What is the name of the singer from the band the cranberries. How we will remember Dolores O'Riordan. The best songs by the vocalist of The Cranberries. “You could feel some of the inner breath of Ireland in it.”
Today, the Irish rock band The Cranberries is known to music lovers all over the world, their songs never cease to be heard on FM stations, their CDs are sold out in millions of copies, and their concerts attract stadiums full of fans. But their path to fame was by no means filled with roses. It all started back in 1990, when Dolores O'Riordan introduced herself to the band members with the words “okay, guys, show me your equipment.”
At the time, Noel and Mike Hogan (lead guitar and bass) and Feargal Lawler (drums) were looking for a vocalist for their band. They began performing as teenagers when young Firgal, learning that the Hogan brothers were planning to form a team, joined them with his brand new, newly purchased drum kit. At first the band was called THE CRANBERRY SAW US. This name was given to her by Niall, who was the first vocalist of the group. Nobody took Nial seriously. He loved to write comedic lyrics like “My Granny drowned in a fountain.” Unfortunately, he died early and the band had to look for a new vocalist. Dolores lived several miles away, attended school and sang in the church choir.
So, the group needed a vocalist, but the guys were quite surprised to see in front of them a fragile-looking girl of small stature. She was clearly not suitable for the role of a soloist. But there was nothing to be done, Noel played her a few chords he had recently composed, and Dolores went home. That same evening she wrote lyrics to this melody. The next day, Dolores returned with a song called "Linger". After listening to what she “did” in just one evening, the guys took her into the group. The composition "Linger" was dedicated to Dolores's first boyfriend, but when she sang it for the first time, the band members didn't even listen to the words: they were amazed how such a little girl could sing so powerfully. The guys were simply delighted.
And here a completely legitimate question may arise: what did they want to do now that Dolores was in the group? Of course, they decided to head straight to the studio in their hometown of Limerick, Ireland, where they recorded three songs. Then the young musicians prepared 300 copies of these recordings on cassettes, placed them in local music stores and began to wait for them to quickly sell out. The result was impressive: all 300 copies were sold in just a few days!
Inspired by the success of their music, the band members shortened the team's name to THE CRANBERRY'S, prepared a demo tape and sent it to all the studios they had ever heard of. Dolores was delighted with the team, because her most cherished desire was to sing in rock music. group. “One of my earliest memories is when I was 5 years old and I was at school,” Dolores said. - The headmistress brought me to the sixth grade, where twelve-year-old girls studied. She sat me down at the teacher's table and asked me to sing. I really liked singing, because singing is what I excelled at other people. But I'm still very embarrassed to sing, even now I'd rather die than sing in a pub."
When the group recorded their first demo tape, the average age of its members was only 19 years old. It contained five songs, including early versions of "Linger", "Dreams", and "Put me down". When this recording reached the London record labels, the final choice of the group's name was made and it began to look like the familiar THE CRANBERRIES.
During this time the band continued to perform in Limerick, but what audiences saw then was very different from what can be seen at their concerts now. This is how Dolores told about it: “THE CRANBERRIES concerts were a performance of four timid, little teenagers, and the vocalist stood to the side like a statue, afraid to move, so as not to trip and fall. At that time we did not know how to “present” our music, but "I think the audience saw our good potential." When the group began to receive invitations from various record labels, the musicians chose Island Records. At first, things seemed to be going smoothly for THE CRANBERRIES. But then serious problems began.
The band's demo tape was distributed to journalists, who responded favorably to its music. The group was predicted to have a good future. Great hopes were pinned on the band's very first single, also promisingly titled "Uncertain". It came out in 1991. And after all this hype around the group, the first single was released with a quality that was far from the quality of the demo tape. In the press it was generally called a “second-rate” composition. This is how THE CRANBERRIES began to learn the insidiousness and volatility of music show business. “It was a terrible time for us when the debut single was not well received,” Dolores recalled. “I believed in the band’s capabilities, but I didn’t believe in the music industry. And then I lost faith in the whole world. I was 18 years old, I was home in Limerick and was really depressed." The group's difficulties were not limited to this: among others, THE CRANBERRIES had serious problems with their first manager, and at the time when the team was about to record their first album in the studio, it was on the verge of collapse.
But one evening, Dolores, carrying all these troubles, disappointments, thoughts about the lack of prospects in her soul, found herself in Limerick at a concert of one of the local bands. She watched the team play from the audience, and then returned to her friends and said: “Everyone is doing it, so why can’t we?” Thus came a turning point in the biography of THE CRANBERRIES, and Dolores’ words became the title of their debut album (it was entitled: “Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can’t We”).
The band found a new manager, Geoff Travis, formerly of Trade Records, and recorded their debut album in Dublin in 1992. By the time the album hit stores the following March, 1993, THE CRANBERRIES found themselves needing to restart their career, as even at this early stage they had been regarded as failures.
In retaliation against ill-wishers who stubbornly refused to see the band's potential, they went on an extensive tour in 1993. The musicians visited the UK (performing with BELLY), Europe (with HOTHOUS FLOWERS) and the USA (with THE THE and SUEDE). “The strangest thing about the American tour,” Dolores said, “was that we behaved like tourists and had a lot of fun, and meanwhile our album kept selling and selling. They told us: “Your record sold another 7,000 copies this week.” And we said, “Is this good?” People laughed at us because we didn’t know how the album was selling.
