There are three known bands using the name Galleon:

1. a French disco house group;
2. a progressive rock band hailing from Sweden and;
3. a folk band hailing from Cork, Ireland.

1. Galleon is a French house group from Marseille, founded by Michel Fages and Phillippe Laurent (who recruited Gilles Fahy for singing) in 2000. Their music is categorized in the "French House" or "Disco House" scene, which had a revival in the early 2000s, along with artists like Daft Punk and Modjo.

Galleon emerged on the European dance scene in 2001 with the hit single "So, I Begin". The single was released by Sony Music/Radikal Records and sold 400,000 copies, peaking at number 36 in the UK Singles Chart. Also noteworthy is the accompanying music video featuring the model Jitka Ogurekova. After the initial success another two singles ensued ("I Believe", November 2001, "One Sign", June 2002 and "The Way", July 2002), followed by an album, called after band's name, Galleon by the end of 2002.

Galleon disbanded in 2003, but had a brief reunion from 2013-2014. In 2024, a remake of "So, I Begin" came out, in collaboration with the artist Sagan.

2. Galleon started as a three piece named Aragon back in ´85 , experimenting with different kind of music and musicians , but never really found the "right" feeling. . .

Because Micke Värn, guitars - Göran Fors, bass and Vocals and Dan Fors, drums had the idea , they wanted at least to document their sweat and blood in composing the music they believed in under so many years , just in case...

When Galleon started to send around their first demo tapes under the name Aragon back in -89 , they initially got a friendly response but also a demand to change their name.

After they had come up with the name Galleon and was actually working on their first album , the drummer Dan Fors injured his foot badly and the album was delayed for six months..

During the recording sessions the Producer and Keyboard player Ulf Pettersson had joined the band , but left just before releasing LYNX-93, leaving them as a three piece band with music arranged for four.

After trying several different keyboard players with only the good response and sales of the CD keeping them from giving up , Ulf rejoined the band , which allowed them to play live and gave new dimensions to the song writing.

HERITAGE AND VISIONS - 94 was a kind of honeymoon where Micke , Göran and Dan , that had developed their sound since the early eighties , migrated that with Ulf's Very personal song writing and arrangements.
Delighted with the sound that seemed to appear when they played together but not to crazy about the actual CD they started to experiment under the work title of "Divina Comeda".

In 1995 , Galleon released the single AT THIS MOMENT IN TIME but their Asian distributor, the Japanese Label , ZERO CORPORATION wanted a full length CD , so the album KING OF ARAGON was released and gave the band the opportunity to try on odd ideas like the happy tune Illusive exhibition and the dark heavy Long lonely shadows.

Then after two years "Divina Comeda" became THE ALL EUROPEAN HERO - 96.
The reviews have been overwhelming with the highlight of GFT in England calling it "The melodic prog album of the year".
After that Galleon got enough courage to go on a minor European Tour with gigs in Norway, England and Germany.

They got a very good response , and started to work with the new material in springtime of ´97 and in the autumn Galleon went on tour again , presenting some of the new songs to the audience , who seemed pleased with the new material . . .

So right after the tour , Galleon went into the studio in Ljusne , and started the long and hard work of making a new album.

And hard work it became . . . . after almost a year , with ghosts , evil spirits , technical problems and hard labor pain , finally . . . . . Mind Over Matter saw the light of day in the autumn of 1998.

After the release of Mind over matter galleon took it very easy . And in April of 1999 Micke announced that he wanted to leave the band.

Ulf knew a Guitar player from he's old hometown and called him up and Sven Larsson was brought in on the Galleon ship bringing a new spark to the band.

During the summer of 99 Galleon started to work on the next record and in august they played a festival in their hometown ,the first gig with Sven.

In the fall they went on a tour again visiting England and the Rotherham Rocks , Belgium for the first time and Holland , after the tour Galleon continued the work and recordings in to February 2000 when the new record got finished.

Galleon had their release party at the rockclub Anchor in Stockholm in March of 2000 .

And in May Galleon went to Spain to play a festival.
Galleon also made a gig in a local club for the first time in June .

In the autumn of 2000 Galleon started the long and hard work to make a double album with one long track on one of the cd's, a long concept that Göran had been thinking about for several years.
The first small musical ideas was made by Göran and Ulf During the mixing of Beyond Dreams.

In february of 2001 Galleon made a short stop in the making of the double album for a gig in Gothenburg at Oceanen , and continued the work on the cd through the whole year and in to 2002 ....

’From Land to Ocean’ took almost 3 years to complete. By spending almost two years on ‘The Ocean’ only, The CD part ‘Land’ was still left to create. After an additional year of composing, arranging, and recording, ‘From Land to Ocean’ finally made their way to the record stores.

It was to be the only Galleon album up to that point, actually selling anything before it was released.

‘From Land to Oceans’ release party was held at a local club in Ljusdal and a two gig “tour” followed nearly a year later, in September 2004 in Belgium and Switzerland. The labour pains that supervened the creation of such a concept double album, was taking it’s toll on the Galleon camp, and the rehearsals for a live performance were tedious and difficult . Together with some changes in the personal lives of the members, it made rehearsal summits a rare occurence.

Then the “tour” itself was inflicted with technical problems on gear, transportation, and just about anything you can think of having a chance of going wrong, whereby Galleon took a brief time-out later that autumn.

But that was only to begin rehearsals for a fresh new album, in January 2005. However, the labour pains from the previous album still seemed to infest drought in the creative process, leaving Galleon to discover that no output had been produced for a whole year.

From 2007 onwards, Galleon is trying to find the vein where that creative blood flows, seeking out different approaches, and taking all possible measures to get back on the creative track.

