Hothouse Flowers – The Older We Get – The London Years

Hothouse Flowers seem to be blooming again with a recent successful tour focusing on their first two hit albums People and Home and now this extensive box set comprising all their recordings for London Records from 1988 to 1998. Classic songs like Don’t Go, I’m Sorry, Hallelujah Jordan, Movies, Sweet Marie and their iconic cover of I Can See Clearly Now are the soundtrack for many in the late 80’s and early 90’s. They are all included here with their first four albums up to Born in 1998 plus numerous other B-Sides, remixes, bonus tracks, live songs and many previously unreleased demos across 8 glorious discs, celebrating this unique Irish band who melded together Irish folk, rock, blues, pop and other styles in an intoxicating mix.

The booklet in this clam box set includes informative and extensive liner notes from Fiachna Ó Braonáin of the band in which he traces their history from busking on the streets of Dublin in the mid-80’s, which led U2’s label, Mother Records, giving them a chance with a one-off single release of Love Don’t Work This Way, right up to their last London Records in 1998  Born. My first memory of Hothouse Flowers when they appeared in the interval of the Eurovision Song Contest playing Don’t Go – easily the best song of the evening, which left a deep impression on me and seemingly millions of others as it propelled Hothouse Flowers to their highest ever chart position in the U.K. and opened up an international audience for them.

Their debut album People was released in May 1988 in the U.K. and eventually reached number 2, not bad for a previously unknown Irish band! However, when one hears the excellence, diversity and style of that album it’s easy to understand why they made such a tremendous early impact. Recorded with top class producer Clive Langer, People, feels polished and confident, helped by Langer being able to recruit class acts like Jimmy Helms and Jimmy Chambers for the memorable backing vocals of Don’t Go, and the legendary Claudia Fontaine providing class backing vocals throughout the album, especially on the titanic Feet on the Ground. Fiachna Ó Braonáin interestingly shares in the liner notes that when they felt a block in the studio Langer took them to the pub, and they returned to do a coruscating recording of Feet on the Ground in one take, which later got to Number 1 in Ireland… and is very much Hothouse Flowers echoing the apocalyptic power of U2’s Bullet the Blue Sky. Of course, the success of Hothouse Flowers owed much more than a decent producer. With a front man as charismatic and talented as Liam Ó Maonlaí they were always in with a chance with his ability to perform folk tunes, Gaelic poems, Blues ballads, Blue eyed soul and straight ahead Rock with equal aplomb. Alongside him the dextrous musical talents of Fiachna Ó Braonáin and Peter O’Toole, seemingly at ease with virtually any style they desired to draw into their musical palette, meant that this band had a strong musical foundation and a real sense of Soul. Jerry Fehily gave them real swing on the drums and the icing on the top was the excellent saxophonist Leo Barnes who added pizzazz and brio to the whole show. He left the band in 1994, and 1998’s Born, the final album on this set, certainly misses his deft touch and style. Sadly he died in 2022.

Home soon followed in 1990 and the hits continued to roll in, including a bubbling Give it Up, the smoothly flowing and evocative Movies, and a great soulful cover of Johnny Nash’s I Can See Clearly Now, with many not realising that their fine cover is not the original version. The L.A. Times described Home as containing their ‘distinctive gospel based rave ups’. Leo Barnes is in particularly effervescent and soulful form on sax, especially on Christchurch Bells, and Liam Ó Maonlaí really swings on the piano, particularly on the rollocking Give it Up. Langer and Clive Winstanley produced this polished gem of an album, once again drafting in some classy side musicians, such as percussionist Luis Jardim (whom Marillion have taken on tour in recent years.) Such was their success Hothouse Flowers had to record on the road as they toured the world. This included dropping into the stellar producer Daniel Lanois, who worked with Bob Dylan and U2. In his New Orleans studio they rather rapidly wrote and recorded the country soul of Shut Up and Listen, which when you know where it was created, oozes Delta soul through their own unique lens. In New Orleans, they also recorded with their live sound engineer, Norman Verso, the hard driving Hardstone City and the swinging Giving it All Away. These guys seemed capable of going anywhere and singing anything such was their versatility and talent. The success of Home continued to fuel the Hothouse Flowers machine for a couple more years of international touring, but in hindsight those first two albums were their career high point in terms of sales and popularity… but what great high points! The B-Sides and bonus tracks associated with those first two albums are a treasure trove of hidden gems, such as the Irish folk of Carrickfergus or the staggering shimmering blues swagger of Nina Simone’s See-Line Woman, which was a great feature of their early shows. Indeed, Hothouse Flowers had great skills when taking on covers of other artists and the B-Sides also include an impassioned version of Strange Feeling by Tim Buckley, amongst many others in this boxset.

