This predominantly Glaswegian act became one of the top-selling UK bands of the late 1980s/early 1990s. The group's members were Ricky Ross, Lorraine McIntosh, James Prime, Dougie Vipond, Ewan Vernal and Graeme Kelling.
Ross, a former school teacher originally from Dundee, was the group's frontman, penning the vast majority of Deacon Blue's songs. He married female vocalist Lorraine McIntosh in the later years of the band's career. McIntosh, born May 1964 in Glasgow joined the band in 1987 as a vocalist.
The band's first album, Raintown, produced by Jon Kelly and released in 1987, is regarded by many as the band's finest effort, spawning the singles "Dignity", "Chocolate Girl" and "Loaded". Many consider Raintown to be a concept album, since nearly all the songs contribute to the overall theme of being stuck in a dead-end life in a deprived city longing for something better. The city that the album's title refers to is Glasgow, and the memorable cover art of the album is a shot of the River Clyde's docks taken on a miserable day from Kelvingrove Park.
The second album, 1988's When The World Knows Your Name, was the band's most commercially successful, with the mega-selling singles "Real Gone Kid", "Wages Day" and "Fergus Sings The Blues". However, music critics began deriding the band at this stage for pursuing commercial success over artistic quality, citing the earlier achievements of Raintown.
Jon Kelly returned to the producer's chair in 1991 for Fellow Hoodlums, and the album was met with more critical success, but by now the group's honeymoon period was over and their success started to wane. This album was followed up with Whatever You Say, Say Nothing in 1993, a much more experimental album which gained praise from the critics, but was a commercial failure.
The band released a Greatest Hits compilation the following year.
With Vipond's decision to quit the group in favour for a career in television, Deacon Blue split up in 1994.
Five years later, the band held an unexpected reunion gig in 1999, and this led on to a new album, Walking Back Home, with the band now working on a part-time basis.
The band released another album, Homesick, in 2001.
Though Graeme Kelling died from cancer in 2004, the band has vowed to continue in his absence.
The year 2006 saw Deacon Blue returning to the studio to record three new tracks for a Singles album - including the track "Bigger than Dynamite".
The band performed at Manchester United's Old Trafford stadium, as the pre-match entertainment for the Rugby League Super League Grand Final on the 14 October, and continued on to a full UK tour in November.
The album The Hipsters was released in 2012.
http://www.deaconblue.com/, followed by A New House, Believers, City of Love and Riding On The Tide Of Love.
In 2023 the band released a greatest hits set titled "All The Old 45's" along with a box set of all their albums titled "You Can Have It All".
Christmas & Glasgow
Deacon Blue Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Of Christmas and Glasgow
Thinking and talking
Talking to St Enoch about
Christmas and Glasgow
Drinking and talking
And the sweet smellOf the Kelvin Hall Circus
And the sweet smell lingered
Of her perfume and kisses
He needed to take one step
He was taking one step back
She knows the only danger
Of Christmas And Glasgow
Is you love too much
And she's thinking of years
At Christmas and Glasgow
When it meant too much
And walking in frost
Down in Cowcaddens
And the sweet smell
As they were lost in the garden
She needed to take one step
She was taking one step back
They could hear choirs, those heavenly choirs
Choirs of angels, those heavenly choirs
They needed to take one step
They were taking one step back
The Deacon Blue's song 'Christmas and Glasgow' is a beautiful reflection on the complexity of emotions that can be experienced during the holiday season. The song's lyrics describe a couple lying in the "half-light" of Christmas in Glasgow, talking about the city and the holiday. They discuss the dangers of love and the memories of previous Christmases in Glasgow. As they reminisce, they can hear the heavenly choirs singing in nearby churches.
The lyrics paint a vivid picture of the city of Glasgow during the Christmas season. The sweet smell of the Kelvin Hall Circus and the couple walking in frost down in Cowcaddens capture the sensory experience of the holiday. The song's melancholic tone and focus on the complexity of love and loss speak to the emotional depth that can be found during the holiday season. The poignant nature of the song is further amplified by the use of St. Enoch, a patron saint of Glasgow, who the couple is "talking to" about their experiences.
Overall, 'Christmas and Glasgow' perfectly captures the essence of the holiday season, both its joyous moments and its inherent melancholy. The song's focus on Glasgow, with its rich history and traditions, also adds a unique depth to the lyrics and mood.
Line by Line Meaning
He was lying in the half light
He was lying in a dimly lit room
Of Christmas and Glasgow
During the holiday season in Glasgow
Thinking and talking
Contemplating and conversing with someone
Talking to St Enoch about Christmas and Glasgow
Conversing with St. Enoch about the experiences of Christmas in Glasgow
Drinking and talking
Drinking alcohol while conversing
And the sweet smell of the Kelvin Hall Circus
The pleasant aroma of the Kelvin Hall Circus
And the sweet smell lingered
The aroma remained in the air
Of her perfume and kisses
Resulting from her perfume and kisses
He needed to take one step
He needed to make a change or move forward
He was taking one step back
He was hesitating or moving away from progress
She knows the only danger
She is aware of the sole risk or hazard
Of Christmas And Glasgow
Of the combination of the holiday season and Glasgow
Is you love too much
The peril is loving too fervently
And she's thinking of years
She remembers the past years
At Christmas and Glasgow
During the holiday season in Glasgow
When it meant too much
When the feelings were too strong
And walking in frost
Walking in cold weather
Down in Cowcaddens
In the Cowcaddens neighborhood of Glasgow
And the sweet smell
The pleasant aroma
As they were lost in the garden
As they were wandering aimlessly in the garden
She needed to take one step
She needed to make a change or move forward
She was taking one step back
She was hesitating or moving away from progress
They could hear choirs, those heavenly choirs
They could hear choirs singing, reminiscent of heavenly songs
Choirs of angels, those heavenly choirs
Choirs singing about angels, as if from paradise
They needed to take one step
They needed to make a change or move forward
They were taking one step back
They were hesitating or moving away from progress
Lyrics Β© O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@bernadettefoster6038
You can take the girl out of Glasgow, but you can't take Glasgow out of the girl.π #HomesickAtChristmas
@craigberryman8056
Awesome band.... I stumbled over real gone kid on cassette and was pretty much hooked... So big hi from NZ.. Been a fan 20+ years πβ€βΊ
@jacquelinestirling4312
Never too early to play this one .. so beautiful can't wait to see the band again πππΌ..11 days to gig & counting...11..10.. 9.. πππ
@karmoogum
Timeless classic from Deacon Blue.
@scottishalwaysdixie1638
Two best band in π΄σ §σ ’σ ³σ £σ ΄σ Ώ Deacon blue @ Run Rig β₯οΈβ₯οΈπ΄σ §σ ’σ ³σ £σ ΄σ Ώπ΄σ §σ ’σ ³σ £σ ΄σ Ώπ΄σ §σ ’σ ³σ £σ ΄σ Ώπ΄σ §σ ’σ ³σ £σ ΄σ Ώ
@dawnied1785
Seen Deacon Blue live a few times...always brilliant.
Lovely Xmas song π
@Andy-lq6zw
Another great tune. My wife and I have tickets for Glasgow 15th Dec soooo looking forward to seeing the band in action againπ
@dougieadam1
Have uploaded footage of the band in the studio performing the song for an STV programme on Oscar Marzarolli as well as a live performance at Glasgow Royal Concert Hall on one of the tours in support of the Hipsters album.
@williamgibson4053
Christmas anywhere would have been as evocative. Good tune though.