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Foster and Allen( Foster & Allen )【 76 songs in total 】
Foster and Allen are a musical duo from Ireland consisting of Mick Foster and Tony Allen. In their 40-year career, they have released over 30 albums, many of which entered the UK Albums Chart. Along with 'A Bunch of Thyme' (entering the Irish chart in 1979 and becoming their first No. 1 single), 'Maggie' became a No. 1 in New Zealand for four weeks, making the two songs their signature tunes. They started in the 1970s as a duo, but in 1982 they added a band to their show. They have achieved album and video sales in excess of 22 million worldwide.

History

Foster and Allen began in 1975 when they were playing in country music bands around Ireland. Soon after they formed a small group and went over to the UK to work the Irish music venues on a short tour. At this stage they had the idea of working together as a duo, playing easy listening music with traditional Irish instrumentals.

When their UK tour finished, they decided to let the band return to Ireland whilst they stayed behind to try to break into the public eye. They played several venues in the London area and the reaction was favourable; they decided to remain as a duo, and Foster and Allen was formed. After a time working around the circuit in the UK and Ireland, they released their first single, 'The Rambles of Spring'. This made an impact on the Irish market and Foster and Allen were soon in demand for cabaret venues all over Ireland.

At the end of 1979, Foster and Allen released the single, 'A Bunch of Thyme' in Ireland, and it entered the Irish chart. Despite the romance and charm of the music and lyrics the song is in reality a warning to young women to protect their virginity. The girl in the song ultimately ignores the warnings and becomes infected with syphilis. It became their first number one single, and stayed on the chart for 40 weeks. It was not until 1982 that this single was released in the UK. It was played by all the radio stations in Britain, and peaked at No. 18 in the UK Singles Chart. At the time, Foster and Allen were in the United States on a tour. They were contacted and told to fly back to the UK to appear on BBC Television's Top of the Pops.

Demand for Foster and Allen's services at venues all over Ireland and the UK increased. They released another single, 'Old Flames', which peaked at No. 51 in the UK chart. They undertook their first concert tour of the UK in 1983, and this tour was boosted by the release of another single 'Maggie'. This reached No.27 in the UK Singles Chart and became a No.1 in New Zealand for four weeks.

Foster and Allen have toured Ireland, the UK, the US, Canada, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. They have also had their own TV series on RTÉ Television in Ireland.

In the early days, Mick Foster and Tony Allen performed on stage as a duo, but in 1982 (when the concert tours started) they added a band to their show, thus giving a much fuller sound to their program. On the recording front, Foster and Allen have released over 30 albums, many of which entered the UK Albums Chart. As well as the albums, they have released thirteen videos. The video 'Souvenirs and Memories' reached No. 3 in the UK video chart around Christmas 1991, the 'By Request' video went straight into the No. 1 spot in 1993. Their DVD/video release After All These Years became Top 10 in the UK. To date, Foster and Allen have achieved album and video sales in excess of 22 million worldwide.

Foster and Allen celebrated their 30th Anniversary together in the music industry with the release of their album, Foster and Allen Sing the No. 1's, which was a Top 30 hit in the UK Albums Chart during Christmas 2005. Their 'World Concert Tour – 2005/2006' took them to the United Kingdom, Canada, South Africa, Ireland, US and Australia.

In 2011, the Irish High Court ruled they must pay around €3 million each to Revenue.
Tony Allen

Allen was born on 24 February 1952 in Mount Temple, Co Westmeath, the youngest of a family of nine children. He was keen on music from an early age, and was encouraged by his parents and teachers. His father, Patrick, was a fiddle player while his mother was a singer. Allen started playing the accordion after one of his brothers brought him an accordion home from England. It was not long before he joined the Mary Landers, (a local band), and subsequently, the Kieran Kelly Band, replacing Brendan Shine.

In 1973, along with his brother Tom, Allen was part of Doc Carroll's Nightrunners Showband. It was another Athlone man, Kevin Sheerin, who recommended Allen for the job in this band. They used to play mostly around the Midlands and a residency in the Irish Club, Parnell Square, Dublin every Tuesday night.