The Bonus tracks on disc 2 include  some unreleased live tracks from 1988 recorded in Manchester and Berlin. The Manchester live tracks show that the Hothouse Flowers were clearly a very skilled and energetic live act. The Berlin live tracks are of a somewhat lower quality in terms of recording, almost bootleg in quality (albeit a high quality ‘boot’). However, the main positives of these tracks are the appearance of rare tracks such as Freedom and Willy, which is as silly as the title suggests (just how many things can you get to rhyme with ‘Willy’ ?!) The live tracks on disc 4, recorded in 1988 in Dublin, Edinburgh in 1990 and Melbourne in 1991 highlight their great live performances, and just how travelled they were in that period. The rumbustious If You’re Happy from Dublin in 1988 is almost infectious with excitement.

Hothouse Flowers were a hard working live band in the early 90’s and many of the songs for their third album Songs from the Rain were again written on the move or in live rehearsals. The changing style of the band meant that Leo Barnes’ saxophone was much less to the fore although he did provide Hammond organ and Wurlitzer – however, this was to be Leo Barnes final album with the band. Liam and Peter from the band went to meet the Texan songwriter, Will Jennings in Los Angeles and they co-wrote the country soul inspired Gypsy Fair with him. Similarly, Dave Stewart travelled to Dublin and together they wrote and recorded the twanging broodiness of An Emotional Time, commencing with falsetto vocals from Liam, and the sprightly This is it (Your Soul). The beauty of a comprehensive re-release like The Older We Get: The London Years is that it gives you the chance to listen again and re-evaluate an album which you may not have considered enough ‘back in the day’. I was a keen Hothouse Flowers fan in the late 80’s and early 90’s, which coincided with the early ‘courtship years with my fiancé and then wife, so there will always be very fond memories associated with those two initial albums. However, Songs from the Rain did not greatly impact upon me in 1993… but looking back now I realise that this also coincided with the birth of my first son so life changed dramatically – nappies and the joys of parenthood presumably greatly distracted this listener, which is a pity as listening back now it is clear that Songs from the Rain is a high quality album and that Hothouse Flowers were clearly trying to evolve their style. An Emotional Time exudes great feeling whilst One Tongue, featuring the trumpet of Hugh Masekela, rolls along joyously. This album is shot through with tremendous songs such as the gradually building splendour of Isn’t it Amazing and the chiming, cascading joy of Thing of Beauty is a great… well, thing of beauty! In contrast the understated simplicity of Your Nature charms and beguiles you with its grace and subtlety. Sometimes less really is more.

The quality of the B-Sides and bonus tracks continues to be high on disc 6, although it has to be said that on the whole they do not reach the heights of similar tracks associated with their first two albums. This disc does contain two curiosities in the shape of covers of iconic songs by iconic artists – Elvis’ Suspicious Minds and Dylan’s Forever Young. Needless to say, this talented band pull off decent renditions of these songs, with an initially almost hymnal Forever Young sounding particularly fresh and played so well. A smouldering and restrained version of James Brown’s classic This is a Man’s World is presented with great effect on disc 7. Hothouse Flowers have a good history of covers and could easily just release an album of their covers. Similarly, Hothouse Flowers combine with The Dubliners to cover Bette Midler’s The Rose on disc 3. Through their career Hothouse Flowers have also collaborated with the Indigo Girls, Michelle Shocked, Luka Bloom, Tim Finn (of Crowded House) and even Def Leppard – such a diverse range of artists illustrates their wide appeal and the respect in which they are held… and a compilation of such collaborations would be fascinating as most of them do not appear on this comprehensive box set, presumably as they were not recorded or London Records.

Fiachna Ó Braonáin explains in the liner notes that the band took a much needed break of two years in the mid-90’s after years of touring, and changing lives with parenthood duties also calling. They gathered together to record Born in 1998 and things were decidedly different with the departure of Leo Barnes and a distinct change in direction. This album was punctuated with electronic loops and effects, with a much sharper, almost metallic edge at times, particularly on the thumping title track. In truth Born does feel like a band who are reaching for something new but not quite accomplishing this fully, and the clash of modern electronics and effects with their more organic roots and trademark style does not always sit comfortably.

