FEATURE:
Born in a Storm
Deacon Blue’s Raintown at Thirty-Five
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IT is a shame…
that there is not more available online regarding Deacon Blue’s debut album, Raintown. With the Glasgow band still going strong today, I wonder how they will mark the thirty-fifth anniversary of their remarkable debut. It hits that milestone on 1st May. With Oscar Marzaroli’s iconic cover image of a rainy day in Glasgow’s West End, you are gripped and intrigued by Raintown before you even hear a song. With most songs written by their lead, Ricky Ross, Deacon Blue (Ricky Ross – lead vocals (additional guitar, piano & keyboard on bonus tracks on reissue version), Lorraine McIntosh – backing & harmony vocals, Graeme Kelling – guitar, low voice, James Prime – keyboards, backing vocals, Ewen Vernal – bass guitar, backing vocals and Dougie Vipond – drums, percussion) released a masterpiece in 1987. I was very small when the album came out, but I can only imagine what it was like trying to earn a living and survive. Sadly, there are parallels today. With energy prices rising and the Conservative leadership leading us into Hell, the songs on Deacon Blue’s debut seem strangely fresh today. Before carrying on, the band are releasing a thirty-fifth anniversary edition of Raintown:
“To celebrate its 35th anniversary, we’re excited to announce a special release of Raintown. The remastered album will be available on 12″ black vinyl and limited to 2000 copies, each individually numbered. This latest edition also features new liner notes from Ricky, plus the famous cover will feature “Raintown” in gold lettering. It will be released as part of this year’s Record Store Day UK in association with War Child – £1 from each sale will go towards supporting children living in conflict.
Available to buy from your local indie record shop on Saturday 23rd April. More info on #RSD22 and to find your local store, click here. Also see Record Store Day.
From Ricky: “I’m grateful, every day, we got that chance to make an album we still hold up to be the template of what any Deacon Blue album should be. That we are remastering the album for an audience who still want to hear it thirty-five years later is something none of us expected. Thank you for listening”.
One of the best releases from the band (arguably it is their finest album), Raintown contains some classic Deacon Blue cuts. Born in a Storm, Raintown, Loaded, When Will You (Make My Telephone Ring), Chocolate Girl, Dignity are wonderful songs that I fell in love with as a child. I do not know why there have not been more articles written about the mighty and magical Raintown. Glasgow Skyline wrote about the making of a masterpiece:
“Raintown was recorded at Air Studios in London between December 1986 and February 1987.
Associated Independent Recording (AIR), an independent recording company, was founded in London in 1965 by Beatles producer George Martin and his partner John Burgess after their departure from EMI.
The studio was on the fourth floor of 214 Oxford Street, over looking Oxford Circus which famously inspired Ricky Ross to write the song Circus Lights.
In 1991 AIR Studios relocated to Lyndhurst Hall in Hamstead, London.
The album was produced by Jon Kelly. One of the 'Great British Producers'. He has produced and mixed legendary albums for an incredible spectrum of artists including Chris Rea, The Beautiful South, Heather Nova, Tori Amos, Paul McCartney, Prefab Sprout and Kate Bush.
Jon Kelly later returned to produce the Four Bacharach And David EP and Fellow Hoodlums.
The band set up live in the studio and recorded together in the same room. This provided a great connection and energy much like their famous live performances.
Dignity is perhaps one of the most striking songs on Raintown, the lead single from the album it was the track that attracted the attention of Gordon Charlton who would later sign Deacon Blue to CBS. Written by Ricky Ross on holiday in 1985, this early Ricky Ross demo, whilst early in it's production shows the clear vision Ricky had for the track, capturing much of the feel of the finished record. Dignity (Demo 1).
By 1986 and now with much of the Deacon Blue line up in place this second demo shows how close the band were to having the final arrangement for the track. Dougie and Ewen's rhythm track is in place and Jim Prime's piano arrangement is also largely complete. Graeme's guitar part is very much to the forefront and there are still no backing vocals. Dignity (Demo 2).
Although Riches never made the final cut for Raintown the song was recorded by Jon Kelly during the Raintown sessions and has always been an important song for Ricky Ross. This early demo has a similar arrangement to the final recording but the inclusion of a drum track give it a more pop laden sound. Riches (Demo).
This demo of The Very Thing recorded circa 1986 was one of the tracks on the cassette that attracted Gordon Charlton to the band. Very similar to the final cut, the most noticable absence once again is Lorraine's backing vocal. The Very Thing (Demo).
Whilst recording Raintown it's said that Ricky Ross was sat at the piano playing this song and Jon Kelly suggested they record the track 'just like that' stripped back, more acoustic and soulful, with less production than Ricky's previous demo. The track was When Will You (Make My Telephone Ring). This classic Deacon Blue song began life sounding very differently as this demo shows. When Will You (Make My Telephone Ring) (Demo).
Songs often first premiere at gigs as the band try them out. This happened a lot with the songs that made it on to When The World Knows Your Name. Sadly very few recordings exist of Deacon Blue concerts before Raintown, in fact there are no known audience recordings in circulation. However on the 20th November 1986 just weeks before Deacon Blue began recording Raintown they played a gig at The Marquee, London. The show was recorded by the band and the tape has been in circulation for a number of years. Some of the tracks have now been officially released on the 2006 Raintown Legacy Edition.
Loaded was performed that night, and like the demo version that appears on the Legacy Edition this live performance features some alternate lyrics and slight differences to the finished arrangement. Loaded - Marquee 86”.
I am looking forward to the thirty-fifth anniversary of Raintown on 1st May. Deacon Blue are on the road at the moment, and I know that fans love to hear songs from their debut played live. They resonate with different generations for different reasons. Such a remarkable album that introduced a band who are so beloved, Raintown summed up a lot of the despondency and depression that would have been evident, not only in Glasgow in 1986 and 1987, but right across the U.K. under Thatcher. Today, as we look back, one wonders of the current government are any better. The relevance of Raintoiwn remains. If you have not listened to the album before or have not heard it in a while, go and spend some time with it. I feel we will be discussing Raintown for decades to come. Such is the quality of the songwriting and the band performances, you are hooked and immersed in the album from start to finish. There is no doubt in my mind that Deacon Blue’s Raintown is…
ONE of the very best debuts.