About - Deacon Blue ABOUT DEACON BLUE – Believers We are reluctant travellers/All trying to get home” (“Gone”) Deacon Blue are on the move again. The band whose second life began with the album The Hipsters in 2012 and accelerated with A New House released in 2014, is now poised to scale new heights with Believers. “The Hipsters was about the band – my love letter to Deacon Blue,” says singer, pianist and songwriter Ricky Ross. “A New House was about our country, Scotland, a physical sense of a place that I’m sometimes overwhelmed with. Believers is about the journey we all take into the dark. You come to that point in your life where – whatever you’ve been told, whatever the evidence you’ve been presented with – you just don’t know what the answer is. At which point you can only rely on the instincts of your heart. You either take the leap or you don’t.” For Ross and his fellow travellers in Deacon Blue – Lorraine McIntosh (vocals), James Prime (keyboards) and Dougie Vipond (drums, vocals) – taking those leaps of faith has become second nature.

The band continues to celebrate the legacy of their platinum-selling success in the 1980s and 1990s. But in recent years, they have hit a sweet spot with a creative process that has helped them grow, once again, into a major contemporary act whose new records are playlisted on BBC Radio 2 and elsewhere, and who routinely sell out huge venues as disparate as the SSE Hydro Arena in their hometown of Glasgow and, more recently, Aintree Racecourse on Merseyside. With worldwide sales now in excess of seven million albums – including five albums in the UK Top Five and 17 singles in the UK Top 40 – the band is back with another reason to believe. Believers began, as did the two previous albums, with Ross writing and demoing songs with the help of Gregor Philp, the guitarist who first joined Deacon Blue in 2008. After a few days of rehearsals, the full band, including bass player Lewis Gordon (also recruited in 2008), returned to Chem19 studio in Glasgow with producer Paul Savage (Franz Ferdinand, Mogwai, King Creosote, etc.).

“Paul works a lot with new bands and people who are completely outside our musical world, and brings a different perspective to the songs,” Ross says. “We love working in his studio. He gets a great sound. It’s been one of the most creative sessions I’ve ever done.” The sense of a band and producer working in perfect sync was evident throughout the recording sessions, with everyone pitching in ideas for the arrangements, some of which have taken the songs in unexpected directions. “A Boy”, a song full of nostalgic yearning, is enhanced by a string quartet arranged by Pete Harvey (of King Creosote fame). “We were young once/Don’t pretend it didn’t happen to you,” Ross sings. Other songs are stripped back to the essentials, instrumentally and emotionally. “What I Left Out” is a song which Ross found in his Logic files, which he had completely forgotten having written. A sense of quiet wonder permeates the song’s poignant lyric which is set against a simple backdrop of Fender Rhodes piano and acoustic guitar. “I told her everything…She’s got me wondering what I left out.” “It’s a love song, from an older perspective,” Ross says.

“The guy is thinking he must have left out some important detail about himself, because she still seems to love him after all this time.” Some of the songs are deep album tracks, including “Birds” a long, spontaneous performance that was recorded almost as a live track with the liberating refrain: “One day we’re going to be free as the birds.” “It’s really special,” Ross enthuses. “It reminded me of when we were doing Raintown. We’d always think a track wasn’t finished and our producer Jon Kelly would say ‘What’s wrong with it?’ And we’d realise it was sorted. It’s a nice moment.” The first single to emerge from these sessions is “The Believers”, a song reflecting, in part, on the scenes of despair among refugees attempting to cross the Mediterranean and elsewhere, but nevertheless cast as an anthem of hope: “Step on a boat/Go on a journey/May it take you to heaven.” Another song, “Gone”, dwells on the sheer numbers of people whose lives nowadays seem to be disposable.

“Huge numbers get drowned, people get lost and the humanity of it gets ignored,” Ross says of this song, which distils a universal theme of suffering into a deeply personal expression of anguish and loss. As a songwriter, Ross has reached a stage where experience has honed his sense of motivation to a sharpness that he didn’t always feel as a younger man. “You look around. Things happen. People are falling over and you get to a point where you think: everything you do, you can’t do it forever,” Ross says. “So you try to write something that would be good enough if it turned out to be the last thing you did. When you’re young you think ‘There’s plenty more records I can do.’ It’s not so urgent, somehow. There are still plenty more records that I want to make. But I might not get time to do them all. That’s a thought that certainly pulls the songwriting into focus.” It is now 29 years since the band – founded in Glasgow and famously named after a Steely Dan song “Deacon Blues” – released their million-selling debut album, Raintown in 1987.

A string of best-sellers followed: When the World Knows Your Name [1989], Fellow Hoodlums [1991], Whatever You Say, Say Nothing [1993] and a double-platinum compilation Our Town – The Greatest Hits [1994] which included “Real Gone Kid”, “Fergus Sings the Blues”, “Dignity”, “Wages Day”, “Twist and Shout” and many others. Then, with 12 UK Top 40 singles and two No.1 albums to their credit, the group split up for five years. While Ross built up his career as a songwriter and solo act, he and the other band members set about establishing themselves with remarkable success in various other fields of the media, the arts and academia. But as their lives unfolded, they never gave up on the Deacon Blue dream. A reunion show led on to a new album Walking Back Home [1999] and a follow-up Homesick [2001] after which the band continued to reconvene whenever there was a good reason to do so, of which there have always been many.

The success of The Hipsters in 2012 marked the beginning of a new phase in Deacon Blue’s affairs – a return to the days when a new, ground-breaking album and a major UK tour was never more than a couple of years away. An unusually industrious group of individuals, they have achieved this while continuing to build up their lives and careers outside the band environment. “We’re all better when we’re busy,” says Ross, who among his many projects as a songwriter and broadcaster also found time to do a solo tour last year, where he went out and performed, literally on his own. “I just wanted to go out and sing and play the songs on a piano by myself. I made a decision, there and then, that any song we put on Believers, I could take it back to that level and it would still work. That idea helped me a lot in writing the songs on this album. Songwriting is really the reason for everything else that I do. When you wake up in the morning and you write a song…It just goes from there.” DB/CV Ricky Ross [vocals/piano]: has released five albums as a solo act.

