Anyone rememberThe Bluebells from the early '80s?

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Just rediscovered those Scottish pop artisans The Bluebells.

Besides a stream of country-tinged, orchestral-driven pop wonderments like "Young At Heart", the Elvis Costello-penned "Will She Always Be Waiting" and "I'm Falling" the brothers McCluskey seemed to be on the verge of greatness circa 1983.

So, I ask you, was their "Sisters" album (coincidentally the first album on the then revamped London Records UK - Cat no:LONLP1) a bonefide "lost classic" or has Maroon 5/Shack, etc stolen their melodies and lyrical aesthetics?

Anyone who recalls The Bluebells, please put forth your opinions now!

― herbalizer12 (herbalizer12), Tuesday, 24 August 2004 15:23 (twenty-one years ago)

I remember hearing "Young At Heart" maybe a half-dozen times around '83, '84. Didn't like the horns.

― Myonga Von Bontee (Myonga Von Bontee), Tuesday, 24 August 2004 15:26 (twenty-one years ago)

...or maybe it was all those fiddles as well? ;-)

― herbalizer12 (herbalizer12), Tuesday, 24 August 2004 15:27 (twenty-one years ago)

I taped a song by them off the radio a long time ago. Can't remember the name of it, now. It was pleasant enough but I never felt the need to buy any of their records.

― Bimble (bimble), Tuesday, 24 August 2004 15:28 (twenty-one years ago)

I've got the greatest hits CD that came out when "Young at Heart" was revived for an ad in 1994 in the UK. Pleasant little collection.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 24 August 2004 15:29 (twenty-one years ago)

"Kath" does not rhyme with "laugh," no matter how cutely or tunefully you sing it.

― briania (briania), Tuesday, 24 August 2004 15:56 (twenty-one years ago)

I have another album by them which has a Highland cow on the cover. That may well be the best thing about it.

― ailsa (ailsa), Tuesday, 24 August 2004 16:12 (twenty-one years ago)

I was there! When The Bluebells supported Orange Juice at The Venue in Victoria in the summer of 1981!

Their first single "Forevermore" / "Aim In Life" was... quite nice, really. A poppfied version of Postcard.

― mike t-diva (mike t-diva), Tuesday, 24 August 2004 18:40 (twenty-one years ago)

Classic! I have an LP and or an EP from them, with "Kath" and "Bells of Rhymney" (or however it's spelled). I played the hell out of it back then.

― nickn (nickn), Tuesday, 24 August 2004 18:58 (twenty-one years ago)

"Cath" and "I'm Falling," at the very least, are classic.

― Rickey Wright (Rrrickey), Tuesday, 24 August 2004 20:55 (twenty-one years ago)

bobby bluebell occasionally used to drink in my old local in glasgow. maybe he still does. apparently he's a nice chap. daft specs, though.

― grimly fiendish (grimlord), Tuesday, 24 August 2004 21:02 (twenty-one years ago)

I also have Sisters as well as the album with the Highland cow, the latter isn't even nearly as good as the former.

Bobby Bluebell has really daft hair as well as specs. Laurence Donegan used to be in the Commotions before becoming a journalist/golf caddy, and the McCluskey Brothers still do the odd gig, as well as recording stuff for Celtic FC. If there were any other Bluebells, I have no idea what they're up to.

― ailsa (ailsa), Tuesday, 24 August 2004 22:15 (twenty-one years ago)

bobby bluebell used to be pretty ubiquitous around the west end of glasgow until a few years ago and then seemed to vanish. maybe he cut his hair and changed his specs? i know he does the odd bit of dj'ing and books the entertainment for a local massive bar complex but i wonder if he's still living from the proceeds to 'young at heart'. actually, i seem to recall there was some sort of court case related to a dispute about who actually wrote it.

― stirmonster, Tuesday, 24 August 2004 22:37 (twenty-one years ago)

Yeah, it was from Bobby Valentino, claiming that his coming up with distinctive violin part should have earned him joint songwriting royalties. He won.

― Alba (Alba), Wednesday, 25 August 2004 08:06 (twenty-one years ago)

"before becoming a journalist/golf caddy"
...the greatest job description OF ALL TIME. If I didn't hate golf, this could be a mid-life career change.

― lovebug starski (lovebug starski), Wednesday, 25 August 2004 11:07 (twenty-one years ago)

Good band, saw them a couple of times including once at Reading Uni so doubtless Dr. C was there and saw them too! Had a couple of hits and were noteable for some really good 'B' sides but only released the one album afaik.

They had Craig Gannon (ex Fall, subsequently Smiths) on guitar for a while.

Two of them were brothers and I'm sure someone once told me that after the Bluebells split up they went off and began another successful musical career based in Japan.

― Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Wednesday, 25 August 2004 11:28 (twenty-one years ago)

Wasn't Craig Gannon once a formidable part of early Aztec Camera also? I think he was a rent-a-guitarist for many Scottish & UK bands, circa 1981-85?

What about Neal Baldwin though? He appeared on "Sisters" but don't know what happened thereafter.

Was there a communistic streak to Bluebells? tracks such as "Patriot's Game" and "Red guitars" seem to reflect those (1980s) times. And what was "Syracuse University" about exactly?

― herbalizer12 (herbalizer12), Wednesday, 25 August 2004 12:12 (twenty-one years ago)

In my mind, Bobby Bluebell looks like John Cooper-Clarke. Is this accurate?

― PJ Miller (PJ Miller), Wednesday, 25 August 2004 12:18 (twenty-one years ago)

> In my mind, Bobby Bluebell looks like John Cooper-Clarke. Is
> this accurate?

john cooper-clarke on pies instead of heroin, yes.

― grimly fiendish, Wednesday, 25 August 2004 13:02 (twenty-one years ago)

Craig Gannon was in Aztec Camera, and also The Smiths briefly, standing in for a drug-addicted Andy Rourke. He was also in Adult Net.

― Bimble (bimble), Wednesday, 25 August 2004 16:40 (twenty-one years ago)

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