Mama's Boys

History

The McManus brothers grew up on a farm near Derrylin, County Fermanagh, and began as award-winning traditional Irish musicians. Inspired by the Irish celtic rock band Horslips and by Tommy's enthusiasm for drums, they formed a rock band. In the late 1970s, after becoming fans of Horslips and attending their gigs, the brothers befriended the band members and started their own group, originally called Pulse before renaming it Mama's Boys. Horslips member Barry Devlin heard about them, watched them rehearse at home, and offered them a support slot on Horslips' 1979 tour. They self-funded their first album, Official Album (re-released in 1981 as Official Bootleg), recorded in 1980 in four hours. In 1981 they supported Hawkwind on a UK tour. Their second self-financed album, Plug It In, came out in 1982 and produced the Irish hit single "Needle in the Groove". The third album, Turn It Up, was released in 1983. That year they toured with Thin Lizzy on their farewell tour, played the Reading Rock Festival, and signed a worldwide deal with Jive Records. Their first Jive album re-recorded earlier songs with new material; a cover of Slade's "Mama Weer All Crazee Now" reached number 54 in the US chart and gained MTV airplay, helping the band become known in America, which they toured in 1984. Quiet Riot released their own cover of the same song simultaneously, receiving more airplay.