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Deacon Blue

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For the Steely Dan song, seeDeacon Blues.

Deacon Blue
Deacon Blue performing live at the SSE Hydro, 2018
Deacon Blue performing live at theSSE Hydro,2018
Background information
OriginGlasgow,Scotland
Genres
Years active1985–1994, 1999–present
Labels
Members
Past members
Websitedeaconblue

Deacon Blueare a Scottishpop rockband formed inGlasgowduring 1985. The line-up of the band consists of vocalistsRicky RossandLorraine McIntosh,keyboard playerJames Primeand drummerDougie Vipond.The band released their debut album,Raintown,on 1 May 1987 in the United Kingdom and in the United States in February 1988. Their second album,When the World Knows Your Name(1989), topped theUK Albums Chartfor two weeks, and included "Real Gone Kid"which became their first top ten single in theUK Singles Chart[2]and reached number one in Spain.[3]Deacon Blue followed up their success with their third albumFellow Hoodlums(1991) and the release of their fourth album,Whatever You Say, Say Nothing(1993).

Following the release of their fourth album, the band split in 1994, following which Vipond began a career in television. Five years later, the band 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. Despite the death ofGraeme Kellingfrompancreatic cancerin 2004, the band continued to record music, and 2006 saw Deacon Blue returning to the studio to record three new tracks for aSinglesalbum – including the single "Bigger than Dynamite".

Deacon Blue returned after a period of absence to releaseThe Hipsters(2012), their first studio album sinceHomesickin 2001.[4]The band released a further two albums,A New House,in September 2014 andBelieversin September 2016. A concert recording of their return to the Barrowlands, Glasgow, was released on 31 March 2017. The band's ninth studio albumCity of Lovewas released on 6 March 2020. In February 2021, they released their tenth studio album entitledRiding on the Tide of Loveto commercial success in the UK.

As of 2020, Deacon Blue's total album sales stood at seven million,[5]with twelve UK top 40 singles, along with two number one albums in the UK.[5]

Career

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1985–1987: Formation and early years

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Taking their name from the 1977Steely Dansong "Deacon Blues",[6]Deacon Blue were formed in 1985 followingRicky Ross's move from Dundee to Glasgow. Along with Ross, the group originally consisted ofLorraine McIntosh,James Prime,Dougie Vipond,Ewen VernalandGraeme Kelling.[7]

Ross, a former school teacher originally fromDundee,was the group's frontman, penning the majority of Deacon Blue's songs. He married vocalist Lorraine McIntosh in 1990.[7]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, includingWet Wet Wet,The Bluebells,Kevin McDermott (singer-songwriter),The Big Dish,andHue and Cry.

1987–1991:RaintownandWhen The World Knows Your Name

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The band's debut album,Raintown,produced byJon Kellywas released in 1987.[7]It spawned the singles "Dignity","Chocolate Girl"and"Loaded".[7]The city that the album's title refers to isGlasgowand the cover art of the album is a photograph (by the Scottish-Italian photographerOscar Marzaroli) of theRiver Clyde's docks taken fromKelvingrove Park.It proved a commercial success and has to date sold around a million copies, peaking in theUK Albums Chartat no. 14 and remaining in the charts for a year and a half.[8]On 27 February 2006,Raintownwas reissued as part of Columbia's Legacy Edition series. The reissue was expanded to two CDs, the first of which featured the original 11 track album. The second CD featured alternate cuts of all 11 album tracks, as well as the two original CD bonus tracks "Riches" and "Kings of the Western World". The new edition did not include the varied bonus cuts (remixes and b-sides) that were found on the singles from the album.

The second album, 1989'sWhen the World Knows Your Name,was the band's most commercially successful, reaching No. 1 in the UK Albums Chart and 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).[7]The following year saw the band play in front of an estimated 250,000 fans at the free concert onGlasgow Green,"The Big Day", which was held to celebrate Glasgow being named that year'sEuropean City of Culture.The band also playedGlastonburyand theRoskildefestivals that summer, as well as releasedOoh Las Vegas,a double album of B-sides, extra tracks, film tracks, and sessions which reached No. 3 in the UK Albums Chart.

