Conversations with Gerry Kelly - Phil Coulter

In this one hour Special, Gerry’s guest tonight is Phil Coulter, one of Ireland’s foremost composers and songwriters. In a career that has spanned 6 decades, Phil has written songs for everyone from Cliff Richard to Sinéad O’Connor, from Elvis Presley to the Dubliners, from the Bay City Rollers to Billy Connelly, amassing over 100 silver, gold and platinum discs along the way. Tonight, Phil performs many of his hits and gives Gerry an intriguing insight into how they came about. For example, he explains how he had to forensically chose the lyrics for ‘The Town I Love So Well’ in case it would be seen - in his own words - as just another ‘rebel song’ How intricate it was to write the rugby anthem ‘Ireland’s Call’ to ensure that no one, North or South, would be offended by the sentiments. Throughout the programme, Phil teases us with many of his hits from the emotional ‘Scorn Not His Simplicity’ to the Bay City Rollers raucous ‘Shangalang’ Tonight’s show is a privileged insight into the personal and musical mind of the Maestro that is Phil Coulter.