Too-Rye-Ay

Rowland, Clive Langer and Alan Winstanley produced, and Martin Rushent worked uncredited on engineering and direction. Peter Barrett designed the cover. Rowland had added violins to the horn section, and the horn players left after the violinists joined, but they stayed through the album and the band's June 1982 BBC Radio One debut. Plan B, Liars A to E and Soon were re-recorded with strings, and Soon was merged into the opening of Plan B. Rowland asked Helen O'Hara, a Birmingham School of Music student, to join, and she recruited the other violinists. The Celtic Soul Brothers was written by Rowland, Paterson and Billingham, Liars A to E by Rowland, Paterson and Steve Torch, and Jackie Wilson Said by Van Morrison.

The album reached number two in the UK, Australia and New Zealand, number 14 on the Billboard 200 and number ten in Canada. It was certified platinum in Australia and New Zealand. AllMusic and Record Collector gave it five stars, NME eight out of ten and Q four out of five. Ned Raggett of AllMusic named The Celtic Soul Brothers a highlight, and Ira Robbins of Trouser Press called it jolly, rollicking jug band fare.