1991–1994: Continued success and split

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Lead singer Ricky Ross performing live inAmsterdamin 1993

Jon Kelly returned to the producer's chair in 1991 for the albumFellow Hoodlums.The album was met with more critical approval[7]and peaked at No. 2 on the UK Albums Chart.Fellow Hoodlumswas followed up by 1993'sWhatever You Say, Say Nothing,a much more experimental album. The album was not as commercially successful as the previous two albums,[7]peaking at No. 4 on the UK Albums Chart. Changing from producerJon Kellyto the team ofSteve OsborneandPaul Oakenfold,this album presented a change in musical style for Deacon Blue. While the band's songwriting remained based inrockandblues,many of the tracks moved intoalternative rockterritory in their presentation.[citation needed]

The band embarked on another sold out UK tour in 1994, after recording new material for theirgreatest hitscompilation album,Our Town.[7]This saw the band return to No. 1 in the UK Albums Chart 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 re-enter the Top 20 of the UK Singles Chart. The album contained the previous singles from the band, minus"Closing Time"and"Hang Your Head".The album also contained three new tracks."I Was Right and You Were Wrong",the first single from this album, was analternative rocktrack that continued and expanded the musical direction the band had taken withWhatever You Say, Say Nothing.[citation needed]"Bound to Love" and "Still in the Mood" werepopsongs in the tradition of Deacon Blue's earlier albums. The vinylLPversion of the album contained a fourth new track, "Beautiful Stranger". "Dignity" was released, now for the third time, as the second single from the album.

With Vipond's decision to quit the group in favour of a career in television, Deacon Blue split up in 1994.[7]

1999–2012: Re-formation and touring

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Deacon Blue performing at theSECC,2001

Five years later, the band held a 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. TheWalking Back Homealbum combined eight songs that were brand new compositions, previously unreleased tracks, or released only with limited availability, with nine previously released Deacon Blue songs. This was followed by another album,Homesick,in 2001. Graeme Kelling died frompancreatic cancerin 2004, but the band continued and recorded three new tracks for aSinglesalbum – including the track "Bigger than Dynamite"in 2006.

The band performed atManchester United'sOld Traffordstadium, as the pre-match entertainment for theRugby leagueSuper LeagueGrand Final on 14 October 2006, and continued on to a full UK tour in November. They were also due to openStirling's New Year party in 2006, but this was cancelled at the last minute due to extreme weather. A further tour followed in November 2007 and the band then provided support forSimple Mindsin 2008. They also appeared at Stirling's Hogmanay in 2008.

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. The band performed several gigs, including Glastonbury, and theLiverpool Echo Arenaon 29 July 2011. 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, Ross and McIntosh recorded an album together under the name 'McIntosh Ross'.

2012–2013: New record label andThe Hipsters

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Deacon Blue last released a studio album in 2001, which wasHomesickand in 2006, they released a compilation album,Singles.In 2012, it was announced Deacon Blue had signed a recording contract and would release a new album that year.

To promote the upcoming release of their new album, the group released a single, "The Hipsters". The single was released in the United Kingdom on 23 September 2012. The albumThe Hipsterswas released on 24 September 2012 and was produced byPaul Savage.A 25th anniversary tour, starting in October 2012, followed. The band performed with theBBC Scottish Symphony Orchestraat the Grand Hall in Glasgow to promote the release of the album.[9]

All of the band's studio albums were reissued as deluxe editions by Edsel Records in October 2012, as well as a new compilation entitledThe Rest.

2013–2018:A New HouseandBelievers

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Deacon Blue arranged dates in 2014 for a comeback tour. It was announced in April 2014 that their seventh studio album,A New House,would be released on 8 September that year. Deacon Blue also performed at the Glasgow2014 Commonwealth Gamesclosing ceremony on 3 August 2014, performing their hit, "Dignity".

A new studio album,Believers,was released on 30 September 2016. Three promo singles, the title track, "This Is A Love Song" and "Gone" have been released. A tour was undertaken to promote the album, culminating in a return to the Glasgow Barrowlands on 4 December 2016, which was recorded for a live album as well as video.[10]This was released on 31 March 2017 on vinyl, CD, DVD, Blu-Ray as well as digital download of both audio and video versions. A special screening event was held, the day before, at theGlasgow Film Theatre.

