| The Dooleys |
| Origin |
United Kingdom |
| Genres |
Pop, MOR
|
| Years active |
1967–1991 |
| Labels |
Alaska, GTO, Epic, R'n'R |
|
| Past members |
Jim Dooley
John Dooley
Frank Dooley
Kathy Dooley
Anne Dooley
Helen Dooley
Alan Bogan
Bob Walsh |
The Dooleys were a United Kingdom male–female pop group comprising at its peak eight members — six of them in the Dooley family. The group achieved several UK chart hits between 1977 and 1981, including top-ten hits "Wanted", "Love of My Life" and "The Chosen Few".
The group began in the late 1960s as "The Dooley Family", composed of brothers Jim (vocals), John (guitar and vocals) and Frank (guitar and vocals) with sisters Marie, Anne and Kathy (all vocals). Based in Ilford, Essex, the group had work that was mostly limited to theatres and hotels because the three youngest members were still at school and therefore not allowed to perform in pubs. They appeared in variety shows alongside popular entertainers such as Bob Monkhouse, Frankie Howerd, Norman Collier and Anne Shelton.
In 1972, they were joined by friend Bob Walsh (bass guitar) who was born in Manchester. His brother Vince Miller was a club compere and ran a booking agency with colleague Brian Mills. The pair took the group to Manchester for some trials in Northern clubs. They went down well with audiences and were told that they could achieve greater success if they were to base themselves permanently in the North. As a result, they moved to Worsley in Lancashire during 1973 without Marie, who was by now pregnant with her first child, and did not feel she could commit to the band.
| Release date |
Title |
UK |
IRE |
Album |
Record label |
| 1974 |
"Hands Across the Sea" |
- |
|
— |
Alaska |
| "Sha La La Lullaby" |
- |
|
| 1976 |
"On the Move" |
- |
|
Beeb |
| 1977 |
"Think I'm Gonna Fall in Love with You" |
13 |
|
The Dooleys |
GTO |
| "Love of My Life" |
9 |
14 |
| 1978 |
"Don't Take it Lyin' Down" |
60 |
|
| "A Rose Has to Die" |
11 |
9 |
| 1979 |
"Honey I'm Lost" |
24 |
23 |
The Best of The Dooleys |
| "Wanted" |
3 |
3 |
| "The Chosen Few" |
7 |
4 |
The Chosen Few |
| 1980 |
"Love Patrol" |
29 |
|
Full House |
| "Body Language" |
46 |
|
| "In a Riddle" |
- |
|
| 1981 |
"Taken at the Flood" |
- |
|
— |
| "And I Wish" |
52 |
|
Secrets |
| "The Dancer" |
- |
|
Epic |
| 1982 |
"Will You or Wont You" |
- |
|
— |
| 1983 |
"Flavour of the Month" |
- |
|
In Car Stereo |
R'n'R |
| 1985 |
"New Beginning" |
- |
|
— |
New Merseybeat |
...
Wikipedia
