Phil Coulter
Phil Coulter | |
---|---|
Birth name | Philip Coulter |
Born | 19 February 1942 |
Origin | traditional Irish |
Occupation(s) | Musician, songwriter, record producer |
Instrument(s) | Vocals, piano |
Years active | 1967–present |
Website | philcoulter |
Philip Coulter (born 19 February 1942)
Coulter has amassed 23 platinum discs, 39 gold discs, 52 silver discs, two Grand Prix Eurovision awards; five
His well known songs include "The Town I Loved So Well", "Puppet on a String" and "Congratulations".
Early years
Coulter was born in Derry, Northern Ireland[5] where his father (from Strangford, County Down) was one of a minority of Catholic policemen in the Royal Ulster Constabulary. His mother was from Belfast.[6] He was the fourth child with two older brothers and a sister and one younger sister, each born with a year's difference between them, in a two-up two-down terraced house.[7]
Coulter's father, also called Phil, encouraged music in the house. He played the fiddle whilst his wife played the upright piano. The younger Coulter recalls this piano, made by Challen, as "the most important piece of furniture in the house".[7]
One of Coulter's most popular songs, "The Town I Loved So Well",[4] deals with the embattled city of his youth, filled with "that damned barbed wire" during the Troubles.[8]
Education
Coulter spent his secondary school years at
Beginnings of a career in music
He started his first band at Queen's University, playing early rock and roll music despite studying classical music. Coulter was also founder of the Glee Club, which staged music events for the university. By 1964, his final year at university, Coulter had already written a couple of hit songs in Ireland and he moved to London, where his first job was as an arranger/songwriter with a music publisher in Denmark Street. From here he was hired to work with acts including Billy Connolly,[1] Van Morrison, Jerry Lee Lewis and Tom Jones.
He wrote "Foolin' Time" (1963), a hit for the Capitol Showband. Other songs he contributed to around that time included his
Songwriting partnership with Bill Martin
In 1965, he met
Seven years after "Congratulations", another Coulter song, "
Between 1967 and 1976, Coulter and Martin had four
The Bay City Rollers had a No. 1 hit in 1976 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart with the Coulter-Martin song "Saturday Night", a song that was not released as a single in the UK.[11] There were three No. 1 hits in the US for the songwriters, the other two (which were chart-toppers on the Billboard Hot Country Songs and the Adult Contemporary listings respectively) being "Thanks", performed by Bill Anderson and "My Boy", the Coulter-Martin translation of a French song sung by Elvis Presley.[19][20]
They also contributed incidental music to the 1967 Spider-Man television series, and Coulter also wrote the score to the 1978 film version of The Water Babies.[citation needed]
Sideman and producer
As well as writing hit singles, Coulter produced three albums with Planxty.[1] Christy Moore wrote:
"With no competition he gave us a shite contract and we signed everything away. All that said, 30 years on this album sounds good. He produced it well and ... (he had) the foresight and wherewithal to record the band at a time when no one else was listening.[21]
Coulter produced The Dubliners 1973 album, Plain and Simple.[22] He wrote or co-wrote many of the tracks.[22]
Coulter produced, arranged and wrote most of Joe Dolan's 1983 album, Here and Now. The album featured several hit singles, including the Irish Top Ten hit "Deeper and Deeper". The album was released in South Africa as Yours Faithfully where it reached number one.[citation needed]
In 2007, Coulter joined with Sharon Browne, one of the originators of the successful
Solo albums
In 1984, Coulter launched himself as an artist in his own right and began by releasing a solo instrumental album called Classic Tranquility.[5] His follow-up, Sea of Tranquility, peaked at No. 46 in the UK Albums Chart, and remained in the chart for fourteen weeks.[23] The follow-up album, Phil Coulter's Ireland reached No. 86 in the UK.[23]
He moved from London back to Ireland,[
