EP7 - Sacred Heart Hotel & Speak Slowly by The Stars of Heaven

To Here Knows When - Great Irish Albums Revisited

Episode seven focuses on The Stars of Heaven and their two albums Sacred Heart Hotel (1986) and Speak Slowly (1988). The band were formed in Dublin in 1983 and disbanded in early 1990. They released their debut 7” single ‘Clothes of Pride’ on Hotwire Records in 1985. John Peel picked up on the single and the band were offered a BBC session. Within days of the session being broadcast in January 1986 Rough Trade’s Geoff Travis had offered to release the recordings. The band added three more songs that were recorded with Chris O’Brien in Dublin and the resulting mini-album Sacred Heart Hotel was released by Rough Trade Records in September 1986. Speak Slowly, their second album, followed in June 1988. The Stars of Heaven were Stephen Ryan on vocals and guitar, Stan Erraught on guitar, Peter O’Sullivan on bass guitar and Bernard Walsh on drums. Stephen and Stan both wrote songs and Stephen sang them. They were once described as, “Ireland's answer to The Byrds, Gram Parsons and the Velvet Underground all in one package.” Stan Erraught joins me to talk about the highs and lows of the band's career. Episode notes are here.