Norman Blake (Scottish musician)
Encyclopedia
Norman Blake is a singer-songwriter
in the Glasgow
based band
, Teenage Fanclub
.
Blake and Sean Dickson (The Soup Dragons
) were in The Faith Healers together, which also contained various members at different times Stevie Gray, Hugh McLaughlin, Brian Carson and Colin Murray to name but a few.
Blake and Carson were also in another Bellshill band Finding Faust which also had Paul Quinn and John & Bobby Nailen.
Blake was a member of the Glasgow group, The Pretty Flowers, with school friend Duglas T. Stewart
, Frances McKee
, Janice Cochrane and Sean Dickson. After the group split Blake formed the Boy Hairdressers in 1986, the original lineup being really just Blake assisted by Dickson and Stewart. Later Blake was joined by Joe McAlinden, Jim Lambie
and three future members of Teenage Fanclub Raymond McGinley, Francis Macdonald
and Paul Quinn (after Macdonald's departure). The group recorded one EP
for 53rd and 3rd Records featuring three of Blake's compositions.
In 1986 Blake also joined BMX Bandits
, originally on drums and later moving to guitar. Blake became a key song writer for the Bandits co-authoring some of their best loved material including "Disco Girl", "Serious Drugs" and "Right Across the Street". Blake also joined Glasgow garage group The Clouds for a short stay, playing all the guitars on their only single.
In 1989 Blake formed Teenage Fanclub
with McGinley, later enlisting Francis Macdonald and Gerard Love to record their debut A Catholic Education.The album was primarily composed by Blake and included the anthemic "Everything Flows" (later covered
by acts including Velvet Crush
, Dinosaur Jr
, Idlewild
and Gallygows). The album was recorded in Glasgow back to back with the debut album of Blake's other group at that time, BMX Bandits, the ironically titled C86, which Blake also wrote much of the material for.
Blake officially left the Bandits in 1991 after their Star Wars album but continues to be an occasional contributor to their records.
Blake has found international fame and acclaim with Teenage Fanclub for his songwriting talents and vocal abilities in both lead and harmony roles. Blake's songs are melodic and despite their rock roots betray Blake's Celtic roots, and an appreciation and understanding of many musical genres. His best loved songs for Teenage Fanclub include "Alcoholiday", "Did I Say" and "Neil Jung".
Blake has continued to contribute to projects without his main band, including one-off collaborations with Eugene Kelly
as The Famous Monsters, and Francis MacDonald as Frank Blake. More recently, Blake has recorded and co-written material with Euros Childs
, forming the indie superduo Jonny. Blake has also appeared on recordings by The Trash Can Sinatras
, The Pastels
, Kevin Ayers
, Bill Wells
, The Reindeer Section
, Yeon Gene and The Pearlfishers.
Blake has produced recordings for Speedboat (featuring Finlay MacDonald
, The Pearlfishers and 1990s
. Blake has solo recordings on the albums Caroline Now ( a tribute album to The Beach Boys
) and Ballads of the Book
.
In 2001, Blake stood down from being elected Rector of the University of Glasgow to make room for his friend, Belle and Sebastian's Stuart Murdoch
.
In 2009, Blake moved to live with his Canadian wife to Kitchener, Ontario
.
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
in the Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
based band
Band (music)
In music, a musical ensemble or band is a group of musicians that works together to perform music. The following articles concern types of musical bands:* All-female band* Big band* Boy band* Christian band* Church band* Concert band* Cover band...
, Teenage Fanclub
Teenage Fanclub
Teenage Fanclub are an alternative rock band from Bellshill, Scotland. The band is composed of Norman Blake , Raymond McGinley , Gerard Love and Francis MacDonald , with songwriting duties shared equally among Blake, McGinley and Love...
.
Blake and Sean Dickson (The Soup Dragons
The Soup Dragons
The Soup Dragons were a Scottish alternative rock band of the late 1980s and early 1990s. Named after a character in the 1970s children's television show Clangers, the group is best known for its cover of the Rolling Stones' song "I'm Free."-History:...
