Belfast Belle ( I'll tell me Ma) Lick the Tins ... vocals after 55 seconds

The Belfast Belle also known as I'll tell me Ma sung by Lick the Tins from the album Blind Man on a Flying Horse. Lick the Tins are best known for their rendition of 'I cant help falling in love with you' from the movies Some Kind of Wonderful and The Snapper. Extract from sleeve notes ....
In 1986, a quartet from London scored their one and only hit with a clever cover version of a song associated with Elvis Presley, Can't Help Falling in Love. Presley's version sold a million and was a US top 3 hit in January 1962 and reached Number One in the UK. 24 years later, the exceptional cover version by Lick the Tins didn't do quite as well as that, although it spent two months in the UK singles chart, but then Lick the Tins were almost unknown before the single was released, and returned to anonymity not long afterwards. This is their story, and this album features (almost) their entire output.

Drummer Simon Ryan was living in Kilburn, North West London, when he re-met singer/ songwriter/ guitarist Ronan Heenan, with whom he had played in an earlier group, The Almost Brothers. This very obscure combo released a 1980 single, You'll Never Make It, which remarkably made the all-important Radio One play list, but the group folded soon afterwards. Ryan also got to know a friend of Heenan's, Alison Marr - both she and Heenan came from Northern Ireland, where he had trained as a veterinary surgeon, and she as a reporter before they moved to London. Ryan was a graphic designer, who worked in the art department of Stiff Records. Alison Marr also played penny whistle, and was a devotee of traditional Irish folk music, while Ronan Heenan was more influenced by rock and blues. They were intent on combining the two traditions, an example of which was their version of Can't Help Falling in Love - when Simon Ryan heard Alison singing a Celtic version of the song, with Ronan on guitar and with Alison's penny whistle, he was intrigued and suggested they record it, as it sounded quite interesting. The trio made a demo of this song in a rehearsal studio, and Simon Ryan played it to colleagues at Stiff who told him that he should not consider giving up his day job, and should get on with designing sleeves.
Today, Simon Ryan again works as a freelance sleeve designer—the front of this album's sleeve is his work. Aidan McCroary has returned to the legal profession, although he is still recording music on his home studio. Alison Marr has just given birth to twin sons. Simon Ryan thinks it's sad that Ronan and Alison no longer play together: "Ronan's a very good songwriter and en exceptional musician, who was very serious—nothing he did was a throwaway—as was Alison. Their blend of rock & Irish was unique, like their version of Hendrix' Hey Joe". Simon is now in a new band, as yet unnamed, while Ronan is rehearsing with his younger brother with a view to playing a more blues-oriented style of music.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Belfast
• Belle
• i'll
• tell
• me
• ma
• lick
• the
• tins

[warfy59]

Whatever happened to this band. I first came across this particular track on a compilation album called Folkbeat and I was hooked.

[mkearley49]

@warfy59 I just updated the description with some information about the band.

[pan42]

Clever imagery, showing both the ugly and the beautiful of Belfast. Wonder what's the significance of the happy smiling faces of the kids, hope for the future perhaps ? And the little lad with the flag, the passing on of old hatreds ? Good version of the song too btw

[HipsyGypsy93]

Aw, yeah! At first all I could find was Can't help falling in love and now this! This is awesome.I love our wee country!

[Cordwangle2]

This takes me back. Saw Lick the Tins quite a few times when they were gigging regularly in London. They even got on the Radio 1 playlist, which was a major achievement at that time of awful DJs and wall to wall shite. It didn't happen for them and they packed it.

[pikeonfly1]

Belfast girls.....the best looking girls in the world.

[Fabzil]

Who is the girl at 1:41 ? I'd like to propose her

[HankaP]

i love this song. wanna visit belfast!

[smudger6876]

@00martinYou are 9? maybe time to watch your fecking language and spend your time getting an education. (COMPERD)

[188charlie]

I think i have just seen Rosie my X still as beautiful as ever 

[00martin1]

TERIBLE TERBILE HATE IT IM NINE AND IT IS CRAP THE CLANCYS AND TOMMY COMPERD TO THIS IS INFINTY

[zythophile]

@Malkhadra HELLOOOO you must be DEAF

[JEAARCHITX]

Great song and great version

[JeremyPCresswell]

Nice vid. My only problem is the Belfast lasses don't have fake tans, a wee lack of realism. Maybe the "orange" look is not too PC?

Ha ha, just good craic.

Happy St Pat's.