Pop Culture Retrospective Podcast Episode #59 - The Cranberries

Episode #59 - The Cranberries

In 1990, a small, relatively unknown band from Ireland was looking for a new lead singer. The group’s original singer,  Niall Quinn, decided to step away from the rock band and returned to the group he was previously a part of.  An 18 year old woman named Delores O’Riordan had caught wind of this band needing a new singer.  She was a relatively experienced musician given her young age.  She had sung in her church’s choir, was a classically trained pianist and she taught herself to play guitar.  She even wrote her first song at the ripe old age of 12.  So, clad in a bright pink tracksuit, she hopped on her bike, grabbed her keyboard and rode across town to the audition.  It was hard for the other band members to predict what this small statured woman was going to do.  She was pretty quiet and shy, but once she started singing, the three young men in the group were speechless.  They could not believe what they had heard and they also could not believe that this impressive woman was not already in a band. She was clearly an incredibly gifted singer and musician who was way ahead of her time and they would need to catch up.  Needless to say she made quite the impression on the group and she left the audition with four different chords to work on.  These notes would eventually go on to form the basis for the song, Linger.  Little did Delores or the other bandmates know that they would go on to be one of the biggest and most successful bands out of Ireland other than U2.  More on their incredible story in a moment.

Hello and thank you so very much for tuning in to the Pop Culture Retrospective Podcast, a show inspired by, and in memory of, my big sister Rebecca and her love for all things pop-culture, especially the people, places and things of the 80s, 90s and early 00s.  My name is Amy Lewis and I am your captain aboard this pop-culture time machine. You are tuning in to episode #59, the Cranberries. Like so many children growing up, my first introduction to a lot of music was from my parents and later my sister.  I remember my mom owning the Cranberries album “Everyone else is doing it, so why can’t we” on cassette tape and I’m pretty sure my sister owned the group’s 2nd album “No need to Argue.”  The three of us often traveled together in my mom’s car to visit friends and family and the only entertainment was cassette tapes. I’m quite certain the Cranberries were in pretty heavy rotation when we weren’t rocking out to Tracy Chapman, Phoebe Snow or Tina Turner.  I found the story of the Cranberries, especially their lead singer, Delores O’Riordan, to be fascinating, so let’s get to it!  

Originally formed in 1989, the Cranberries were first known as Cranberry Saw Us.  Their name was a pun based off of the traditional Thanksgiving side dish, cranberry sauce. The group consisted of Noel Hogan who was the lead guitarist and a songwriter, Mike Hogan, his brother who played the bass and Fergal Lawler who played the drums.   Noel Hogan was born on December 25, 1971. Mike Hogan was born on April 29, 1973 and is the youngest member of the band.  Fergal Lawler was born on March 4, 1971. Lawler and the Hogan brothers met as teenagers while they were out breakdancing.  

During their late teenage years they were each gifted their respective instruments and they began playing together and putting together music. Once Lawler started playing the drums, he was absolutely hooked. He felt like it was the only thing he was ever good at and felt confident doing. When Niall left the group, they continued to develop music and their sound and eventually decided it was time to find a new lead singer, preferably a woman.  Despite leaving the group, Niall introduced the group to his girlfriend’s sister’s friend named Delores.  The rest, as you just learned, was history.   Delores O’Riordan was born on September 6, 1971 to parents Eileen and Terrance.  She was the youngest of 7 children!  Her father was injured in a motorcycle accident so he was no longer able to work as a farm laborer and was in a wheelchair.  When O’Riordan was in school, she was often asked to sing Gaelic in front of her class and when she was in high school she declared that she wanted to be a rock star!  The group worked together to put together some demo tapes and recordings.  The tapes they put together sold out in the record stores in their hometown of Limerick. They played at a lot of nightclubs and pubs in the early days.  They were determined to get out of playing at such small venues though so the group gave out demo tapes left and right and eventually they played a showcase at a local university, to an audience of over 1400 students.  Dozens of record companies had talent scouts were present to check out the band.  Soon, the group would sign a 6 figure deal with Island records which was also home to U2.  Apparently one of the record companies they sent their demo tape to returned it back to them with an envelope labeled “The Cranberries” and the name just stuck.  

The Cranberries released their first studio album, Everyone else is doing it, so why can’t we? In 1993.  The title of the album comes from the group’s desire to be successful.  They felt like they had to start somewhere, everyone does, so why couldn’t they too, become a well-known group?  A lot of the music was inspired by relationships that Delores had in her teenage years.  It wasn’t initially very popular in the UK, but after its success in the United States, it became popular elsewhere. One of the biggest hits on this album was “Linger,” which would go on to be an international hit, when Delores was just 22 years old.  The song was inspired by O’Riordan’s first kiss. Another well known song on this album is called “Dreams.”  If you’ve ever seen the movie “You’ve Got Mail” then you’ll remember this song being played at the beginning of the film.  The website pitchfork described this song quite well when they wrote quote:  “Dreams,” which articulates how falling in love is thrilling and terrifying all at once, achieves similar heights. From the first words out of O’Riordan’s mouth—“Oh my life/Is changing every day/In every possible way”—“Dreams” embraces the uncertain adventure ahead. With every new line, the band seems to breathe in fresh new air, constantly revitalizing themselves in real-time; at one point, O’Riordan lets out a defiant yodel, a vocal tradition that she was taught by her father.”  End quote. This album sold over 5 million copies in the US alone and hundreds of thousands of copies abroad. 

