Deacon Blue are a Pop/Rock band originated from Glasgow Scotland and formed in 1985. The 6 current band members include: Ricky Ross (vocalist), Lorraine McIntosh (vocalist), James Prime (Keyboard), Dougie Vipond (Drummer), Gregor Philp (Guitarist), and Lewis Gordon (Bass). The band originally signed with Colombia records in 1987 up until 2001 when they signed with numerous labels including Papillon records and Medium Wave records; up until 2016 when they signed with Earmusic records which they are still with today. The band has sold over 2.28 million records worldwide, but just like Madness the bands success was limited to just the UK as they sold 2.18 million in the UK alone. Their most successful album is easily their second album ‘When the World Knows Your Name” as it was their only album to reach number 1 in the UK charts, with ‘Fellow Hoodlums’ reaching number 2 and ‘Whatever You Say, Say Nothing’ reaching number 4.
Throughout their 30+ year career the band has managed to produce an impressive 10 albums with their second, third and fourth being their most successful in terms of chart positions and sales (named in the paragraph above). Their third album ‘Fellow Hoodlums’ (released in 1991) was the bands most personal one as it was the first time the band had an album that hit the Scottish charts (their hometown). However, I’m going to make it more personal by choosing probably the most notable and first single on that album ‘Your Swaying Arms’ which released in May of 1991 a whole month before the release of ‘Fellow Hoodlums’. It did reasonably well in the British Isles as it hit number 6 in Ireland and number 23 in the UK.
Your Swaying Arms Music Video (1991):
The MV begins with 2 nuns getting onto a bus and leaving the Glasgow city boundary. The reason that is chosen as the location is because that is where the band originated. The nuns leaving the city at night could be interpreted as the safeness of the city or the people restricting certain values leaving for the night as the safeness and certain values show up throughout the night. This could be a symbol of their Pop background and how the band is allowed to roam free and spread their influence as long as the nuns are away. The song is tribute to Lorraine McIntosh’s father which is why the Music Video shows an old man throwing soup right out the window in order to comfort her and possibly make her remember her father in a positive light. This is also why in the video she and Ricky Ross are wearing heavy eyeliner to make it look like they have been crying, and why he is hugging her under a street light, in order to communicate that he will make her happy even in the worst of times. The 2 of them communicating through a wall could also be interpreted as her missing her father and not being able to sense his presence on the other side.
The enigma codes of Lorraine missing her father continues into the MV as when she’s singing in front of the camera by a window, 2 elderly people are dancing outside of the window. This represents either represents her not being able to see her Mother and Father together again in life, or it represents her Father finally reuniting with her Mother depending on whether her Mother has died or not. The costumes all of the band members wear are all similar to what someone from Scotland would wear in the 50’s and 60’s. This was around the time when Lorraine’s father was just starting a family so the choice in clothing from all the bandmates and extras are giving a slight touching tribute to him. This shows that the Narrative throughout the MV is the memories we share with family and friends. This can also be seen throughout the MV with the band members sharing touching moments such as a family dinner and 2 band members messing around with one another by putting a black substance on the others face.
This Magazine article from October 2016 by S Express Magazine gives us an interview by Deacon Blue’s frontman Ricky Ross as he talks about the bands rise into the music business in the late 80’s. The context behind this is that this interview was made just after the release of DB’s 8th album ‘believers’ which at the time was the bands most successful album in their home country of Scotland.
In the interview there is a picture in the top right showing the whole band; The band is posing in this picture like they’re in a rock band with the most of them wearing black leather jackets which is common in rock and roll bands. The only member of the band who isn’t wearing black is Ricky Ross as it makes him stand out as the frontman. They’re also posing in front of a brick wall signifying that this picture was taken during the early years of the band as they wouldn’t have had enough money to avoid sets and backgrounds and expensive costumes. One of the band members (on the far left) is wearing a John Lennon shirt under his black leather jacket to appeal to other fans of rock and roll who haven’t discovered Deacon Blue yet, and the only way to do that is by promoting one of the most iconic rock and roll musicians of all time. This picture was also probably one of the first ever pictures of the band, so showing that both men and women are in the band will widen their audience significantly.
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