Foster & Allen began back in the seventies when Mick and Tony were playing in Country Music bands around Ireland. In 1975 they formed a small group and went over to the UK to work the Irish music venues on a short tour.
Mick & Tony had at this stage the idea of working together as a duo, playing ‘easy listening’ music with a touch of traditional Irish instrumentals. When their UK tour finished they decided to let the band return to Ireland whilst they stayed behind to try and break into the public eye. They played several venues in the London area and the reaction was very favourable; so much so, they decided to remain as a duo and Foster and Allen was formed.
It was difficult at the beginning and after a time working around the circuit in the UK and Ireland, they released their first single record The Rambles of Spring. This made a good impact on the Irish market and Foster and Allen were soon in demand for cabaret venues all over Ireland and to a lesser extent the UK At the end of 1978 Foster and Allen released the single A Bunch Of Thyme in Ireland, which entered the Irish charts and became their first top-selling No. 1 single.
It was not until 1982 that this single was released in the UK. It was played by all the radio stations in Britain and was soon in the pop charts. It climbed rapidly to number 18 in the UK Singles Chart. At the time, Mick & Tony were in the U.S. on a tour. They were contacted and told to fly back to Britain immediately as they were required to appear on television’s Top of the Pops.
Demand for Foster and Allen's services at venues all over Ireland and the UK increased at this point. They released another single "Old Flames" which also made its way into the UK Charts. They did their first concert tour of the UK in 1983 and this tour was boosted even more by the release of another single Maggie. This reached number 27 in the UK singles chart and, along with A Bunch Of Thyme, these became the signature tunes for the duo. Since then they have toured the UK twice each year.
In addition to the UK tours, Foster and Allen have toured the U.S.A, Canada, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. They had five No. 1 Hits in Australia/New Zealand. They have also appeared on numerous TV shows in Ireland, Scotland, England and Wales as well as Australia, USA and Canada, and they have had their own TV series on RTE Television in Ireland.
In the early days Mick & Tony performed on stage as a duo, but in 1982 (when the concert tours started) they added a band to their show thus giving a much fuller sound to their program. On the recording front, Foster and Allen have to date released a total of 27 albums, all of which have gone into the British charts. This is a great achievement for a middle-of-the-road ‘easy listening’ act.
As well as the albums, they have released thirteen videos, again all of which have entered the British charts. The video "Souvenirs and Memories" reached No. 3 in the British charts around Christmas 1991, the "By Request" video went straight into the No. 1 spot in 1993 and their latest DVD/Video release "After All These Years" was a Top 10 Chart Release in the UK. To date Foster and Allen have achieved album and video sales in excess of 19 million worldwide.
Foster and Allen celebrated their 30th Anniversary together in the music industry with the release of their new album "Foster & Allen Sing The No. 1’s" which was a Top 30 Chart hit in the UK during Christmas 2005 bringing the sales of their last three albums in the UK and Ireland to over 500,000 units.
The duo recently completed their “World Concert Tour – 2005/2006” which took them on tour to the United Kingdom, Canada, South Africa, Ireland, U.S.A., Australia and Ireland.
Annie's Song
Foster & Allen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's wonderful, so they say
And with the moon up above, it's wonderful
It's wonderful, so they tell me
I can't recall who said it
I know I've never read it
I only know they tell me that love is grand, and
Is wonderful, wonderful
In every way, so they say
To leave your house some morning
And without any warning, you're stopping people,
Shouting that love is grand, and
To hold a man in your arms is wonderful, wonderful
In every way, so they say
The lyrics of Foster & Allen's song Annie's Song try to express the beauty and wonder of falling in love. The singer acknowledges that while he cannot recall the origin of the idea and has never read it, people often say that falling in love is a magnificent experience under the moonlight. He further suggests that at some point, one might feel overcome with emotion and feel the need to spread the news of how great love is to everyone they encounter, even to the point of embracing and holding a man within one's arms.
The song depicts the magic of feeling love beyond its physical and emotional aspects - it is a divine and transcendent experience. One can't help but appreciate the wonder of being in love, and sometimes, it is incomprehensible, but it's a feeling that positively transforms the soul. This song is about not only the beauty of love and its impact, but also how it can change things unexpectedly, making life lighter, easier, and more enjoyable. The lyrics imply that love is irrefutably wonderful in every possible way.
Line by Line Meaning
They say that falling love is wonderful
According to popular opinion, falling in love is an amazing experience
It's wonderful, so they say
People claim that love is a great thing
And with the moon up above, it's wonderful
Suggesting that the romantic setting of a moonlit night makes love even more enjoyable
It's wonderful, so they tell me
Similar to the previous statements, others have shared with the artist that love is wonderful
I can't recall who said it
The artist is unsure of who first made this claim
I know I've never read it
The singer has not come across this idea in any written material
I only know they tell me that love is grand, and
The singer has only heard from others that love is amazing
The thing that's known as romance
Referring to the concept of romance, which often involves love and affection
Is wonderful, wonderful
Romance is said to be an extremely positive experience
In every way, so they say
People describe romance as being great in every respect
To leave your house some morning
The idea of impulsively leaving one's home
And without any warning, you're stopping people,
Suddenly stopping people on the street to convey this message
Shouting that love is grand, and
Announcing to others that love is an incredible experience
To hold a man in your arms is wonderful, wonderful
Expressing the blissful feeling of being physically intimate with a significant other
In every way, so they say
As before, people describe this experience as being great in every respect
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Irving Berlin
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind