Daniel O'Donnell puts Edenderry songwriter in premier league

An Edenderry musician whose song was chosen for Daniel O'Donnell's just released 'Ultimate Collection' CD has said the stroke of luck has put his co-writer and himself "into the premier league". "We've been kind of coming up through the ranks over the last while," Danny Slevin from Fr Murphy Street in Edenderry told the Offaly Independent. "I get a lot of songs recorded by good artists, but Daniel kind of puts you into the premier league." Now living in Newbridge, Danny gets back to his hometown of Edenderry "at least once a week" and always to Byrne's lounge on a Tuesday night. No stranger himself to the stage, he was a full-time musician with Gary Street and The Fairways showband in the late 1960s before going back to his day job as an electrician when the showband era came to a close. Since then the father of five has done some charity work and the odd gig with cousin and fellow Edenderry musician Padraig Browne, but more or less stayed out of the limelight until his recent song put him right back in it again. Speaking about what motivated him to write the song 'Love is Everything' that is featured on Daniel O'Donnell's album, he said he and co-writer Vinny Baker from Mullingar were at a charity event where Vinny was playing with the house band about two years ago. "Michael English was one of the guests," Danny said. "He sang a waltz and I said to Vinny: 'We could write that'. The next day he rang me and said: 'I have the melody done - have you got the words?'. I said: 'No, but give me half an hour or so'. Twenty minutes later I emailed him the words." Though the composition may not have taken long, Danny said he really believes in the song. After Danny and Vinny did a rough demo of the tune, Danny gave it to Pat Whelan from the band Just 2. They also sent it to Daniel O'Donnell directly, as Danny said he was told that "sometimes he listens to the songs himself and makes his own choice". Shortly after sending the track to Daniel O'Donnell, co-writer Vinny Baker got a call from the man himself. With Vinny working in the studio however where he doesn't take calls, Daniel had no choice but to leave a message. Calling again two weeks later Daniel was again stumped, as Vinny was in Nashville. With no return number to call, Danny got in touch with Sean Reilly, who had managed Gary Street and The Fairways and who also happens to be Daniel O'Donnell's manager. "He said he'd be seeing Daniel in the afternoon and he'd have a word with him," Danny said. "That was the last I heard until about two months ago when I got a call from Sean to say the song was recorded." Now the song is part of a 40 track album that features only ten new tracks, which blasted straight into number seven in the British charts last weekend. Danny said he's not only delighted a track he wrote is in the charts, but is also delighted for what it means for his future in the music business. "We've loads of great songs written," he said. "Writing them is no problem; it's getting them recorded. This is definitely going to be a help because people will sit up and take notice when you're on a Daniel O'Donnell album."