The final disc of unreleased demos is particularly interesting as it gives a glimpse into the embryonic form of some of these songs. There are some songs which though brave in intention probably should have been left unreleased such as a painful Prince pastiche in the appropriately named Hurtin’ or the monotonous drone of Junk Food, which has an uncanny resemblance to U2’s Numb. Thankfully, these small slip-ups are very much in the minority as the vast majority of these songs are of a very high and entertaining quality. There is a sense of ‘completist’ on this set which some may crave, but I am not sure we needed ‘single versions’ of songs literally only a few seconds shorter than the album version already on the disc. These are minor quibbles because overall this is a class release.

If you are or were a Hothouse Flowers fan then this boxset is virtually a ‘must buy’ – there have been a couple of compilations over these years, but those barely scratch the surface of this band’s great discography in that period. Even if you were only casually interested in their material ‘back in the day’, or not at all, this is still very much a collection worth hearing. The Older We Get: The London Years underlines the outstanding quality and charisma of this band. There was something truly special about this band in that golden period. Re-live the hits and discover much more about this versatile and multi-talented band of rock and folk minstrels. The Older We Get is certainly worth getting!

TRACK LISTING
DISC ONE: People plus Bonus Tracks
01. I’m Sorry (3:36)
02. Don’t Go (3:49)
03. Forgiven (3:22)
04. It’ll Be Easier In The Morning (3:36)
05. Halleluah Jordan (3:08)
06. If You Go (5:04)
07. The Older We Get (4:46)
08. Yes I Was (3:15)
09. Love Don’t Work This Way (3:45)
10. Ballad Of Katie (6:11)
11. Feet On The Ground (3:28)
12. Lonely Lane(4:23)
13. Saved (3:37)
~ Bonus tracks:
14. Don’t Go (Single Version) (3:30)
15. Better And Better (4:28)
16. Don’t Go (Live Acoustic Version) (4:02)
17. Big Fat Heart (3:22)
18. Hydroman (4:51)

DISC TWO: Bonus Tracks
01. Don’t Go (Extended Version) (6:30)
02. Feet On The Ground (Size 12 Mix) (6:38)
03. Hard Rain (4:01)
04. Strange Feeling (4:43)
05. Carrickfergus (4:24)
06. Seeline Woman (4:32)
07. Mountains (2:43)
08. Love Don’t Work This Way (Live, International, Manchester, June 1988) (4:23)
09. The Older We Get (Live, International, Manchester, June 1988) (4:52)
10. Yes I Was (Live, International, Manchester, June 1988) (3:22)
11. If You’re Happy (Live, International, Manchester, June 1988) (5:26)
12. Hydroman (Live, Berlin, 1987) (Previously Unreleased) (5:32)
13. Freedom (Live, Berlin, 1987) (Previously Unreleased) (4:40)
14. Willy (Live, Berlin, 1987) (Previously Unreleased) (3:35)
15. Hard Rain (Live, Berlin, 1987) (Previously Unreleased) (4:28)
16. Don’t Go (Live, Berlin, 1987) (Previously Unreleased) (4:14)

DISC THREE: Home plus Bonus Tracks
01. Hardstone City (3:46)
02. Give It Up (3:31)
03. Christchurch Bells (3:52)
04. Sweet Marie (6:06)
05. Giving It All Away (3:50)
06. Shut Up And Listen (4:08)
07. I Can See Clearly Now (4:53)
08. Movies (4:39)
09. Eyes Wide Open (3:15)
10. Water (4:10)
11. Home (4:28)
12. Trying To Get Through (4:25)
13. Dance To The Storm (4:14)
14. Seoladh Na N’gamhna (0:45)
~ Bonus tracks:
15. Give It Up (Edit) (3:13)
16. I Can See Clearly Now (Single Version) (4:10)
17. Movies (Single Version) (3:54)
18. Hardstone City (Short Version) (3:25)
19. The Rose (Featuring The Dubliners) (4:45)

DISC FOUR: B-Sides & Live
01. If You’re Happy (Live At The Rds Stadium, Dublin, Sept 88) (5:59)
02. Bean Phaidin (Live At The Rds Stadium, Dublin, Sept 88) (1:23)
03. If You Go (Live At The Rds Stadium, Dublin, Sept 88) (8:27)
04. Kansas City (Live) (3:39)
05. Better Days Ahead (Live) (5:01)
06. Strange Feeling (Live) (5:04)
07. I Can See Clearly Now (Live, Edinburgh Playhouse, May 90) (5:51)
08. Eyes Wide Open (Live, Edinburgh Playhouse, May 90) (3:56)
09. Hardstone City (Live, Edinburgh Playhouse, May 90) (3:58)
10. Shut Up And Listen (Live, Edinburgh Playhouse, May 90) (6:09)
11. Giving It All Away (Live, Australia, Feb 91) (5:42)
12. Halleluah Jordan (Live, Australia, Feb 91) (4:32)
13. Christchurch Bells (Live, Australia, Feb 91) (5:39)
14. Si Do Mhamo I (Live, Australia, Feb 91) (3:34)

