The Nolans

The Nolans were an Anglo-Irish girl group formed in Blackpool in 1974, originally known as the Nolan Sisters. They changed their name to the Nolans in 1980. Between 1979 and 1982, they enjoyed a string of hit singles, including "I'm in the Mood for Dancing", "Gotta Pull Myself Together", "Who's Gonna Rock You", "Attention to Me", and "Chemistry". They became one of the world’s best-selling girl groups and found particular success in Japan. In 1981, they became the first European act to win the Tokyo Music Festival with "Sexy Music", and in 1991, they received a Japan Record Award (Tokubetsu Kikaku Shō).

The group disbanded in 2005 but re-formed in 2009 with only four of the original members. A "farewell tour" was planned for 2013, but it was cancelled after the death of Bernie Nolan. A reality-television show featuring the group was later launched, but no further albums or tours were announced. In 2025, Linda Nolan died of breast cancer and double pneumonia after being admitted to Blackpool Victoria Hospital, where she later fell into a coma.

History

1962–1974: Early career

Tommy (26 September 1925 – 1998) and Maureen Nolan (15 December 1926 – 30 December 2007) met at Clerys Ballroom in Dublin and raised their family in Raheny. Tommy had a radio show on RTÉ. The lack of work forced the young family to move from Dublin to Blackpool in 1962, and there they launched a family singing group, the Singing Nolans, in 1963. The original line-up comprised the parents, and seven of their eight children: sons Tommy (born 20 July 1949) and Brian (born 19 June 1955), and daughters Anne (born 12 November 1950), Denise (born 6 April 1952), Maureen (born 14 June 1954), Linda (23 February 1959 – 15 January 2025), and Bernadette ('Bernie', 17 October 1960 – 4 July 2013). The youngest member, Coleen (born 12 March 1965), did not formally join the group until 1980 as she was too young to perform with her sisters.

The family performed even as the five girls went to school at Blackpool's St Mary's Catholic College. The Nolans also attended The Cardinal Wiseman School in Greenford, West London.

The Singing Nolans recorded an album, The Singing Nolans, a single "Blackpool" – a song about their local football club, Blackpool F.C., that is still used on match days at Bloomfield Road – and the EP Silent Night for the Nevis label in 1972.

Tommy Nolan Sr. died of liver cancer in 1998. His widow, Maureen, died in Blackpool on 30 December 2007, aged 81, after suffering from Alzheimer's disease.

Anne Nolan released her autobiography, titled Anne's Song, on 27 March 2008. In the book, co-written with Richard Barber, Anne said she had been repeatedly sexually abused by her father, from the age of 11 until she was 15 or 16.

1973–1978: The Nolan Sisters

In 1973, the Singing Nolans were booked to sing in Blackpool's Cliffs Hotel on Christmas Day. After their performance, their father Tommy Nolan was at the bar when businessman Joe Lewis told Tommy that he was very interested for Tommy's daughters to move to London to sing in Lewis's club above the New London Theatre. In early 1974, the Nolan clan moved to London to work in the London Rooms on Drury Lane, where the girls changed their name from the Singing Nolans to the Nolan Sisters. They made their television debut on Cliff Richard's TV show, singing "Now I'm Stuck on You" and were the resident guests for the entire run of series 4 of It's Cliff Richard on BBC1. The line-up included Coleen, who sang lead on their debut single "But I Do" released on EMI records in 1974 (EMI 2209).

Following the 1974 single on EMI, they released several more non-charting singles on Target Records from 1975 to 1977, several of which were composed by Roger Greenaway. A 1977 eponymous album on the Hanover Grand label was sold only at the London Club Room in Drury Lane and is ranked by price guides as the most collectible UK release by the group.

During this period the Nolan Sisters appeared as the musical act for series six of The Two Ronnies.

1978–1984: Chart success

Their chart breakthrough came in 1978 with the covers album 20 Giant Hits on Target, which reached No.3 in the UK. That year, they also supported Engelbert Humperdinck on a US tour, and Denise left the group to pursue a solo career.