) were in The Faith Healers together, which also contained various members at different times Stevie Gray, Hugh McLaughlin, Brian Carson and Colin Murray to name but a few.
Blake and Carson were also in another Bellshill band Finding Faust which also had Paul Quinn and John & Bobby Nailen.
Blake was a member of the Glasgow group, The Pretty Flowers, with school friend Duglas T. Stewart
Duglas T. Stewart
Duglas T. Stewart has been leader and the main composer of Glaswegian indie pop band BMX Bandits since they formed in 1985....
, Frances McKee
Frances McKee
Frances McKee is a singer and songwriter known best for her work in the Scottish indie band The Vaselines.The Vaselines formed in Glasgow, Scotland in 1986. Following the release of two EPs, Son of a Gun and Dying for It, the first and only full length album, Dum-Dum, in 1989, the band split up...
, Janice Cochrane and Sean Dickson. After the group split Blake formed the Boy Hairdressers in 1986, the original lineup being really just Blake assisted by Dickson and Stewart. Later Blake was joined by Joe McAlinden, Jim Lambie
Jim Lambie
James "Jim" Lambie is a contemporary visual artist, and was shortlisted for the 2005 Turner Prize with an installation called Mental Oyster....
and three future members of Teenage Fanclub Raymond McGinley, Francis Macdonald
Francis MacDonald
Francis Macdonald is a drummer and sometime member of British alternative rock band Teenage Fanclub and used to play with BMX Bandits and Eugenius...
and Paul Quinn (after Macdonald's departure). The group recorded one EP
Gramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
for 53rd and 3rd Records featuring three of Blake's compositions.
In 1986 Blake also joined BMX Bandits
BMX Bandits (band)
BMX Bandits are a Scottish 1960s-influenced guitar pop band who have been making music from 1986 to the present day. They have shared members with other Bellshill bands Teenage Fanclub and The Soup Dragons....
, originally on drums and later moving to guitar. Blake became a key song writer for the Bandits co-authoring some of their best loved material including "Disco Girl", "Serious Drugs" and "Right Across the Street". Blake also joined Glasgow garage group The Clouds for a short stay, playing all the guitars on their only single.
In 1989 Blake formed Teenage Fanclub
Teenage Fanclub
Teenage Fanclub are an alternative rock band from Bellshill, Scotland. The band is composed of Norman Blake , Raymond McGinley , Gerard Love and Francis MacDonald , with songwriting duties shared equally among Blake, McGinley and Love...
with McGinley, later enlisting Francis Macdonald and Gerard Love to record their debut A Catholic Education.The album was primarily composed by Blake and included the anthemic "Everything Flows" (later covered
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
by acts including Velvet Crush
Velvet Crush
Velvet Crush is a power pop band from Rhode Island that achieved prominence in indie-rock circles in the early- and mid-1990s. The band broke up in 1996 but re-formed in 1998 and have continued to record, releasing their most recent album in 2004...
, Dinosaur Jr
Dinosaur Jr
Dinosaur Jr. is an American alternative rock band formed in Amherst, Massachusetts in 1984. Originally called Dinosaur, prior to legal issues that forced the group to change their name, the band disbanded in 1997 until reuniting in 2005...
, Idlewild
Idlewild (band)
Idlewild are a Scottish rock band, formed in Edinburgh, in 1995, comprising Roddy Woomble , Rod Jones , Colin Newton , Allan Stewart and Gareth Russell...
and Gallygows). The album was recorded in Glasgow back to back with the debut album of Blake's other group at that time, BMX Bandits, the ironically titled C86, which Blake also wrote much of the material for.
Blake officially left the Bandits in 1991 after their Star Wars album but continues to be an occasional contributor to their records.
Blake has found international fame and acclaim with Teenage Fanclub for his songwriting talents and vocal abilities in both lead and harmony roles. Blake's songs are melodic and despite their rock roots betray Blake's Celtic roots, and an appreciation and understanding of many musical genres. His best loved songs for Teenage Fanclub include "Alcoholiday", "Did I Say" and "Neil Jung".
