Blue Nile
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The Blue Nile is an adult alternative/pop band from Glasgow, Scotland. The music of The Blue Nile is built heavily on synthesizers and electronic instrumentation and percussion, although later works have featured acoustic guitar more prominently.
Contents [hide]
1 Early years
2 Albums
2.1 A Walk Across the Rooftops
2.2 Hats
2.3 Peace at Last
2.4 High
3 Current activities
4 Discography
4.1 Albums
4.2 Singles
4.3 Collaborations with other artists
5 Notes
6 References
7 External links
[edit] Early years
The band was formed in 1981 when friends Paul Buchanan (born April 16 1956, Glasgow) and Robert Bell met Paul Joseph Moore after graduating from the University of Glasgow in the late 1970s.[1] Although their individual degrees didnt reflect their future career trajectory (English Literature, Electronics and Mathematics, respectively), their mutual friendship grew out of their shared interest in music, and they began writing and recording together.
Previously Robert and Paul were the key members of the band Night by Night who had a small but enthusiastic following in the Glasgow area – they had made demos of songs like Rio and Stay but were not commercial enough at the time – had they continued with this trajectory, we may never had the Blue Nile.
They formed their own label, Peppermint Records, on which they released their first single, “I Love This Life”, which was later picked up and issued by RSO Records. Soon afterward, RSO was absorbed into Polygram, and The Blue Niles first single disappeared from view, as did the band. The trio kept writing and recording over the next couple of years, including a couple of tracks that would later surface on their debut album.
[edit] Albums
The Blue Nile have released four albums over a career spanning more than two decades.
[edit] A Walk Across the Rooftops
When local Hi-Fi manufacturer Linn Electronics heard their music, the company offered the band money to record a track that would showcase the sonic range of the companys high-end audio equipment.[2][3] Linn was so pleased with the result, they formed their own record label in order to release The Blue Niles debut, A Walk Across the Rooftops, in 1984.sample (helpÐ*info) Buchanan later commented that during that time Linn was not really a record company, and The Blue Nile was not really a band.[1] Although it received positive reviews, it sold modestly.
1984 saw a greater exposure for the band throughout Europe with the videos for their two singles “Stay”sample (helpÐ*info) and “Tinseltown in the Rain” often shown on the video channel Music Box.
[edit] Hats
After a prolonged delay in which an entire albums worth of work was scrapped, The Blue Nile released Hats in 1989 to rave reviews, including a rare five-star rating from Q magazine.[4] The album was recorded in the same studio as much of their previous work, Castlesound in Pencaitland, East Lothian. This album, which explores the highs and lows of romantic love, is considered by most critics and listeners to be the bands most enduring work. At the time, Hats reached #12 on the UK album charts and even slipped into the Billboard 200 in the United States. Rickie Lee Jones, a huge fan of the band, personally selected The Blue Nile as her opening act for her 1990 tour. She would later record a duet with them, a cover of the bands own “Easter Parade”, which was featured as a B-side to the single “Headlights on the Parade”.[1]
In 1993, the band worked on Annie Lennoxs debut album, Diva; she in turn covered “The Downtown Lights”, from Hats, for her album Medusa, released in 1995.
[edit] Peace at Last
A year later,