This album, like a lot of the music that was produced by the Cranberries was written primarily by Delores and Noel.  They never wrote music together in the same room. 

 Instead, Noel would create guitar riffs and patterns and record his parts onto a cassette tape.  He would then give the tape to Delores for her to work out the lyrics and chorus.  

1994 brought us “No Need to Argue.”  The album includes the Cranberries most popular and successful hit song, “Zombie.”  Originally named “In Your Head”, “Zombie” was a war cry about the violence happening in places like Rwanda, Bosnia and Northern Ireland at the time.  Delores had broken her leg in a ski accident and wrote the lyrics to the song while sitting in a hospital bed recovering.  The song was specifically inspired by an incident where a bomb, hidden under a trash can in a city called Warrington in North Western England exploded and killed two little boys who were 3 and 12 at the time they passed.  Delores had seen one of the mothers of the children on TV and her heart just broke for her.  She was angry and she wasn’t afraid to express that anger through music.  The Cranberries record label was not at all thrilled about the song, but the band really believed in the song and its message.  They were very against the politically intense song being released as a single so much so that they allegedly wrote out a check for 1 million dollars for them to NOT release the song but O’Riordan allegedly ripped up the check right in front of them.  With the help of Zombie, which was played at the Nobel Peace Prize Ceremony I might add, No Need to Argue sold 20 million copies.  It is the Cranberries best selling album of all time. Zombie was typically the last song the Cranberries played when they had concerts.   Zombie was understandably an incredibly popular hit as it’s an incredible song, but No Need to Argue also includes “Ode to my Family” which I liked to sing to my mom as well as “The Icicle Melts” and “Twenty One.”  It also includes “Ridiculous Thoughts” which is probably my all time favorite Cranberries song.  If you ever have the chance, I strongly suggest seeing the group perform this song (or really any song that is, live).  They are just as good in the studio as they are live.  I really wish I would have had the chance to see them in concert.  

In 1996, the Cranberries released “To the Faithful Departed” which is the first Cranberries album that I recall purchasing.  The album was dedicated to O’Riordan’s Grandfather and a gentleman named Danny Cordell who helped get the band signed with Island records.  Both of the men had passed away before the album’s release.  One of the biggest hits on this album was “Salvation” which was a hard hitting song about substance use and how it’s something that  O’Riordan hoped nobody would fall into.  She told interviewers that she had struggled with substance use at times and that it never made anything any better, only worse.  I always sort of thought that’s what the song was about, but here’s a closer look at some of the lyrics:

To all those people doing lines

Don't do it, don't do it

Inject your soul with liberty

It's free, it's free

To all the kids with heroin eyes

Don't do it, don't do it

Because it's not, not what it seems

No, no it's not, not what it seems

Salvation, salvation, salvation is free

Salvation, salvation, salvation is free

The music video for this song was pretty terrifying as it features a horrifying clown character and is very ominous.  I tried to watch it again recently but I just cannot handle the clown.  However, I have always loved this song and also “Free to Decide” since I first heard them.  “Free to Decide” was a song written in response to the media and their over-involvement in the private lives of the members of the Cranberries, especially O’Riordan.  They were often writing rumors about the band breaking up, O’Riordan having mental breakdowns, etc. 

Around the time of the release of “To the Faithful Departed” the Cranberries were starting to get burned out.  They had endured many years of extensive touring and performing.  O’Riordan had an injured knee and wanted to live a normal life.  The group sort of knew they were feeling burnt out and made the mistake of pushing through it and recording when they said they shouldn’t have.  That being said, they certainly created an outstanding album in my own humble opinion.  

Bury the Hatchet was released in 1999.  The album sold 2.4 million copies.  4 different singles were released off of this album including “Animal Instinct,” “Promises,” “You and Me” and one of my personal favorite Cranberries songs, “Just My Imagination.”  This album came after a several year hiatus that the band took.  The album touches on topics like motherhood and child abuse, a continuation of some of the more serious topics covered in the group’s music.  The album cover for this record is often criticized because it features a naked man out in the desert being looked at by a humongous eyeball.  I’m not one to think all too much about album covers but I will say this isn’t something I would have wanted a poster of.  Let’s put it that way.  

Wake up and Smell the Coffee came next in 2001.  It was created after the group again took a hiatus for several years, each was married and raising children so there were a lot of other things to focus on at this time.  Hotpress said about the album quote:  “The transformation of Dolores O’Riordan from shy, tranquil Limerick girl to loud, brash, snarling international rock star is, as well as being one of music’s more curious transitions, also a mirror of her band’s fortunes – moving from the deft acoustics of their debut to the heavy handed, rather boorish rock of recent times. On their fifth album, however, a state of equilibrium seems to have been reached by both parties, resulting in easily their best work for some seven years.”  End quote.  Singles on this album included:  “This is the Day,” “Time is Ticking Out” and “Analyse.”  with an s.  