Allen opened a recording studio in Moate, Roseland Studios, and most major acts in Ireland record their albums there. He is motivated by music; having the studio, he is now directing his interests into the technical side of the business.
Mick Foster

Foster was born on 25 November 1947 in County Kildare, in sight of the Curragh. He now lives in Mullingar, and has a small farm where he spends all his time, when not touring, looking after his horses. He has three daughters, Denise (born 26 May 1973), twins Sandra and Louise (born 10 February 1980), and one son, Jackie (born 13 May 1968). He has two grandchildren by Jackie: Daniel (born 18 December 1986) and Sarah (born 11 December 1990).

Foster was taught to play the accordion by a Sr Anges Murray, a nun of the Mercy Order in Ballymahon and Frankie Gavigan. Other influences on his playing included Jimmy Shand and Will Starr. He has recorded a tribute to the latter, entitled The Old Button Box and has claimed that his accordion would probably be the last thing he would be prepared to give up.
Sorted by Sorted by album (Time) Sorted by song name (Characters) Sorted by other
  Song Lyricist Composer Date
1 A Bunch of Thyme      
2 A Mother's Love's a Blessing      
3 A Mother's Way      
4 After The Ball      
5 AN OLD LOVE      
6 Any Dream Will Do      
7 Any Dream Will Do      
8 Black Velvet Band      
9 Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain     1983
10 Bunch of Thyme      
11 Could I Have This Dance (For the Rest of My Life)      
12 Coward of the County      
13 Danny Boy      
14 Don't Forget to Remember      
15 Edelweiss     2006
16 FAREWELL PARTY      
17 GALWAY BAY      
18 Galway Girl (Duet with Shayne Ward)      
19 Golden Slippers/I Wish I Was In Dixie/TheCamptown Races/Oh Suzanna/Marching/Through Georgia/Turkey In the Straw      
20 Good Luck Charm      
21 Green Willow      
22 How Great Thou Art(Provided)     2006
23 I Can't Stop Loving You      
24 I will love you all my life      
25 I'll Take You Home Again Kathleen      
26 IF THOSE LIPS COULD ONLY SPEAK      
27 It's Almost Tomorrow      
28 Let It Be Me     2007
29 Let the Rest of The World Go By      
30 Love of the Common People / If I Didn't / Have a Dime / 24 Hours from Tulsa      
31 Maggie     1983
32 Mary of Argyll      
33 MARY OF ARGYLL      
34 Michael Row the Boat Ashore      
35 My Grandfathers Clock      
36 My Lovely Rose of Clare      
37 No Matter What      
38 Nobody's Child      
39 Old Flames      
40 Part of Me Will Always Be In Love With You      
41 Ramblin' Rose      
42 Ramblin' Rose      
43 Ring of Fire     2007
44 Rose of Allendale      
45 Ruby Don't Take Your Love to Town      
46 Silver Threads Among the Gold      
47 Silver Threads and Golden Needles      
48 Sleigh Ride      
49 Softly Softly      
50 Somewhere My Love (Lara's Theme)     2006
51 Somewhere My Love      
52 Strangers in the Night      
53 Strangers in the Night      
54 Sweethearts in the Spring     1983
55 Take Me Home Country Roads      
56 Tennessee Waltz      
57 The Loveliest Night of the Year      
58 The Moonshiner      
59 The Mountains of Mourne      
60 The Old Boreen      
61 The Old Dungarvan Oak      
62 The Old Rustic Bridge by the Mill     1983
63 The Oldest Swinger in Town     2007
64 The Ring Your Mother Wore      
65 The Rose of Tralee      
66 THE ROSE OF TRALEE      
67 The Stone Outside Dan Murphy's Door      
68 The Yellow Rose of Texas      
69 Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Old Oak Tree      
70 True Love      
71 When My Blue Moon Turns to Gold Again      
72 When You Say Nothing At All     2006
73 Who's Sorry Now?      
74 Winter Wonderland      
75 Working Man      
76 Your Old Love Letters