He has also written songs for or with artists including James Blunt, Ronan Keating, Jamie Cullum, and Nanci Griffith, among many others. In 2015 he wrote the songs for the acclaimed musical play The Choir at the Citizens Theatre, Glasgow. He presents his own radio show, Another Country with Ricky Ross on BBC Radio Scotland, and presented a TV show tracing the history of his hometown Dundee. More recently he has presented Ricky Ross’s New Tradition, a series of shows on BBC Radio 2. He is one half of the duo McIntosh Ross who toured and released their much-admired debut album The Great Lakes in 2009. Lorraine McIntosh [vocals]: has carved out a career as an actor, on stage in recent productions with The Scottish National Theatre in Beautiful Burnout and Men Should Weep, on television appearing as a regular character in the Scottish soap River City and in several feature films. As a singer and songwriter, she is the other half of McIntosh Ross.

James Prime [keyboards]: is a lecturer at the University of the West of Scotland, where he and Allan Dumbreck [of the Big Dish] set up the School of Music and Recording Technology 15 years ago. There are currently 250 or so students enrolled in their Commercial Music BA degree course. “We’re arming them with everything: business, technology and performance skills,” James says. “The London music business comes here to hand-pick our students.” James also performs in several other bands, notably the Floorstompers. Dougie Vipond [drums/vocals]: is a TV presenter for BBC Scotland. He has fronted sport, travel and rural affairs programmes including Sportscene, Landward, and The Great Climb, which won a Scottish BAFTA. In 2012, he took part in an event for Sport Relief in which he sailed, ran, rowed and cycled round Britain. He regards going back on tour with Deacon Blue as “quite relaxing. I’ve just got to sit on a bus.” He likes to remind the others that, at 49, he remains the baby of the group.

Gregor Philp [guitars/vocals]: has played live with Deacon Blue since their 2008 tour with Simple Minds. He has helped Ricky to record demos for The Hipsters, A New House and Believers, and co-wrote songs on all three albums. Lewis Gordon [bass]: covered a session for Deacon Blue in 2008 and has been on stage and in the studio with them ever since. A young musician who has worked with John Fratelli, he is also a songwriter who used to phone Ricky to ask his advice about the music business. REAL GONE KIDS Ewen Vernal [bass]: played in Deacon Blue until the 1994 break-up and now plays with Capercaillie. Graeme Kelling [guitar]: was a member of Deacon Blue until his death in 2004 from pancreatic cancer. There was a dedication to him on the album cover of The Hipsters. “He was the only one of us who was a true hipster,” Ricky says. “He was the cool guy with the Ray-Bans and the Katharine Hamnett jackets. He lived the life.

Truly a day doesn’t pass without us thinking about him and very often talking about him and the stories that all come up.” Enter your download code below for ‘Live at the Dominion Theatre’ This option will not work correctly. Unfortunately, your browser does not support Inline Frames Follow Deacon Blue Description Description Formed in 1985 once Ricky Ross moved from Dundee to Glasgow, Dea...con Blue were one of the top-selling UK bands of the late 1980s and early 1990s. The group's members were Ricky Ross, Lorraine McIntosh, James Prime, Dougie Vipond, Ewen Vernal and Graeme Kelling. Ross, a former school teacher originally from Dundee, was the group's frontman, penning the vast majority of Deacon Blue's songs. He married female vocalist Lorraine McIntosh in the later years of the band's career. In 1986, the band contributed a track ("Take the Saints Away") to a compilation cassette entitled Honey at the Core, featuring then up-and-coming Glasgow bands, including Wet Wet Wet and Hue and Cry.

The band's debut album, Raintown, produced by Jon Kelly and released in 1987, is regarded by many as the band's finest effort, spawning the singles "Dignity", "Chocolate Girl" and "Loaded". Many consider Raintown to be a concept album, since nearly all the songs contribute to the overall theme of being stuck in a dead-end life in a deprived city, longing for something better. The city that the album's title refers to is Glasgow, and the memorable cover art of the album is a photograph (by the Scottish-Italian photographer Oscar Marzaroli) of the River Clyde's docks taken from Kelvingrove Park on a miserable day. The second album, 1989's When the World Knows Your Name, was the band's most commercially successful, generating five UK top 30 hits, including "Real Gone Kid", "Wages Day", and "Fergus Sings the Blues" (all five singles from the album were top 10 hits in Ireland). However, music critics began to criticise the band for pursuing commercial success over artistic integrity, citing the earlier achievements with Raintown.

By this time, the band had gained a reputation as one of the best live acts in the UK. Ticket sales for shows in Glasgow's SECC in both May and December 1989 would break the world record at the time for the fastest sell-out. The following year saw the band play in front of an estimated 250,000 fans at the free concert on Glasgow Green "The Big Day", which was held to celebrate Glasgow being named that year's European City of Culture. The band also played Glastonbury and the Roskilde festivals that summer, as well as released Ooh Las Vegas, a double album of B-sides, extra tracks, film tracks, and sessions. This seemed to confirm the band's eminent status by reaching No. 3 in the UK album charts. Jon Kelly returned to the producer's chair in 1991 for the album Fellow Hoodlums. The album was met with more critical success, but by now the group's honeymoon period was over and their success had started to wane somewhat—the album peaked at No. 2 on the UK album charts.

