A dream came true for Bolton Evening News feature writer Jennifer Bradbury when she met up with the famous McGann brothers in Liverpool I THINK it must have been about 10 years ago that I fell passionately in love with The Monocled Mutineer, otherwise known as the actor Paul McGann. And since then I've followed his career, and that of his three brothers with unhealthy interest. So you can only imagine my excitement when Key 103 and Piccadilly 1152 invited me to drive up the East Lancs to Liverpool to meet Mark, Joe and Stephen McGann, at the launch of their new singing careers.

I knew beforehand that Paul would not be there, but as the old saying goes, three McGanns are better than none!

When I arrived at the Live Cafe, the boys were rehearsing their new single, a harmonious cover of the classic Motown track, Just My Imagination.

"Haven't they got interesting faces," opined a female journalist who stood next to me.

"You can say that again," I panted.

Anyway the boys spent the next hour playing tracks from their new album. And it's got to be said that these lads are a force to be reckoned with when it comes to music.

"It's bigger than all of us!" says Mark passionately. "It is the only thing which truly moves everybody."

For those of you who don't know, Mark is the one who played Lennon in the West End musical. And in real life he not only looks uncannily like the great man himself, he also sounds like him.

Rumour has it that when he met Lennon's son Sean, Sean freaked the minute Mark opened his mouth. The resemblance was so uncanny. Anyway, instead of being an actor playing a musician, Mark has now thrown himself totally into the music business. And for company his brothers have joined him in his latest venture.

Famously, all four brothers came together in the potato famine TV drama, The Hanging Gale, and all have enjoyed success on television and stage.

And now three of them are hoping to emulate screen success in the music world. And if the music I heard is anything to go by, they can't fail.

Anyway, back to my face-to-face meeting with the boys.

If seeing them live wasn't enough, the Key 103 PR man arranged for me to go on stage to get my picture taken with the boys. This was a very exciting moment for me, and it's to be hoped, rather exciting for the boys.

Then it was on to the interview.

Sadly, Mark didn't come along for this because he was twiddling around with his musical equipment. But never mind. Two McGanns are still better than none!

So what made them come together now? It's no secret that they've been approached several times over the last few years to get together and make a record. Stephen says: "It's something we've been intending to do for a long time and this time everything just crystallised. It was the right time, the right record company and the right deal."

Joe adds: "And it coincided with a time that we could all actually get together. It's hard enough to get us in the same city, never mind the same roof."

Stephen also thinks that because music was involved in this project -- a great passion for all three -- there was more of a will to make the effort to get together.

"We managed to get together to do the Hanging Gale (the award winning mini series), but I'd say there was even more will this time, in the sense that you only get with music."

So why have they chosen Just My Imagination as the single?

"We used to do it as part of a medley at parties, and I've yet to meet the person -- whatever their age -- who doesn't like it," says Stephen. So what it's like working side by side with your brothers? Do they fight?

Joe says: "We fight as much as other families but the family is also a place for solving problems. And this is one of the few things which has always brought us together. The nature of harmonising means we all have different roles, and yet we are dependent on each other."

Which brings us nicely to the burning subject of the moment -- where's brother Paul McGann in all this? Has there been a brotherly bust-up?

"No there's not," snaps Stephen. "He's away filming for the next three months and he was just too busy. But the door's always open for him to take part if he wants to."

Summing up what the McGanns are all about, Stephen adds: "This family just does stuff. Our philosophy is that if it doesn't come to you, go to it. It's always the way we've got on." And with that they stood up and walked out of the room to prepare for an exclusive session later in the evening. I felt strangely empty, McGann-less even. The McGanns live performance can be heard on Key 103 and Piccadilly 1152. The album, The McGanns, is out now. And rumour has it that the second single will be the achingly sad, McGann-penned track, Only a Heartbeat Away, which was written as a tribute to their late dad.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.