By the end of 1993, sales of "Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can't We" reached the million mark in the United States, and the musicians returned to their native Ireland as real heroes. "I left as a nobody, and when I returned home, people called me a 'star.' , - said Dolores. - After success in America, the album began to climb, began to climb up the British charts and finally reached number one. The group members were happy with their success, but they did not want to be considered “caliphs for an hour.”
Therefore, the musicians sat down in the studio again and by March 1994 recorded the next album, “No Need To Argue”. The recording went so quickly and well that the members of THE CRANBERRIES decided to take a break and, after finishing work in the studio, went skiing. Dolores had never skied before, and her inexperience caused a serious injury: she severely damaged her knee. Later, at the zenith of their fame, the group was even forced to cancel all their concerts until Doloeres started going again.
But the event she didn’t miss was O’Riordan’s wedding to Don Burton, which took place in Ireland in July 1994. “I met my future husband (he’s Canadian) when we toured the US with the band DURAN DURAN. Then he was their concert manager. We are very happy together," said Dolores. The album "No Need To Argue" was released in October 1994 and was a great success. In the first three weeks after its release, a million copies were sold. The first single from this album, called "Zombie", became one of the popular compositions. And although it was not released as a single in the states, nevertheless, this “action” was one of the most frequently played compositions on American alternative radio stations and became one of the main hits at THE CRANBERRIES concerts. “The composition “Zombie” was. was written about the time of the Warrington bombs in the UK (when an Irish Republican Army bomb killed two small children), Dolores recalled. “But it’s not really about the situation in Northern Ireland.” This song is about a child who died in England because of the situation in Northern Ireland."
Most of the compositions of "No Need To Argue" were written during THE CRANBERRIES' American tour in 1993. “Anybody could have been at the front of the tour bus, but I was at the back, protecting my voice,” Dolores said. “I wrote all these songs about my life in Limerick, about how I miss my parents. That's what the song talks about.” "Ode To My Family" The only thing on the album that reflects my new family life is "Dreaming My Dreams".
At the end of 1994, THE CRANBERRIES behaved like stars whose album had become a worldwide hit. In October 1994, the group went on an extended tour, deciding to continue it the following year. “The best thing for all of us is that we answered our own question, which was the title of our first album,” said Dolores. “We proved it with our first album and continued to prove it with our second.” Indeed, THE CRANBERRIES' answer to the question they posed point-blank was impressive. After the triumphant success of "No Need To Argue", the modest "klyukovki" ascended to the rank of superstars. THE CRANBERRIES' third album, "To The Faithful Departed", further cemented their fame.
The release of this disc was accompanied by a world tour and grandiose promotion, which could have been the envy of even the coolest superstars. As always, Dolores received special attention from journalists, while the other three members of THE CRANBERRIES modestly kept in the shadows. "Rolling Stone" generally jokingly called the group "Dolores O" Riordan & THE CRANBERRIES", which, however, is true. This very extraordinary person is worthy of telling more about her.
Dolores was infected with music by her parents. In her youth, her father performed in one of the local bands, playing the accordion. When he took out his accordion and played very loudly, I shouted to him: “Dad, stop it!” I sang and they asked me to stop. My mother has always inspired me. She knew that I loved music, I had talent and my voice was good. But my mother wanted me to teach music, so she sent me to learn to play the piano. She dreamed that I would get a diploma, but I didn’t get it, but instead joined a group,” - this is how Dolores recalled her introduction to music. Any mature husband could envy her self-motivation and perseverance, as well as what she already knew from childhood O'Riordan, who he wants to be. Maybe this confidence of hers that she would be a singer and definitely famous, left no chance for a different outcome.
The singer’s childhood idol (and her only one) was Elvis Presley. It seemed to her that he was God. Dolores' parents played a lot of country music - Jim Reefs, Bing Crosby, Frank Sentra, but nothing touched them all as much as what the King of Rock and Roll performed. Here are Dolores' most vivid memories: “I remember one morning I came down to breakfast, and my mother was sitting in the kitchen and sobbing, wailing: “He died, he died.” I asked: “Who? Dog?" and she said, "No, Elvis." All of Ireland went crazy. He was great. Sometimes they show old films of his concerts. Elvis would go down to his fans, kiss them, or dab his face with towels and give them to the fans. He He was cool, no bullshit."
Many critics paint Dolores O'Riordan in a very dark color. They paint the image of a bitch of the worst kind: arrogant, touchy, irritable, over-selfish... One can hardly agree that Dolores has at least a small fraction of these “glorious” qualities. She is - a self-made person. No one looked after her, did not control her. Doloros, having met the guys from the group, left her home and moved to the city. She worked and works a lot, so she has no desire and time for idle communication with. numerous people who would be flattered to communicate with a celebrity. Dolores is sincere and can, with all straightforwardness, say not very pleasant things to the journalists pestering her, which can offend and cause impartial words to appear in the press about her. “You come to a state when you get tired of. people who annoy you. You talk to a journalist and you know that they want to misrepresent you. They want you to be an arrogant bitch. But you are not an arrogant bitch, and the journalist continues to ask idiotic questions. This is very unpleasant, especially when such questions come from women. So I answer: “Listen, honey, thanks for coming in. I’m sorry to waste my time, and I’d rather wash my cat.” And she continues: “Can you explain yourself?” And he continues to look at me strangely. I think it's quite disgusting. That's when I said I've had enough."
She is so straightforward and stubborn, this Irishwoman Dolores O'Riordan. If she feels that someone is giving her negative energy and she does not like this person, she simply tries to stay away from him. It is better for her to walk away than to argue or object and get into trouble. Dolores doesn't want to put up with things like that just because she's a celebrity. She likes to do things her own way. Dolores herself calls herself a "knucklehead."
