Roddy Doyle - The Barrytown Trilogy 01 The Commitments

The Commitments Roddy Doyle Barrytown #1 This funky, rude, unpretentious first novel traces the short, funny, and furious career of a group of working-class Irish kids who form a band, The Commitments. Their mission: to bring soul to Dublin! Roddy Doyle The Commitments Thanks to Mick Boland, John Condon, Enda Farrelly, Darren Gallagher, Louise Hamilton, Caroline Jones, Lorraine Jones, Kenneth Keegan, Kevin McDonald, Brian McGinn, Jimmy Murray and Michael Sherlock. This book is a work of fiction and the characters and events all came out of the authors own head. Any resemblance to real events, places, or people, living or dead or both, is purely coincidental. This book is dedicated to my mother and father Honour thy parents, Brothers and Sisters. They were hip to the groove too once you know.

Parents are soul. Joey The Lips Fagan Acknowledgments When a Man Loves a Woman,words and music by C. Lewis/A. Wright, 1966 Pronto Music Inc./Quinvy Music Publishing Company; and Knock on Wood,words and music by Eddie Floyd/Steve Cropper, 1966 East Publishers Inc., reproduced by kind permission of Warner Bros Music Limited. Superbad,words and music by James Brown, 1970 Crited Music; Get Up, I Feel Like Being a Sex Machine,words and music by James Brown/Bobby Byrd/Ronald L. Lenhoff, 1970 Dynatone Publishing Co.; and Its a Mans Mans Mans World,words and music by James Brown/Betty Mewsome, 1966 Dynatone Publishing Co., reproduced by kind permission of Intersong Music Limited.

Out of Sight,words and music by James Brown, and Night Train,words and music by Washington/Simpkins/Forrest, reproduced by kind permission of Carlin Music Corp. Walking in the Rain,words and music by Spector/Mann/Weil, 1964 Screen Gems-EMI Music Inc., USA, sub-published by Screen Gems-EMI Music Ltd, London WC2H OLD. Reproduced by permission. Ill Feel a WholeLot Better,words and music by Gene Clark, 1965 Lakeview Music Publishing Co. Limited, 19/20 Poland Street, London W1V 3DD. International Copyright Secured.

All Rights Reserved. Used by Permission. Reach Out Ill Be There,words by B. Holland. L. Dozier, E.

Holland, 1966 Jobete Music Co., Inc, JOBETE MUSIC (UK) LTD. All Rights Reserved. Used by Permission. International Copyright Secured. What Becomes of the Broken Hearted?,words by P. Dean, W. Dean, W.

Weatherspoon, 1966 Jobete Music Co., Inc, JOBETE MUSIC (UK) LTD. All Rights Reserved. Used by Permission. International Copyright Secured. Chain Gang,words and music by Sam Cooke, reprinted by permission of ABKCO Music Ltd. SOMETIMES I FEEL SO NICE GOOD GOD I JUMP BACK I WANNA KISS MYSELF! I GOT SOUOUOUL AN IM SUPERBAD James Brown, Superbad Well ask Jimmy, said Outspan.Jimmyll know.

Jimmy Rabbitte knew his music. He knew his stuff alright. Youd never see Jimmy coming home from town without a new album or a 12-inch or at least a 7-inch single. Jimmy ate Melody Maker and the NME every week and Hot Press every two weeks. He listened to Dave Fanning and John Peel. He even read his sisters Jackie when there was no one looking.

So Jimmy knew his stuff. The last time Outspan had flicked through Jimmys records hed seen names like Microdisney, Eddie and the Hot Rods, Otis Redding, The Screaming Blue Messiahs, Scraping Foetus off the Wheel (Foetus, said Outspan.Thats the little young fella inside the woman, isnt it? Yeah, said Jimmy. Aah, thats fuckin horrible, tha is.); groups Outspan had never heard of, never mind heard. Jimmy even had albums by Frank Sinatra and The Monkees. So when Outspan and Derek decided, while Ray was out in the jacks, that their group needed a new direction they both thought of Jimmy. Jimmy knew what was what.

