Deacon Blue are a Scottish
pop rock
Pop rock (also typeset as pop/rock) is a fusion genre with an emphasis on professional songwriting and recording craft, and less emphasis on attitude than rock music. Originating in the late 1950s as an alternative to normal rock and roll, earl ...
band formed in
Glasgow
Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...
during 1985. The line-up of the band consists of vocalists
Ricky Ross and
Lorraine McIntosh
Lorraine McIntosh (born 13 May 1964) is a Scottish singer, vocalist with Scottish band Deacon Blue, and actress.
Career
McIntosh is a vocalist with Deacon Blue, whose second studio album, '' When the World Knows Your Name'' (1989), topped the ...
, keyboard player
James Prime
James Prime (born 3 November 1960) is a Scottish musician best known as the keyboard player for rock band Deacon Blue. Prime also lectures at the University of the West of Scotland. Known as a Hammond/piano player, his talents have been sough ...
and drummer
Dougie Vipond
Douglas Vipond (born 15 October 1966) is a Scottish broadcaster and drummer.
Early life
Vipond was brought up in Inchinnan and attended Park Mains High School in Erskine, choosing to go there because of the reputation of the music department. A ...
. 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
''When the World Knows Your Name'' is the second album by the Scottish rock (music), rock band Deacon Blue. It was released in 1989 and attained the number 1 chart position in the UK Albums Chart.
"Real Gone Kid" was the band's first Top 10 ...
'' (1989), topped the
UK Albums Chart
The Official Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales and (from March 2015) audio streaming in the United Kingdom. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Official Charts C ...
for two weeks, and included "
Real Gone Kid
"Real Gone Kid" is a song by Scottish pop rock band Deacon Blue. Vocalist Ricky Ross wrote the song about a performance he saw of ex- Lone Justice singer Maria McKee during a time when Deacon Blue and Lone Justice toured together. The lyrics a ...
" which became their first top ten single in the
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
and reached number one in Spain.
Deacon Blue released their fourth album, ''
Whatever You Say, Say Nothing
''Whatever You Say, Say Nothing'' is the fourth studio album by Scottish rock band Deacon Blue, released in 1993. Changing from producer Jon Kelly to the team of Steve Osborne and Paul Oakenfold, this album presented a change in musical sty ...
'', in 1993. 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
''Walking Back Home'' is an album by Scottish pop rock band Deacon Blue released in 1999. It was their first album since reforming that year after disbanding in 1994. A part studio/part compilation album, it contains nine of their earlier s ...
'', with the band now working on a part-time basis. The band released another album, ''
Homesick'', in 2001. Though
Graeme Kelling
Graeme Hunter Kelling (4 April 1957 – 10 June 2004) was a Scottish musician and the original guitarist with the Scottish pop band Deacon Blue.
Born in Paisley, Scotland, Kelling was brought up in Mount Vernon in the East End of Glasgow and ...
died from
pancreatic cancer
Pancreatic cancer arises when cell (biology), cells in the pancreas, a glandular organ behind the stomach, begin to multiply out of control and form a Neoplasm, mass. These cancerous cells have the malignant, ability to invade other parts of t ...
in 2004, the band has continued and 2006 saw Deacon Blue returning to the studio to record three new tracks for a ''
Singles
Singles are people not in a committed relationship.
Singles may also refer to:
Film and television
* ''Singles'' (miniseries), a 1984 Australian television series
* ''Singles'' (1992 film), written and directed by Cameron Crowe
* ''Singles'' ...
'' album – including the track "
Bigger than Dynamite". Deacon Blue's next album was ''
The Hipsters
''The Hipsters'' is the sixth studio album released by Scottish pop group Deacon Blue. The album was released by Demon Music on 24 September 2012, making it their first studio album in eleven years. The album's lead single, "The Hipsters" was ...
'', in 2012.
The band released another album, ''
A New House'', in September 2014. ''
Believers'', was released in September 2016. A concert recording of their return to the Barrowlands, Glasgow, was released on 31 March 2017.
The band's ninth studio album ''
City of Love'' was released on 6 March 2020. In February 2021, they released their tenth studio album entitled ''
Riding on the Tide of Love'' to commercial success in the UK.