And now the time has come to tell you a “terrible” secret. When Dolores joined the group at age 19, she left home and moved to Limerick, not only to perform in the team, but also (maybe mainly) to “live with one man in sin.” Dolores' parents were, as befits the Irish, “devout” Catholics. But they were not shocked; they understood their daughter. Therefore, Dolores' action was not discussed. Moreover, in Limerick they had an apartment with many rooms. One was Dolores, the other was her chosen one. Her mother was more worried when The Cranberries became successful, they began touring actively and her daughter practically stopped being at home. This acceptance by the parents of their daughter is also surprising because Dolores is the youngest in the family. She has six brothers. Mother Dolores cared more about the boys, which, however, is typical for Ireland. She was quite strict towards the girl. Dolores went to discos only a couple of times a year under the supervision of her brothers. Moreover, they took their responsibilities very seriously. “For example, I’m dancing with a guy, and they come up and ask: “Where are his hands?” Who is he? What is he doing?” Probably, the brothers saved me, protected me from many troubles,” Dolores recalled. But, despite the severity, her parents tried to understand her. Nowadays, when The Cranberries perform in their hometown, parents are happy to come to their concerts.
Dolores was very unlucky with her first chosen one. This relationship was difficult for her. "I wanted to leave, but it took years. I was completely under control. My mother was very worried when I told her what was happening: I was unlucky, I had fallen into the hands of the wrong person. I was ashamed." And the further their relationship continued, the harder it was for Dolores, the more aggression she had to face. It got to the point where she couldn’t communicate with anyone. The irony here is that at the time, working at The Cranberris distracted her, helped her forget about her fear. It wasn’t even work, but rather some kind of fun, entertainment. Moreover, despite the fact that the group’s fame was growing, Dolores constantly thought about how she did not want to return to Limerick to be subjected to threats and violence again. "I couldn't understand what it meant to truly love and trust. I thought: here it is, first love, first guy. When you lose your virginity, you think that only one person will ever want to sleep with you. You think: you have to get married for this man, all this nonsense." This three-year period was the most difficult for Dolores. But, she believes, the trials strengthened her character and helped her realize many things. Although, when Dolores found the courage to break with this connection, she was on the verge of a nervous breakdown. Her current husband, Don Burton, helped her a lot here. With him, Dolores considers herself truly happy. After all, complete trust and support are important to her. For their fifth wedding anniversary, they are going, according to Dolores, to renew their vows given to each other on their wedding day. In the song "Will you remember" from the album "To The Faithful Departed" Dolores recalls how one day she went to the airport to meet her husband and wondered, "Does he remember all these little tricks that I did at the wedding: lipstick, hair, clothes and other things that men usually don’t remember..."
We can say that Dolores went through everything: fire, water, and copper pipes. Moreover, the test of fame was also difficult for her. True, having such “senior comrades” as Bono and Luciano Pavoroti, it was a little easier for Dolores. "They went through the same thing and said that if I'm having a hard time, I can just call, we'll be together and everything won't be so bad. Bono is really wonderful, he's like a big brother to me."
It is interesting that for the recording of "To The Faithful Departed" the members of The Cranberries decided not to invite Stephen Street, the producer of their previous albums. The musicians wanted to work with someone else, they needed a change. They didn't need a super sound or a lot of keyboards, they wanted the music to be alive and sound fresh. In addition, it was important for the band members not to feel pressure from the producer, but to feel free, enjoy life, and laugh, which is what they did during the recording of the album. And all this had an impact. "To The Faithful Departed" was lively and more radical than previous albums by The Cranberries.
Maybe the success of all the group's discs is due to the fact that Dolores is truthful in her lyrics. “I don’t create false images, although I exaggerate emotions a little and over-dramatize something for songs. Poems are always personal experience, personal relationships, personal emotions.”
It remains to be said that, according to Dolores, traditional Irish and African music have other things in common. She believes that all music comes from one source, from the same roots. Therefore, the prayers of the Middle East are similar to how the banshees (these creatures from Irish folklore) howl.
Dolores is a very romantic person. She loves old-fashioned romance, simple things that are often neglected. So, in her opinion, “Sex is too hyped up, I love foreshadowing, little things that mean a lot.”
Yes, if you think that we forgot to talk about the other three members of the group, then this is not so. And the point here is not only that they keep a low profile, not arousing the same interest among journalists as Dolores, and giving the impression of such good boys who would not even be noticed in the pub. It’s just that The Cranberries owe the lion’s share of their success, if not all of it, to this talented girl. The band's drummer Fergal Lawler stands out for the fact that he buys a huge number of CDs on tour. Mike Hogan (junior) does not buy CDs at all, since he can always steal them from the elder Noel.
Quiet here they are, these lovely “klyukovki”, who have enchanted the whole world with their music.
The Cranberries (translated from English as “cranberry”) are an Irish rock band formed in 1989 and achieved worldwide fame in the 1990s.
Bright and strong vocals of Dolores O'Riordan, melodic rock with light national influences, "open" guitar drive, heartfelt lyrics (songs about unhappy and happy love, songs on serious topics, such as ethnic conflicts, drugs, environmental problems, child abuse , greed, cruelty of people, envy, lies, family, death). According to one music observer, The Cranberries are a unique combination of agonizing love songs, menacing denunciations and beautiful melodies.
