Deacon Blue biography
Deacon Blue are a Scottish pop band formed in Glasgow during 1985. Their name was taken from the title of the Steely Dan song "Deacon Blues". The band consists of vocalists Ricky Ross and Lorraine McIntosh, keyboard player James Prime and drummer Dougie Vipond.
The band released their debut album, Raintown on 1 May 1987 in the United Kingdom. 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. Deacon Blue released their fourth album, Whatever You Say, Say Nothing. 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.
Deacon Blue are confirmed to be recording new material for a 2012 release.
Career
Overview
The band released their debut album,
Raintown on 1 May 1987 in the United Kingdom, 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.
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, they split up in 1994. 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. Though Graeme Kelling died from pancreatic cancer in 2004, the band has continued in his absence and 2006 saw Deacon Blue returning to the studio to record three new tracks for a Singles album - including the track "Bigger than Dynamite". Deacon Blue are confirmed to be recording new material for a 2011 or 2012 release.
1985-1987: Formation
Formed in 1985 following Ricky Ross's move from Dundee to Glasgow, Deacon Blue were one of the top-selling UK bands of the late 1980s and early 1990s. Along with Ross, the group consisted of 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 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.
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