Scotland has always provided a rich source of musical pleasure over the decades, but Glasgow alone has produced myriad great bands, writers and singers - so it was pretty easy to mine ten great acts and songs from along the banks of the Clyde.
1. Altered Images: I Could Be Happy
I had momentarily considered opting for something a little less known by Clare Grogan and co., but then thought sod it - we need to start with a banger! This was the second UK Top10 for Altered Images, back in December 81. It was was from the album Pinky Blue, produced by Martin Rushent (Human League, Buzzcocks etc.), which saw them make a big move from post-punk into pop, which drew them some criticism because of its poppier sound. But it does exactly what it says on the tin - so ignore the haters and enjoy three and a half minutes of glorious pop.
Altered Images: I Could Be Happy - here
(Official music video)
2. Teenage Fanclub: What You Do To Me
Apparently, Kurt Cobain thought they were the best band of all time, which is not a bad endorsement to have. Teenage Fanclub started out as a somewhat chaotic band formed from the ashes of The Boy Hairdressers in 1989, but by third album Bandwagonesque in 1991, things had settled down and a modicum of chart success was achieved. They managed three Top20 placings on the US Modern Rock chart, including Star Sign which made #4. Bob Fleming (Sonic Youth, Screaming Trees) produced the record, encouraging them to add more vocal harmonies. The end result was an album that cemented 'The Fannies' as one of the top UK indie bands, with this record sitting just outside the top one hundred in NMEs all time Top500 albums.
Teenage Fanclub: What You Do To Me - here
(Official music video)
3. Camera Obscura: French Navy
Camera Obscura's fourth album might have been called My Maudlin Career, but lead single French Navy was anything but maudlin. Released on 4AD in 2009, the song is quirky, catchy and whimsical. String and horn arrangements on the album were made by Bjorn Yttling of Swedish indie band, Peter, Bjorn and John. Brian Howe, writing in Pitchfork, said that "it sounds more assertive and agile, with increased swing and soul, than ever before. There are still melodies of heart-wrenching simplicity that stick in your head to an almost irritating degree..." London jewellery brand Tatty Devine created brooches and necklaces to go with album launch.
Camera Obscura: French Navy - here
(Live on the Craig Ferguson Show, 2009)
4. Primal Scream: Loaded
Moving away from the whimsical to the wild and psychedelic now. Primal Scream first met DJ Andrew Weatherall at an acid house party, after which they suggested that he should remix I'm Losing More Than I'll Ever Have from their previous (second) album. However, his first attempt was considered to be not ambitious enough for the band. The second attempt only keeps seven seconds of the original song. Weatherall would add talking between Peter Maxwell and Peter Fonda from the film The Wild Angels. He also added in samples of The Emotions I Don't Want To Lose Your Love, Edie Brickell's What I Am and lead singer Bobby Gillespie singing a line from Terraplane Blues by Robert Johnson - and after all that you have Loaded.
Primal Scream: Loaded - here
(Official music video)
5. Belle & Sebastian: If You're Feeling Sinister
The band got their name from Belle et Sebastien, a 1966 French children's book by Cecile Aubry. They had released debut record on Electric Honey, the student led label at Kelvin College established by Alan Rankine of The Associates. Second album, If You're Feeling Sinister (from which this is the title track), considered to be one of their best, came out on Jeepster Records. The album took five days to record and three to mix. It became number 14 on Pitchfork's albums of the 1990s.
Belle & Sebastian: If You're Feeling Sinister - here
(Live on Austin City Limits)
6. Deacon Blue: Dignity
This was the first single from Deacon Blue's 1987 debut album Raintown. Dignity was released as a single three times - it didn't chart in UK the first time, but made it to number 31 the second time around (the following year). It was written by lead singer Ricky Ross whilst bored on a holiday in Greece - hence the reference to raki. It remains one of their most popular songs, and generally closes out their live sets.
Deacon Blue: Dignity - here
(Live at Stirling Castle, New Year's Eve 2013-14)
7. Gun: Word Up
Any excuse to play one of my favourite covers of all time (and the original isn't bad either! It comes from their most successful album Swagger - and at the time (in an indirect nod to another band on this list) included Mark Kerr (younger brother of Jim) on drums.
Gun: Word Up - here
(Official music video)
8. Aztec Camera: Oblivious
The first of two bands on this list signed to legendary Glasgow label Postcard Records, Aztec Camera secured their deal following a 1980 support slot with (Edinburgh band) The Rezillos. Whilst with Postcard they released several well received singles, but the planned album, Green Jacket Grey, was scrapped. Oblivious was a conscious effort by Roddy Frame to write a hit single and became the forerunner for their eventual debut, High Land, Hard Rain, released on Rough Trade in 1983.
Aztec Camera: Oblivious - here
(Official music video with remastered audio)
9. Orange Juice: Rip It Up
One of the definitive Scottish pop records (and distinctive voices) of the 1980s, Rip It Up was the bands second single (Postcard - 1983) and the only one to reach the Top10 (making it to number 8). The song used a very funk based rhythm, a bit like Chic, and also steals two lines and a snippet of the guitar riff from early Buzzcocks classic, Boredom - "You know me, I'm acting dumb-dumb, You know this scene is very humdrum."
Orange Juice: Rip It Up - here
(Live on The Whistle Test, 1982)
10. Simple Minds: Waterfront
Whilst there are many great tracks I could have chosen by Glasgow's biggest band, we had to go with the one that is literally about Glasgow! Released in November 1983 (the album, Sparkle In The Rain, would follow in early 1984), Waterfront is a eulogy to their home city, the River Clyde and ghosts of the once great shipbuilding industry that thrived there. It followed up the success made by singles from prior album, New Gold Dream, hitting the heights of number 13. The song, and its parent album, seemed to be showing the band moving in a new direction, as journalist Adam Sweeting would note, "the elaborate, almost ornate arrangements of New Gold Dream were receding into the distance." The video was shot alongside the river, and also at the legendary Barrowlands ballroom venue, celebrating its relaunch as a live venue (it had first opened for dancing back in 1934).
Simple Minds: Waterfront
You can have your choice here - either the aforementioned (slightly more atmospheric) classic Glasgow shot official video - here
Or, the bombastic sound of it in the wild in front of 70,000 people at Wembley Stadium for Nelson Mandela's 70th Birthday concert.