In 1989, brothers Mike and Noel Hogan meet Fergal Lawler. United by the desire to play music, they form the band "The Cranberry Saw Us", taking their friend Niall Quinn as vocalist. But in March 1990, Niall left the group, focusing on his own project, The Hitchers. He brings in Dolores O'Riordan as a replacement. In 1991, the group changed its name to “The Cranberries”, and this is where its modern history begins.
Early creativity
In May 1990, in the Irish city of Limerick, three teenagers - brothers Noel and Mike Hogan, along with Fergal Lawler, were looking for a vocalist for their band The Cranberry Saw Us, which singer Niall Quinn soon left. Before leaving, he recommended in his place a school friend of his ex-girlfriend - Catherine, Dolores O'Riordan, who had just graduated from school and dreamed of singing in a rock band. "Hi guys! Come on, show me what you can do,” these were the words she introduced herself to her future colleagues and comrades. That evening the guys played several instrumental versions of their songs (among which were Dreams and Linger), Dolores, in turn, sang Sinead O'Connor's song from the album “The Lion And the Cobra” to the accompaniment of her old synthesizer and immediately made an impression with her beautiful voice and appearance (she came to the meeting in a bright pink suit, which shocked the guys). Noel gave her a tape of demo versions of the band's songs for Dolores to write lyrics for, and she went home, returning the next day with a song written overnight. The song, dedicated to the girl’s first boyfriend, a soldier with whom she kissed only 2 times and who went to serve in the army in Lebanon, was called “Linger.”
Having thus received the strongest vocalist and talented author in one person (the song “Linger”, by the way, a few years later became a super hit in the USA and a breakthrough in this country for the Cranberries), the band began creating a demo recording, which consisted of three songs, released in an edition of 300 copies and distributed to local music stores. The tapes sold out within a few days. The inspired musicians sent the demo tape to record companies, having previously shortened their name to the botanical and commercially digestible The Cranberries (translated as “Cranberries”).
Many labels happily responded, easily recognizing a future sensation in the young group, and The Cranberries chose Island Records. The band's first single, Uncertain, was a complete flop. After an unsuccessful concert in London, where representatives of music companies and journalists who came to see the “Future sensation of rock music” saw four shy teenagers, led by a shy vocalist, who constantly turned away from the audience, music publications criticized the Irish, although shortly before the release of the song They described in bright colors how a promising young group from the provinces would soon wipe out all their competitors from the face of the earth.
Manager Piers Gilmour imposed his musical tastes on the group and wanted to make a dance pop-rock band, where Dolores' vocals would fade into the background, and the music would be absolutely ordinary. As a result, when the Cranberries got together to record their debut album, they were ready to put an end to this torment and quit music.
Popularity and rise
Dolores, listening to a performance by some inexpressive local band in a pub, had a “brilliant” thought: “Everyone is doing it, why can’t we?” Inspired by such a killer argument, the group found the strength to try everything from the beginning, found producer Stephen Street, resumed work in the studio, and in March 1993, the self-titled album “Everybody Else Is Doing It So Why Can’t We?” appeared in UK record stores. By the end of the year, it had sold a million copies in the United States alone. Returning from an American tour, Dolores and her friends were amazed to discover that they had become “stars” of the first magnitude at home. The album sold 70 thousand copies a day.
In 1994, the group recorded the album No Need To Argue. It was then that Dolores arranged her personal life by marrying Don Barton, the road manager of the notorious English rock band Duran Duran. The couple met when the Cranberries were touring with Duran Duran in late 1993. Dolores's marriage also had a beneficial effect on the affairs of her group: Barton abandoned the British and took up organizing The Cranberries' tour. As a result, the Irish gradually became one of the most successful "touring" groups in Europe. The manager also influenced the overall image of the team under his charge. Barton insisted that the Cranberries "melt down" and stop being considered "alternative." This can be felt to this day; rock performed by them is now available to “anyone who wants it.”
In 1999, the group made a cameo appearance in an episode of the second season of the popular TV series Charmed, where they performed the single "Just My Imagination".
After a fairly long break due to the birth of a child, Dolores and her group were in optimal shape. The songs of The Cranberries from their fourth album spoke about this. Three years spent on forced rest and reflection did the group good. In addition, taking advantage of the forced respite, the male part of the team hastened to settle their personal affairs.
During the recording of the fifth album in 2000, Dolores became pregnant again and most of the songs were dedicated to this joyful event. The album was released in October 2001 and did not achieve commercial success. Despite this, it became the most beloved of the participants themselves - smooth and calm compositions, rarely interspersed with fatal action sequences, conveyed the emotional balance of the group. A grandiose tour was held around the world, after which in 2002 the group released a collection of the best hits, and since 2003, without officially announcing the breakup, the participants focused on their solo projects.
Temporary leave, solo projects and The Cranberries reunion
Since 2003, The Cranberries have been on temporary hiatus. The three band members, Dolores O'Riordan, Noel Hogan and Fergal Lawler, were busy developing their own solo projects. Mike Hogan opened a cafe in Limerick and periodically played bass at his brother's concerts.
In 2005, Noel Hogan's Mono Band released an album of the same name, and since 2007, Hogan, together with vocalist Richard Walters, has been busy developing a new project - the group Arkitekt, which was noted for the release of "The Black Hair EP".
Dolores O'Riordan's debut solo album Are You Listening? was released on May 7, 2007, its release was preceded by the single “Ordinary Day”. The second album, No Baggage, was released on August 24, 2009.
Fergal Lawler writes songs and plays drums in his new band The Low Network, which he formed with his pals Kieran Calvert (of Woodstar) and Jennifer McMahon. In 2007, their first release, “The Low Network EP,” was released.