Between February and March 2018, Deacon Blue embarked on a tour ofSpain,marking the first time that the band has played a series of live shows in Spain. The band described the shows as "an incredible experience for us all", and later confirmed that Deacon Blue will be returning to Spain in 2019 for another series of live shows, stating that "Spain has a very special place in our hearts".[11]

2018–2021:City of Love

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Backing vocalist and percussionist, Lorraine McIntosh, at theSSE Hydro,2018

The band released their ninth studio album entitledCity of Loveon 6 March 2020, to critical acclaim. The album received positive reviews and achieved commercial success. The album charted at number one in their native Scotland,[12]number four in the United Kingdom[13]and peaked at number fifty in Spain.[14]

2021–present:Riding on the Tide of Love

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During theCOVID-19 pandemic,the band recorded and released their tenth studio album entitledRiding on the Tide of Lovewhich was released in February 2021. The album failed to reach the same level of commercial success in the United Kingdom that the band experienced with their previous album,City of Love,with the album debuting at number 23 on the charts, spending only one week before dropping out of the UK Top 100 album charts.[15]In their native Scotland, the album performed better, debuting at number two and spending additional weeks within the Scottish Top 40 albums charts.[16]

To promote the release of the album, the band announced theRiding on the Tide of Lovetour which is scheduled to begin in June 2021 inBrightonand concludes on 19 December 2021 at theSSE Hydroin Glasgow.[17]In September 2023, they released the compilation albumAll The Old 45s – The Very Best of Deacon Bluevia Cooking Vinyl. It debuted at number two on the officialScottish Albums Chartson 8 September, behind onlyBack To The Water BelowbyRoyal Blood.It would go onto spend eight weeks within the Top 100 of the Scottish Albums Charts.[18]In the United Kingdom, it was a moderate success, debuting at number forty-two on the official UK Albums Charts, spending one week within the Top 100.[19]The band embarked on a tour of the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, beginning in September 2023, to promote the release ofAll the Old 45s.[20]

Members

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Current members

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Past members

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Discography

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Main article:Deacon Blue discography

Awards and nominations

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Year Category Recipient/Work Result Winner
1989 British Single of the Year "Real Gone Kid" Nominated Perfect"

In 2020, Deacon Blue's 1987 single "Dignity"was voted as Scotland's greatest song after a public vote voted through the radio programmeEwen Cameron in the Morning.[22]

References

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  1. ^Strong, Martin C. (2002).The Great Scots Musicography: The Complete Guide to Scotland's Music Makers.Mercat.p. 214.ISBN978-1-8418-3041-4.
  2. ^"DEACON BLUE – full Official Chart History".Official Charts Company.Retrieved16 October2016.
  3. ^Salaverri, Fernando (September 2005).Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002(1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE.ISBN84-8048-639-2.
  4. ^"Deacon Blue".Rickyross.Retrieved9 May2012.
  5. ^ab"About | Deacon Blue".8 July 2015.
  6. ^Harris, Craig."Deacon Blue > Biography".AllMusic.Retrieved13 March2011.
  7. ^abcdefghiColin Larkin,ed. (1997).The Virgin Encyclopedia of Popular Music(Concise ed.).Virgin Books.p. 352/3.ISBN1-85227-745-9.
  8. ^Roberts, David (2006).British Hit Singles & Albums(19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 145.ISBN1-904994-10-5.
  9. ^"City Halls, Glasgow BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra".HeraldScotland.25 June 2013.
  10. ^"Barrowland Ballroom".Deacon Blue. 4 December 2016.Retrieved15 March2017.
  11. ^"Deacon Blue".Facebook.Archived fromthe originalon 26 February 2022.Retrieved5 August2018.
  12. ^"Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100 | Official Charts Company".officialcharts.
  13. ^"Official Albums Chart Top 100 | Official Charts Company".officialcharts.
  14. ^"Top 100 Albumes – Semana 11: del 6.3.2020 al 12.3.2020"(in Spanish).Productores de Música de España.Retrieved18 March2020.
  15. ^"riding on the tide of love | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company".officialcharts.
  16. ^"Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100 | Official Charts Company".officialcharts.
  17. ^"DEACON BLUE Announce new mini-album 'Riding On The Tide Of Love' | XS Noize | Online Music Magazine".xsnoize.28 October 2020.
  18. ^"Official Scottish Albums Chart on 27/10/2023".Official Charts.Retrieved23 March2024.
  19. ^"Deacon Blue songs and albums".Official Charts.Retrieved23 March2024.
  20. ^"Official Deacon Blue Store - Deacon Blue - All The Old 45s (The Very Best Of Deacon Blue) 2CD".deaconblue.tmstor.es.Retrieved23 March2024.
  21. ^"Deacon Blue Share" Riding on the Tide of Love "Lyric Video - Watch + Listen".Rock 'N' Load.12 June 2020. Archived fromthe originalon 7 February 2021.Retrieved2 February2021.Deacon Blue will release Riding on the Tide of Love, which features eight brand new songs, on February 5 via earMUSIC.
  22. ^"Deacon Blue accept 'Scotland's Greatest Song' award after public vote".The National.2 December 2020.
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