Fellow Hoodlums was followed up by 1993's Whatever You Say, Say Nothing, a much more experimental album. The album garnered critical praise, but was not as commercially successful as the previous two albums, peaking at No. 4 on the UK album charts. The band embarked on another sold out UK tour in 1994, but not before recording new material for their greatest hits compilation Our Town. This saw the band return to No. 1 in the UK album charts and was one of the year's top sellers, while "I Was Right and You Were Wrong" and a re-release of "Dignity" saw the band reenter the Top 20 singles chart. Breakup and Reorganization With Vipond's decision to quit the group in favour for a career in television, Deacon Blue split up in 1994. Five years later, the band held an unexpected reunion gig in 1999, and this led on to a new album, Walking Back Home, with the band now working on a part-time basis. The band released another album, Homesick, in 2001.

Though Graeme Kelling died from pancreatic cancer in 2004, the band has vowed to continue in his absence. The year 2006 saw Deacon Blue returning to the studio to record three new tracks for a Singles album - including the track "Bigger than Dynamite". The band performed at Manchester United's Old Trafford stadium, as the pre-match entertainment for the Rugby League Super League Grand Final on the 14 October, and continued on to a full UK tour in November. They were also due to open Stirling's New Year party in 2006, but this was cancelled at the last minute due to extreme weather. They did appear at Stirling's Hogmanay in 2008. Deacon Blue appeared at the Montrose Music Festival Deacon Blue appeared at The Homecoming Live Final Fling Show, at Glasgow's SECC on 28 November 2009, and headlined Glasgow's Hogmanay on 31 December 2009.

Ricky Ross' solo career Main article: Ricky Ross (musician) Ricky Ross, who had released a solo album before the formation of Deacon Blue, released two solo albums during the time between Deacon Blue's breakup in 1994 and reformation in 1999. Due to Deacon Blue's part time status after reformation, Ross released additional solo albums in 2002 and 2005 and has written for and with other recording artists. In 2009 Ricky and Lorraine McIntosh recorded an album together under the name 'McIntoshRoss'. This album, The Great Lakes, will be released on 28 September 2009.

Discography Main article: Deacon Blue discography [edit] Studio albums When the World Knows Your Name (1989) Fellow Hoodlums (1991) Whatever You Say, Say Nothing (1993) Walking Back Home (1999) 15 of the Top Famous Scottish Bands of All Time | Spinditty 15 of the Top Famous Scottish Bands of All Time 15 of the Top Famous Scottish Bands of All Time Updated on April 20, 2016 Joined: 7 years agoFollowers: 583Articles: 251 50 (photo courtesy of Spiro2004 at Flickr: Creative Commons) Advertisement The Top Scottish Bands of All Time : 15 of the Best (with videos) I often get the response "I never knew they were Scottish" when I mention some of these bands. So it's time to set the record straight. Many great Scottish artists have been among the greatest British bands of all time. They have contributed handsomely to the history of contemporary music over the past 40 years and therefore it is difficult to chose the best.

I was going to compile a Top 10 list but felt that there were too many good artists that would be left out and so here is my Top 15. Of course there are many bands I could have included and so mentions in dispatches are in order for the likes of Runrig, The Jesus and Mary Chain, Aztec Camera, Belle and Sebastian, The Silencers, The Blue Nile, Gun, The Exploited, The Almighty and many others that you may yourself have enjoyed. So here is my purely personal take on who I think would be the top Scottish bands based on many factors such as quality, influence, popularity and success but not necessarily all of the above. Solo artists are not included as this is purely about groups. I also don't believe in rating them in preference or choosing an absolute No.1, all music is subject to taste. So here they are in alphabetical order. ------------------------------------------------- The Average White Band A Funk and R&B band from different parts of Scotland such as Dundee, Glasgow and Perth who were hugely popular in the 1970’s with their soulful style of disco tunes.

They had Alan Gorrie and Hamish Stuart on lead vocals backed up by the voice and guitar of Owen 'Onnie' McIntyre. With Malcolm Duncan, Robbie McIntosh and Roger Ball they made up the original band members. Their breakthrough came after signing to Atlantic Records and basing themselves in New York. The resultant album 'AWB' was No.1 in the USA in 1974 establishing them as a top act. Their biggest hits were ‘Let’s Go Round Again’, ‘Cut the Cake’, ‘Queen of My Soul’ and the largely instrumental brass of ‘Pick Up the Pieces’. Many gold albums and Grammy nominations followed and their work has been sampled by many other artists ever since. The group broke up in 1982 before reforming in 1989 and despite various line-up changes are still working today and very popular in America where their music has crossed over the supposed colour lines of R&B. Best song: Pick Up the Pieces Advertisement Bay City Rollers The Rollers were a 1970s pop phenomenon not only in the UK but the also had success in America.

They made tartan fashionable among the teeny-boppers of Great Britain and their style of dress was ubiquitous especially at their height in 1975. Not since The Beatles had such teenage hysteria been seen in the UK as the band had the country in their grip. Probably their most famous hit was the No.1 song 'Bye Bye Baby' although in the same year 'Give a Little Love' was another No.1 in 1975. They also went high in the charts with 'Shang-a-Lang' ,'Love Me Like I love You' and 'Summerlove Sensation', songs which still stand up today for their sing-a-long style. By the late 70's their short-lived popularity had faded and they effectively ceased to exist by 1979. Not the most accomplished artists and musicians but they deserve their place in the history of Scottish music simply for the brief and dramatic impact they had. Unfortunately there have been disputes, recriminations and legal actions ever since between band members and management over royalties.

