The Proclaimers Sunshine On Leith LP (Vinyl)

Vinyl LP Reissue!
Features The Hit Song "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)"!

Strikingly individual, twin brothers Craig and Charlie Reid have over the years enjoyed huge success across the globe as the emotional honesty, political fire, wit and sing-along raucousness of their songs and their extensive touring has enlightened and entertained fans new and old. The Proclaimers have carved out a niche for themselves in the netherworld where pop, folk, new wave and punk collide. In the process they have enjoyed Gold and Platinum singles and albums in UK, USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

Born in Leith in 1962, Craig and Charlie Reid grew up in Edinburgh, Cornwall and Auchtermuchty in Fife. At home, they listened to early rock 'n' roll and country greats such as Jerry Lee Lewis, Merle Haggard and Hank Williams. At school, they played in punk bands and formed The Proclaimers in 1983. With a fervent live following growing in Scotland, particularly in Inverness where they performed regularly, their first big break came late in 1986 when they were invited to tour with The Housemartins. Then in January 1987 they made a now seminal appearance on the Channel 4 pop programme The Tube, performing Letter From America & Throw The 'R' Away. Singing in regional accents about Scotland – its emigration and its politics – they were a far cry from the mid-Eighties playlist staples of Rick Astley and Sinitta, and became a phenomenon almost overnight, signing to Chrysalis within a month and recording their debut album acoustically, This Is The Story, a week later, produced by the man who also signed them to Chrysalis, John Williams. Voted NME Readers Best New Band that year, they toured the UK extensively and a new 'band' version of Letter From America, produced by Gerry Rafferty went Top 3 in November.

Complementing their raw, stripped down delivery with the greater musical scope of a full band, they then embraced country and rock on their second album, 1988's Sunshine On Leith produced by Pete Wingfield, which also saw them form their first full live band and go on a 9 month World tour. In addition to the deeply moving classic title track which has gone on to be an anthem for Hibernian Football Club fans, the album featured hit singles, the raucous, euphoric "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)" and "I'm On My Way". In 1989 "I'm Gonna Be" spent 6 weeks at number 1 in Australia and was a top 10 college radio hit in the USA. The song went on to soar to No. 3 during a 6-month reign in the US Billboard Singles Chart in 1993 after appearing on the soundtrack of the Johnny Depp film Benny And Joon. "I'm On My Way" also re-emerged in 2001 when it subsequently accompanied one of the pivotal scenes in the hit movie Shrek.

"I find it hard to put into words quite how the music of The Proclaimers makes me feel. It makes me laugh. It makes me cry. It just makes me generally euphoric … Sunshine On Leith says more to me about my life and the way I feel than anything Morrissey or Cobain ever wrote." - Matt Lucas

"I could have chosen any and every track from this band, probably my favorite band of all time. They write the most spectacular songs, big hearted, uncynical passionate songs." - David Tennant, describing his first track by The Proclaimers on BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs

Features:
• Vinyl LP

Selections:
Side One:
1. I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)
2. Cap In Hand
3. Then I Met You
4. My Old Friend The Blues
5. Sean
6. Sunshine On Leith
Side Two:
1. Come On Nature
2. I'm On My Way
3. What Do You Do
4. It's Saturday Night
5. Teardrops
6. Oh Jean