Duncan Dhu
Encyclopedia
Duncan Dhu was a Spanish group created in San Sebastián
, Spain
in 1984. Its original members were Mikel Erentxun
(former singer in "Aristogatos"), Diego Vasallo and Juan Ramón Viles (former members of "Los Dalton").
The group's style was based on an acoustic and simple pop-rock with a touch of rockabilly in great contrast with the more radical rock played in the area
at the time. After being hired by 'Grabaciones Accidentales, S.A.' they contributed with two songs (Mi Amor and Bésame Mucho) to the new bands compilation La única alternativa (The Only Alternative).
In 1985 the group recorded its first album, Por Tierras Escocesas (Around Scottish Lands), and Canciones (Songs) a year later, both produced by Paco Trinidad. The songs were immediately successful and gave the group big popularity. After even more successful El Grito del Tiempo (The Cry of Time, 1984) and Grabaciones Olvidadas (Forgotten Recordings, a compilation of B-Sides, 1989) it became a duo and recorded the double album Autobiografía (Autobiography), with collaborations by Black and Sam Brown among others. The group later also had several hits such as "Esos Ojos Negros" ("Those Black Eyes"). The group finally ceased to exist as a band after the release of "Crepúsculo y Crudités" (Sunset and Crudités Crudités
), which was more orchestrated and softer than its older music.
The group's most-known hit is "En Algún Lugar" ("In Some Place"). The song was initially featured in Canciones, but it was the remix included on El Grito del Tiempo that became widely popular.
The name Duncan Dhu comes from the book Kidnapped
by Robert Louis Stevenson
, in which there is a character named Duncan Dhu, who is a lover of music. "I need not say if I was pleased to see him; Mrs. Maclaren, our hostess, thought nothing good enough for such a guest; and as Duncan Dhu (which was the name of our host) had a pair of pipes in his house, and was much of a lover of music, this time of my recovery was quite a festival, and we commonly turned night into day."
San Sebastián
Donostia-San Sebastián is a city and municipality located in the north of Spain, in the coast of the Bay of Biscay and 20 km away from the French border. The city is the capital of Gipuzkoa, in the autonomous community of the Basque Country. The municipality’s population is 186,122 , and its...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
in 1984. Its original members were Mikel Erentxun
Mikel Erentxun
Mikel Erentxun is a Spanish Rock en Español singer. Formerly with the group Duncan Dhu, he started his solo career in 1992. He has released six albums as a solo artist and has covered The Smiths' song, "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out", as "Esta luz nunca se apagará", as well as...
(former singer in "Aristogatos"), Diego Vasallo and Juan Ramón Viles (former members of "Los Dalton").
The group's style was based on an acoustic and simple pop-rock with a touch of rockabilly in great contrast with the more radical rock played in the area
Basque Radical Rock
Basque Radical Rock, was a musical movement born in the Southern Basque Country at the beginning of the 1980s and, although there was no specific event, it is considered to have ended in the last years of the decade...
at the time. After being hired by 'Grabaciones Accidentales, S.A.' they contributed with two songs (Mi Amor and Bésame Mucho) to the new bands compilation La única alternativa (The Only Alternative).
In 1985 the group recorded its first album, Por Tierras Escocesas (Around Scottish Lands), and Canciones (Songs) a year later, both produced by Paco Trinidad. The songs were immediately successful and gave the group big popularity. After even more successful El Grito del Tiempo (The Cry of Time, 1984) and Grabaciones Olvidadas (Forgotten Recordings, a compilation of B-Sides, 1989) it became a duo and recorded the double album Autobiografía (Autobiography), with collaborations by Black and Sam Brown among others. The group later also had several hits such as "Esos Ojos Negros" ("Those Black Eyes"). The group finally ceased to exist as a band after the release of "Crepúsculo y Crudités" (Sunset and Crudités Crudités
Crudités
Crudités are traditional French appetizers comprising sliced or whole raw vegetables which are sometimes dipped in a vinaigrette or another dipping sauce...
), which was more orchestrated and softer than its older music.
The group's most-known hit is "En Algún Lugar" ("In Some Place"). The song was initially featured in Canciones, but it was the remix included on El Grito del Tiempo that became widely popular.
The name Duncan Dhu comes from the book Kidnapped
Kidnapped (novel)
Kidnapped is a historical fiction adventure novel by the Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson. Written as a "boys' novel" and first published in the magazine Young Folks from May to July 1886, the novel has attracted the praise and admiration of writers as diverse as Henry James, Jorge Luis...
by Robert Louis Stevenson
Robert Louis Stevenson
Robert Louis Balfour Stevenson was a Scottish novelist, poet, essayist and travel writer. His best-known books include Treasure Island, Kidnapped, and Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde....
, in which there is a character named Duncan Dhu, who is a lover of music. "I need not say if I was pleased to see him; Mrs. Maclaren, our hostess, thought nothing good enough for such a guest; and as Duncan Dhu (which was the name of our host) had a pair of pipes in his house, and was much of a lover of music, this time of my recovery was quite a festival, and we commonly turned night into day."
Discography
- Por tierras escocesas (1985)
- Canciones (1986)
- El grito del tiempo (1987)
- Grabaciones olvidadas (1989)
- Autobiografía (1989)
- Supernova (1991)
- Piedras (1994)
- Teatro Victoria Eugenia (1995)
- Colección 1985-1998 (1998)
- Crepúsculo (2001)