JOHN "TURPS" BURKE comes from the cathedral city of Tuam in the County Galway. A performer equally at home in the worlds of punk rock and traditional folk, he was a founder member of the internationally known SAWDOCTORS with whom he played guitar and electric mandolin, wrote and sang. Turps was one of the first punk rock fans in the West, mad for the Sex Pistols, The Ramones and The Clash, and played with his own proto-punk Tuam bands, wonderful, anarchic ad hoc ensembles with names like Blitzkrieg, The Lads and All Cats Are Grey. In 1987 he formed The Sawdoctors with his former school friends Leo Moran and Davy Carton. They quickly became the best known band in the West, and in 1990 had the biggest ever selling single in Ireland with the now classic "I USETA LOVER". Many other hits followed and Turps played a major role in these and the first two Sawdoctors albums "IF THIS IS ROCK AND ROLL IWANT MY OLD JOB BACK" and "ALL THE WAY FROM TUAM", singing lead vocals on his own songs, co-writing several others and contributing his crystal clear high harmonies and melodic mandolin/guitar/keyboard themes to the sound. Turps also Co-Produced the first biggest selling album with Philip Tennant. Around this time he also contributed backing vocals to THE WATERBOYS West-of-Ireland-recorded album "ROOM TO ROAM" at the request of his friend Mike Scott. After several successful years of touring with The Sawdoctors Turps quit the band to return to Tuam and work on his own solo music. In the summer of 1997 Turps began writing and demo-ing the set of songs that were to become his first solo album, "ILLUMINATE". The songs were written in and around Tuam and on location in Alicante, Spain. In mid 1999, assembling a group of musicians including Guitarist Thomas Niland and Cane 141 programmer,Paul Brennan, Turps began recording "ILLUMINATE" at Temptation Studios in Galway. He produced the album himself with co-producer, Galway studio pioneer Pat Neary. "ILLUMINATE" was completed in late 2000 and reflects the many sides of Turps' musical personality - full tilt rockers, funky cool groovers, acoustic ballads - all topped with his trademark sweet melodies and set in a warm contemporary atmosphere. Turps songs conjure up the imagery and beauty of his surroundings as well as his own experiences. Deep Down In The City expresses the colour and beauty of the global cultural melting pot and the luxury of having anonymity and freedom to do what you want. To Be The One was written one night at 4.30am as Turps lay awake in his bed in Alicante, just after hed met someone whom he felt may have been a soulmate. According to Turps The trumpets came first with a thumping beat and then the lyrics followed and I was dreaming of the person in questionso you could say it was as spontanious as can be! Chessboard Blues was originally called Brighter Days and is about being as authentic in daily living as one can. Featuring strings and piano, the song was written by Turps in Mike Scott of the Waterboys, West London home with Mike playing along on piano. Following the session, Turps took the cassette to Spain and finished the song off some weeks later. The album cover photograph was taken by Mike Scott (a belated thanks perhaps for those long-ago backing vocals on "Room To Roam") and the inner sleeve pictures were taken in Spain by Turps himself."ILLUMINATE" was released in Ireland to Critical Acclaim on May 25th 2001 on Solid Records.
To obtain a copy of "ILLUMINATE" The album is available at the Saw Doctors site shop. For more information on Turps click on the general info bar on the left.
New Single "Kicking Stones" available NOW!
Now available on iTunes!
For PC download from mobile: text "music 4123" to 57501
Download direct to mobile: text "music 4123 m" to 57501
OR
You can get the physical single in Tower Records, Wicklow St, (from Monday) Spin Records, The Mill SC, Clondalkin, Zhivago in Galway, Xtra Vision in Galway, Tuam, Ballinasloe, Loughrae and Topaz garages throughout Galway.
Bonus HD "Collette Collar" Video included!
To Book Identity Parade Contact: www.audionetworks.ie / info@audionetworks.ie
Phone ; + 353 1 2841223 / + 353 86 2504795
Its been a while and we thought it was about time we updated you on what we've been up to. Our debut EP Little World is now available at our gigs and will soon be available from our myspace and facebook pages, you will also be able to download it from itunes, but we don't have a release date for this as yet.
To celebrate the fact that we have now reached 25,000 plays on myspace, we are giving you a free MP3 of Rockabye Baby. All you have to do is send your email address to queen.elvis@yahoo.ie and we will send it to you.
We have spent the last year rehearsing with a full band and are now ready to bring it on the road. You can get a look at us when we appear on Balcony TV this week with the full line up. We are currently taking bookings for gigs/concerts/festivals and can be contacted on the email above, or through our myspace and facebook pages.
Thankyou for your continued support in what has been a great year for us!
Hi Turps,hope all is well.....identity parade seem to be hitting it off :-) they might yet be the new saw doctors......havnt seen the saw doctors since oxegen......Do you know if the song Galway Galway come on Galway on Padraig Stevens myspace was recorded in Endas last summer?
Hey Buddie. Please just take one minute to cut and paste the link below and cast your vote for me anywhere where you think I rank in your fav DJS,i have never asked anyone to vote for me before, i have been in the top 100 in the DJ LIST for 3 years but never in the DJ MAG version so this year with your help i would love to rectify that.
thank you in advance and i hope to see you at a show soon.
Hey Turps,I caught identity parade last friday night and they were very impressive and of course Dublin blood:)nice to see you working on young talent and must say I enjoyed hearing all the new stuff that Davy and the lads have written regards, Conall
thanks again john. are you still doing the olympia on the 24th? if not it would be great to see you in the ard ri. i'll be inviting josie anyway, if she's feeling better. talk later. mike
Hiya Turps I see Liam Mulvaney worked on that album too. An all-star cast ! Hope all's well with you. keep rockin'....and rollin' too- its no good without the roll.
CD's are also available mail order from theracketeers. com From April the album will be out in record shops in Germany on Cannery Row Records and by then it will also be available digitally from the usual outlets such as iTunes, Amazon etc...
A special request Pied Piper Never heard it live and it's been in me feckin head for more'n'a week now... aaaaagh... damn that Pearse for askin aaaaagh...
HOW YOU BEEN DOIN????? HOPE THE NEW YEAR BEEN TREATING YOU RIGHT SO FAR???? I'M AT THE INTERNET CAFE MY COMPUTER IS POORLY.. LOL HOPE TO GET IT BACK SOON TAKE CARE BUD,.. MUCH LOVE
