From the
Glasgow Sunday Mail:
Music legends Orange Juice together again 26 years after split:
THE legendary Orange Juice are getting back together for the first time in 26 years to
receive a top music award. The band will get together next month to be honoured by
Nordoff-Robbins Scotland. It will be an emotional reunion after singer Edwyn Collins almost died from a brain haemorrhage in 2005.
The charity raises money to fund music therapists and Edwyn benefited from Nordoff-
Robbins' painstaking work during his long road to recovery. Edwyn, 49, said: "I'm very
flattered. It's all part of the renaissance of Orange Juice. I have fond memories of the band and am looking forward to seeing them all again." The original Orange Juice line-up - Edwyn, bassist David McClymont, guitarist James Kirk and drummer Steven Daly - formed in 1979.
Over three years they released four singles, Falling And Laughing, Blue Boy, Simply
Thrilled Honey and Poor Old Soul, on indie label Postcard Records. Their debut album You Can't Hide Your Love Forever peaked at No.21. The band have influenced hundreds of
acts such as The Smiths, Franz Ferdinand and Belle And Sebastian.
David, 48, said: "Orange Juice were a dysfunctional bunch of people whose career was a
roller-coaster ride. "We went from being an act nobody was interested in to one of the
biggest indie bands in the UK. "We really needed a level-headed manager but, if
anything, Postcard founder Alan Horne was even crazier than we were. It took years for
me to realise I'd been part of something so important musically. "Now with the
endorsement of Franz Ferdinand it's almost come full circle. It's the end of a journey in a way." Steven said: "Orange Juice set rolling a multi-million pound industry and completely reshaped Glasgow's self image. That wasn't easy.
"We were self aware enough to realise our records were making history."
David met Edwyn at Glasgow College of Printing in 1977. Steven and James had been
school mates at Bearsden Academy. David said: "When I first saw Edwyn I thought he was
an interesting looking guy. He asked me to join his band even though I couldn't play an instrument. "He taught me bass guitar two weeks before our first gig at Glasgow School of Art on April 20, 1979."
Steven, 48, had spotted Edwyn on a Glasgow bus a year earlier. Steven said: "He was reading Melody Maker - the wrong thing to do at the time - but he was wearing a Buddy Holly badge. I thought he looked pretty cool.
"He played me his record collection. It was full of Velvet Underground, Nico and David
Bowie." It will be the first time the band have been together since 1982. They were
devastated when Edwyn fell ill three years ago. He battled back to health and released solo album Home Again last year.
David said: "It's amazing what he's achieved since his illness. That's why it's important for us to get together."
James and Steven had left by the time the band had their biggest hit Rip It Up in 1983. The reunion will bring back fond memories. Steven said: "In 1981, we played the
Bungalow Bar in Paisley, supported by Aztec Camera. "We were getting great national
press but had no idea if anybody in Glasgow even cared. "We rolled up and saw hundreds
of art school kids queuing outside. That's when I knew something was happening."
Joe Aitken of award sponsor Glasgow City Marketing Bureau said: "Orange Juice are
fantastic ambassadors for the city, both as musicians and style icons. We're delighted to recognise one of Scotland's greatest bands." THE original line-up of Orange Juice have not been on stage together since splitting in 1982. Here we catch up on what they have been doing since then.
JAMES KIRKWROTE two of Orange Juice's most famous songs - Felicity and Wan Light.
When the guitarist and drummer Steven left Orange Juice in 1982, they formed a new
group called Memphis and released one single, You Supply The Roses.
He wrote songs with Paul Haig and The Independent Group before leasing a solo album,
You Can Make If You Boogie, in 2003. James later quit the music business and is now a
chiropodist with a actice in Glasgow.
STEVEN DALYIN 1989, Steven moved to New York where he lives with wife Kirsten. They are expecting
their first child in January. He is a contributing editor for US glossy Vanity Fair and travels the world on assignments. Steven has interviewed Madonna, David Beckham, Jim Carey and Johnny Depp. He said: "I interviewed Becks while he played for Real Madrid. "Posh - who was wearing just a pink bikini - lay on a towel just 12 feet from me sunbathing during our chat at their Spanish home."
DAVID McCLYMONTIN 1984, David - of Girvan - emigrated to Australia where he lives with wife Janet near Melbourne. He is a writer for the respected Lonely Planet travel guides and played bass with Kylie Minogue on an Aussie TV pop show. David, 49, said: "I moved to Australia to escape the music business. I didn't realise Orange Juice were famous 11,000 miles from home. "Sydney was full of Postcard Records' obsessives so I suddenly got invited to a lot of dinner parties and it opened many doors for me."
EDWYN COLLINSNOW lives in London with wife and manager Grace and their teenages on William.
He wrote Rip It Up which reached No.8 in the charts in 1983. It was to be Orange Juice's biggest hit when they continued with a new line-up. When the group disbanded two years later, he pursued a solo career which included hit 1994 single A Girl Like You, later covered by Rod Stewart. He is also a record producer having worked on albums by The Proclaimers and The Cribs. Earlier this year, Edwyn played his first UK concerts since his illness.
Also from the Glasgow Sunday Mail:
Rock star Edwyn Collins is coming home to play his first gigs in Scotland since suffering a devastating brain haemorrhage.
The ex-Orange Juice singer hasn't performed here since collapsing in 2005.
But I can exclusively reveal Edwyn has confirmed shows at Edinburgh Queen's Hall on April 21 and Glasgow's Oran Mor the following night.
The singer said: "It will be very emotional in Glasgow because that's where Orange Juice recorded their first record Falling And Laughing. Continued here.
As the BBC's 6 Music recently reported, Edwyn Collins has started discussing his next album which will be called Understated, and will feature guest Richard Hawley. The current release date is sometime in January 2013 which is probably just for the UK. I'll be surprised if it sees a US release before the end of the calendar winter season.
. It's hard to believe it's been that long. Read and/or download a free copy of Kevin's tribute here.
From the label: Domino are very honoured to announce the upcoming release of Coals To Newcastle, a comprehensive seven-disc anthology of one of the finest groups of all-time, Orange Juice. Coals To Newcastle will be released on November 8th.
