Mellow Candle

{{Short description|Irish progressive folk rock band (1968–1973)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=May 2014}} {{Use Hiberno-English|date=May 2014}} {{Infobox musical artist  | name = Mellow Candle | image = Group_portrait_of_Mellow_Candle.jpeg | caption = | image_size = | background = group_or_band | birth_name = | alias = | origin = Ireland | instrument = | genre = Folk rock, progressive folk | occupation = | years_active = 1968–1973 | label = Deram, ACME Gramophone Company | associated_acts = | website = | current_members = * Clodagh Simonds * Alison Bools (later O'Donnell) * Maria White * David Williams * Frank Boylan * William Murray * Steve Borrill | past_members = }} '''Mellow Candle''' was an Irish progressive folk rock band, active from 1968 to 1973.<ref name=":2">{{Cite book |last1=Harper |first1=Colin |title=Irish Folk, Trad and Blues – A Secret History |last2=Hodgett |first2=Trevor |publisher=The Collins Press |year=2004 |isbn=978-1903464458 |location=Cork}}</ref> They released one studio album, ''Swaddling Songs'', in 1972. A collection of demos and sessions for the album, recorded 1969–1971, was released in 1996 as ''The Virgin Prophet''.

== History == At the time of their first single, "Feelin' High", released in 1968 on Simon Napier-Bell's Snb (2) Records,<ref name=":3" /> founding band members Clodagh Simonds, Alison Bools and Maria White were teenagers at high school. After leaving school Maria drifted away, and after a brief hiatus the band re-formed with an expanded line-up including Dave Williams (guitar), Frank Boylan (bass) and William Murray (drums). In 1972 the band released ''Swaddling Songs'', which was commercially unsuccessful at the time.<ref name=":1" />

Boylan was subsequently replaced by Steve Borrill (ex-Spirogyra).

The band split up in 1973.<ref name=":2" />

''Swaddling Songs'' has since received critical acclaim<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal |last=Young |first=Rob |date=September 2023 |title=Mellow Candle – Swaddling Songs (reissue, 1972) |url=https://www.uncut.co.uk/reviews/mellow-candle-swaddling-songs-143520/ |journal=Uncut |pages=38–41}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Lynch |first=Declan |date=2 February 2023 |title=Mellow Candle lighting up the airwaves again: Radio |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/2775350188 |access-date=4 July 2024 |work=Sunday Independent |pages=19 |id={{ProQuest|2775350188}}}}</ref> and original vinyl copies are highly collectable.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Mellow Candle – Swaddling Songs |url=https://www.discogs.com/sell/release/1095694?ev=rb |access-date=4 July 2024 |website=Discogs}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Hammond |first=Derek |date=8 May 2008 |title=Swaddling Songs {{!}} Mellow Candle |url=https://recordcollectormag.com/reviews/album/swaddling-songs}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Wheeler |first=Lisa |date=29 April 2005 |title=Positive Feedback: Calm, Cool and Collected - Bidder Pays $2,650 for Mellow Candle |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/1501482/2EBD281C3EF149B9PQ |journal=Goldmine |volume=31 |issue=9 |pages=9 |id={{ProQuest|1501482}}}}</ref> It has been re-released multiple times on various labels since 1989, including a 50th anniversary release by Deram in 2023.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Mellow Candle – Swaddling Songs |url=https://www.discogs.com/release/27469728-Mellow-Candle-Swaddling-Songs |access-date=5 July 2024 |website=Discogs}}</ref>

In 2022 the album's 50th anniversary was marked by the RTE radio documentary ''Swaddling Songs at 50.''<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Funge |first=Cathal |date=13 Jun 2022 |title=The Lyric Feature: Swaddling Songs at 50 - the story of an Irish acid folk classic |url=https://www.rte.ie/culture/2022/0608/1303399-swaddling-songs-at-50-the-story-of-an-irish-acid-folk-classic/ |access-date=3 July 2024 |website=RTE}}</ref>