On 9 January 2009, Dolores O'Riordan, Noel and Mike Hogan performed together for the first time in a long time for the University Philosophical Society at Trinity College, Dublin. This happened as part of the award to Dolores of the highest award (for those who are not members of the society) “The Honorary Patronage”.
On August 25, 2009, in an exclusive interview with New York radio station 101.9 RXP, Dolores O'Riordan officially confirmed that The Cranberries would reunite in November 2009 for a tour of North America and Europe (in 2010). The tour will feature new songs from No Baggage as well as classic hits.
In April 2011, The Cranberries began recording their sixth studio album, entitled Roses. The album was released on February 27, 2012. On January 24, 2012, the group released the only video for the song from this album - “Tomorrow”.
O'Riordan was found dead in her room in a London hotel. At the time of her death, the rock star was 46 years old. According to her agent, she died suddenly, and her family is devastated by the sad news and asks not to disturb them at such a difficult time.
It is reported that the call to the police was received at 9.05 am local time (12.05 Moscow time), doctors pronounced O'Riordan's death on the spot. At the moment, the singer’s death is considered “unexplained”.
It is known that Dolores had health problems: this spring, The Cranberries had to cancel a tour of Europe due to O'Riordan's illness, and this happened almost immediately after it began. A month later, concerts in the USA were also canceled, since the singer's condition was not improved enough to perform. The band's website reported that the singer had back problems.
As O'Riordan's representative noted, she came to London for a short recording session of new material.
Members of the Irish rock band Kodaline were among the first to express their condolences on Twitter: “We are completely shocked by the news of the death of Dolores O'Riordan. It was The Cranberries who supported us when we toured with them in France many years ago. Our thoughts are with her family and friends."
Absolutely shocked to hear about the passing of Dolores O"Riordan! @The_Cranberries gave us our first big support when we toured with them around France years ago! Thoughts are with her family and friends
— Kodaline (@Kodaline) January 15, 2018
“Hi everyone, this is Dolores. I feel great! Made a small appearance for the first time in months, performing a few songs at the annual Billboard staff party in New York with a local band. I had a lot of fun! Merry Christmas to all our fans! Ho!” the singer wrote.
Hi All, Dolores here. Feeling good! I did my first bit of gigging in months at the weekend, performed a few songs at the Billboard annual staff holiday party in New York with the house band. Really enjoyed it! Happy Christmas to all our fans!! Xo
— The Cranberries (@The_Cranberries) December 20, 2017
It is known that the singer suffered from bipolar disorder and was prone to depression.
“I’ve been singing since I was five,” O’Riordan said in a recent interview. “By the time I was 12, I was already writing my own songs, so yes, music has always been a part of me. To be honest, I never imagined myself doing anything else.
There were times when I had to struggle. The death of my father and stepmother was difficult. Looking back, I think depression, no matter the cause, is one of the worst things you go through.
But again, I have had a lot of joy in my life, especially with my children. The ups go along with the downs. Isn’t this the whole point of life?”
Several years ago, the singer stated that she intended to take up music, dancing and performing in order to improve her mental state after the incident at Shannon Airport in 2014.
She was then charged with assaulting two airport police officers and a gardaí.
As a result, the court ordered her to pay €6 thousand to the benefit of those in need and recognized that at the time of the incident she was suffering from a mental disorder.
O'Riordan joined The Cranberries in 1990, when the band was still called The Cranberry Saw Us.
She was accepted after presenting a rough version of the song "Linger" to the other members, which later became one of the Cranberries' signature songs.
Fame came in 1993 - the group went on tour with the Britpop band Suede and attracted the attention of MTV.
The Cranberries achieved real success with the release of their second album, “No Need to Argue,” for which such hits as “Zombie” and “Ode to My Family” were recorded.
One of the most poignant anti-war songs, "Zombie" quickly topped the charts.
At the beginning of the 2000s, The Cranberries went on sabbatical, during which O'Riordan began a solo career.
Having participated in the creation of several film soundtracks (in particular, for the film “The Passion of the Christ”), she began recording her debut album, “Are You Listening?”, which was released in 2007. Two years later, a sequel followed - “No Baggage”.
In 2009, The Cranberries got back together and released their sixth studio album, Roses, in 2012. From October to December 2013, O'Riordan participated as a mentor in the third season of the Irish Voice. Her mentee Kelly Lewis took second place.
In 2014, the singer joined the supergroup D.A.R.K., founded by former The Smiths bassist Andy Rourke and DJ Ole Koretsky. The band's only album was released in 2016 and was called “Science Agrees”.
In the spring of 2017, The Cranberries' seventh LP, Something Else, was released. The album was recorded in acoustic sound and included updated versions of old compositions, as well as new material.
The origins of the famous Irish band The Cranberries lie in the Irish town of Limerick - it was there that two brothers Noel (Noel Anthony Hogan, December 25, 1971) and Michael Gerard Hogan (04/29/1973), while still schoolchildren, decided to put together a group. Noel played guitar, and Mike played bass - the drummer in their group was Feargal Patrick Lawler (03/04/1971), and the vocalist was their friend and part-time drummer of another local group The Hitchers named Niall Quinn (1973 ), a rather extravagant young man who wrote songs with titles like “My Grandmother Drowned in the Fountain of Lourdes.”