As of 2020, Deacon Blue's total album sales stood at seven million,
with twelve UK top 40 singles, along with two number one albums in the UK.
Career
1985–1987: Formation and early years
Taking their name from the 1977
Steely Dan
Steely Dan is an American rock band founded in 1971 in New York by Walter Becker (guitars, bass, backing vocals) and Donald Fagen (keyboards, lead vocals). Initially the band had a stable lineup, but in 1974, Becker and Fagen retired from live ...
song "
Deacon Blues
"Deacon Blues" is a song written by Walter Becker and Donald Fagen in 1976 and recorded by their group Steely Dan on their 1977 album '' Aja''. It peaked at number 19 on the ''Billboard'' charts and number 17 on the U.S. ''Cash Box'' Top 100 in ...
",
Deacon Blue were formed in 1985 following
Ricky Ross's move from Dundee to Glasgow. Along with Ross, the group originally consisted of
Lorraine McIntosh
Lorraine McIntosh (born 13 May 1964) is a Scottish singer, vocalist with Scottish band Deacon Blue, and actress.
Career
McIntosh is a vocalist with Deacon Blue, whose second studio album, '' When the World Knows Your Name'' (1989), topped the ...
,
James Prime
James Prime (born 3 November 1960) is a Scottish musician best known as the keyboard player for rock band Deacon Blue. Prime also lectures at the University of the West of Scotland. Known as a Hammond/piano player, his talents have been sough ...
,
Dougie Vipond
Douglas Vipond (born 15 October 1966) is a Scottish broadcaster and drummer.
Early life
Vipond was brought up in Inchinnan and attended Park Mains High School in Erskine, choosing to go there because of the reputation of the music department. A ...
,
Ewen Vernal
Ewen Vernal (born 27 February 1964) is a Scottish musician.
Born in Glasgow to a musical family, Vernal began taking piano lessons at 8 years old — inspired by a Beatles-singing mother and a choir-leading, saxophone-playing father. Singing ...
and
Graeme Kelling
Graeme Hunter Kelling (4 April 1957 – 10 June 2004) was a Scottish musician and the original guitarist with the Scottish pop band Deacon Blue.
Born in Paisley, Scotland, Kelling was brought up in Mount Vernon in the East End of Glasgow and ...
.
Ross, a former school teacher originally from
Dundee
Dundee (; sco, Dundee; gd, Dùn Dè or ) is Scotland's fourth-largest city and the 51st-most-populous built-up area in the United Kingdom. The mid-year population estimate for 2016 was , giving Dundee a population density of 2,478/km2 or ...
, was the group's frontman, penning the majority of Deacon Blue's songs. He married vocalist Lorraine McIntosh in 1990.
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
Wet Wet Wet are a Scottish soft rock band formed in 1982. They scored a number of hits in the UK charts and around the world in the 1980s and 1990s. They are best known for their 1994 cover of The Troggs' 1960s hit " Love Is All Around", which ...
,
The Bluebells
The Bluebells are a Scottish indie new wave band, active between 1981 and 1986 (later briefly reforming in 1993, 2008–2009, 2011 and 2018).
Career
The Bluebells performed jangly guitar-based pop not dissimilar to their Scottish contemporar ...
,
Kevin McDermott (singer-songwriter)
Kevin Francis McDermott (born 10 February 1962 in Glasgow, Scotland) is a Scottish musician, singer and songwriter.
Early life
Kevin Francis McDermott was born 10 February 1962, to Evelyn and Frank McDermott. He has two younger brothers, Paul, ...
,
The Big Dish, and
Hue and Cry
In common law, a hue and cry is a process by which bystanders are summoned to assist in the apprehension of a criminal who has been witnessed in the act of committing a crime.
History
By the Statute of Winchester of 1285, 13 Edw. I statute 2. c ...
.
1987–1991: ''Raintown'' and ''When The World Knows Your Name''
The band's debut album, ''
Raintown'', produced by
Jon Kelly
Jon Kelly is a British audio engineer and record producer, who began his career as an engineer at Air London Studios. He has produced albums and singles for Chris Rea, the Damned, Kate Bush (where he co-produced with Bush on her third album ...
was released in 1987.
It spawned the singles "
Dignity
Dignity is the right of a person to be valued and respected for their own sake, and to be treated ethically. It is of significance in morality, ethics, law and politics as an extension of the Enlightenment-era concepts of inherent, inalienable ...
