The Nolans Re-release 1983 Single ‘Dressed to Kill’ After Chart Turmoil
In a retrospective feature, Anne Nolan of Ireland’s most successful girl band reflects on the group’s 1970s heyday, their 1980s chart disqualification, and the upcoming re-release of their 1983 single, “Dressed to Kill.” The Dublin-born sisters remain the biggest selling Irish girl group of all time, having sold 30 million records worldwide.
Originally from Raheny via Finglas in Dublin, the six sisters began their musical journey in the seaside town of Blackpool, Lancashire, performing songs from films and stage shows before evolving into a polished pop group. Their harmonies and stagecraft carried them through a bleak 1970s environment, eventually landing them a support slot on Frank Sinatra’s 1975 European tour. Despite their polished image, Anne recalls a less glamorous initiation into the industry.
“One punk group spat outside our dressing room on Top of The Pops,” Anne told. “It wasn’t because they didn’t like us, they didn’t even know us. It was because back then it was the thing to do. We were portrayed as a normal, sweet family band but we fought and swore when we needed to.”
Chart Disqualification and the 1983 Sinking of ‘Dressed to Kill’
The group’s momentum hit an institutional roadblock with the release of “Dressed to Kill” on the Epic label. The single entered the UK charts at a high position before being abruptly pulled and demoted to No. 79. The penalty stemmed from a promotional strategy implemented by their record label.
“Everyone was trying to encourage people to buy their record by giving away free stuff like posters,” Anne explained regarding the label’s decision to include a free Nolans poster with the single. “Everyone was doing it but the charts at that time decided to make an example of us and they took our record out of the charts. It went in at a very high spot and they put it back in at No. 79 and by then it was too late, it was kind of lost. They made an example of us.”
The controversy effectively cut short the commercial run of the track in an era when chart positioning mattered.
Anne Regrets Early Television Wardrobe Choices
While the group became synonymous with the light entertainment aesthetic of the era, the members had little early input into their wardrobe. Reflecting on the chiffon, spandex, and tailored outfits of their peak television years, Anne admits her hindsight is stark.
“Our image was given to us, it wasn’t our idea, but as we went along we brought our own style in for Dressed to Kill,” Anne said. “When I look back at our television appearances, I think ‘oh my heavens! What on earth did they dress us in?’ We took their advice because we were new to television.”
As the decades progressed, the sisters diversified into television, theatre, and media projects, including appearances on ITV’s Loose Women and docuseries such as The Nolans Go Cruising and At Home with The Nolans.
Anne Survives Two Breast Cancer Diagnoses
The history of the family group is marked by personal adversity, including the deaths of sisters Linda and Bernie following battles with cancer. Anne herself has twice faced breast cancer diagnoses—first in 2000, and again twenty years later—undergoing chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and lumpectomies.
“I’ve had cancer twice,” Anne stated. “In the year 2000, I got breast cancer and almost exactly to the day twenty years later I got breast cancer again. I went through chemo and radiotherapy and I had a lumpectomy on each breast… It hasn’t impaired my life – I have my children and my grandchildren and they’re the most important things in my life.”
Looking ahead, the band are planning further projects for the upcoming year, scheduling meet-and-greet performances across five dates in Blackpool and two in London, with hopes of bringing the retrospective tour to Ireland.