Formed in 1989, the band was originally called The Cranberry Saw Us (“The Cranberry Saw Us” is a literal translation and a play on words – in English this phrase sounds very similar to how to pronounce “cranberry sauce”). They recorded a demo tape "Anything ", which included 4 tracks, but the work stopped there. Quinn did not stay in the group for long, he could not split into two bands at once - being the vocalist of The Cranberry Saw Us and the drummer in The Hitchers, so he chose the latter. But before leaving, he recommended vocalist Dolores Mary Eileen O for the vacant position. `Riordan, 09/06/1971), girlfriend of Quinn-Catherine's then girlfriend.
It was May 1990. Dolores came to the guys' audition in a hot pink suit and with a synthesizer. She sang to the guys one of the songs of her favorite singer Sinead O'Connor from the album "Lion And The Cobra" and shocked everyone with her voice. The musicians handed her a demo recording of the song they were working on at the time, and Dolores returned the very next day with completely finished lyrics for the song “Linger.” Thus, The Cranberries were born in the very form in which they fell in love with millions of listeners .
Having shortened their name, first to The Cranberry`s, and then to the one familiar to the whole world today - The Cranberies, at the suggestion of Dolores, the guys recorded several songs for their demo single "Nothing Left At All" and sent it to music stores in Ireland. When all 300 copies were sold out in a matter of days, the band re-recorded the songs and began sending out demo tapes to various labels. The cassette came to the full attention of the British music press, and soon the labels themselves came running to The Cranberries with offers one better than the other. While still very young, the musicians chose the Island Records label, known for its other high-profile Irish clients, namely the group U2. To work on their first single, “Uncertain,” the musicians hired Pearse Gilmore, the former vocalist of the local Limerick band Private World, which lasted only a couple of years, as a producer, and a sound engineer at Xeric Records, where the Cranberries recorded their demo tapes. The single, released in 1991, was poorly received by critics - the press claimed that the title of the song ("Uncertain") became prophetic, because the group really sounded insecure, the group's music, at the insistence of Piers Gilmour, became paler, with the addition of then fashionable dance songs. rhythms and guitar parts, removing into the background the main thing that the group had - the voice of Dolores. A video was also shot for the song, but to this day only a 40-second version of the video is available. The news that Gilmore secretly contributed to the Their contract with Island, a clause about the label's assistance in maintaining his personal studio, led to a final break in relations with him, and The Cranberries took on another team - Geoff Travis from the Rough Trade label as manager and Stephen Street. , known for his work with The Smiths and Blur, took over as producer of the debut album.
The album with the modest title “Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can’t We?” (Everyone's doing it, so why can't we?), which came to Dolores's head in 1992 while she was at one of the concerts of an Irish rock band with little prospects, was released in the spring of 1993. The single “Dreams” was released first, followed by “ Linger” – but the public did not pay any attention to the group at first. The Cranberries went on tour as almost losers - however, while they were touring, MTV suddenly took a liking to their “Linger” video and began actively promoting it. The single became extremely popular, and the first album of the young group performed a unique operation - initially falling out of the album top 100 for good, it then returned there and climbed all the way to the very first place.
On July 18, 1994, Dolores married Duran Duran tour manager Don Burton (Don Burton, 01/27/1962). They met at the end of 1993, when the group toured as the opening act for Duran Duran. Their romance began to develop rapidly, Don gave young flowers for the singer, made sure the band's concert lasted longer than usual, arranged dates. Don already had a child from his first marriage, son Donny (Donny Burton, 1991), but Dolores reacted positively to this, accepting him as her own. Don chose the wedding date , randomly inviting Dolores to get married “for example, on July 18.” Their wedding was quite actively covered in the press because of Dolores’s revealing wedding attire—transparent pants and a blouse, high boots and a veil; 200 guests were invited (later in the press it was said that Dolores “stole "Duran Duran has a tour manager because after the wedding, Don stopped working with the Durans."
The group's first new single, "Zombie", introduced the public to a new, harder sound - despite this change, "Zombie" turned out to be even more popular than "Linger". The same story happened with the group’s second album, “No Need to Argue,” released in October 1994 - it made real superstars out of The Cranberries. At the moment, the first two records of The Cranberries remain the most successful - the worldwide sales of the album “Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can’t We?” is 7 and a penny million copies, and in the case of “No Need to Argue” this figure has exceeded 16 million.
During the tour in support of the second album, rumors began to circulate that O'Riordan was planning to leave the group and pursue a solo career. Dolores really came more and more to the fore in the group - both in videos and in terms of songwriting. She was directly involved in the recording of the Jah Wobble song "The Sun Does Rise", for which a video was released in the spring of 1994 (in the video Dolores was filmed wearing a blonde wig and sitting, due to a recent knee injury after an accident at a ski resort) At the end of 1995, Dolores performed a duet with Luciano Pavarotti himself, performing the song “Ave Maria” (this performance moved Princess Diana, sitting in front row at this concert) and with Duran Duran leader Simon Le Bon, with whom they sang The Cranberries hit "Linger".
However, despite this, the group’s third album, “To the Faithful Departed,” was recorded by the entire band together, from November to December 1995. This time the group replaced Stephen Street with Bruce Fairbairn (Bruce Fairbairn, died May 17, 1999), known for his work with rock bands such as Bon Jovi and Aerosmith. The resulting album was much louder and harsher than The Cranberries' previous works, which led to harsh criticism from the press, which spoke negatively about the band's ambitions to become a stadium rock band, and a decline in sales. The sales of “To the Faithful Departed” were more than impressive (at least 6 million copies worldwide), but these figures could not be compared with the previous albums, and the group decided to take a time out. Tours planned for the fall of 1996 in Europe and Australia were canceled due to renewed pain in the same knee Dolores had injured in 1994, after an unsuccessful stage jump during one of the performances, and physical fatigue of the entire group as a whole, which again gave rise to a lot of rumors about the impending breakup of the group and the departure of Dolores.