Best song: Bye, Bye Baby Advertisement Big Country Stuart Adamson built on his success with The Skids with a distinctively Scottish style of Rock in which the guitar was synthesised to resemble the sound of bagpipes or fiddles. This worked to great effect and they became even more popular than The Skids enjoying some brief success in the USA with their album 'The Crossing' in 1983. Ironically none of the members of Big Country were actually born in Scotland. Even Adamson was born in Manchester but to Scottish parents and he was raised in Dunfermline from the age of 4 years old. Their most famous tunes were ‘Fields of Fire’, ‘Look Away’, ‘Chance’, ‘In A Big Country’, ‘One Great Thing’ and ‘King of Emotion’ throughout a sparkling career in the 1980’s. Tragically Stuart struggled with alcoholism and was found dead by hanging in a Honolulu hotel in 2001 at the young age of 43 years. Best song: Look Away Advertisement Deacon Blue A sophisticated mixture of 80’s pop-rock fused with 60’s style soul music made Deacon Blue one of the stylish and classy bands around.

Calling themselves after a Steely Dan song they had massive success in the UK and Europe with ‘Dignity’, ‘Loaded’, ‘Real Gone Kid’ and ‘Fergus Sings the Blues’ as singer Ricky Ross especially provided superb song-writing. Fellow singer Lorraine McIntosh became a successful actress in Scotland appearing as a regular in TV soap ‘River City' and drummer Dougie Vipond became a BBC sports presenter. The band split in 1994 but reformed in 1999 and remain a popular headline act albeit in sporadic phases as they also continue to work on individual projects. Their 1987 debut album 'Raintown' was a million seller in the UK and remains a classic album with an iconic cover picture depicting a rainy cityscape of Glasgow. Probably one of the bands from Scotland held in the greatest affection in their homeland. Best song: Dignity Del Amitri Great songwriting marked this Glasgow band out from many others with excellent songs. Among their best were 'Nothing Ever Happens', 'Kiss This Thing Goodbye', 'Always the Last to Know', 'Right Time', 'Move Away Jimmy Blue' and 'Roll to Me' which was a Top 10 hit in America.

Strangely they never hit the Top 10 in the UK despite the commercial possibilities of their songs. However in the late 80's and early 90's they were still a major force in the Scottish music scene winning many fans in the UK. They were even awarded the accolade of recording the Scottish Football team's official song for the 1998 World Cup which was called 'Don't Come Home Too Soon'. Sadly a phrophetc title given the team's fortunes in the tournament. Although they have never officially split-up, Del Amitri have not released an album since 2002. Soon after they were dropped by their record company. Singer Justin Currie remains active in recording and performing. Best song: Kiss This Thing Goodbye Nazareth Legends of the Scottish Rock scene from Dunfermline and much admired internationally by artists such as Guns n’ Roses who included ‘Hair of the Dog’ on their 1993 album ‘The Spaghetti Incident’. Their most famous hit was a rocking version of Joni Mitchell’s ‘This Flight Tonight’ which crops up on countless Rock Compilation CD’s.

They also had a huge hit with their cover of ‘Love Hurts’ in 1975 which was their only Top 10 hit in the USA and sold platinum. Singer Dan McCafferty was even invited to perform the song at Axl Rose’s wedding in 1990 but turned it down. However they had many fine songs in their own right including ‘Razamanaz’, ‘Broken Down Angel, ‘May the Sunshine’ and ‘Bad, Bad Boy’. Although undergoing line-up changes the band have never broke up despite original lead-guitarist Manny Charlton leaving in 1990. They have maintained an honoured presence in the scene for over 40 years appreciated by lovers of raw and honest Hard Rock music. Possibly the greatest Scottish Rock band ever. Best song: Broken Down Angel Primal Scream Hailing from Glasgow their love of traditional classic rock shines through their songs as the influence of The Rolling Stones and The Beatles has figured heavily in their music. With a mixture of styles borne from Garage Rock, Indie and even dance they have never stood still preferring to experiment in different genres.

This was exemplified by their seminal album 'Screamadelica' released in 1991 to critical and popular acclaim. Fronted by the enigmatic but brilliant Bobby Gillespie they are a fantastic live band with a back catalogue of instantly recognisable tunes. Their most recognisable are the catchy party-stomper ‘Rocks’, the psychedelic dance classic ‘Loaded’ with also ‘Movin’ On Up’, ‘Kowalski’ and ‘Country Girl’. A highly prolific band by modern standards having released 9 albums on a regular basis between 1987 and 2008. The last of those albums 'Beautiful Future' was Top 10 in 2008, proving that they have never lost their popularity Best song: Rocks The Proclaimers Charlie and Craig Reid are two identical twin brothers from Fife who broke with tradition by eschewing the natural inclination to sing with mid-Atlantic style accents as many UK bands do. They sing with their distinctive Scottish brogue and perhaps surprisingly became an international success. Politically committed they released ‘Letter from America’ about the social decline of industrial Scotland during the recession years of the 1980s.

The song was popular enough in the rest of the UK to reach No.3 in the charts in 1987. Another song ‘I’m Gonna Be(500 miles)’ has become their roof-raising signature tune loved by music fans and football supporters ever since. It was also used as the theme song in the opening titles of the 1993 Hollywood movie ‘Benny and Joon’ at the request of actress Mary Stuart Masterton and which propelled it to No.3 in the Billboard Hot 100. They are still a major attraction today on the live scene inspiring patriotic gatherings of party-going fans. Best song: I’m Gonna Be(500 miles) The Sensational Alex Harvey Band Alex Harvey passed away with a heart attack in Belgium as far back as 1982 only a day before his 47th birthday. He is still fondly remembered as a uniquely larger than life character, with a charismatic stage persona and backed by superb musicians. He was expertly assisted by the colourful Zal Cleminson on guitar sporting his 'Pierrot' image of white-painted clown make-up.

