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Steeltown
''Steeltown'' is the second studio album by Scottish band Big Country. The album was recorded at ABBA's Polar Studios in Stockholm with Steve Lillywhite producing. It was released on 19 October 1984, in the UK and 29 October 1984, in the United States. It was released on CD only in Germany, as well as remastered and reissued there. Steeltown is the band's only UK number 1 album, topping the chart for 1 week in October 1984. The title track ''Steeltown'' was written about the town of Corby, telling how many Scots went to work at the Stewarts & Lloyds steelworks when it opened in 1935, at the height of the Great Depression, but later found themselves unemployed when the steelworks declined in the early 1980s.Source: Melody Maker, 1984 The 1996 reissue contains all of the B-sides from the album's single releases as well as the extended version of "Wonderland" " East of Eden" was the only Top 20 single from the album, reaching number 17 in the UK Singles Chart. Reception C ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Where The Rose Is Sown
''Where the Rose is Sown'' is a song by Scottish rock band Big Country, which was released in 1984 as the second single from their second studio album '' Steeltown''. It was written by Big Country and produced by Steve Lillywhite. "Where the Rose Is Sown" peaked at No. 29 in the UK and No. 25 in Ireland. Music video A music video was filmed to promote the single. It received medium rotation on MTV. Critical reception Upon release, Lesley White of '' Smash Hits'' commented: "More of the same from the frustrated messiahs of contemporary rock. A treat for lovers of "real music" everywhere - give me artful pretence any day." Sunie of ''Number One'' said: ""It's the lovin' things you do..." Anyone remember the old '60s hit? It lurks just behind this song, artfully obscured by guitar solos, "heeyahs" and the Lillywhite wall of sound. I rather like it." '' Cash Box'' commented: "Big Country delivers a pounding slice of tragic political rock which is given its edge in Adamson's biting ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Big Country
Big Country are a Scottish rock band formed in Dunfermline, Fife, in 1981. The height of the band's popularity was in the early to mid 1980s, although it has retained a cult following for many years since. The band's music incorporated Scottish folk and martial music styles, and the band engineered their guitar-driven sound to evoke the sound of bagpipes, fiddles, and other traditional folk instruments. Career Formation Big Country comprised Stuart Adamson (formerly of Skids, vocals/guitar/ keyboards), Bruce Watson (guitar/ mandolin/sitar/vocals), Tony Butler (bass guitar/vocals) and Mark Brzezicki ( drums/percussion/vocals). Before the recruitment of Butler and Brzezicki an early incarnation of Big Country was a five-piece band, featuring Peter Wishart (later of Runrig and now a Scottish National Party MP) on keyboards, his brother Alan on bass, and Clive Parker, drummer from Spizz Energi/Athletico Spizz '80. Adamson auditioned Parker (1981) at The Members' rehea ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
East Of Eden (Big Country Song)
"East of Eden" is a song by Scottish rock band Big Country, which was released in 1984 as the lead single from their second studio album '' Steeltown''. It was written by Big Country and produced by Steve Lillywhite. "East of Eden" reached No. 17 in the UK, and No. 12 in Ireland. Background Speaking to ''Number One'' in 1984, Adamson said of the song: "It's a questioning song, a song about always having to look for any hope or inspiration." A music video was filmed in Glasgow to promote the single, directed by Mike Brady. The single's B-side, " Prairie Rose", is a cover of the 1974 song by Roxy Music. Critical reception Upon release, Karen Swayne of ''Number One'' said: ""East of Eden" is as powerful and majestic as anything they've done."Number One magazine - Singles - Karen Swayne - 22 September 1984 - page 52 Vici MacDonald of '' Smash Hits'' commented: "The production on this record is truly awful. The instruments blur into one muddy, thrashing mass, completely submerging any h ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Just A Shadow