Jimmy knew what was new, what was new but wouldnt be for long and what was going to be new. Jimmy had Relax before anyone had heard of Frankie Goes to Hollywood and hed started slagging them months before anyone realized that they were no good. Jimmy knew his music. Outspan, Derek and Rays group, And And And, was three days old; Ray on the Casio and his little sisters glockenspiel, Outspan on his brothers acoustic guitar, Derek on nothing yet but the bass guitar as soon as hed the money saved. Will we tell Ray? Derek asked. Yeah. Yeah.

Better not. Yet annyway. Outspan was trying to work his thumb in under a sticker, This Guitar Kills Fascists, his brother, an awful hippy, had put on it. Theres the flush, he said.Hes comin back. Well see Jimmy later. They were in Dereks bedroom.

Ray came back in. I was thinkin there, he said.I think maybe we should have an exclamation mark, yeh know, after the second And in the name. Wha? Itd be And And exclamation mark, righ?And. Itd look deadly on the posters. Outspan said nothing while he imagined it. Whats an explanation mark? said Derek.

Yeh know, said Ray. He drew a big one in the air. Oh yeah, said Derek.An where dyeh want to put it again? And And, He drew another one.And. Is it not supposed to go at the end?It should go up his arse, said Outspan, picking away at the sticker. * * * Jimmy was already there when Outspan and Derek got to the Pub. Hows it goin, said Jimmy.

Howyeh, Jim, said Outspan. Howayeh, said Derek. They got stools and formed a little semicircle at the bar. Been ridin annythin since I seen yis last? Jimmy asked them. No way, said Outspan.Weve been much too busy for tha sort o thing. Isnt tha righ? Yeah, thats righ, said Derek.

Puttin the finishin touches to your album? said Jimmy. Puttin the finishin touches to our name, said Outspan. Wha are yis now? And And exclamation mark, righ?And, said Derek. Jimmy grinned a sneer. Fuck, fuck, exclamation mark, me. I bet I know who thought o tha.

Therell be a little face on the dot, righ, Outspan explained. An yeh know the line on the top of it? Thats the dots fringe. Black an whie or colour? Dont know. Its been done before, Jimmy was happy to tell them.Ska. Madness, The Specials. Little black an whie men.I told yis, he hasnt a clue.

Yeah, said Outspan. He owns the synth though, said Derek. Does he call tha fuckin yoke a synth? said Jimmy. Annyway, no one uses them annymore. Its back to basics. Just as well, said Outspan.Cos weve fuck all else.

Wha tracks are yis doin? Jimmy asked. Tha one, Masters and Servants. Depeche Mode? Yeah. Outspan was embarrassed. He didnt know why. He didnt mind the song.

But Jimmy had a face on him. Its good, tha, said Derek.The words are good, yeh knowgood. Its just fuckin art school stuff, said Jimmy. That was the killer argument, Outspan knew, although he didnt know what it meant. Derek did. Hang on, Jimmy, he said.Thats not fair now.

The Beatles went to art school. Thats different. Me hole it is, said Derek.An Roxy Music went to art school an you have all their albums, so yeh can fuck off with yourself. Jimmy was fighting back a redner. I didnt mean it like tha, he said.Its not the fact tha they went to fuckin art school thats wrong with them. Its(Jimmy was struggling.)more to do with(Now he had something.)the way their stuff, their songs like, are aimed at gits like themselves.

Wankers with funny haircuts. An rich das. An fuck all else to do all day cept prickin around with synths. Tha sounds like me arse, said Outspan.But Im sure youre righ. Wha else dyis do? Nothin yet really, said Derek.Ray wants to do tha one, Louise. Its easy.

Human League? Yeah. Jimmy pushed his eyebrows up and whistled. They agreed with him. Jimmy spoke.Why exactlydyis want to be in a group? Wha dyeh mean? Outspan asked. He approved of Jimmys question though. It was getting to what was bothering him, and probably Derek too.

Why are yis doin it, buyin the gear, rehearsin? Why did yis form the group? Well Money? No, said Outspan.I mean, itd be nice. But Im not in it for the money. I amnt either, said Derek. The chicks? Jaysis, Jimmy! The brassers, yeh know wha I mean. The gee. Is tha why? No, said Derek.

The odd ride now an again would be alrigh though wouldnt it? said Outspan. Ah yeah, said Derek.But wha Jimmys askin is is tha the reason we got the group together. To get our hole. No way, said Outspan. Why then? said Jimmy. Hed an answer ready for them.