There was also Chris Glen on bass and Ted McKenna on drums both of whom later joined the Michael Schenker Group. Ted's cousin Hugh played keyboards. This was the Sensational Alex Harvey Band who perhaps vie with Nazareth for the crown of the greatest Scottish Rock band of all time. They weren’t a huge chart band by any means but with their memorable live rendition of Tom Jones' ‘Delilah’ which was a huge hit in 1975 and ‘Boston Tea Party’ a hit in 1976 they gained a period of national fame. Many of their songs stand out today for their quality and humour. Top tunes were the dubiously entitled ‘Gang Bang’, the epic ‘Faith Healer’, a hilarious version of Jacques Brel’s ‘Next’ and the raunchy blues of ‘Framed’’. Alex Harvey had actually left the band before his death and today former members still tour, although Zal Cleminson had decided to leave in 2008 and retire from the music business. Best song: Faith Healer Simple Minds Hugely popular international band from Glasgow who were truly original exponents of electronic rock fronted by charismatic singer Jim Kerr and Charlie Burchill on guitar.

In the early 80’s they released memorable tunes like ‘Love Song’ and ‘The American’ before having hits with ‘Promised You a Miracle’ and ‘Glittering Prize’ in the UK. However they really established themselves with the epic song ‘Waterfront’ featuring an unforgettable bass-line. After that they conquered America in 1983 when they sang ‘Don’t You Forget About Me’, the theme tune to director John Hughes brat-pack movie ‘The Breakfast Club’ which was a No.1 hit. This was followed by the anthemic ‘Alive and Kicking’ which reached No.3 in the US Hot 100. They gambled on the song ‘Belfast Child in 1989 when the Troubles in Northern Ireland were still a problematic issue for musicians to address. However, they were rewarded with their first UK No.1 which balanced out the controversy and vindicated their decision. The band went into relative decline for several years before storming back with the single ‘She’s a River’ in 1995. They continued to release records throughout the 2000s and still tour around the world.

Best song: Waterfront The Skids A punk outfit hailing from Dunfermline led by the combined talents of singer Richard Jobson and the late Stuart Adamson on lead guitar. They were very successful in the UK with their albums ‘Scared to Dance’, ‘Days in Europa’ and ‘The Absolute Game’ and quickly developed a unique sound. They combined the raw power of punk and the new sophistication of electronic music but always with Adamson’s fierce metal guitar sound to the fore. Jobson’s lyrics were highly eloquent and forceful although sometimes veering towards the pretentious. Their biggest hits were the awesome ‘Into the Valley’, ‘Masquerade’, ‘Working for the Yankee Dollar’, ‘Charade’ and ‘Circus Games’. These classics marked them as one of the best ever British Punk bands to come out of the late 1970s. However they broke up in 1982. Jobson went on to present TV programmes and direct movies. In recent years the band reformed to play some gigs, in 2007 in Dunfermline as a tribute to Adamson, T-in-the-Park in the same year and at the 2009 Homecoming celebrations.

Best song: Into the Valley Teenage Fan Club Highly influential group in the Indie music scene in the 1990’s with their harmonic vocals over soft rock melodies and acoustic music reminiscent of The Byrds. Their only major single success in the UK was the 1997 song ‘Ain’t That Enough’ although they had some success in the US Rock charts also. Producing many well-written tunes like 'The Concept', 'Sparky's Dream' and 'Mellow Doubt' they became one of the most respected bands to come out of Scotland. Their most popular albums were ‘Grand Prix’ and ‘Songs From Northern Britain’ released in the mid-90’s at the height of the BritPop era in the UK. They are generally recognised as inspiring the music of the more commercially successful career of Travis in recent years. Despite the fact that Teenage Fanclub rarely appeared high in the charts their work is nonetheless held in high regard today and they still busy making music. Best song: Ain't That Enough Texas Although hailing from Glasgow they took their name from the movie ‘Paris, Texas’ as they were heavily influenced by the bluesy slide guitar of Ry Cooder.

This sound introduced them onto the scene on their first album 'Southside' which gave them an instant hit in 1989 with ‘I Don’t Want a Lover’ sung by the beautiful and talented Sharleen Spiteri. They went from strength to strength ever since especially with their classic ‘White on Blonde’ album in 1996 which spawned many hits such as ‘Say What You Want’, ‘Halo’ and ‘Black Eyed Boy’ with a combination of soulful dance and radio-friendly rock. It sold a million copies in the UK alone. Also their song ‘So Called Friend’ was adopted by Ellen DeGeneres for her hit US sit-com ‘Ellen’ in 1994. Their last album to date was 'Red Book' in 2005. Since then Sharleen Spiteri has recorded solo material and was also a guest singer on the song 'Stirb Nicht Vor Mir' by the German industrial band Rammstein. Best song: I Don’t Want a Lover Travis A very successful Indie band obviously inspired by Teenage Fanclub but who enjoyed more national success. They took their name from 'Paris Texas' too from the character played by Harry Dean Stanton in the movie.

They wrote melodic, catchy tunes such as ‘Why Does it Always Rain on Me’, 'Coming Around', ‘Sing’, 'Closer' , 'Re-Offender' and 'Driftwood'. Initially they played rock influenced tunes but moved into more moody and reflective songs and their album 'The Man Who' in 1999 rocketed them to stardom. They also produced quirky and inspired videos, including 'Writing to Reach You' with singer Fran Healey fleeing a WW2 Messerschmitt across a desolate countryside as machine gun bullets spat up from the ground behind him. They are still prolific recording artists and a major attraction live. Best song: Turn Wet Wet Wet Clydebank's Wet Wet Wet were already long established when they struck gold with their massive hit ‘Love is all Around’, a cover of the old Troggs classic re-vamped for the soundtrack to the movie ‘Four Weddings and a Funeral’. This song stayed at No.1 in the UK charts for 15 weeks in 1994 and reaped a financial windfall for original writer Reg Presley who reportedly earned £1million from the publishing rights.