''Just a Shadow'' is a song by Scottish rock band Big Country on their 1984 album '' Steeltown''. It was released as a single on 19 January 1985 and peaked at #26 on the UK singles charts. Critical reception On its release, Mike Gardiner of ''Record Mirror'' was critical of the song, describing it as a "mediocre album track". He wrote, "The soaring guitars sound like their wings have been clipped and the chest the chorus is trying to swell probably has punctured lungs." References External links "Just a Shadow"at discogs.com "Just a Shadow"at allmusic.com AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ... {{authority control 1984 songs Big Country songs Songs written by Stuart Adamson Songs written by Mark Brzezicki Songs written by Tony Butler (musician) Songs writ ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Corby
Corby is a town in North Northamptonshire, England, located north-east of Northampton. From 1974 to 2021, the town served as the administrative headquarters of the Borough of Corby. At the 2011 Census, the built-up area had a population of 56,810, while the borough, which was abolished in 2021, had a population of 75,571 in 2021. Figures released in March 2010 revealed that Corby had the fastest growing population in both Northamptonshire and the whole of England. The town was at one time known locally as "Little Scotland" due to the large number of Scottish workers who came to Corby for its steelworks. Recently, Corby has undergone a large regeneration process with the opening of Corby railway station and Corby International Pool in 2009 and the Corby Cube in 2010. The Cube was home to the (former) Corby Borough Council offices and also houses a 450-seat theatre, a public library and other community amenities. History Early history Mesolithic and Neolithic artefacts hav ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Crossing (Big Country Album)
''The Crossing'' is the debut album released by Scottish band Big Country. The album reached #3 in the UK; overseas, it hit #4 in Canada on the ''RPM'' national Top Albums Chart and #18 in the US on the ''Billboard'' 200 in 1983. It went on to be certified platinum in the UK and Canada. It contains the song "In a Big Country" which is their only U.S. Top 40 hit single. Stuart Adamson and fellow guitarist Bruce Watson used the MXR Pitch Transposer 129 effect pedal to create a guitar sound reminiscent of bagpipes. Also contributing to the band's unique sound was their use of the e-bow, a hand-held device which, through the use of magnets, causes the strings of an electric guitar to vibrate producing a soft attack which sounds more like strings or synthesizer. The album has been remastered and reissued on three occasions. The latest version released by Universal in 2012 in advance of the album's 30th anniversary includes a second disc of previously unissued demos. Also included i ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Stuart Adamson
William Stuart Adamson (11 April 1958 – 16 December 2001) was a Scottish rock guitarist and singer. Adamson began his career in the late 1970s as a founding member and performer with the punk rock band Skids. After leaving Skids in 1981, he formed Big Country and was the band's lead singer and guitarist. The group's commercial heyday was in the 1980s. In the 1990s, he was a member of the alternative country band The Raphaels. In the late 1970s the British music journalist John Peel referred to his musical virtuosity as a guitarist as "a new Jimi Hendrix". Early life and career Adamson was born in the city of Manchester, England, to Scottish parents Anne (''née'' Muir) and William Adamson. When he was four, his family relocated to the small mining village of Crossgates, about a mile east of Dunfermline in Fife. Adamson's father, a fishing industry executive who travelled the world, encouraged his son to read literature, and both parents shared an interest in folk music. Ada ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Seer (Big Country Album)
''The Seer'' is the third studio album by the Scottish band Big Country, released in 1986. The album featured very traditional Scottish musical settings, reminiscent of the band's debut album '' The Crossing'' (1983). Kate Bush worked on the title song in a duet with lead singer and lyricist Stuart Adamson. The album's first single, "Look Away", was an Irish number one, and was also the group's biggest hit single in the UK, reaching #7. The album reached number 2 in the UK Albums Chart. Lyrics and music ''The Seer'' saw Big Country return to the sweeping Scottish sound that had made them famous on ''The Crossing''. It is sometimes considered to be the band's most overtly Celtic album, with many of the songs containing explicit or veiled references to Scottish history - for example, "Remembrance Day" deals with the Highland Clearances (in which thousands of Highlanders were relocated to British colonial possessions such as Canada and New Zealand), "Red Fox" is about the 1752 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Steve Lillywhite