In 2009 the band had a reunion of sorts and went on a world tour.  It was primarily in the United States and Canada.  They were in Boston in November of that year and gosh darnit, I didn’t know it!   Ugh!  Regrets! 

In 2011, the Cranberries started recording what would eventually be an album called “Roses.”  They performed here and there, but O’Riordan was certainly having a hard time.  

Around 2012, it has been noted that O’Riordan was struggling with an addiction to pills and alcohol.  She reportedly attempted suicide by overdosing on medication.  She survived and said she wanted to pull through because of her children.  That same year, Roses was released. I think that was one of the last physical CDs I purchased because both me and my wife’s current vehicles do not have CD players in them.  

In 2014, O’Riordan had a psychotic break. Very Well Mind describes a psychotic break as quote:  “A psychotic break occurs when a person loses touch with reality due to a decline in their mental well-being. It could either be a sign of an underlying medical condition or occur due to a stressful or traumatic event.

It’s also referred to as psychosis or a psychotic episode. Some research shows that 3 in 100 people will experience a psychotic break at some point in their lives.”  End quote.She was reportedly manic as well as paranoid and she assaulted a flight crew on an airplane.   Thus began a period of healing for O’Riordan.  She opened up about the struggles of her childhood including her sister apparently burning down their childhood home and that she was sexually abused by a family from the time she was 8 until she was 12.  Because of the abuse and her quick rise to fame, she had been struggling with depression and an eating disorder for many years.  The individual who abused her allegedly attended her father’s funeral in 2011 and apologized for their actions.  O’Riordan had for years been dreading seeing this person but somehow got through this encounter. Also during 2014, she and her husband got divorced after being together for 20 years.  They had 3 children together.  This also contributed to her alcohol abuse in addition to her PTSD.  She would end up living in hotels in New York city for a time but eventually got an apartment and later a home in Limerick, IR, near where she grew up.  She was later diagnosed with Bi-Polar disorder in 2015. In 2017, she was drinking heavily and taking Lorazepam and was starting to compose a suicide note.  Thankfully she was able to see a psychotherapist and work through this difficult time.  The group was supposed to tour in Europe but they had to cancel most of the tour due to O’Riordan’s health.  

The group did manage to release an album in 2017 entitled “Something Else” which featured a number of unplugged and orchestral versions of their music.  It was recorded at the University of Limerick in Ireland, the same spot where the Cranberries had performed almost 30 years earlier before they were signed to a record label.  

In January of 2018, O’Riordan had arrived in London to start mixing an album she was doing solo.  She had made some phone calls and social media posts alluding to new music and how excited she was to put it together. On January 15th, O’Riordan passed away in her hotel room bathtub.  After an autopsy was completed, it was determined that she had died by accidental drowning due to alcohol poisoning.  Remarkably, O’Riordan and Noel Hogan had worked together in previous months to record a few demo tracks for an upcoming Cranberries record.  The band decided in the late fall of 2018 that they would no longer continue performing, however they were able to create and release an album with O’Riordan on it from her previous recordings.  The album, created with her family’s blessing is called “the End” and was released in April of 2019.  When the surviving members of the band listened to the completed album for the first time, they thought it sounded a lot like they had previously in the very beginning of their career as musicians with O’Riordan.  In the biography section of the Cranberries website, the last line reads:  “As the huge wave of public adulation in the wake of Dolores’ passing showed, The Cranberries may be over, in one sense - but they will forever live on in the musical pantheon.”

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I hope you have enjoyed this look back on the Cranberries, one of the most successful alternative bands of all time.  Despite no longer being an official band, the Cranberries have sold over 50 million albums worldwide.  The remaining members have gone on to release re-mastered and box sets of Cranberries albums.  The band was together for so many years, starting when they were teenagers so understandably the loss of O’Riordan has been hard.  In April of 2022, the Cranberries released an album called “For Delores” on Record Store Day.  It was originally released digitally in September of 2021 around the time that she would have turned 50.  Several other compilation and live albums have been released in addition to the Cranberries 8 studio albums.  There is no doubt that the Cranberries and O’Riordan left quite the impression on the world of music.  I am so grateful that I had the opportunity to appreciate their music while O’Riordan was still alive.  I imagine my sister would feel the same way.  

Before we wrap up the show, I just wanted to share a few various announcements and requests!

First, if you listened to my last show, you will know I discussed the top 10 holiday toys of the 1980s.  I did a poll on twitter about having to pick 1 of those toys and the top answer was He-Man, who was the top selling holiday toy in 1981.  

Also, I am proud to share that I have officially opened a Pop Culture Retrospective Podcast Merchandise store!  That’s right, you can now rock gear with your favorite podcast logo on it! 

I’ll post a link to the store in the show notes and you can also find the link to the merch shop on my new podcast website- www.popcultureretrospective.com  On my new site you can find all of episodes of the show, as well as a blog you can comment on, information and news about the show.  Please check it out!  I’ll also post a link to it in the show notes. 

I hope you will join me for my next show where we will be discussing…..

UTBKBSAHOTYM.