However, they had many other marvellous songs such as ‘Wishing I Was Lucky’, ‘Hold Back the River’, and the beautiful ballads ‘Goodnight Girl’, ‘Julia Says’ and ‘Angel Eyes’ enhanced by the tremendous singing voice of Marti Pellow. Unfortunately Pellow experienced drug problems and the band split for a few years in the early 2000s. They reformed in 2004 and are still active today. Their soulful ballads and dance tunes backed with lavish production values mark them as one of the classiest and most popular Scottish bands around. Best song: Love is all Around _________________________________________________________ So there you have it, just my own take on who are the greatest Scottish bands in popular music history. You may have your own ideas on entries or ommissions which is not surprising given the rich heritage of Scots musicians. On the other hand, if you were not familiar with many of the bands then I hope you enjoyed some of the videos and are interested in finding out more about the Rock and Pop music of Scotland. I'm sure this list will quickly go out of date given the fantastic new Scottish bands who have appeared on the scene in recent years.

Hopefully groups like Franz Ferdinand, Idlewild, The Fratellis and Biffy Clyro will maintain their quality for years to come. __________________________________________________________ PledgeMusic Twitter About When Deacon Blue picked up the threads of their recording career with The Hipsters in 2012, they had little idea of the impact which that album would have. The group’s dedicated fans were, naturally, quick to embrace it and the album sailed into the Top 20 on its week of release. But then the media tastemakers got on board, in particular Radio 2, in particular Radio 2, which A-listed “The Hipsters”, “The Outsiders”, “Turn” and “That’s What We Can Do”. As the band toured and the word spread, a new generation discovered the music of Deacon Blue. When the group played T in the Park in the summer of 2013, they were the talk of the festival.

The buzz continued to build in September when they played a triumphant show at the Royal Albert Hall in London, and turned into a roar of acclaim as they ended their second tour of the year with a homecoming Christmas gig at the brand-new, 13,000-capacity SSE Hydro Arena in Glasgow. “The Hydro was, honestly, one of the best gigs of our life,” says singer Lorraine McIntosh. “If you can do that, and you’ve been at it for 26 years, then I think you’re doing something right.” Ricky Ross the singer and key songwriter in the band thought so too. Galvanised by the success of The Hipsters, he was already deep into the process of writing songs for the next album. “I knew what the band could do. I knew what Paul Savage [producer of The Hipsters] could do. I knew there was another good record on the way,” he says. By the spring of 2014 Ross, with the help of guitarist Gregor Philp, had finished writing and demoing a new batch of songs.

The band went back in to Savage’s Chem19 Studio in Blantyre on the outskirts of Glasgow, where they set up and played together live, as they had done for The Hipsters. “It’s not the cheapest way to do it,” says drummer Dougie Vipond. “But we’ve honed our skills playing together over the years, and the band is playing so well live at the moment that you want to catch an element of that on the record.” “Paul Savage is one of the best producers we’ve worked with,” says keyboard player James Prime. “And Ricky and Gregor’s demos were so good. There really wasn’t an awful lot that needed to be done. It was so fast getting everything turned around.” The result is A New House, an album full of confidence, courage and rekindled passion for the second life which Deacon Blue has now embarked upon. Filled with a sense of joy and forward-looking energy, it is an album which sounds distinctly at odds with the group’s veteran status. It is now 27 years since Deacon Blue released their debut album, Raintown.

A string of best-sellers followed: When the World Knows Your Name 1989 , Fellow Hoodlums 1991 , Whatever You Say, Say Nothing 1993 and a double-platinum compilation Our Town – The Greatest Hits 1994 which included “Real Gone Kid”, “Fergus Sings the Blues”, “Dignity”, “Wages Day”, “Twist and Shout” and many others. Then, with 12 UK Top 40 singles and two No.1 albums to their credit, the group split up for five years. While Ross built up his career as a songwriter and solo act, he and the other band members set about establishing themselves with remarkable success in various fields of the media, the arts and academia. But as their other lives unfolded, they never gave up on the Deacon Blue dream. A reunion show led on to a new album Walking Back Home 1999 and a follow-up Homesick 2001 after which the band continued to reconvene whenever there was a good reason to do so, of which there have always been many. Now, the success of The Hipsters has changed the game again.

“It’s like the old days,” says Vipond, “When Raintown came out and then two years later the next one…” A New House suggests renewed pride in the band and a reawakened sense of ambition. Far from harking back to past glories, it is a collection of depth and passion which more readily bears comparison with albums by modern greats such as Elbow and Coldplay. According to Ross, touring The Hipsters was inspirational in more ways than one. “We travelled through a lot of obscure parts of England, Wales and especially Scotland,” he says. “We were right the way up in Stornoway and Ullapool in Cromartyshire, and suddenly it was spring, and it was just wonderful to see this wild countryside, and feel the energy of nature.” Several songs reflect this theme, notably “For John Muir” which celebrates the life and work of the Scottish-born conservationist who was a key figure in establishing the National Parks in America and could be called the father of environmentalism.

Numbers ranging from “The Living”, built around a beautiful chiming guitar riff, to the majestic orchestral sweep of “An Ocean” and the strangely syncopated “Wild”, all conjure a sense of wonder in the face of nature’s enduring power and beauty. “This miracle of spring is all that matters now/Hard light, warm earth buried deep below/There’s a scent and a sense that winter’s over/One last hard fight won before we go,” Ross sings in “March”, a song he co-wrote with Prime and Philp. The melodic and rhythmic energy of A New House comes together on the title track, one of many thoughtful lyrics with a killer chorus. “I remember driving out when we were kids to see a new house being built in the suburbs,” Ross says. “It was as if they were trying to contain the countryside, building roads and houses on it. But you can never quite contain it.” Perhaps the biggest song on the album is “Our New Land”, a stirring anthem plainly inspired by the possibilities offered by the Scottish Independence Referendum of September 2014.