Stephen Alan Lillywhite, (born 15 March 1955) is a British record producer. Since he began his career in 1977, Lillywhite has been credited on over 500 records, and has collaborated with a variety of musicians including new wave acts XTC, Big Country, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Simple Minds, the Psychedelic Furs, Toyah, David Byrne, Talking Heads and Kirsty MacColl, as well as U2, the Rolling Stones, the Pogues, Blue October, Steel Pulse, the La's, Peter Gabriel, Morrissey, the Killers, Dave Matthews Band, Phish, Counting Crows and Joan Armatrading. He has won six Grammy Awards, including Producer of the Year, Non-Classical in 2006. In 2012, he was made a Commander of the Order of The British Empire (CBE) for his contributions to music. Career Early years Lillywhite entered the music industry in 1972, when he worked as a tape operator for PolyGram. He produced a demo recording for Ultravox!, which led to them being offered a recording contract with Island Records. Lillywhi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mark Brzezicki
Mark Michael Brzezicki ( , ; born 21 June 1957) is an English musician, best known as the drummer for the Scottish rock band Big Country. He has also played with the Cult, Ultravox, From the Jam, Procol Harum, Rick Astley, the Crazy World of Arthur Brown, Roger Daltrey, Fish, Steve Harley, Howard Jones, Nik Kershaw, the Pretenders, Thunderclap Newman, Tiffany, Midge Ure, Pete Townshend and many others. Brzezicki was also the sole drummer on '' Shine'', the second (and final, to date) English-language studio album by Swedish singer Anni-Frid Lyngstad of ABBA. He uses both the traditional and matched grips. He is the son of an English mother and a Polish veteran of the Second World War. Brzezicki left Big Country in July 1989, but rejoined in 1993. He, together with bassist Tony Butler and guitarist Bruce Watson, began gigging again as Big Country in 2007, as part of their 25th anniversary tour. In 2004, Brzezicki helped form a new band, Casbah Club, with Bruce Foxton and Si ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tony Butler (musician)
Anthony Earle Peter Butler (born 13 February 1957) is a British bassist, best known for his work with Scottish rock band Big Country. He has also worked with On the Air, The Pretenders, Roger Daltrey, and Pete Townshend, among others. Early life Butler was born at Hammersmith Hospital in White City, London, England. His parents had emigrated to England from the Caribbean island of Dominica. Career In the late 1970s Butler joined the short-lived band On the Air which also included drummer Mark Brzezicki and Simon Townshend (the younger brother of The Who's guitarist Pete Townshend). On the Air released two singles in 1980 and toured with the Scottish band The Skids, which was where Butler met Stuart Adamson. In 1982 Butler joined Adamson's new band Big Country with his drumming partner Mark Brzezicki, which went on to enjoy success internationally during the 1980s and 1990s, he remained in the band until the end of 2000. He also did session work with other artists including P ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bruce Watson (Scottish Guitarist)
Bruce William Watson (born March 11, 1961) is a Canadian-born Scottish guitarist, best known for being a member of Big Country. Early life and career Watson was born in Timmins, Ontario, Canada. He moved with his family to Scotland as a toddler. Prior to joining Big Country, Watson had been a member of several Fife-based new wave bands including the Delinquents and Eurosect. Role in Big Country Watson's role in the band was primarily as a supporting guitarist. He typically contributed rhythmic textures ("Wonderland," "Lost Patrol") and repetitive melodic fills ("In a Big Country," "Look Away") which underpinned verses, contrasting with Stuart Adamson's more straightforward chord work in these sections. During solos, as Adamson played the main melody, Watson often contributed a counter-melody. Watson also played slide guitar on some of the band's early material, including "Rain Dance" and "Red Fox." Later on, Adamson played much of the slide guitar work on the band's songs. W ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
