Sweet & Twisted’ but it didn’t fare particularly well – courtesy of the aforementioned grunge – and the band decided to call it a day.

Alas, winners never quit, and in the new millennium, the band bounced back with a couple of new album releases (digitally re-mastered, compilation as well as 'Well Oiled’).
Here now is 'Halfpenny Dancer – Volume 1’ – a new studio album containing acoustic versions of old classics as well as new tracks, and some damn fine cover versions, too. It’s no exaggeration to say that 'Halfpenny Dancer’ is the band’s finest moment to date. However, it may well surprise that here, the band has moved away from their earlier sleaze-rock sound to make place for some roots-orientated retro-rock, even including subtle folk and country touches (though thankfully without the schmalz). There are some strong rhythm n’ blues influences to be heard, too, especially on 'Long Time Comin’. The song just makes you want to hang out in some dingy bar on Bourbon Street with the band, to indulge in a night of whiskey-fuelled musical mayhem.

Each track delights with its sophisticated arrangements, not to mention Spike’s captivating voice. One of the most enthralling tracks is 'Mona Lisa Smiled’ - with its catchy refrain and a composition infused by mandolin-chords it is easily also the most mainstream track on the album. Not that it's a problem, you understand.
The title track, 'Halfpenny Dancer’, is a love song that strikes the right chords not just musically, but every word pierces your very heart. It’s one of those songs you imagine to be played by a campfire next to a gypsy caravan – as the image on the album sleeve somehow suggests.

As for the cover versions on the album, it was a bold decision that could have backfired but really, it simply works a treat! Foremost, there’s 'I Can’t Stop Loving You’ which first was a hit for Billy Nicholls and has since been performed by many a crooner from Leo Sayer to Engelbert Humperdinck and Phil Collins. Quireboys’ version gives the song a slightly darker note yet at the same time, it maintains its feel of heartbreak and pain.
Next is the Jim Reeves classic 'He’ll Have To go’ – once again, Spike’s hoarse voice ensures that this country-pop ballad doesn’t turn too saccharine, while the band’s take on the UFO hit 'Love to Love’ is not only a success, but also a nod of the hat to UFO frontman and early Quireboys manager, Phil Mogg.

The excellent 'Devil Of A Man’ could work incredibly well as a title track for Wild West cult-series 'Deadwood’, since both rock and roll! Last but not least, the album’s final song, 'King Of New York’, is a slice of emotional rawness that gets right under your skin, thanks to Keith Weir’s accompanying keyboard play.

'Halfpenny Dancer’ is not only proof that each band member knows how to handle their instruments, may it be guitarists Guy Griffin and Paul Guerin, or Damon Williams on bass and Phil Martini on drums. It is furthermore proof that the band has matured as a whole and chosen to take a musical direction one can only hope they will stick to and cultivate, especially if future results turn out as brilliant as the current album.

With a heavy touring slot in tow and augmented by additional instruments such as dobro guitar, mandolin, lap steel and fiddle, fans are bound to hear (and see) an exciting new side to The Quireboys. For one, Music-News devotees will soon get to read more on the Boys on here, so watch this space!