==Members== thumb|Mellow Candle c.1967 * Clodagh Simonds – lead vocals, backing vocals, piano, harpsichord, mellotron * Alison Bools (later Williams, later O'Donnell) – lead vocals, backing vocals * David Williams – guitar, backing vocals * Frank Boylan – bass guitar, backing vocals (replaced by Steve Borrill) * William Murray – drums, percussion

==Discography==

=== Albums === * ''Swaddling Songs'' (Deram SDL 7, 1972)<ref>{{Cite web |title=Mellow Candle – Swaddling Songs (1972) |url=https://www.discogs.com/release/1095694-Mellow-Candle-Swaddling-Songs |access-date=3 July 2024 |website=Discogs|date=1972 }}</ref> * ''The Virgin Prophet,'' demos and sessions for ''Swaddling Songs'' recorded 1969–1971, released 1996 (Kissing Spell KSF004)<ref>{{Cite web |title=Mellow Candle – The Virgin Prophet |url=https://www.discogs.com/release/881993-Mellow-Candle-The-Virgin-Prophet |access-date=3 July 2024 |website=Discogs|date=1994 }}</ref>

=== Singles === * "Feeling High" / "Tea With The Sun" (Snb (2) 55–3645, 1968)<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |title=Mellow Candle – Feeling High / Tea With The Sun |url=https://www.discogs.com/release/4138451-Mellow-Candle-Feeling-High-Tea-With-The-Sun |access-date=3 July 2024 |website=Discogs|date=16 August 1968 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Various – Sunday Sunshine (The World Of SNB Records) |url=https://www.discogs.com/release/3878348-Various-Sunday-Sunshine-The-World-Of-SNB-Records. |access-date=3 July 2024 |website=Discogs}}</ref> * "Dan The Wing" / "Silversong" (Deram DM 357, 1972)<ref>{{Cite web |title=Mellow Candle – Dan The Wing / Silversong |url=https://www.discogs.com/release/6501820-Mellow-Candle-Dan-The-Wing-Silversong |access-date=3 July 2024 |website=Discogs|date=1972 }}</ref>

== After Mellow Candle == In the years immediately following the band's dissolution, Simonds worked with Thin Lizzy, Jade Warrior, and Mike Oldfield. Boylan played with Gary Moore, while Murray, who had previously worked with Kevin Ayers (''Whatevershebringswesing'', 1971), contributed to albums by Amazing Blondel, Mike Oldfield, and Paul Kossoff. Steve Borrill and William Murray toured with Richard and Linda Thompson.

Williams and Bools, who married in 1972, moved to South Africa, forming the band Flibbertigibbet which released the album ''Whistling Jigs To The Moon''.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Flibbertigibbet – Whistling Jigs To The Moon |url=https://www.discogs.com/release/2841279-Flibbertigibbet-Whistling-Jigs-To-The-Moon |access-date=5 July 2024 |website=Discogs|date=1978 }}</ref>

In 1991, the ''Swaddling Songs'' track "Silversong" was covered (as "Silver Song") by All About Eve as a B-side to some versions of their single "Farewell Mr. Sorrow".<ref>{{Cite web |title=All About Eve – Farewell Mr. Sorrow |url=https://www.discogs.com/release/962987-All-About-Eve-Farewell-Mr-Sorrow |access-date=3 July 2024 |website=Discogs|date=10 June 1991 }}</ref>

1996 saw the release of ''The Virgin Prophet'', a collection of previously unreleased material by the band, including demos of many of the songs on ''Swaddling Songs''. Some of these sessions featured Richard Coughlan of Caravan on drums, although his sessions do not feature on the album.

