Getting Notions

Introduction

We all grew up on the voice of a generation, Eimear O'Rourke, playing on the radio. She was the It-Girl of the 70's, no doubt about it. Everyone knew the story of how the Weavers of Fate were founded at an open-mic session in a grimy London bar, when then-frontman Tim Lewis walked out after an altercation, and drummer Sandie Stevens asked her to join the lineup right before they hit the stage. And the rest was history. The name of the pub has never been disclosed by the band, and there are at least five who claim to be the "Birthplace of The Weavers".

The Weavers, as they became affectionately known as, -not to be confused with the American folk quartet of the same name- quickly rose to one of the greatest rock bands in history. Their unique sound was, and still is something completely original. Gibson released a line of electric guitars fashioned after lead guitarist, Raymond Silver's modified les paul, but they still cannot compare to his hand-crafted pickups, and the unusual tone they created. Despite her youth, Eimear managed to write extraordinarily wise, profound and meaningful lyrics, laden with metaphors and double meanings, so that each song strikes home harder every time you listen to it. The vocals, sung by O'Rouke and Silver make for beautiful harmonies, and magnetic duets paired with memorable and dramatic basslines, and the haunting sound of the pair's guitars.

Their debut album, Notions, was an instant success, as Weavers of Fate had already generated a substantial following before their signing to Island Records in 1969. At just 16 years of age, O'Rouke was thrown into the world of touring, and all that comes with it.

The rumors of a relationship between herself and Silver seemed to follow the band everywhere they went. Press went as far as to sneak backstage as crew members in order to gather insider gossip on the pair. Most believe the stress was the cause of Raymond's alcoholism, which he struggled with throughout his career.

Weavers went on to release 4 more studio albums , and 6 live albums before Eimear O'Rouke's death in 1980. She was 27 years of age. Very little is known about what happened leading up to her demise, some speculate that she was murdered, others stating it was a typical case of drug abuse. In this biography, I hope to shed some light on what really happened, whilst remaining loyal to the memory of a true legend.