", "
Chocolate Girl" and "
Loaded".
The city that the album's title refers to is
Glasgow
Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...
and the cover art of the album is a photograph (by the Scottish-Italian photographer
Oscar Marzaroli
Oscar Marzaroli (1933 – August 26, 1988) was an Italian-born Scottish photographer of post-World War II urban Scotland. He was born in Castiglione Vara in northwest Italy and came to Scotland with his family at the age of two.
Marzaroli h ...
) of the
River Clyde
The River Clyde ( gd, Abhainn Chluaidh, , sco, Clyde Watter, or ) is a river that flows into the Firth of Clyde in Scotland. It is the ninth-longest river in the United Kingdom, and the third-longest in Scotland. It runs through the major cit ...
's docks taken from
Kelvingrove Park
Kelvingrove Park is a public park located on the River Kelvin in the West End of the city of Glasgow, Scotland, containing the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum.
History
Kelvingrove Park was originally created as the West End Park in 1852, and ...
. It proved a commercial success and has to date sold around a million copies, peaking in the
UK Albums Chart
The Official Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales and (from March 2015) audio streaming in the United Kingdom. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Official Charts C ...
at no. 14 and remaining in the charts for a year and a half.
On 27 February 2006, ''Raintown'' was 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's ''
When the World Knows Your Name
''When the World Knows Your Name'' is the second album by the Scottish rock (music), rock band Deacon Blue. It was released in 1989 and attained the number 1 chart position in the UK Albums Chart.
"Real Gone Kid" was the band's first Top 10 ...
'', 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
"Real Gone Kid" is a song by Scottish pop rock band Deacon Blue. Vocalist Ricky Ross wrote the song about a performance he saw of ex- Lone Justice singer Maria McKee during a time when Deacon Blue and Lone Justice toured together. The lyrics a ...
", "
Wages Day", and "
Fergus Sings the Blues" (all five singles from the album were top 10 hits in Ireland).
The following year saw the band play in front of an estimated 250,000 fans at the free concert on
Glasgow Green
Glasgow Green is a park in the east end of Glasgow, Scotland, on the north bank of the River Clyde. Established in the 15th century, it is the oldest park in the city. It connects to the south via the St Andrew's Suspension Bridge.
History
In ...
, "The Big Day", which was held to celebrate Glasgow being named that year's
European City of Culture. The band also played
Glastonbury
Glastonbury (, ) is a town and civil parish in Somerset, England, situated at a dry point on the low-lying Somerset Levels, south of Bristol. The town, which is in the Mendip district, had a population of 8,932 in the 2011 census. Glastonbury ...
and the
Roskilde
Roskilde ( , ) is a city west of Copenhagen on the Danish island of Zealand. With a population of 51,916 (), the city is a business and educational centre for the region and the 10th largest city in Denmark. It is governed by the administrative ...
festivals that summer, as well as released ''
Ooh 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
Jon Kelly returned to the producer's chair in 1991 for the album ''
Fellow Hoodlums
''Fellow Hoodlums'' is the third studio album by the Scottish rock band Deacon Blue, released in 1991. It includes four singles: " Your Swaying Arms", the Top 10 hit "Twist and Shout", " Closing Time" and " Cover from the Sky".
It reached no. ...
''. The album was met with more critical approval
and peaked at No. 2 on the UK Albums Chart. ''Fellow Hoodlums'' was followed up by 1993's ''
Whatever You Say, Say Nothing
''Whatever You Say, Say Nothing'' is the fourth studio album by Scottish rock band Deacon Blue, released in 1993. Changing from producer Jon Kelly to the team of Steve Osborne and Paul Oakenfold, this album presented a change in musical sty ...
