Irish '60s & '70s Bands & Groups

Purple Pussycat (Dublin)

Related: Dead Centre, Alyce, Arrows, Pacific

Fronted by highly-regarded soul/rock singer Eamon Gibney, ably supported by Gerry O'Donovan on vocals and guitar, Purple Pussycat developed from a Dublin Northside group, Dead Centre. They contributed two tracks to the 1969 Pye Golden Guinea compilation album, 'Paddy Is Dead And The Kids Know It', 'You've Made Me So Very Happy' and the Ike & Tina Turner classic, 'River Deep, Mountain High'.

Lead guitarist Dave Murphy left in 1969 to join The Pacific Showband. Other members at various times were Paul Matthews (bass), Donie Devaney (sax), Jimmy O'Brien (drums), Maurice Walsh (vocals), Tommy Moore (guitar/vocals) and Scott Mulvey (organ). When the band folded in 1970, Gibney and O'Donovan formed a new band, Alyce. Gibney later fronted The Arrows.

Vocals: Eamonn Gibney, Maurice Walsh
Lead Guitar: Dave Murphy, Tommy Moore
2nd Guitar: Gerry O'Donovan
Bass: Paul Matthews

Drums: Jimmy O'Brien, Peter Carr
Piano/Organ: Scott Mulvey, Paul Duffy
Manager:

Hi all,

I was the second drummer ever to play with Purple Pussycat and Dave Murphy was on keyboards along with Eamonn and Jerry and Paul on bass. Dave left and we continued for a while and got in Paul Duffy on keyboards. Jimmy O'Brien came a lot later when I left also for a short while to return a year or so later after Jimmy had left again.

I was with the band up to the time Eamonn left and went with Paddy Freeney on drums to form Alyce but I also remember rehearsing with Alyce in a house in Ballsbridge but can’t remember what happened after that.

Regards, Peter Carr

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