EXPERIENCE THE ENDURING LEGACY OF HORSLIPS WITH MADFISH’S NEW 5 DISC SET HORSLIPS – AT THE BBC. 4CD + DVD BOX SET COMPRISING LIVE PERFORMANCES, BBC TV FOOTAGE AND RARE ARCHIVAL MATERIAL.

Few bands have left as distinct a mark on the musical landscape as Horslips. Emerging in the early 1970s, they more or less created ‘Celtic Rock’, drawing from Irish traditional music and British/American rock, crafting a sound that was both timeless and radical.

The BBC captured the band in the 1970s and again during their unexpected Indian summer return in the 2010s. At The BBC gathers these vital recordings – spanning nearly 50 years – into one definitive collection.

Disc one begins the journey in 1973–74, landmark years in which Horslips took their fusion of mythology and musicianship to the airwaves and concert halls of Britain. Included are performances from Radio 1’s In Concert, The Old Grey Whistle Test, Radio 1’s Sounds of the 70s, 2nd House (BBC 2) and Radio 1’s John Peel Show, showcasing the group in full flight, brimming with invention and zeal.

By 1979, fresh from the inevitable hard slog of trying to conquer America, Horslips returned to Radio 1’s In Concert with a set that captured their ability to fit in with the times and the power of their live performances. Disc two continues with an unplugged ‘comeback’ session from 2010 and a BBC NI performance in 2019 of ‘Sideways to the Sun’ – written about magical Irish beings disappearing from mortal sight – which would, perhaps fittingly, prove to be their last official recording.

Disc three presents Horslips’ unique 2011 performance with the Ulster Orchestra at Belfast’s Waterfront Hall, in its previously unreleased BBC Radio Ulster broadcast mix. Including epic suites from classic albums The Táin and The Book of Invasions and fan favourites like the eight-minute ‘I’ll Be Waiting’, a showcase for late guitarist Johnny Fean (d. 2023), many – including band members – view this concert as Horslips’ finest hour (and a quarter).

Disc four is a bonus disc, comprising recently discovered 1979 ‘working mixes’ of the album Short Stories, Tall Tales, recorded at Dublin’s Windmill Lane. They offer an intimate glimpse into a band in transition, shifting from the US FM rock that had influenced recent albums towards the spikier, sharper British New Wave sound.

At The BBC is completed by a DVD bringing together clips from The Old Grey Whistle Test, 1974 documentary material and magical fan footage of two songs from the 2011 Waterfront Hall concert, synced to sparkling BBC audio.

Presented in a deluxe hardback package with rare photographs and extensive liner notes by band biographer Mark Cunningham, legendary BBC producer Jeff Griffin and curator Colin Harper, At The BBC is a celebration of a band whose influence still echoes through the decades. The mastering is shared by Eroc in Germany and band associate Cormac O’Kane who mastered More Than You Can Chew.

CD1
1. DJ Alan Black Intro
2. Setanta
3. Maeve`S Court
4. Charolais
5. The March
6. You Can`T Fool the Beast
7. The Clergy`S Lamentation
8. More Than You Can Chew
9. DJ Alan Black Announcement
10. Ferdia`S Song
11. Gae Bolga
12. Dearg Doom
13. Faster Than the Hound
14. Dearg Doom
15. Ferdia`S Song
16. More Than You Can Chew
17. Charolais
18. Maeve`S Court
19. Dearg Doom
20. Furniture
21. The Clergy`S Lamentation
22. An Bratach Ban
23. Dearg Doom
24. Knockeen-Free
25. The Silver Spear

CD2
1. DJ Alan Black Intro / the Man Who Built America
2. The Power and the Glory
3. Trouble (With a Capital `T`)
4. Loneliness
5. Sword of Light
6. Warm Sweet Breath of Love
7. Dearg Doom
8. Presenter Intro
9. Trouble (With a Capital `T`)
10. Green Star Liner
11. Sideways To the Sun
12. Documentary Including Band Interviews

CD3
1. DJ John Toal Intro / Band Intro
2. Daybreak
3. The Power and the Glory
4. Fantasia (My Lagan Love)
5. Drive the Cold Winter Away
6. Ride To Hell
7. Sideways To the Sun
8. Dusk
9. Sword of Light
10. John Toal First Half Putro
11. John Toal 2nd Half Intro / Band Intro
12. Setanta
13. Maeve`S Court
14. Charolais
15. More Than You Can Chew
16. March Into Trouble
17. Trouble (With a Capital `T`)
18. Dearg Doom
19. DJ + Band Interview
20. Rescue Me [Inc. Barry Outro]
21. Ghosts
22. King of the Fairies
23. Barry Devlin Intro
24. I`Ll Be Waiting (+ Outro Thanks)

CD4
1. Summer`S Most Wanted Girl
2. Mail Order [Aka Amazing Offer]
3. Back In My Arms
4. Rescue Me
5. Soap Opera
6. Hotel Inexpensive [Aka Law On the Run]
7. Guests of the Nation
8. The Life You Save
9. Ricochet Man
10. Unapproved Road

DVD
1. Dearg Doom
2. Faster Than the Hound
3. Charloais
4. Maeve`S Court
5. Dearg Doom + Documentary Content
6. The Man Who Built America (Promo Video + Presenter Annie Nightingale Intro)
7. Trouble (With a Capital `T`) + Interview
8. Green Star Liner + Intro
9. Sideways To the Sun + Interview
10. I`Ll Be Waiting (Ulster Hall, 17/3/11)
11. Trouble With a Capital T (Ulster Hall, 17/3/11)