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HomeEntertainmentMasters of melancholy Deacon blue return with new song collection

Masters of melancholy Deacon blue return with new song collection

Deacon Blue returned in 2020 with Hit Me Where It Hurts. (Image: Getty) Inspired by the wild stage presence of Lone Justice star Maria McKee, it managed to sound both euphoric – with that unforgettable ‘whoo-whoo’ chorus – and melancholy. Dignity, released the year before, was the first pointer to Ross’s talent. A hit on its re-release in 1994, the song tells the story of a road sweeper who dreams of escaping his day job by buying a dinghy called Dignity. A poignant metaphor for millions. All of the Glasgow-based band’s singles are here, including Wages Day, Fergus Sings The Blues, Your Town and, of course, their cover of Bacharach & David’s I’ll Never Fall In Love Again, which peaked at number two in 1990. This collection is available in 2xCD and 2xLP versions but a huge 14xCD set, You Can Have It All – The Complete Albums Collection, is also out today. Steely Dan inspired the bands name (Image: Getty) Formed in 1985, with a name inspired by Steely Dan song Deacon Blues, the band fronted by Dundee-born Ross went on to sell more than two million albums in the UK. They split in 1994 but returned in ’99. Their acclaimed 2012 album The Hipsters was a love letter to themselves. They were never hip in the NME sense but Ross’s emotive brand of pop, his imagery and his love of sweeping melodies touched a generation. Their numbers have a sense of place and of yearning, and the feel of folk music without being folk songs. Ross dipped a toe in politics but generally preferred to keep his lyrics ambiguous. Highs include the sublime Everytime You Sleep and 2020’s Hit Me Where It Hurts. One question: why don’t they let Lorraine McIntosh sing more?

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