Even at the height of their success Deacon Blue have always stayed and worked in Scotland, and while they have never made any formal declaration as a band, the individuals are known to favour the notion of their country being in charge of its own affairs. “I try not to write in a campaigning way, because it limits the song,” Ross says. “But it’s on everyone’s mind. It’s a momentous decision. Everybody’s thinking ‘Where do we go?’.” “It’s a song about the possibilities of change,” McIntosh says. “Whatever happens in the referendum, I don’t think all this awakening that is happening in Scotland at the moment can just go away. The song is about the hope of a better, new land.” DB/CV Ricky Ross [vocals/piano]: has released five albums as a solo act. He has also written songs for or with artists including James Blunt, Ronan Keating, Jamie Cullum and Nanci Griffith among many others. He presents his own radio shows, Another Country with Ricky Ross and Sunday Mornings with Ricky Ross on BBC Radio Scotland, and presented a BBC Two TV show tracing the history of his hometown Dundee.

He is one half of the duo McIntosh Ross who toured and released their much-admired album The Great Lakes in 2009. Lorraine McIntosh [vocals]: has forged a distinguished career as an actor on stage in productions with Tron Theatre Company in Beowulf, the National Theatre of Scotland in Beautiful Burnout and Men Should Weep, on television in the BBC Scotland soap River City and in several feature films. As a singer and songwriter, she is the other half of McIntosh Ross. James Prime [keyboards]: is a lecturer at the University of the West of Scotland, where he and Allan Dumbreck [of the Big Dish] set up the School of Music and Recording Technology 13 years ago. There are currently 250 or so students enrolled in their Commercial Music BA degree course. “We’re arming them with everything: business, technology and performance skills,” James says. “The London music business comes here to hand-pick our students.” James also performs in several other bands, notably the Floorstompers. Dougie Vipond [drums/vocals]: is a TV presenter for BBC Scotland and BBC Three.

As well as presenting the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games, he has fronted sport, travel and rural affairs programmes including Sportscene, Landward and The Great Climb, which won a Scottish BAFTA. In 2012, he took part in an event for Sport Relief in which he sailed, ran, rowed and cycled round Britain. He regards touring with Deacon Blue as “quite relaxing. I’ve just got to sit on a bus.” He continues to remind the others that, at 47, he is still the baby of the group. Gregor Philp [guitars/vocals]: has played live with Deacon Blue since their 2008 tour with Simple Minds. He helped Ricky to record the early demos for The Hipsters and A New House and co-wrote songs on both albums. Lewis Gordon [bass]: covered a session for Deacon Blue in 2008 and has been on stage and in the studio with them ever since. A young musician who has worked with John Fratelli, he is also a songwriter who used to phone Ricky to ask his advice about the music business.

REAL GONE KIDS Ewen Vernal [bass]: played in Deacon Blue until 1994 and now plays with Capercaillie. Graeme Kelling [guitar]: was a member of Deacon Blue until his death in 2004 from pancreatic cancer. The band recently marked the tenth anniversary of his death and there was a dedication to him on the album cover of The Hipsters. “Truly a day doesn’t pass without us thinking about him and very often talking about him and the stories that all come up,” says Ricky, who recalled their last moments together in his song “In the End” on his album Pale Rider. June 2014 Lorraine McIntosh (Singer) - Pics, Videos, Dating, & News Lorraine McIntosh Female Born May 13, 1964 Lorraine McIntosh is a singer best known as a vocalist with Scottish band Deacon Blue. She has also achieved success as an actress, starring in River City and appearing in Taggart among her most notable roles in television.

related links Mc Intosh Has A Lorra Paisley Experience The Paisley Daily Express Google News - Aug 18, 2011 'FORMER soap star <mark>Lorraine McIntosh</mark> has revealed how shooting scenes for TV shows in Paisley gave her the ideal grounding for her acting career. Lorraine first found fame as the songstress with Scottish band Deacon Blue in the mid-1980s, performing on' Deacon Blue Close Rainy Belladrum Highland News Google News - Aug 07, 2011 'And the band â including Ricky&#39;s partner <mark>Lorraine McIntosh</mark> and drummer and TV presenter Dougie Vipond â just managed to close the last notes of the encore as the first traditional heart-shaped fireworks went up. Two pipers playing high up behind the' Deacon Blue Take To Stage Greenock Telegraph Google News - Jul 12, 2011 'The four-piece, made up of Ricky Ross, James Prime, <mark>Lorraine McIntosh</mark> and Dougie Vipond, were given a rapturous reception as visitors got into the party atmosphere.

They belted out hits including Dignity to the delight of the vast crowd' Ricky Ross: Deacon Blue Went Up Against Coldplay At Glastobury And We Were Mobbed Scottish Daily Record Google News - Jul 09, 2011 'Dad-of-four Ricky, 53, will be hoping to replicate the experience of his Worthy Farm adventure on Monday, when he and wife <mark>Lorraine McIntosh</mark>, drummer Dougie Vipond and keyboard player Jim Prime close this weekend&#39;s three-day Tall Ships Festival in' Learn about the memorable moments in the evolution of Lorraine McIntosh. CHILDHOOD 1964 Birth Born on May 13, 1964. TWENTIES 1987 23 Years Old The band released their debut album Raintown on 1 May 1987 in the United Kingdom. … Read More It was released in the United States in February 1988.

The album, widely praised as Deacon Blue's finest work, has the overtones of a concept album relating to the struggles of getting by in life in the inner city of urban life - the city being unmistakably Glasgow, referenced by the roots of the band and by the famous images on the cover of the album, the view of a rainy day over Glasgow's West End (with the Finnieston Crane featuring prominently) and, on the rear, a long-exposure capture of the Kingston Bridge blasting through the city centre at night. Their second studio album, When The World Knows Your Name (1989), topped the UK Album Charts for two weeks, and included Real Gone Kid, which became their first UK top ten single. Read Less 1993 29 Years Old Deacon Blue released their fourth album, Whatever You Say, Say Nothing, in 1993. Following Vipond's decision to quit the group in favour of a career in television, the band split up in 1994. … Read More Five years later, they held a reunion gig, and this led on to a new album, Walking Back Home, with the band now working on a part-time basis.

