New sounds music to the ears of rock guru Kenny

By Declan Tierney

For many years Tuam has been the envy of the music business nationally. A relatively small country town has produced some incredible acts and artists over the past few decades so that last year it could even release its own album containing 52 iconic songs.

Of course, in terms of music The Saw Doctors have been one of the town’s greatest ever exports and have done more for Tuam’s reputation than any expensive advertising campaign could ever do. 

But even before The Sawdocs found their niche market, there were a number of cult bands in Tuam during the ‘eighties who all dipped their musical toes into the water and with some degree of success and released songs that are still highly regarded.

Many pose the question about why there seems to be such a huge talent base in Tuam – not just as regards recordings but also songwriting.

That album of 52 songs, entitled Songs from the Broken Wheel, which was released last year contained all original tracks.

The fact that there was a person and a place in Tuam where bands and individual singers could realise their ultimate dream of cutting a record, making a tape or, in the recent era of the music industry, recording a CD was a contributory factor in the town having an unprecedented musical tradition.

And, even in the past couple of years, a new breed of musicians has been emerging in Tuam – teenagers who have already hit the recording studio on more than one occasion and consequently are beginning to make names for themselves.

But when Tuam native Kenny Ralph first started recording songs as a young lad more than 40 years ago, he did not have the technology that he currently enjoys at his Sun Street Studios where many well known musicians have passed through.

Little did he realise when he was recording songs from the radio with a large boxy type tape recorder with microphone attached, that he would one day become one of the most influential musical figures in Tuam, Galway and indeed the West of Ireland.

Had the unassuming Kenny not decided to pursue a career as an engineer and producer, there is little doubt that there would not have been a compilation album containing some fascinating recordings from his native town – while many musicians would have simply ended up trying to eke a living out of playing in front of local audiences of a weekend.

Kenny’s studio is located along a quiet, narrow entrance to his home. The studio itself is about one hundred yards from his house which is located directly opposite his parent’s house which alone indicates strong family ties.

He speaks about a recent family gathering for a photograph at which four generations of Ralphs were present as he led the way into the state-of-the-art recording studio where Eric Bell of Thin Lizzy, Henry McCullough of Wings, The Saw Doctors, Sean Keane (in fact, all of the Keanes), Arty McGlynn, Mairtin O’Connor, Cathal Hayden among many others have all availed of Kenny’s professionalism.

The studio is full to the brim of CDs. One would be tempted to send Kenny away for a while in order to browse through what is there. For the purposes of the interview, he cranks up the recording equipment and switches on a couple of computer screens where an old photo of Leo Moran of The Saw Doctors comes up. He hasn’t changed much in the intervening years and the cheeky smile is very much in evidence.

Kenny recalls how he first met Joe Stephens when going to school. He was impressed by Joe Stephens because he wrote songs and performed them in the local youth club. Joe played in a band called The Power Pack with a few lads from Dunmore and Kenny used to record them on stage.

His family emigrated to London during the ‘sixties when the rock and roll era was in full swing but returned to Tuam in the early ‘seventies when he renewed his friendship with Joe Stephens and his brother Padraic who was to have a huge influence on the direction music took in Tuam.

For more, read this week's Galway City Tribune