''Scared to Dance'' is the debut studio album by Scottish punk rock band Skids. It was released on 23 February 1979 by record label

Virgin Virginity is the state of a person who has never engaged in sexual intercourse. The term ''virgin'' originally only referred to sexually inexperienced women, but has evolved to encompass a range of definitions, as found in traditional, modern ...

Writing

Anti-war themes are a recurring motif in the album. There are also a great deal of references in singer Richard Jobson's lyrics to the band's home region in Scotland.

Music and production

''Scared to Dance'' was produced by David Batchelor and engineered by

Mick Glossop Mick Glossop is an English record producer and recording engineer. In 2009, he was awarded a Visiting Professorship at Leeds College of Music. Glossop was initially known for recording and producing for New wave music, new wave and Punk rock, pu ...

. ''Scared to Dance'' was the first album to feature

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 ...

's '

bagpipe Bagpipes are a woodwind instrument using enclosed reeds fed from a constant reservoir of air in the form of a bag. The Great Highland bagpipes are well known, but people have played bagpipes for centuries throughout large parts of Europe, Nor ...

guitar', which would be the trademark of his later band

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 Scot ...

Release

The album was preceded by the single "

Into the Valley "Into the Valley" is a song by Scottish punk rock band Skids, released in 1979 as the second single from their debut album ''Scared to Dance''. It is their best known song, appearing on a number of punk rock and Scottish music compilation album ...

", released on 16 February 1979, which reached No. 10 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 ...

. ''Scared to Dance'' was released on 23 February, reaching No. 19 on 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 ...

Reception

''Scared to Dance'' has been well received by critics. Ira Robbins of

Trouser Press ''Trouser Press'' was a rock and roll magazine started in New York in 1974 as a mimeographed fanzine by editor/publisher Ira Robbins, fellow fan of the Who Dave Schulps and Karen Rose under the name "Trans-Oceanic Trouser Press" (a reference to ...

called the album "excellent ..Using loud guitar and semi-martial drumming for its basis, Jobson's hearty singing sounds like an 18th century general leading his merry troops down from the hills into glorious battle."

Legacy

The song "

The Saints Are Coming "The Saints are Coming" was the third single by the Scottish punk rock band Skids, featured on their 1979 debut album, '' Scared to Dance''. The song became an international hit when it was covered in 2006 by U2 and Green Day. It was covered ...

" was later covered by

Green Day Green Day is an American rock band formed in the East Bay of California in 1987 by lead vocalist and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong, together with bassist and backing vocalist Mike Dirnt. For most of the band's career, they have been a powe ...

and U2 and released as a charity single, reaching #1 in several countries. "Into the Valley" became popular as adopted and sung by fans of

Dunfermline Athletic F.C. Dunfermline Athletic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the city of Dunfermline, Fife. Founded in 1885, the club currently play in Scottish League One after being relegated from the 2021–22 Scottish Championship. Dunfermlin ...

, the band's local

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...

team, as well as Charlton Athletic F.C. in

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

whose ground is known as The Valley. Scared To Dance is also the name of a club and gig night in London founded in 2009.

Track listing

Personnel

; Skids * Richard Jobson – vocals, guitar *

– guitar * William Simpson – bass guitar *

Thomas Kellichan Tom Kellichan (born c. 1954) was the original drummer of The Skids, from 1977 to 1979. Biography From Cowdenbeath, and a former van driver, he completed the line-up of The Skids after answering their ad for a drummer. During his tenure the band ...

– drums ; Additional personnel * David Batchelor – piano,

production Production may refer to: Economics and business * Production (economics) * Production, the act of manufacturing goods * Production, in the outline of industrial organization, the act of making products (goods and services) * Production as a stati ...

* Chris Jenkins – guitar ; Technical personnel *

–

engineering Engineering is the use of scientific method, scientific principles to design and build machines, structures, and other items, including bridges, tunnels, roads, vehicles, and buildings. The discipline of engineering encompasses a broad rang ...

* Steve Prestage – engineering assistance * Russell Mills – sleeve artwork * Dennis Morris – sleeve photography

Charts

References

External links

* {{Authority control Skids (band) albums 1979 debut albums Virgin Records albums Albums with cover art by Russell Mills (artist)