In 1999, Simonds recorded a version of Syd Barrett's setting of the James Joyce poem "Golden Hair" for Russell Mills' album, ''Pearl and Umbra''.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Russell Mills / Undark – Pearl + Umbra |url=https://www.discogs.com/release/73175-Russell-Mills-Undark-Pearl-Umbra |access-date=7 July 2024 |website=Discogs|date=1999 }}</ref>

In 2002 Simonds established her own label Janet Records, and the loose collective Fovea Hex, which released a number of recordings featuring Brian Eno, Roger Eno, film composer Carter Burwell, Andrew McKenzie of the Hafler Trio, Steven Wilson, Colin Potter (of Nurse With Wound), Robert Fripp, Percy Jones, Michael Begg, Laura Sheeran, Cora Venus Lunny, Roger Doyle, cellist Kate Ellis and others. She has also appeared on recordings by Current 93, Matmos, Steven Wilson, and Brian Eno.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Brian Eno – Foreverandevernomore |url=https://www.discogs.com/master/2823041-Brian-Eno-Foreverandevernomore |access-date=5 July 2024 |website=Discogs}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Potter |first=Jordan |date=14 October 2022 |title=Album of the Week: The voice of Brian Eno returns in 'Foreverandevernomore' |url=https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/brian-eno-voice-foreverandevernomore/ |access-date=5 July 2024 |website=Far Out}}</ref>

In 2003, Steven Malkmus included a live version of the ''Swaddling Songs'' track "Poet & The Witch" on a bonus CD accompanying his album ''Pig Lib''.<ref>{{Cite web |title=SM Jicks – Dark Wave EP |url=https://www.discogs.com/release/1327190-SM-Jicks-Dark-Wave-EP |access-date=6 July 2024 |website=Discogs|date=28 April 2003 }}</ref>

In 2006, O'Donnell was reunited with Dave Williams and Frank Boylan on the album ''Mise Agus Ise''.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Mise agus Ise |url=https://alisonodonnell.bandcamp.com/album/mise-agus-ise |access-date=3 July 2024 |website=Bandcamp}}</ref> She followed this with the 2008 EP ''The Fabric of Folk'', a collaboration with English folk/rock band The Owl Service,<ref>{{Cite web |last1=O'Donnell |first1=Alison |last2=Ní Chuireáin |first2=Isabel |title=Mise agus Ise |url=https://alisonodonnell.bandcamp.com/album/the-fabric-of-folk-redux |access-date=3 July 2024 |website=Bandcamp}}</ref> and her debut solo album ''Hey Hey Hippy Witch'' (Floating World, 2009).<ref>{{Cite web |last=O'Donnell |first=Alison |title=Hey Hey Hippy Witch |url=https://alisonodonnell.bandcamp.com/album/hey-hey-hippy-witch}}</ref> Subsequently, she continued to release a wide variety of mostly collaborative recordings.{{cn|date=March 2025}}

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== *[http://www.janetrecords.com/mc/ Mellow Candle] in ''Irish Folk, Trad and Blues – A Secret History'' (Harper & Hodgett, 2004) *[https://www.rte.ie/radio/lyricfm/the-lyric-feature/stories/2022/0608/1303659-swaddling-songs-at-50-the-lyric-feature/ ''Swaddling Songs at 50 | The Lyric Feature''] at RTÉ lyric fm * [https://www.psychedelicbabymag.com/2016/03/mellow-candle-interview-with-clodag.html Interview] with Clodagh Simonds and Alison O'Donnell at ''It's Psychedelic Baby'' * [https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m0014f3r Interview] with Clodagh Simonds on ''Peel Acres'' with Tom Ravenscroft * [https://janetrecords.com Janet Records] *[http://www.alisonodonnell.com/ Alison O'Donnell's website] *[https://www.irishrock.org/irodb/bands/mellowcandle.html Mellow Candle] at [https://www.irishrock.org irishrock.org] *[https://www.irishshowbands.net/bgmellow.htm Mellow Candle] at [https://www.irishshowbands.net/ irishshowbands.net]

Category:Psychedelic folk groups Category:Irish folk music groups Category:Irish rock music groups Category:Musical groups from Dublin (city) Category:Deram Records artists Category:People from Killiney Category:1960s in Irish music Category:1970s in Irish music