In the 1990s, Coulter's produced work for both Sinéad O'Connor and Boyzone.[1]
In 2001, he was nominated for a
On 28 October 2009, Coulter was presented with a
Personal life
Coulter's first marriage was to Angela Coulter; their second child was born with
In 1974, Coulter was approached by
In November 1998, Coulter married Brannigan in a low-key ceremony at Wicklow registry office, witnessed by their six children, Danielle, Dominique, Alexandra, Daragh, Ryan and Georgina, and 16 guests.[32] Coulter and his wife live in Bray, County Wicklow.[6]
Politics
Disregarding the broad international campaign against the Apartheid regime and the imprisonment of Nelson Mandela, Coulter performed in an undemocratic South Africa in May 1983 and his name was included in the register of entertainers who travelled to that country by the United Nations Centre Against Apartheid, which was published in 1986.[33]
In 2002, Coulter was encouraged by the Save the Swilly organisation to run for the Dáil to protect Lough Swilly from aquacultural destruction.[34] After some deliberation, he concluded that work and family commitments would not allow him the time necessary to fill the political position. Around that time, Coulter's brother died in a drowning incident in Ireland, which also caused Phil to retreat from the music industry for some time.[1]
Sport
Coulter is a former president of Derry City Football Club.[citation needed]
His son Ryan plays in goal for Forward Madison FC.[35]
In 1995, the Irish Rugby Football Union commissioned Coulter to write a politically neutral anthem for the Ireland national rugby union team, which represents both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. The result was "Ireland's Call", which is played alongside, and in some cases instead of, "Amhrán na bhFiann". "Ireland's Call" has since also been adopted by the Ireland's national hockey, cricket and rugby league teams and by the singing group Celtic Thunder.[citation needed]
Awards
Coulter has received honorary doctorates from the
Discography
Albums
Year | Album | Peak positions | |
---|---|---|---|
Irish Albums Chart [40] |
UK Albums Chart [40] | ||
1983 | Classic Tranquility | ||
1984 | Sea of Tranquility | 46 | |
1985 | Phil Coulter's Christmas | ||
1985 | Phil Coulter's Ireland | 86 | |
1994 | American Tranquility | ||
1997 | Legends (with James Galway) | ||
1998 | Winter's Crossing (with James Galway) | ||
1999 | Healing Angel | ||
2000 | Highland Cathedral | ||
2000 | The Songs I Love So Well | ||
2000 | Lake of Shadows | 13 | |
2003 | Coulter & Company | 13 | |
2006 | Timeless Tranquility | 45 | |
2011 | Reflections | 36 | |
2019 | Return to Tranquility | 93 [41] |
Entries in the Eurovision Song Contest
Coulter co-wrote three Eurovision Song Contest entries:
- "Puppet on a String" by Sandie Shaw, United Kingdom (Eurovision Song Contest 1967), 1st place
- "Congratulations" by Cliff Richard, United Kingdom (Eurovision Song Contest 1968), 2nd place
- "Toi" by Géraldine, Luxembourg (Eurovision Song Contest 1975), 5th place
References
- ^ a b c d e f "Phil Coulter". Oldies.com. 19 February 1942. Retrieved 31 December 2012.
- ^ a b c d "Welcome to Phil Coulter Online". Philcoulter.com. Retrieved 30 December 2012.
- ^ a b "Gold Badge Awards 2009". Goldbadgeawards.com. Archived from the original on 7 January 2014. Retrieved 31 December 2012.
- ^ a b "Irish Repertory Theatre – The Songs I Love So Well". Irishrep.org. Archived from the original on 10 September 2015. Retrieved 31 December 2012.
- ^ a b c d Ankeny, Jason. "Phil Coulter – Music Biography, Credits and Discography". AllMusic. Retrieved 31 December 2012.
- ^ a b O'Neill, Leona (20 July 2019). "Phil Coulter: I'm known as a proud Derry man but my mother came from the Markets area of Belfast and it's where I found my career as a musician". Belfast Telegraph. Retrieved 22 March 2020.
- ^ a b Coulter, Phil. "A Beginning". www.philcoulter.com. Retrieved 22 November 2017.
- ^ "Phil Coulter – Cordula's Web". Cordula.ws. Retrieved 31 December 2012.
- ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
- ^ Unterberger, Richie (19 June 2001). "I Can Only Give You Everything – Them, Van Morrison : Listen, Appearances, Song Review". AllMusic. Retrieved 31 December 2012.
