Reason in my view, was the song that not only broke Boyzone, but actually broke Louis.”
Having chosen a song, Louis sought the services of well-known British producer Ray Hedges, who had often worked with Take That and was experienced in producing for the pop market.
“I got a phone call and someone said ‘I’ve got another boy act for you’. I thought ‘Oh no, what could this be?’ you know, because I got sent a lot of projects after Take That. Some were really, really naff, but this guy was so full of enthusiasm,” says Hedges of Louis.
“His enthusiasm won me over and I said ‘What’s the name?’ and he said ‘Boyzone’, and I thought ‘Oh my God, my God, what a bizarre name.’
“He sent me a demo, which was horrendous. Working My Way Back To You – awful. He then told me to watch the Late Late Show . It was that horrendous performance that they did and I thought ‘Oh my God, what am I getting myself into?’ but he just won me over somehow. He was very enthusiastic and I liked that.”
Louis travelled to London with Keating and Gately to record the song. The other three band members, in what would become the normal way of doing things, didn’t go to the studio.
Louis also thought Boyzone should record a version of the Monkeys Daydream Believer.
“Hedges’ just made a magic record,” says Louis. “I had the original Osmonds 45 at home and I chose Daydream Believer because I thought it would be a good cover and that was it.”
Love Me for a Reason was released in Ireland in October 1994 and went to No. 1. Polygram in Ireland had signed the band for the world but they couldn’t persuade Polydor in the UK to pick up the band and release Love Me For A Reason in the UK. It was extremely frustrating for the band and for Louis.
Their luck changed when Boyzone were offered a place on the Smash Hits Roadshow in the UK, which was a travelling showcase for new bands, along with prominent acts to pull in the crowds.
“We got on Smash Hits Best Newcomer and we did the seven or eight gigs around the UK and there was just a great reaction,” says Louis. “They had black suits and red shirts and when they went on stage, there was just such a brilliant vibe. We had no idea what we were letting ourselves in for, in the big bad world of pop music in the UK. That was the start of it. That was the turning point.”
How Boyzone ended up on the Smash Hits tour is unclear. Ronan Keating in his autobiography, stated that Michelle Hockley, who organised the tour, “loved” their single and called Louis. Paul Keogh says Louis met and got to know Hockley and the band somehow ended up on the tour. Mark Frith, the former editor of Smash Hits , says he received a plastic package with a photo of the band, a copy of the single and video and “decided that day to put them on the Smash Hits show”.
Whatever happened, Boyzone went on tour and suddenly found themselves playing to audiences of up to 25,000 around the UK, rather than the few-dozen strong audiences they had been used to in Ireland.
Boyzone’s participation in the Smash Hits Roadshow was a huge boost for Louis. Boyzone’s inclusion on the tour silenced many of his detractors in the Irish music industry.
Shortly afterwards, the band won the Best Newcomer award. The winners of the Best Newcomer award got to appear on the Smash Hits Poll Winners’ Party, which was televised to an audience of over 11 million on the BBC.
The Boyzone members, most likely unaware of the backroom maneouvers that Louis was engaging in to secure success, were elated. Duffy waved at the camera and said, “Everybody at home, we made it.” When Hot Press asked why he said this, he explained: “For two reasons. One was like two fingers to all the critics and begrudgers who put us down and said we’d never do it. So, I was saying ‘fuck it, we did bleedin’ make it’. And I was saying to me mates and family too, ‘isn’t this great?’”
For Louis, it was great. There
Having chosen a song, Louis sought the services of well-known British producer Ray Hedges, who had often worked with Take That and was experienced in producing for the pop market.
“I got a phone call and someone said ‘I’ve got another boy act for you’. I thought ‘Oh no, what could this be?’ you know, because I got sent a lot of projects after Take That. Some were really, really naff, but this guy was so full of enthusiasm,” says Hedges of Louis.
“His enthusiasm won me over and I said ‘What’s the name?’ and he said ‘Boyzone’, and I thought ‘Oh my God, my God, what a bizarre name.’
“He sent me a demo, which was horrendous. Working My Way Back To You – awful. He then told me to watch the Late Late Show . It was that horrendous performance that they did and I thought ‘Oh my God, what am I getting myself into?’ but he just won me over somehow. He was very enthusiastic and I liked that.”
Louis travelled to London with Keating and Gately to record the song. The other three band members, in what would become the normal way of doing things, didn’t go to the studio.
Louis also thought Boyzone should record a version of the Monkeys Daydream Believer.
“Hedges’ just made a magic record,” says Louis. “I had the original Osmonds 45 at home and I chose Daydream Believer because I thought it would be a good cover and that was it.”
Love Me for a Reason was released in Ireland in October 1994 and went to No. 1. Polygram in Ireland had signed the band for the world but they couldn’t persuade Polydor in the UK to pick up the band and release Love Me For A Reason in the UK. It was extremely frustrating for the band and for Louis.
Their luck changed when Boyzone were offered a place on the Smash Hits Roadshow in the UK, which was a travelling showcase for new bands, along with prominent acts to pull in the crowds.
“We got on Smash Hits Best Newcomer and we did the seven or eight gigs around the UK and there was just a great reaction,” says Louis. “They had black suits and red shirts and when they went on stage, there was just such a brilliant vibe. We had no idea what we were letting ourselves in for, in the big bad world of pop music in the UK. That was the start of it. That was the turning point.”
How Boyzone ended up on the Smash Hits tour is unclear. Ronan Keating in his autobiography, stated that Michelle Hockley, who organised the tour, “loved” their single and called Louis. Paul Keogh says Louis met and got to know Hockley and the band somehow ended up on the tour. Mark Frith, the former editor of Smash Hits , says he received a plastic package with a photo of the band, a copy of the single and video and “decided that day to put them on the Smash Hits show”.
Whatever happened, Boyzone went on tour and suddenly found themselves playing to audiences of up to 25,000 around the UK, rather than the few-dozen strong audiences they had been used to in Ireland.
Boyzone’s participation in the Smash Hits Roadshow was a huge boost for Louis. Boyzone’s inclusion on the tour silenced many of his detractors in the Irish music industry.
Shortly afterwards, the band won the Best Newcomer award. The winners of the Best Newcomer award got to appear on the Smash Hits Poll Winners’ Party, which was televised to an audience of over 11 million on the BBC.
The Boyzone members, most likely unaware of the backroom maneouvers that Louis was engaging in to secure success, were elated. Duffy waved at the camera and said, “Everybody at home, we made it.” When Hot Press asked why he said this, he explained: “For two reasons. One was like two fingers to all the critics and begrudgers who put us down and said we’d never do it. So, I was saying ‘fuck it, we did bleedin’ make it’. And I was saying to me mates and family too, ‘isn’t this great?’”
For Louis, it was great. There
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