OTHER bands have whole careers in the time it takes the Blue Nile to get their act together and make a single decision. They have released only four albums since 1983 – all exquisite, it should be said, although actual musical progression has been somewhat minimal, each one sticking more or less to the melancholy but euphoric template set by the first, A Walk Across the Rooftops.
By their standards, though, this summer sees them being almost prolific. First there are three live dates at the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall this week, their first live shows of any kind in two years – although, technically, the 2006 shows were not th
e Blue Nile but “Paul Buchanan sings the songs of the Blue Nile”, since PJ Moore wasn’t present, an endearing display of gentlemanly courtesy in an age when many other bands happily reform under their old name even when several members are absent or even dead, including the singer.
Later in the month there will also be gigs in London and Ireland, and after that Paul Buchanan is contributing songs to the National Theatre of Scotland’s new show, 365. Created by the NTS’s artistic director Vicky Featherstone, and written by David Harrower, it‘ follows’s about children who are cared for by the state. It’s a busy summer for a band who’re notoriously reclusive and famous for taking long breaks between major projects, and for the Blue Nile’s dedicated fans it’s almost too good to be true.
Formed in 1981 when friends Buchanan and Robert Bell met Moore after graduating from Glasgow University, the group started out travelling around in a £15 VW Beetle, doing cover versions in small bars. They formed their own label, Peppermint Records, and released their first single, I Love This Life, from which they made a small amount of money – enough to give them what Buchanan describes as “the freedom to record what we wanted”.
They continued to write and record over the next few years, including a couple of tracks that later appeared on 1984’s A Walk Across the Rooftops, an album that quickly became a cult classic.
It was another five years before eager fans were treated to a second album, with the long gap attributed in part to problems in the personal lives of the band’s three members. However, 1989’s Hats was released to rave reviews and remains a favourite for many fans and critics alike.
Yet another lengthy gap (and a 1993 collaboration with Annie Lennox on her debut album, Diva) preceded the release of their third album, 1994’s Peace at Last. A departure from the band’s signature sound – which relies heavily on synthesisers and electronic instrumentation – it prominently featured Buchanan’s acoustic guitar, and on one track there was even a gospel choir.
Perhaps it was the relatively poor critical reception for Peace at Last, that caused the band to wait a hefty eight years before releasing High, their most recent album which, despite featuring acoustic guitar on some tracks, was more reminiscent of Hats and helped to re-establish them as a musical force to be reckoned with.
Buchanan’s perfectionism (between A Walk Across the Rooftops and Hats he scrapped an entire album because it wasn’t good enough) and the fact that they “wanted to make a record that would be irrefutable” have been cited among the many theories as to why it takes the reclusive band so long to release an album.
Indeed, the band who were “never trying to achieve material or literal success” seem to abhor the limelight, and despite being a Scottish musical institution for more than 20 years, Buchanan has said that he can walk through the foyer at one of his own gigs and be recognised by only a handful of people. It’s hard to imagine that could possibly be the case when loyal fans fill the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall this week. And whether he likes it or not, Buchanan’s profile looks set to gain a big boost this summer. After all, the man for whom “Picking up an instrument ... is like picking up a paintbrush” is going to be doing an awful lot of painting in the coming weeks and months.
• The Blue Nile play Glasgow Royal Concert Hall on 9, 10 and 11 July tel: 0141-353 8000 or visit
www.glasgowconcerthalls.com for details
The full article contains 747 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