Blake has continued to contribute to projects without his main band, including one-off collaborations with Eugene Kelly
Eugene Kelly
Eugene Kelly is a Scottish musician who is a member of the group The Vaselines, a founding member of the now disbanded Eugenius and has had a number of solo releases....
as The Famous Monsters, and Francis MacDonald as Frank Blake. More recently, Blake has recorded and co-written material with Euros Childs
Euros Childs
Euros Childs is a Welsh musician and songwriter, best known as the frontman for the band Gorky's Zygotic Mynci. His sister is the violinist Megan Childs...
, forming the indie superduo Jonny. Blake has also appeared on recordings by The Trash Can Sinatras
The Trash Can Sinatras
The Trash Can Sinatras, now generally known as Trashcan Sinatras, are a Scottish band that was formed in Irvine, Scotland in 1986. The band's music makes frequent use of wordplay and pop harmonies.-Formation:...
, The Pastels
The Pastels
The Pastels are a group from Glasgow, Scotland, UK.Their early records for labels like Whaam!, Creation, Rough Trade, and Glass Records, had a raw and immediate sound, melodic and amateur, which seemed at odds with the time...
, Kevin Ayers
Kevin Ayers
Kevin Ayers is an English singer-songwriter and was a major influential force in the English psychedelic movement...
, Bill Wells
Bill Wells
Bill Wells is a Scottish bassist, pianist, guitarist and composer.He is best known for his group the Bill Wells Octet, since the early 1990s, but he has performed and recorded in a wide range of settings, including collaborations with The Pastels, Maher Shalal Hash Baz, Future Pilot A.K.A., Lol...
, The Reindeer Section
The Reindeer Section
The Reindeer Section are a Scottish indie rock supergroup formed in 2001 by Gary Lightbody of Snow Patrol, which released albums and gigged in 2001 and 2002. The Reindeer Section grouping was somewhat ad hoc, and so it is uncertain if more will be heard from them...
, Yeon Gene and The Pearlfishers.
Blake has produced recordings for Speedboat (featuring Finlay MacDonald
Finlay MacDonald (musician)
Finlay MacDonald is a keyboardist, singer-songwriter, and former member of Scottish alternative rock bands Teenage Fanclub and BMX Bandits.He has been employed as a music industry lecturer at Reid Kerr College in Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland. He is currently lead singer and guitarist for Lenzie...
, The Pearlfishers and 1990s
1990s (band)
-History:They were signed to Rough Trade Record Company when they were spotted at only their sixth gig, and have released two albums so far, Cookies and Kicks....
. Blake has solo recordings on the albums Caroline Now ( a tribute album to The Beach Boys
The Beach Boys
The Beach Boys are an American rock band, formed in 1961 in Hawthorne, California. The group was initially composed of brothers Brian, Dennis and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and friend Al Jardine. Managed by the Wilsons' father Murry, The Beach Boys signed to Capitol Records in 1962...
) and Ballads of the Book
Ballads of the Book
Ballads of the Book is a studio album, released on 5 March 2007, on Chemikal Underground. The project was curated by Roddy Woomble, and features collaborations between Scottish musicians and Scottish writers. The album is considered a "joint effort" by all those involved...
.
In 2001, Blake stood down from being elected Rector of the University of Glasgow to make room for his friend, Belle and Sebastian's Stuart Murdoch
Stuart Murdoch (musician)
Stuart Lee Murdoch is a Scottish musician, and the lead singer and songwriter for the indie pop band Belle & Sebastian. The majority of his childhood was spent a stone's throw from the birthplace of Robert Burns in Alloway, Ayr until he left school and attended university in...
.
In 2009, Blake moved to live with his Canadian wife to Kitchener, Ontario
Kitchener, Ontario
The City of Kitchener is a city in Southern Ontario, Canada. It was the Town of Berlin from 1854 until 1912 and the City of Berlin from 1912 until 1916. The city had a population of 204,668 in the Canada 2006 Census...
.