On the 30th anniversary of their debut album Paradise in the Picturehouse, The Stunning have today re-released the classic album on vinyl, accompanied by a beautifully crafted songbook.
Visit www.thestunning.net to get your copy.
A true collectors item, this will be the first time the album has been available on vinyl since 1990 and it will be accompanied by a ‘stunning’ book – featuring easy to follow guitar and piano arrangements, playing tips written by the band themselves, never-before-seen photos and the inspiration behind each of the tracks and more.
The Stunning have never really gone away, with regular tours and non-stop radio play for their music. And they were particular favourites in Mayo!
1990 was a pivotal year in Ireland. The national football team had done the country proud in the World Cup in Italy and Ireland had her first lady president. There was also a new soundtrack to that summer – the debut album by a young band based in Galway.
The Stunning took Ireland by storm and shifted the focus from a Dublin-centric rock scene to the regions, paving the way for many more artists to come. They toured relentlessly releasing a string of hit singles and two number one albums and built a following that would make them one of the most popular Irish bands ever amongst a new generation of young Irish people for whom emigration was not a prerequisite.
The book is not just for those who want to learn how to play the songs, it’s also a beautiful companion piece to the album. Lovingly written by Steve and Joe, it features the story of the making of the album with never-before-seen photos and the inspiration behind each of the tracks. The guitar and piano arrangements are easy to follow with handwritten notes and playing tips written by the band themselves.
Frontman Steve Wall, who has recently filmed a new sci-fi series with Ridley Scott, completed an episode of Tin Star with Tim Roth and starred in the TV series The South Westerlies said: “we had always intended on marking the anniversary of this album. It seems to have endured the passing decades and holds a special place in the hearts of a lot of people who grew up in Ireland during the late 80’s and early 90’s. I still meet people today who say Paradise was the soundtrack to their formative years. Doing the book was also a way to introduce new fans to the music and to give them the backstory as well. Budding musicians will have no excuse now for murdering the songs!”
His brother Joe said: “Though it seemed like a risky venture, I now realise it’s a fantastic piece of Stunning history for any fan to own. People on our mailing list got the chance to buy it first and the feedback has been amazing. Besides, the only physical product selling anymore are LP’s, so this is a no-brainer. 2020 is the album’s 30th anniversary so the book has to come out now regardless of the pandemic. We enjoyed making it so much that we can’t wait for people to see it”.
Featuring hits such as Brewing Up a Storm, Half Past Two, Got to Get Away and Romeo’s on Fire, ‘Paradise stayed at the top of the charts for five weeks upon its release in 1990 and made the band a household name.
In between ‘Stunning’ duties the band members have their fingers in many pies.
Lead singer Steve Wall’s acting career has really taken off. Following his portrayal of legendary trumpet player Chet Baker in the feature film My Foolish Heart, he also appeared in an episode of BBC’s Silent Witness.
Guitarist Derek Murray tours with comedian Tommy Tiernan while keyboard and trumpet player Jim Higgins is a stalwart in Christy Moore’s band.
Drummer Cormac Dunne plays with everybody west of the Shannon, sometimes twice a day!
Joe Wall has been involved with the Music College BIMM Dublin since it opened in 2011. In his spare time he writes and records and hatches plans for future Stunning ventures.