In 1979, the group participated in the UK Eurovision selection contest A Song For Europe. Their track "Harry My Honolulu Lover" had been written by former Eurovision contestant Terry Bradford who had finished 11th in the 1978 contest as part of the group Co-Co with their song "Bad Old Days". The track was considered the favourite before the contest, but ultimately placed fourth, with Black Lace going on to represent the UK with their song "Mary Ann". A lightning strike by BBC technicians minutes before the broadcast led to the cancellation of the show. In order to find a winner nonetheless, the regional juries had to make their decisions based on audio tapes of the songs from the show's rehearsals. The group had been booked to promote the song on many BBC shows, leading to speculation that it had been taken for granted they would win the competition. One booking was representing the BBC at the 25th Anniversary celebrations for the Eurovision network, which was staged in Montreux, Switzerland, in May 1979.

After signing with CBS subsidiary Epic Records in 1979, the group enjoyed their greatest period of commercial success. Although their debut release – the failed UK Eurovision entry "Harry, My Honolulu Lover" – did not chart, their second Epic single "Spirit, Body and Soul" released in September, reached number 34 on the UK singles chart. In December 1979, the group released the disco-flavoured single "I'm in the Mood for Dancing", which became their best-known tune and biggest hit. It reached number 3 in the UK, number 2 in their native Ireland and number 1 in Japan, a rare event for a Western act; the single eventually sold more than 600,000 copies in Japan. The song, like the majority of the Nolans' hit singles, was written by Ben Findon, Mike Myers and Robert Puzey.

The self-titled album Nolan Sisters, which featured the first two charting Epic singles, eventually reached number 15 in the UK. Although still not an official member of the group, the youngest member of the family, Coleen, appeared on the cover of the album and in the video for "I'm in the Mood for Dancing". In early 1980, the group changed its name from the Nolan Sisters to the Nolans. Coleen released one solo single on Target in 1978, a song about Prince Andrew's status as a teen idol.

The group's 1980 album Making Waves peaked at number 11 but had the longest UK album chart run of their career (33 weeks) Singles from the album included "Don't Make Waves" released April 1980 (UK number 12, Ireland number 5); "Gotta Pull Myself Together" released September 1980 (UK number 9, Ireland number 8) and "Who's Gonna Rock You" released November 1980 (co-written by Billy Ocean, UK number 12, Ireland number 14). It was around the time of the release of "Gotta Pull Myself Together" that the line-up changed. Following her marriage, Anne left the group and Coleen became an official member (Anne appears on the UK single sleeve, while Coleen appears in the music video). "Gotta Pull Myself Together" also became the group's first Australian hit, reaching number 3 in 1981; its parent album reached number 10 in Australia The last UK single release from Making Waves was "Attention To Me" released in March 1981 (UK number 9, Ireland number 5, Australia number 94).

"Sexy Music", also featured on Making Waves, won the grand prize at the 1981 Tokyo Music Festival, and was subsequently released as a single in Japan. This became the group's third number 1 on the Japanese Import chart – following "I'm in the Mood for Dancing" and "Gotta Pull Myself Together". During 1981, Coleen and Linda contributed vocals to the Young and Moody Band along with Motörhead frontman Lemmy, which scored a UK number 63 hit with "Don't Do That".

Another 1981 single "Chemistry" released in August (UK number 15, Ireland number 11, Australia number 51) was drawn from the album Portrait. This would become the group's second Top 10 UK album, reaching number 7 in 1982 (Australia number 54), and was also the source of their final UK Top 20 single "Don't Love Me Too Hard" released February 1982 (UK number 14, Ireland number 17). A third single from the album "Crashing Down" was released in May 1982. Anne rejoined the group in late 1982, making it a five-piece line up.

The 1982 compilation album Altogether reached UK number 52, but the accompanying single, "Dragonfly", failed to chart. In 1983, their single, "Dressed to Kill" was removed from the chart due to allegations of chart rigging. The group had released the single with a limited edition poster, exclusive to shops which registered chart sales. Later in the year, Linda left the group to pursue a solo career. At the time, she was nicknamed the "Naughty Nolan" due to risque publicity photos. The resulting four-woman line up of Bernie, Anne, Maureen and Coleen was stable until 1994.

The covers album Girls Just Wanna Have Fun! was released on Towerbell Records in 1984 and reached number 39. The Nolans also achieved success in Europe and New Zealand.