Deacon Blue

Formed in Glasgow, Scotland, in 1985, Deacon Blue, named after a Steely Dan song, features vocalists Ricky Ross and Lorraine McIntosh, keyboardist James Prince and drummer Dougie Vipond. Other members include guitarist Graeme Kelling and bassist Ewen Vernal. Released in 1987, Raintown, the band's first sophisti-pop album, reached No. 1 and brought them immediate recognition in a post-new wave context, selling a million copies. The same was true of the following album When the World Knows Your Name (1989), which featured new chart-topping tracks including "Real Gone Kid" (#8). The first Deacon Blue album did not survive the internal tensions that followed the recording of Whatever You Say, Say Nothing (1993). Five years later, a reunion concert led to a new album, Walking Back Home (1999), featuring old and new material. The death of Graeme Kelling from pancreatic cancer in 2004, after the release of Homesick (2001), marked a new turning point in the band's history, which bounced back with the recording of new material for the Singles compilation (2006) and a number of concerts, culminating in work on a new album entitled The Hipsters (2012). New albums follow after the 25th anniversary tour: A New House (2014), Believers (2016), City of Love (2020) and Riding on the Tide of Love (2021). Back after the Covid-19 pandemic, Deacon Blue signs The Great Western Road (2025). This was the last album to feature James Prime, who died after a short battle with cancer on June 19, 2025, at the age of 64.