'', a much more experimental album. The album was not as commercially successful as the previous two albums,
peaking at No. 4 on the UK Albums Chart. Changing from producer
Jon Kelly
Jon Kelly is a British audio engineer and record producer, who began his career as an engineer at Air London Studios. He has produced albums and singles for Chris Rea, the Damned, Kate Bush (where he co-produced with Bush on her third album ...
to the team of
Steve Osborne
Stephen John "Steve" Osborne (born 1963) is a British record producer, living in Bath, England. He has worked with a wide variety of musicians, including Suede, the B-52s, A-ha, New Order, Elbow, U2, Happy Mondays, Placebo, Gregory Porter, Do ...
and
Paul Oakenfold
Paul Mark Oakenfold (born 30 August 1963), formerly known mononymously as Oakenfold, is an English record producer, remixer and trance DJ. He has provided over 100 remixes for over 100 artists including U2, Moby, Madonna, Britney Spears, Mass ...
, this album presented a change in musical style for Deacon Blue. While the band's songwriting remained based in
rock
Rock most often refers to:
* Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids
* Rock music, a genre of popular music
Rock or Rocks may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...
and
blues
Blues is a music genre and musical form which originated in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues incorporated spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts, chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads from the Afr ...
, many of the tracks moved into
alternative rock
Alternative rock, or alt-rock, is a category of rock music that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1970s and became widely popular in the 1990s. "Alternative" refers to the genre's distinction from Popular culture, mainstre ...
territory in their presentation.
The band embarked on another sold out UK tour in 1994, after recording new material for their
greatest hits
A greatest hits album or best-of album is a type of compilation album that collects popular and commercially successful songs by a particular artist or band. While greatest hits albums are typically supported by the artist, they can also be crea ...
compilation album
A compilation album comprises Album#Tracks, tracks, which may be previously released or unreleased, usually from several separate recordings by either one or several Performing arts#Performers, performers. If by one artist, then generally the tr ...
, ''
Our Town
''Our Town'' is a 1938 metatheatrical three-act play by American playwright Thornton Wilder which won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. The play tells the story of the fictional American small town of Grover's Corners between 1901 and 1913 thro ...
''.
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
Dignity is the right of a person to be valued and respected for their own sake, and to be treated ethically. It is of significance in morality, ethics, law and politics as an extension of the Enlightenment-era concepts of inherent, inalienable ...
" 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 an
alternative rock
Alternative rock, or alt-rock, is a category of rock music that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1970s and became widely popular in the 1990s. "Alternative" refers to the genre's distinction from Popular culture, mainstre ...
track that continued and expanded the musical direction the band had taken with ''Whatever You Say, Say Nothing''. "Bound to Love" and "Still in the Mood" were
pop songs in the tradition of Deacon Blue's earlier albums. The vinyl
LP version 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.
1999–2006: Re-formation and new material
Five years later, the band held a reunion gig in 1999, and this led on to a new album, ''
Walking Back Home
''Walking Back Home'' is an album by Scottish pop rock band Deacon Blue released in 1999. It was their first album since reforming that year after disbanding in 1994. A part studio/part compilation album, it contains nine of their earlier s ...
'', with the band now working on a part-time basis. The ''Walking Back Home'' album 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 from
pancreatic cancer
Pancreatic cancer arises when cell (biology), cells in the pancreas, a glandular organ behind the stomach, begin to multiply out of control and form a Neoplasm, mass. These cancerous cells have the malignant, ability to invade other parts of t ...
in 2004, but the band continued and recorded three new tracks for a ''
Singles
Singles are people not in a committed relationship.
Singles may also refer to:
Film and television
* ''Singles'' (miniseries), a 1984 Australian television series
* ''Singles'' (1992 film), written and directed by Cameron Crowe
* ''Singles'' ...
'' album – including the track "
Bigger than Dynamite" in 2006.
2006–2012: Touring and side projects
The band performed at
Manchester United
Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of City of Salford, Salford to ...
's
Old Trafford
Old Trafford () is a football stadium in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, England, and the home of Manchester United. With a capacity of 74,310 it is the largest club football stadium (and second-largest football stadium overall after Wemb ...
stadium, as the pre-match entertainment for the
Rugby league
Rugby league football, commonly known as just rugby league and sometimes football, footy, rugby or league, is a full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular field measuring 68 metres (75 yards) wide and 112 ...
Super League
The Super League (officially known as the Betfred Super League due to sponsorship from Betfred and legally known as Super League Europe), is the top-level of the British rugby league system. At present the league consists of twelve teams, of wh ...
