After many months (if not years !) of waiting, the definitive work on Irish music is about to be released. Written by journalist Colin Harper, one of the foremost authorities on the genre, the book is called 'Irish Folk, Trad and Blues : A Secret History' and will appear in October although it is available for pre-ordering from www. amazon.co.uk already. It promises some very tempting morsels including an 11,000 word feature on Sweeney's Men, the extended version of the sleeve notes Colin wrote for the Woods Band re-release and of course, material on Gay herself. The whole book weighs in at a hefty 430 pages with 130 photographs !  It will be launched with a concert at the 'Belfast Festival at Queen's (University)' on November 5th billed as an evening of Irish blues legends and featuring Brush Shiels (ex Skid Row) and his bandwith guests Henry McCullough (ex Sweeney's Men, Wings etc) and Jackie McAuley (ex Them) plus unadvertised guest spots from Alison O'Donnell and Janet Holmes.August 2004

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After many months (if not years !) of waiting, the definitive work on Irish music is about to be released. Written by journalist Colin Harper, one of the foremost authorities on the genre, the book is called 'Irish Folk, Trad and Blues : A Secret History' and will appear in October although it is available for pre-ordering from www. amazon.co.uk already. It promises some very tempting morsels including an 11,000 word feature on Sweeney's Men, the extended version of the sleeve notes Colin wrote for the Woods Band re-release and of course, material on Gay herself. The whole book weighs in at a hefty 430 pages with 130 photographs !  It will be launched with a concert at the 'Belfast Festival at Queen's (University)' on November 5th billed as an evening of Irish blues legends and featuring Brush Shiels (ex Skid Row) and his bandwith guests Henry McCullough (ex Sweeney's Men, Wings etc) and Jackie McAuley (ex Them) plus unadvertised guest spots from Alison O'Donnell and Janet Holmes.August 2004
'BEST OF GAY AND TERRY WOODS' RELEASED AT LAST !
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Lake Songs From Red Waters : The Best of Gay and Terry Woods has finally been released by Hux Records. The album is the culmination of over a year of effort by the label to extract the tracks from the licence holders Polygram who issued them originally on  Polydor back in the 1970's.This big twenty track compilation features the very best cuts from the first three albums - 'Backwoods', 'The Time Is Right' and 'Renowned' as selected by John O'Regan, the Irish journalist and writer in conjunction with the duo themselves. John, a lifetime fan of Gay and Terry's music,  has also added some very extensive and incisive sleeve notes and the CD is illustrated by the photographs of an old friend of the couple. The cover image portrays the two walking by the 'red river' of the title.
The release of the disc is a major step for the pioneering folk/rock duo, not least because it covers the early part of their career that has not been available anywhere on CD before. The remastering of these classic tracks leaves them "naked and raw" according to Gay Woods herself and listening to the album should be a whole new experience to those used to the lower grade vinyl records originally released. Both artists are thrilled with the reissue - Terry Woods (now back on the road again with the original Woods Band line-up) admitted he had personally tried to make the catalogue available but unsuccessfully." Since these recordings were made, much has changed and I've been suprised at how well the tunes still sound. Hux have done a very good job with the mastering". The fact that both artists had a big input into the release and that a high profile writer and fan like John O'Regan was prepared to give the project his support shows how well the collection has been handled. Hux, as they did previously with Gay's Auto Da Fe reissue, have taken infinate time and care both with the recordings themselves (in selection and remastering) and the packaging. This is a long-awaited compilation and no one will be disappointed.june2003
To celebrate the arrival of the album, we have put together three pages about it with comment from John O'Regan and Gay herself.


Check out the tracklisting and buy CD online
Read Gay's memories of the times
Read John   O'Regan's memories of Gay and Terry
SIMPATICO !
Following the concert for Finn  a commemorative CD has been released featuring the artists that played on the two nights. Auto Da Fe have donated their track 'Good For Nothing' (which actually features Finn on guitar) A full tracklisting is available on the Dervish website.Its worth noting the CD sleeve actually lists 'Round the Twist' as Auto's track but it plays the song listed above
THE GIG
was a great success with Auto Da Fe reuniting (Padraig Meehan of the 'Nervous Animals' sitting in on guitar') to play four songs - Round the Twist, The Merchant, All is Yellow and November November.
more details on the gigs page
WOODS BAND ON SWEENEY'S ALBUM.
Sanctuary have just released a huge 2CD compilation of ALL the studio recordings of Sweeney's Men 1967 - 1969 called The Legend of Sweeney's Men The album also includes guest appearances on Capital Showband singles of the period and a selection of post-Sweeney and related tracks. For example, there's two tracks from the first Steeleye album - Lowlands of Holland and Dark-Eyed Sailor which, of course, feature both Terry and Gay Woods. There is also the original version of Dreams from the Woods Band's record. 'Mojo' magazine has just published a version of the Colin Harper article on the group from his forthcoming book mentioned above. The Legend of Sweeney's Men is available online from Musikfolk. August 2004
Buy the album online
LONG AWAITED IRISH MUSIC HISTORY ARRIVES
NEW BBC DOCUMENTARY
The BBC is working on a new three part TV documentary on the history of English and Irish folk music. The series will feature contemporary interviews with the major players on the scene,past and present. Gay has been asked to be in it and we will bring you details if she is.
June 2005
NO NEWS ?
With Gay less active in the music industry than previously there are correspondingly less stories to report. However, it is hope that this site will increase in size as a resource celebrating her great career. We are therefore constantly on the look-out for your old pictures, record sleeves, memories etc from any of the bands she has been in. Please keep sending them in. Gay personally checks the guestbook as well so please feel free to leave your messages for her there.

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