Celtus - The History

The history of Celtus starts with three brothers from Derrylin, near Eniskillen - their father was a respected fiddle player, teacher and sometime member of the Starlight showband. Pat McManus played fiddle and guitar, John played flute, bodhran, Uilleann pipes and bass guitar. The boys played in public from the age of seven. At eight, John appeared with Matt Molloy of the Chieftans and won successive All-Ulster Championships on the tin whistle. Pat appeared on TV for the first time at seven and was All-Ireland Champion on fiddle by the age of fourteen.
The brothers formed a rock band called Mama's Boys. Tommy was only thirteen at the time. Pat played guitar, violins and did backing vocals, John played bass, low whistle and did vocals, Tommy played drums and sang backing vocals. Tommy was listening to Top Of The Pops and the like and he encouraged his brothers to do something different from the traditional music they had always played. They toured pubs and clubs in Ireland playing practically every kind of music you could think of.
The band signed a record deal with Jive Records for whom they recorded two albums which were successful in the US, one of them making the Billboard Top 100.

1982 - Plug It In - Albion Records

Line-up: John McManus, Pat McManus, Tommy McManus

1983 - Turn It Up - Spartan Records

Line-up: John Baker, John McManus, Pat McManus, Tommy McManus

1984 - Mama's Boys - Jive Records

Line-up:

1987 - Growing Up The Hard Way - Jive Records

Donald Baker, Pete Harris, John McManus, Pat McManus, Tommy McManus, Keith Murrell, Philip Begley, Jonny Fean, Marc Fox

1991 - they played at Derry

19?? - Power And Passion - Arista Records

Line-up: John McManus, Pat McManus, Tommy McManus
The music was pop-rock, along the lines of Foreigner and Def Leppard, unlike the traditional Irish music they grew up playing, but they still picked up traditional instruments in spare moments.
 

Tommy McManus had suffered from leukaemia as a child and while the band were on tour in America he had a relapse. Tommy recovered completely, but the band lost impetus. Jive tried to change the band by introducing a new lead vocalist and keyboard man, and making the sound more commercial. Tommy had further relapses and the band was off the road again. Jive Records didn't renew their contract and the band carried on gigging. They released two more albums on their own label but Tommy had a further relapse in 1993 and despite a bone marrow transplant he died in 1994.

Pat and John gave up music. Obviously Tommy expected this to happen and he made clear requests to key people that should anything happen to him they should be encouraged to continue with their music. Ettiene and Caterine were Mama's Boys fans who were close to the brothers and they came to visit Tommy in UCH. Tommy made them promise to tell Pat and John to continue.

John composed 'Brothers Lament' and Pat heard it. The pair began to play more 'Irish' music. Muff Winwood liked the music and this lead to a contract with Sony Soho Square. During their time with Sony they made Moonchild and Portrait. Sadly the second album didn't sell the regulation 35,000 copies and Sony dropped them. The single that was due to be released was scrapped even though it had already been pressed. The band then set out on a self-financed tour and released a CD on Shamrock Records called Rooted. This was partially music that was commissioned by EMI and used during the Jimmy Nail tour and brought so many positive comments that they felt it should be available to fans. There wasn't a general release and it was sold only at gigs and through mail order (there may be copies left if you check the new official site.