The band released another album, Homesick, in 2001. Graeme Kelling died of pancreatic cancer in 2004; the band has continued to record and perform, and 2006 saw them returning to the studio to record three new tracks for a Singles album - including the track Bigger than Dynamite. Read Less THIRTIES 2002 38 Years Old McIntosh took a break from music to play the character Alice Henderson in the popular Scottish soap opera River City, which is set in a fictitious suburb of Glasgow. Her character first appeared in 2002 and was written out during May 2010. … Read More McIntosh has also appeared in a few Scottish films, including Ken Loach's My Name Is Joe and Lone Scherfig's Wilbur Wants to Kill Himself, as well as in three episodes of the popular TV police-drama series Taggart. She also starred in BBC One's comedy-drama Hope Springs.<br /><br /> McIntosh is married to Deacon Blue lead singer Ricky Ross and they have three children.

Read Less FORTIES 2011 47 Years Old Deacon Blue are confirmed to be recording new material for a 2011 or 2012 release. Original Authors of this text are noted on . Deacon Blue to headline Stonehaven’s Open Air in The Square 2016 New Year celebrations - Daily Record Deacon Blue to headline Stonehaven’s Open Air in The Square 2016 New Year celebrations THE Scottish band will take part in the festivities in front of hundreds of revellers. Share Click to playTap to play The video will start in 8Cancel Play now Get daily updates directly to your inbox + Subscribe Could not subscribe, try again laterInvalid Email DEACON Blue will headline Stonehaven’s Open Air in The Square 2016 New Year celebrations. They are to follow Simple Minds and The Human League as headliners at Stonehaven’s hugely-popular Hogmanay party. The chart-topping band will star at the Aberdeenshire town’s Open Air In The Square party on December 31. Today Dundee-born lead singer Ricky Ross said: “We are really looking forward to coming to Stonehaven ... it’s a place I know quite well.

“When I was young I grew up in Dundee and used to come to lots of places along the East Coast. View gallery “I haven’t been in Stonehaven for a long time and I am looking forward to coming back there and it’s the first time ever we will be doing a gig there. “We’re not doing a lot of gigs this year so it’s one of a few special gigs that we are doing. “Iit will be a great way to round off this year and kick off next year which we think will be be quite a busy year for Deacon Blue .” Lewis, right, with Deacon Blue An Open Air In The Square spokesman said: “This is a major boost to Stonehaven’s growing reputation as one of the top Hogmanay venues in Scotland. “Last year it was said we were second only to Edinburgh and, once again, we are delighted to feature one of the biggest names in the pop world. “Deacon Blue have played in many of the country’s most prestigious festivals, including T in the Park. Video Loading Share this video Watch Next “We are delighted they will be bringing in the New Year at our party in Stonehaven Market Square.

“As usual, we will be laying on a wide mix of entertainment on the night with the aim of providing something for everyone.” Already OAITS have booked top Beatles tribute band “Them Beatles” to join the bill. The Deacon Blue line-up consists of vocalists Ricky Ross and Lorraine McIntosh, keyboard player James Prime and drummer Dougie Vipond. The current Deacon Blue guitarist is Gregor Philp and the current bass guitarist is Lewis Gordon. Their biggest hits include “Dignity” and “Real Gone Kid”. As of 2012, Deacon Blue’s total album sales stood at six million, with twelve UK Top 40 singles, along with two UK number one albums. Last year they had a hugely-successful comeback tour and released their seventh studio album, A New House. They also performed at the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games closing ceremony performing their anthem “Dignity”. The Stonehaven event - which is run by a volunteer committee - can attract up to 5000 revellers. )nce again, because of the heavy costs involved, the organisers will be looking for grants and sponsors.

This year the organisers are staging a “Battle of the Bands” contest between acts around Scotland to compete for a performance slot at the Open Air In The Square 2015. There will be a series of heats in different regions of the country with a final battle held in Stonehaven itself later this year. Dates and details will be announced later. They have also launched a contest for designers to create a fresh and memorable new logo for the festival with a £200 cash prize, two VIP tickets to the event as well as fantastic exposure on most marketing material for the festival including the OAITS website, lanyards, stage screens and so on. The winner will be announced on April 4. For full details of the Hogmanay event see the new-look OAITS website on : Adult tickets are £34.50 plus £1.50 booking fee. One adult plus one child is £55 plus booking fee; two adults plus one child is £89.50 plus booking fee and two adults and two children is £110 plus booking fee. Like us on Facebook Most Read Most Recent The Hipsters by Deacon Blue: Amazon.co.uk: Music By Bazman on 2 Oct.

2012 Format: Audio CD Verified Purchase 25 years on from Raintown, Deacon Blue still know how to bash out a good old tune. From the moment i heard Loaded all those years ago Deacon Blues albums have been in my collection. In the late eighties/early nineties Ricky Ross and the gang released the fantastic Raintown, When the World Knows your Name, Fellow Hoodlums and the ok Whatever you say say nothing. 11 years ago they released their last album Homesick which although containing some decent tracks, that Deacon Blue magic wasnt quite there. So what would an album after all this time have to offer. I have been looking forward to the release for ages with some fear that The Hipsters would be a bit of a disappointment. Far from it, this album has ignited my love of Deacon Blue, so much so that i am looking forward to the release of the re-packaged previous albums containing all the bonus material.

A quick run through Here I Am In London Town - A gentle soulful start to the album (just as born in a storm was to Raintown) with Rickies voice over a piano The Hipsters - First single release from the album, great catchy track - Shining, Falling, Glistening, Diving Stars - Ricky and the beautiful Lorraine doing what they do best Turn - potential single.

Question: Which Scottish group had UK top 20 hits with Real Gone Kid and Dignity?
Answer: Deacon Blue