The group stopped working for a while, but despite this, Dolores recorded a song for the soundtrack of the film "The Devil's Own", called "God Be With You", and also, together with Noel, took part in the recording of a tribute album to the legendary group Fleetwood Mac recorded a cover version of the song "Go Your Own Way". In April, at the wedding of the band's drummer Fergal, Dolores announced to everyone that she was pregnant. In November 1997, O'Riordan gave birth to her first child, son Taylor Baxter Burton.
The Cranberries returned to work on new records at the end of 1997. The main themes of the songs were Dolores' motherhood and the group's lighter and more carefree attitude towards the press and show business. In November 1998, the group performed at the Nobel Prize in Oslo, a little later Dolores and Fergal were invited to the MTV Europe Music Avards, where they presented the award to singer Natalie Imbruglia for the song “Torn”. In February 1999, a new single “Promises” appeared, and in April the group’s fourth album, “Bury the Hatchet” was released. The musicians’ desire to return to the sound of the first two records was quite obvious, the public reacted favorably to them - the album sold a good circulation of more than 4 million copies, and their world tour of 1999-2000 became their most successful tour. In parallel with the tour, the band re-released their latest album in an expanded form - the edition entitled “Bury the Hatchet – The Complete Sessions” included a bonus disc with songs recorded during the work on the album, but left behind. Later, the group re-released all their albums in this form - and collected them together in a box set called “Treasure Box”. A DVD was also released with a concert in Paris in 1999 - “Beneath The Skin: Live In Paris”.
Their old producer friend Stephen Street returned to record their next record, Wake Up and Smell the Coffee. The album, however, turned out to be the least successful of all their records, as it was recorded during Dolores's pregnancy. The sound turned out to be calm, smooth and gentle. On January 27, 2001, O'Riordan gave birth to her second child, daughter Molly Lee Burton. The next tour ended in 2002, and soon after, The Cranberries released a collection of the best songs, “Stars – The Best of 1992 - 2002.” In 2002, the musicians played a short tour of European countries, gave several concerts in 2003 (some opening for The Rolling Stones, and some solo), and then announced that they were going to go their separate ways for an indefinite period. No one called it the breakup of the group, but in the several years since then, the group has never gotten back together.
In 2003, Dolores recorded the song "Mirror Lover" with the German band Jam & Spoon for the album "Tripomatic Fairytales 3003". In 2004, she sang with the Italian singer Zucchero on his album of duets "Zu & Co" (among other participants in the project were such stars as Sting, Sharyl Crow and Luciano Pavarotti), then she voiced several songs by composer Angelo Badalamenti for the soundtrack of the Italian film “Evilenko”, such as “The Butterfly”, “Ave Maria” (for the soundtrack of “Passion Of” The Christ" at the invitation of Mel Gibson) and "Angels Go to Heaven" (OST "Evilenko").
On April 10, 2005, Dolores gave birth to her third child, a girl, named Dakota Rain.
Noel Hogan released a solo album under the guise of “Mono Band” in 2005, Fergal Lawler became a member of The Low Network, which has not yet released a single album. O'Riordan was also in no hurry to start a solo career - her first steps as a solo artist were rather modest.
In April 2006, Dolores played a small role in the comedy film Click (in Russian release - “Click: with a remote control for life”), starring Adam Sandler. The film premiered in the summer of 2006. Dolores appears near the end of the film, in the wedding scene, singing a new version of Linger (similar to the one performed at the Vatican in December 2005) live on stage. In addition, the film itself contains a small excerpt from the original version of Linger. The role of Dolores is listed in the credits as Singer. As the film's producers and director later said, Linger was chosen because it was one of their favorite songs and Dolores is a wonderful singer.
Dolores recorded her first full-length solo album only on May 8, 2007 - it was called “Are You Listening?”, and was received quite favorably by both fans and critics.
On August 24, 2009, Dolores released her second solo album, called “No Baggage?”. The tour of America planned by Dolores for September 2009 was canceled because one of the musicians let her down and refused to go on tour. And in the end, a decision was made team up with Noel, Mike and Fergal, and in November 2009 go on a joint tour as The Cranberries in full force. Plans include performing both the group’s already well-known world hits and Dolores’ solo material.
Compound
1989-1990
Niall Quinn - vocals, lyrics
1990-2003
Dolores O'Riordan - vocals, lyrics, music, guitar, keyboards
Noel Hogan - music, guitar
Mike Hogan - bass guitar
Fergal Lawler - drums
genre of music
Alternative guitar rock (although Dolores believes that their work cannot be classified into any specific genre).
The most famous hits and singles
During its existence, the group released several singles, many of which became hits in the USA, Europe and Asia.
Singles by The Cranberries: "Uncertain" (1991), "Dreams" (1993), "Linger" (1993), "Zombie" (1994), "Ode To My Family" (1994), "Ridiculous Thoughts" (1994), "I Can't Be With You" (1994), "Salvation" (1996), "Free to Decide" (1996), "When You're Gone" (1996), "Hollywood" (1996, single released only in France), "Promises" (1999), "Animal Instinct" (1999), "Just My Imagination" (1999), "You & Me" (1999, single released only in Europe), "Analyse" (2001), " Time Is Ticking Out" (2001), "This Is The Day" (2001), "Stars" (2002).