- ^ a b c "Bill Martin – Music Biography, Credits and Discography". AllMusic. Retrieved 30 December 2012.
- ^ The Irish Times, "Spanish documentary offers Cliff and Coulter congratulations – 40 years on", 6 May 2008. Retrieved 21 March 2020.
- ^ "Massiel e Iñigo acusan a La Sexta de 'urdir todo para favorecer a Chikilicuatre'" (in Spanish). elmundo.es. Retrieved 30 December 2012.
- ^ "Artist: Bill Martin". Second Hand Songs. Retrieved 30 December 2012.
- ^ Thompson, Dave. "Shang-A-Lang – Bay City Rollers : Listen, Appearances, Song Review". AllMusic. Retrieved 30 December 2012.
- ^ Thompson, Dave (26 September 2000). "The Singles Collection Plus – Kenny: Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 30 December 2012.
- ^ Thompson, Dave. "Slik – Music Biography, Credits and Discography". AllMusic. Retrieved 30 December 2012.
- ^ "Surround Yourself with Sorrow – Cilla Black : Listen, Appearances, Song Review". AllMusic. Retrieved 30 December 2012.
- ^ "Bill Martin – Songwriter Celebrity Speaker Music Publisher Producer". Billmartinsongwriter.com. 7 February 2011. Archived from the original on 26 January 2013. Retrieved 30 December 2012.
- ISBN 0823076938.
- ^ [1] Archived 17 July 2005 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ a b "Vinyl Album: The Dubliners - Plain & Simple (1973)". 45worlds.com. Retrieved 20 January 2022.
- ^ ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
- ^ Phil Coulter. "Phil Coulter – Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 31 December 2012.
- ^ "PHIL COULTER AND MUCH MORE IN... - WexfordPeople.ie". Wexford People. Wexford. 21 September 2011. Retrieved 22 November 2017.
- ^ Black, Rebecca (2 October 2015). "Phil Coulter reveals his anguish at son's Down's syndrome". Belfast Telegraph. Belfast. Retrieved 22 November 2017.
- ^ Bray, Allison (30 August 2013). "With Luke Kelly badgering me, I had to write grown-up songs - Independent.ie". Irish Independent. Dublin. Retrieved 22 November 2017.
- ^ "The Dubliners - Revolution". Discogs. October 1970. Retrieved 22 November 2017.
- ^ a b O'Rourke, Frances (16 February 2013). "He protected me from the minute we met". The Irish Times. Dublin. Retrieved 22 November 2017.
- ^ "Phil Coulter to sell the house he loved so well for over €1.2m". Derry Journal. Derry. 31 July 2012. Retrieved 22 November 2017.
- ^ "Miriam Meets..... Phil Coulter and Geraldine Brannigan". Sunday with Miriam - RTÉ Radio 1. Dublin. 24 February 2013. Retrieved 22 November 2017.
- ^ Anderson, Nicola (19 November 1998). "Performance of a lifetime for Phil and his Geraldine - Independent.ie". Irish Independent. Dublin. Retrieved 22 November 2017.
- ^ The Irish Times, 30 December 2016
- ^ "Phil Coulter makes plea for Donegal Lough". BreakingNews.ie. June 2004. Retrieved 31 December 2012.
- ^ "Forward Madison FC Signs Goalkeeper Ryan Coulter". forwardmadisonfc.com. Retrieved 20 February 2019.
- ^ "Honorary graduates conferred since 1985". Ulster University. Retrieved 3 August 2018.
- ^ "Phil Coulter, distinguished composer, performer and music ambassador receives Honorary Doctorate". Dublin Institute of Technology. Retrieved 3 August 2018.
- ^ Doyle, Simon (20 April 2018). "The Open University honours Phil Coulter". The Irish News. Irish News.
- ^ "Phil Coulter 'delighted' by Freedom of Derry honour". Daily Derry. 5 April 2022. Retrieved 6 April 2022.
- ^ a b "Phil Coulter – Music Charts". Acharts.us. Retrieved 17 October 2013.
- ^ "IRMA – Irish Charts". Irish Recorded Music Association. Retrieved 21 December 2019.
External links
- Official website
- Phil Coulter discography at Discogs