Grand Final on 14 October 2006, and continued on to a full UK tour in November. They were also due to open
Stirling
Stirling (; sco, Stirlin; gd, Sruighlea ) is a city in central Scotland, northeast of Glasgow and north-west of Edinburgh. The market town, surrounded by rich farmland, grew up connecting the royal citadel, the medieval old town with its me ...
'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 for
Simple Minds in 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 the
Liverpool Echo Arena
Liverpool Arena, known for sponsorship reasons as the M&S Bank Arena, and previously Echo Arena, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the city centre of Liverpool, England. The venue hosts live music, comedy performances and sporting events, and ...
on 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 and ''The Hipsters''
Deacon Blue last released a studio album in 2001, which was ''
Homesick'' and in 2006, they released a compilation album, ''
Singles
Singles are people not in a committed relationship.
Singles may also refer to:
Film and television
* ''Singles'' (miniseries), a 1984 Australian television series
* ''Singles'' (1992 film), written and directed by Cameron Crowe
* ''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 album ''
The Hipsters
''The Hipsters'' is the sixth studio album released by Scottish pop group Deacon Blue. The album was released by Demon Music on 24 September 2012, making it their first studio album in eleven years. The album's lead single, "The Hipsters" was ...
'' was released on 24 September 2012 and was produced by
Paul Savage. A 25th anniversary tour, starting in October 2012, followed. The band performed with the
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra
The BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra (BBC SSO) is a Scottish broadcasting symphony orchestra based in Glasgow. One of five full-time orchestras maintained by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), it is the oldest full-time professional rad ...
at the Grand Hall in Glasgow to promote the release of the album.
All of the band's studio albums were reissued as deluxe editions by Edsel Records in October 2012, as well as a new compilation entitled ''
The Rest
''The Rest'' is a compilation album released by the Scottish band Deacon Blue in October 2012. It is part of the band's catalogue reissue program.
''The Rest'', as the title implies, contains tracks that were not necessarily associated with t ...
''.
2013–2018: ''A New House'' and ''Believers''
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. Ross later said the album had "come off the energy of getting back together, playing live", referring to their touring during 2012. Deacon Blue also performed at the Glasgow
2014 Commonwealth Games closing ceremony on 3 August 2014, performing their hit, "
Dignity
Dignity is the right of a person to be valued and respected for their own sake, and to be treated ethically. It is of significance in morality, ethics, law and politics as an extension of the Enlightenment-era concepts of inherent, inalienable ...
".
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. 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 the
Glasgow Film Theatre
The Glasgow Film Theatre (GFT) is an independent cinema in the city centre of Glasgow. GFT is a registered charity. It occupies a purpose-built cinema building, first opened in 1939, and now protected as a category B listed building.
History ...
.
Between February and March 2018, Deacon Blue embarked on a tour of
Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, i ...
, 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, claiming that "Spain has a very special place in our hearts".
2018–2021: ''City of Love''
The band released their ninth studio album entitled ''
City of Love'' on 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, number four in the United Kingdom and peaked at number fifty in Spain.
2021–present: ''Riding on the Tide of Love''
During the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
, the band recorded and released their tenth studio album entitled ''
Riding on the Tide of Love'' which 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. In their native Scotland, the album performed better, debuting at number two and spending additional weeks within the Scottish Top 40 albums charts.
To promote the release of the album, the band announced the ''Riding on the Tide of Love'' tour which is scheduled to begin in June 2021 in
Brighton
Brighton () is a seaside resort and one of the two main areas of the City of Brighton and Hove in the county of East Sussex, England. It is located south of London.
Archaeological evidence of settlement in the area dates back to the Bronze A ...
and concludes on 19 December 2021 at the
SSE Hydro in Glasgow.
Members
Current members
*
Ricky Ross – lead vocals, piano
*
James Prime
James Prime (born 3 November 1960) is a Scottish musician best known as the keyboard player for rock band Deacon Blue. Prime also lectures at the University of the West of Scotland. Known as a Hammond/piano player, his talents have been sough ...
– keyboards, piano
*
Lorraine McIntosh
Lorraine McIntosh (born 13 May 1964) is a Scottish singer, vocalist with Scottish band Deacon Blue, and actress.
Career
McIntosh is a vocalist with Deacon Blue, whose second studio album, '' When the World Knows Your Name'' (1989), topped the ...