Distinctive features
Bright and strong vocals of Dolores O'Riordan, melodic rock with light national influences, "open" guitar drive, soulful lyrics (songs about love and songs on serious topics, such as ethnic conflicts, drugs, environmental problems, child molestation, greed, cruelty of people). According to one music observer, The Cranberries are a unique combination of agonizing love songs, menacing denunciations and beautiful melodies.
Temporary leave and solo projects
The Cranberries have been on temporary hiatus since 2003. Three members of the group - Dolores O'Riordan, Noel Hogan and Fergal Lawler - are busy developing their solo projects. Mike Hogan opened a cafe in Limerick and periodically plays bass at his brother's concerts.
In 2005, Noel Hogan released his album “MONO BAND”, and since 2007, together with vocalist Richard Walters, he has been developing a new project - the group “Arkitekt”.
Dolores O'Riordan's debut solo album, Are You Listening? was released on May 7, 2007, its release was preceded by the single “Ordinary Day”.
In 2006-2007 Fergal Lawler wrote songs and played drums in his new band The Low Network, which he formed with his pals Kieran Calvert (of Woodstar) and Jennifer McMahon. However, The Low Network team fell apart, having only managed to record a three-track EP.
Dolores O'Riordan's second solo album, "No Baggage", was released on August 24, 2009. Dolores refused to tour in support of the album, citing the desire to spend more time with her family. However, she was quick to announce that The Cranberries would reunite for a reunion -tour already in November 2009, during which both the group’s classic hits and songs from Dolores’ two solo albums will be performed. There is no talk of recording a new album yet.
Discography
Uncertain EP - 1991
Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can't We? - 1993
No Need To Argue - 1994
To the Faithful Departed - 1996
Bury The Hatchet - 1999
Wake Up And Smell The Coffee - 2001
Stars: The Best of 1992-2002 - 2002
And achieved world fame in the 1990s.
Encyclopedic YouTube
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After Quinn left The Cranberry Saw Us, the remaining members of the band put out an advertisement for a vocalist, which was responded to by Dolores O'Riordan, who came to the audition with words written by her and music for the band's demo recordings. Subsequently proposing a draft version of the song “Linger”, she was accepted into the group.
Having thus received a vocalist and author in one person, the band began creating a demo recording, which consisted of three songs, was released in 300 copies and distributed to local music stores. The tapes sold out within a few days. Inspired, the musicians sent the demo tape to record companies. In 1991, the group changed its name to The Cranberries.
The demo tape received attention from both the British press and record labels, and became the subject of bidding among major UK labels for release rights. The group eventually signed a contract with Island Records. The group's first single, "Uncertain", was a complete failure. After an unsuccessful concert in London, where representatives of music companies and journalists who came to see the “Future sensation of rock music” saw four shy teenagers, led by a shy vocalist, who constantly turned away from the audience, music publications criticized the Irish, although shortly before the release of the song They described in bright colors how a promising young group from the provinces would soon wipe out all their competitors from the face of the earth.
The failure of the first album and the discovery of Pierce Gilmour's secret deal with Island Records led to the termination of the contract between the group and Gilmour, in whose place Jeff Travis was invited.
Popularity and rise
After concluding a contract with producer Stephen Street, the band members resumed work in the studio, and in March 1993 the album Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can’t We? appeared in UK record stores. By the end of the year, it had sold a million copies in the United States alone. The album sold 70 thousand copies a day [ ] .
During the recording of the fifth album in 2000, Dolores became pregnant again and most of the songs were dedicated to this joyful event. The album was released in October and did not achieve commercial success. Despite this, it became the most beloved of the participants themselves - smooth and calm compositions, rarely interspersed with fatal action sequences, conveyed the group’s balanced state of mind. A world tour was carried out, after which in 2002 the group released a collection of the best hits, and since 2003, without officially announcing the breakup, the members focused on their solo projects.
Temporary leave, solo projects and The Cranberries reunion
Since 2003, The Cranberries have been on temporary hiatus. The three members of the group - Dolores O'Riordan, Noel Hogan and Fergal Lawler - were busy developing their solo projects. Mike Hogan opened a cafe in Limerick and periodically played bass at his brother's concerts.
In 2005, Noel Hogan's Mono Band released an album of the same name, and since 2007, Hogan, together with vocalist Richard Walters, has been busy developing a new project - the group Arkitekt, which released The Black Hair EP.
Dolores O'Riordan's debut solo album Are You Listening? was released on May 7, 2007, preceded by the single "Ordinary Day". Second album No Baggage released on August 24, 2009.
Fergal Lawler writes songs and plays drums in his new band The Low Network, which he formed with his pals Kieran Calvert (of Woodstar) and Jennifer McMahon. In 2007, their first release, “The Low Network EP,” was released.
On January 9, 2009, Dolores O'Riordan, Noel and Mike Hogan performed together for the first time in a long time. University Philosophical Society at Trinity College Dublin. This happened as part of the award to Dolores of the highest award (for those who are not members of the society) “The Honorary Patronage”.
On August 25, 2009, in an exclusive interview with New York radio station 101.9 RXP, Dolores O'Riordan officially confirmed that The Cranberries would reunite in November 2009 for a tour of North America and Europe (in 2010). During the tour, new songs will be performed from No Baggage, as well as classic hits.
In April 2011, The Cranberries began recording their sixth studio album, entitled Roses. The album was released on February 27, 2012. On January 24, 2012, the group released the only video for the song from this album - “Tomorrow”.
Compound
After the change of lead singer at the beginning of their creative career, the composition of the group did not undergo any changes. The legend reflects the main role of each participant. Vertical lines mark the years of release of studio albums.
Chronology of the group's composition:
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