biography
"They were certainly the darlings of the festival. Such nice guys! And their mainstage performance was the highlight of many, many people here" - Kenna Burima, Calgary Folk Music Festival, Canada 2008
The Men They Couldn't Hang came together, as Paul Simmonds, Philip 'Swill' Odgers and his brother Jon, who played in the pop-punk band 'Catch 22', met Stefan Cush in London. Their early line up was Stefan Cush (Vocals, Guitar), Paul Simmonds (Guitar, Bouzouki, Keyboards), Philip Odgers (Vocals, Guitar, Tin Whistle, Melodica), Jon Odgers (Drums, Percussion) and Shanne Bradley (Bass, Flute).
In the early eighties, TMTCH appeared at a number of alternative country music festivals and released a fantastic cover version of Eric Bogle's 'Green Fields Of France' (1984), which soon became a big hit on the UK Indie charts.
Their first album, "Night Of A Thousand Candles", was released in 1985. It includes the singles 'Ironmasters' and 'Greenback Dollar'. The following year, they recorded their second album, "How Green Is The Valley". Included on this album are the singles 'Gold Rush', 'Shirt Of Blue' and 'Ghosts Of Cable Street'.
In 1987 Shanne Bradley left the band and was replaced by Ricky McGuire. With their third release in 1988, "Waiting For Bonaparte", The Men They Couldn't Hang were propelled to stardom in Europe. The album includes 'Island In The Rain', 'The Crest' and 'The Colours'. One year later, they followed up the success of "Waiting For Bonaparte" with their fourth album, "Silvertown". Singles from this album include 'Rain, Steam & Speed', 'A Place In The Sun' and 'A Map Of Morocco'.
At the height of their career, TMTCH recorded the brilliant "Domino Club" (1990) with 'Great Expectations', 'Kingdom Of The Blind' and 'The Lion & The Unicorn'. Unfortunately, this appeared to be their last studio album - shortly after the following tour, TMTCH disbanded.
In 1991, TMTCH came together for one live performance at London's Town and Country Club. That night, they showed the world what they are - one of the best live bands ever. This emotional gig is immortalized on the album 'Alive, Alive-O', released later that same year.
Much to the delight of their fans, TMTCH reunited in 1996. They returned with a new power and excitement to their music. "Never Born To Follow" is an excellent work which includes the single, 'The Eye'. Shortly after this, they released the "Six Pack EP" (1997), followed by their 'Best Of' collections, "Majestic Grill" and "The Mud, The Blood And The Beer" (both 1998). Their latest release, "The Cherry Red Jukebox" (2003), which is definately one of their best albums ever, is the next step forward for the Men in their long and illustrious history...
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