– backing and lead vocals, percussion
*
Dougie Vipond
Douglas Vipond (born 15 October 1966) is a Scottish broadcaster and drummer.
Early life
Vipond was brought up in Inchinnan and attended Park Mains High School in Erskine, choosing to go there because of the reputation of the music department. A ...
– drums, percussion
* Gregor Philp – guitar
* Lewis Gordon – bass
Past members
*
Graeme Kelling
Graeme Hunter Kelling (4 April 1957 – 10 June 2004) was a Scottish musician and the original guitarist with the Scottish pop band Deacon Blue.
Born in Paisley, Scotland, Kelling was brought up in Mount Vernon in the East End of Glasgow and ...
– guitar
*
Ewen Vernal
Ewen Vernal (born 27 February 1964) is a Scottish musician.
Born in Glasgow to a musical family, Vernal began taking piano lessons at 8 years old — inspired by a Beatles-singing mother and a choir-leading, saxophone-playing father. Singing ...
– bass, keyboard bass
*
Mick Slaven
Michael Slaven (born 4 December 1961) is a session guitarist and record producer from Glasgow, Scotland.
A former gardener at the University of Glasgow, Slaven became the guitarist for Bourgie Bourgie in the 1980s, and was briefly a member of D ...
– guitar
* Scott Fraser – bass
* Taj Wyzgowski – guitar
*
Ged Grimes
Ged Grimes (born on 28 March 1962) is a Scottish musician, producer and composer. He is currently the bass player for rock band Simple Minds, and was a founding member of Scottish pop band Danny Wilson whose hits include "Mary's Prayer" (from ' ...
– bass
*Chris Henderson - drums
Discography
Studio albums
* ''
Raintown'' (1987)
* ''
When the World Knows Your Name
''When the World Knows Your Name'' is the second album by the Scottish rock (music), rock band Deacon Blue. It was released in 1989 and attained the number 1 chart position in the UK Albums Chart.
"Real Gone Kid" was the band's first Top 10 ...
'' (1989)
* ''
Fellow Hoodlums
''Fellow Hoodlums'' is the third studio album by the Scottish rock band Deacon Blue, released in 1991. It includes four singles: " Your Swaying Arms", the Top 10 hit "Twist and Shout", " Closing Time" and " Cover from the Sky".
It reached no. ...
'' (1991)
* ''
Whatever You Say, Say Nothing
''Whatever You Say, Say Nothing'' is the fourth studio album by Scottish rock band Deacon Blue, released in 1993. Changing from producer Jon Kelly to the team of Steve Osborne and Paul Oakenfold, this album presented a change in musical sty ...
'' (1993)
* ''
Walking Back Home
''Walking Back Home'' is an album by Scottish pop rock band Deacon Blue released in 1999. It was their first album since reforming that year after disbanding in 1994. A part studio/part compilation album, it contains nine of their earlier s ...
'' (1999)
* ''
Homesick'' (2001)
* ''
The Hipsters
''The Hipsters'' is the sixth studio album released by Scottish pop group Deacon Blue. The album was released by Demon Music on 24 September 2012, making it their first studio album in eleven years. The album's lead single, "The Hipsters" was ...
'' (2012)
* ''
A New House'' (2014)
* ''
Believers'' (2016)
* ''
City of Love'' (2020)
* ''
Riding on the Tide of Love'' (2021)
Awards and nominations
BRIT Awards
Other awards
In 2020, Deacon Blue's 1987 single "
Dignity
Dignity is the right of a person to be valued and respected for their own sake, and to be treated ethically. It is of significance in morality, ethics, law and politics as an extension of the Enlightenment-era concepts of inherent, inalienable ...
" was voted as Scotland's greatest song after a public vote voted through the radio programme ''
Ewen Cameron in the Morning''.
References
External links
Official Deacon Blue / Ricky Ross SiteDeacon Blue live at Cornbury Music Festival UK July 2006
{{Authority control
Scottish pop music groups
Scottish rock music groups
Scottish alternative rock groups
Scottish pop rock music groups
Sophisti-pop musical groups
Musical groups from Glasgow
Musical groups established in 1985
Musical groups disestablished in 1994
Musical groups reestablished in 1999
1985 establishments in Scotland
Columbia Records artists
Chrysalis Records artists