In retrospect, Galleon has really gone through a tremendous development since their first album ‘Lynx’. And just maybe, sometimes such development might outrun each individual spirit, forcing them to catch up with it, before being able to take that development to the next level.

3. The band were formed in 1979 and from their base in Cork travelled far and wide.It is fair to say that by the time Galleon retired in 2002 they had made a significant contribution to the entertainment scene from Cork to New York and many places between.

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It all started in 1979, when by complete chance 5 young men came to work in a hospital in Cork. It was Our Lady's Hospital, on the Lee Road, situated on a hill overlooking the picturesque River Lee, as it meanders its way from Gougane Barra, through the beautiful Lee Valley, on its way to Cork City.

Those 5 guys were Tim O'Sullivan, from Killarney, Co Kerry, Michael Mangan from Youghal, a seaside town in East cork, Declan Lynch from Castleisland, Co Kerry, and Michael Looney from Kerry Pike, not far from the world famous Blarney Castle.
The city slicker in the original Galleon was Ger Walsh, from Ballyphehane, in the Southern suburbs of Cork city.

When these young men came to this hospital, it was their plan to work in the Health Services, but somehow their focus seemed to change.

This was a time when the pub culture in Ireland, was at its all time best. It was also a time when Irish Folk songs and music was being taken to global audiences by groups like the Clancy Brothers, The Chieftains, The Furey's and The Dubliners. Declan, Tim, Ger, Mick Mangan and Michael Looney became totally consumed with the passion they all shared for Folk songs and music.

There was not even a plan to start a band, and it happened almost by accident. In 1979 Galleon played its first gig. The idea of us becoming entertainers, singers, musicians and storytellers, became an obsession with us, and in a year Galleon became the most popular Folk Band in the South of Ireland. It was still the era of vinyl recordings, and Galleon recorded a number of vinyl records, and then some MC tapes, which established the band.

Tours of America, Canada and Great Britain were regular happenings for Galleon, while at home Galleon played at all the major venues and did all the best T.V. Shows.

Changes in the line up happened at different times. Each of the band left, except Declan, who is the only one, who has been always there. But by this time we had become to us, another family, and even though one might leave and there was time and space, between us, we never left each others hearts.

In 1986 we decided to become a 6 piece band, and Michael Harte became part of the family.
He was an extraordinary human being, and a super bass guitar player.

We had gathered around us a group of people, who would become integral parts of our organisation. Martin Griffin was one who got us through stormy waters, very often when it seemed the ship might sink, and Batty Mulcahy is another who has been with us, down the years. Batty Mulcahy was not a musician, but the contribution he made to our family was incredible. Harty passed away in 2006 and Batty left us in 2010. The family felt broken and not able to carry on.

When we eventually found the strength to carry on, we reckon the incredible spirits that were Harty and Batty are driving us on.

The band had some great and happy years, but it seemed at the start of 1991 we had no new horizons and perhaps the voyage might be over, but one Sunday afternoon in Cork, Henning Krautmacher, walked into a Galleon gig. Henning had a friend who was a friend of Galleon. This was the connection. It was the beginning of Galleon's love affair with Cologne, with the Rhineland, and Germany. When we first went to Germany the line up was Tim O'Sullivan, Ger Walsh, Michael Looney, Mick Harte and Declan Lynch. Batty Mulcahy was our mentor, our Roadie, our Sat Nav, and our friend and everywhere we went so did he.

There was new life in Galleon. There was fresh wind in our sails. Some great years followed. Cork and Cologne are sister cities. Galleon and Hoehner are sister bands. (or should that be brother bands).
Galleon did a lot of concert work in Germany in those years. Some memorable CD's were recorded.
Details of the CD'S can be accessed on the web site. Galleon shared the stage on many occasions with Hoehner, and did some recording together and Galleon also became a popular concert act themselves. Because of this adventure the voyage carried on for 10 more years. In 2002, the family broke up and it seemed like the voyage was over.

Musicians who had played with Galleon included Andy Dunne, Vince Milne, John O'Keefe, Paul Seymour, Johnny Scannell, Shirley Scannell, Noel Troy, and down all the years Johnny Campbell, was our sound engineer and was our chief studio influence, which resulted in the production of some acclaimed CD's.

When the urge to go back on the road came as it always seems to do, Michael Looney was concentrating on a solo career, and could not be with us. Andy Dunne came back to the band and then Mick Mangan came back on board. The music was good. We were having great fun. Life was good, but then Harty left this earthly stage and then Batty left us.
The voyage seemed over again.

But the family rallied and the present Galleon incarnation dawned. For this latest adventure we have a 7 piece band. Johnny Campbell joins us on stage on bass, Paul Seymour is with us on Keyboards, Andy Dunne is still in the Groove and four of the original 5 Galleons are still with the Band, They are Tim O'Sullivan, Ger Walshe, Mick Mangan and Declan Lynch.

It is now 2013. The good ship Galleon sails on. A live in Concert CD is now being planned and Galleon having been to Germany three times in 2013, is planning a November tour. Details of same will be posted on our website.
The line up for the 2006 tour is the same as those who formed for the 2005 reunion concert. All have been members of Galleon at one time or another. They are Mick Mangan - Guitar & Vocals, Tim 'O Sullivan - Guitar, Percussion and Vocals, Ger Walsh - Guitar, Mandolin, Banjo, Whistles and Vocals and of course the inimitable Declan Lynch - Bodhran, Vocals and Vocal Mayhem. These are four of the original members of Galleon and will be joined on stage by Andy Dunne - Guitars and Vocals, Paul Seymour - Keyboards and Vocals and Johnny Campbell - Bass guitar and Vocals. This is a cocktail of troubadours who have sailed on the good ship Galleon at different stages of it's musical voyage.
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