ON SAINT Stephen’s Day, TG4 will broadcast Steven Lock’s 1991 TV documentary on The Saw Doctors - Sing A Powerful Song - just after the Connacht versus Ulster rugby match.
The documentary, which was produced by Granada TV, was first shown on RTE 1 on Christmas Day 1991 and on Channel 4 on New Year’s Day 1992.
Sing A Powerful Song traces the rise of The Saw Doctors from the back room of The Jersey Bar in Tuam, to the Number 1 chart success of the band’s single ‘I Useta Lover’ in Ireland in September 1990. It features interviews with the five young band members - Davy Carton, Leo Moran, Pearse Doherty, John ‘Turps’ Burke, and drummer John Donnelly - as they record their debut album, If This Is Rock And Roll, I Want My Old Job Back.
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Photo:- Frank Miller
The documentary also includes live footage from the Doc’s 1991 concert at the West’s Awake festival in Tuam Stadium, when their fathers made guest appearances on stage during the ‘Hay Wrap’ encore.
Sing A Powerful Song will be shown at 7.40pm on TG4 on St Stephen’s Day, Sunday December 26. Following broadcast, it will be available on the TG4 Player for a month: https://www.tg4.ie/en/player/watch-live/home
New Year’s Day broadcast
On New Year’s Day, Saturday January 1 at 12 noon, RTÉ Radio 1 will broadcast a new documentary by Ann Marie Kelly to mark the 30th anniversary of If This Is Rock And Roll, I Want My Old Job Back.
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Today Tuam, tomorrow the world! The Docs in 1991. Photo:- Frank Miller
The album was released on Solid Records in May 1991 and went to No 1 in the Irish albums charts. It features new interviews with Davy, Leo, Turps, Pearse, and Johnny, recalling their time making the album in Loco Studios in Wales in 1990. Mike Scott of The Waterboys, who produced the song ’N17’ , is also interviewed in his Dublin studio by Ann Marie for the hour long documentary.
Universal Music have released a double vinyl album of The Saw Doctors greatest hits collection To Win Just Once. It is available on appropriately maroon vinyl via https://lnk.to/ToWinJustOnce