DISC FIVE: Songs From The Rain plus Bonus Tracks
01. This Is It (Your Soul) (3:53)
02. One Tongue (4:30)
03. An Emotional Time (4:29)
04. Be Good (3:53)
05. Good For You (4:05)
06. Isn’t It Amazing (5:49)
07. Thing Of Beauty (5:27)
08. Your Nature (5:08)
09. Spirit Of The Land (4:19)
10. Gypsy Fair (3:51)
11. Stand Beside Me (6:34)
~ Bonus tracks:
12. An Emotional Time (Single Version) (3:47)
13. Thing Of Beauty (Edit) (3:55)
14. One Tongue (Single Version) (4:04)
15. One Tongue (Remix) (5:16)

DISC SIX: B-Sides & Extra Tracks
01. The Seasons Wheels (5:26)
02. Help Us Make Our Peace (4:16)
03. Song Of Ecuador (4:37)
04. Air From The Hills (3:36)
05. Banished Misfortune (2:23)
06. Let The Rhythm Take You Home (3:19)
07. Carry On (3:38)
08. Thank You For Believing (4:52)
09. The Rebel (3:46)
10 Same Song (4:02)
11. Wish You Everything (4:14)
12. The Rain (3:49)
13. Of The People (4:26)
14. The Well (5:20)
15. Let Him Know (4:34)
16. Getting Too Much (4:38)
17. Suspicious Minds (5:34)
18. Forever Young (5:48)

DISC SEVEN: Born plus Bonus Tracks
01. You Can Love Me Now (4:16)
02. Turn Up The Reverb (4:11)
03. Forever More (4:10)
04. Born (3:53)
05. Pop Song (3:33)
06. Used To Call It Love (4:22)
07. At Last (5:24)
08. Find The Time (4:44)
09. I Believe (4:23)
10. Learning To Walk (4:20)
~ Bonus tracks:
11. You Can Love Me Now (Radio Edit) (3:26)
12. It’s A Man’s Man’s World (4:04)
13. Love Don’t Work This Way (‘98 Version) (4:26)
14. Turn Up The Reverb (Demo Version) (Previously Unreleased) (4:11)
15. Born (Demo Version) (Previously Unreleased) (4:37)
16. I Believe (Demo Version) (Previously Unreleased) (4:36)

DISC EIGHT: Demo Versions (Previously Unreleased)
01. Movies (5:00)
02. Water (3:42)
03. Shut Up And Listen (5:30)
04. Let Him Know (4:26)
05. Hardstone City (4:34)
06. Help Us Make Our Peace (5:51)
07. Spirit Of The Land (4:47)
08. The Well (5:18)
09. He Who Was (5:16)
10. Changing Tides (4:51)
11. Angel Friend (5:06)
12. Getting Too Much (4:39)
13. Thing Of Beauty (6:14)
14. Hurtin’ (3:58)
15. Junk Food (4:18)
16. Go Maith (5:18)

MUSICIANS
Liam Ó Maonlaí – Vocals, Piano, Guitar, Bodhran
Fiachna Ó Braonáin – Guitar, Backing Vocals
Peter O’Toole – Bass, Guitar, Mandolin, Bouzouki, Backing Vocals
Jerry Fehily – Drums & Percussion (until 1998)
Leo Barnes – Saxophone, Hammond Organ, Backing Vocals (until 1994)
Wayne Sheey – Bass (‘Born’ tracks from 1998)
Robbie Malone – Drums (‘Born’ tracks from 1998)
~ With:
There are way too many guest musicians across these discs to list individually

ADDITIONAL INFO
Record Label: Cherry Red Records
Country of Origin: IE
Date of Release: 30^th May 2025

DISCOGRAPHY
– People (1988)
– Home (1990)
– Songs from the Rain (1993)
– Born (1998)
– Live (1999)
– The Best of Hothouse Flowers (2000) (Compilation)
– Into Your Heart (2004)
– Hothouse Flowers – The Platinum Collection (2006) (Compilation)
– Goodnight Sun (Live) (2010)
– Let’s Do This Thing (2016)
– The Older We Get – The London Years (2025) (Compilation)

LINKS
Hothouse Flowers – Website | Facebook | Bandcamp | Info at Cherry Red Records