Love and Money
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Love and Money | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Glasgow, Scotland |
| Genre(s) | Pop rock |
| Years active | 1985–1994 |
| Members | |
| James Grant Paul McGeechan Bobby Paterson Douglas MacIntyre Gordon Wilson Stuart Kerr |
|
Love and Money were a rock/soul/funk band formed in 1985 in Glasgow, Scotland. The band consisted of three former members of the band Friends Again (band) ( singer-songwriter and guitarist James Grant, drummer Stuart Kerr and keyboardist Paul McGeechan) along with bassist Bobby Paterson, who replaced Friends Again's Neil Cunningham and who had been a member of Set The Tone, a band previously signed to Island Records in 1983.
In their nine years together they recorded four moderately successful albums, three of which were released in the United States, and had six chart hits in the United Kingdom.
Contents |
[edit] Debut album
Signing to Phonogram's Mercury Records in the United Kingdom, they recorded "Candybar Express" with production from Duran Duran's Andy Taylor, and this recording became their first hit receiving considerable airplay in the US and reaching number 56 in the UK charts in the spring of 1986. Shortly afterwards they released their debut album "All You Need is Love and Money" produced by Tom Dowd but this failed to chart. Follow up singles "Dear John" and "River Of People" were released to modest success. In September 1986, the group played an Artists Against Apartheid concert at Barrowland Ballroom, Glasgow, alongside acts such as The Big Dish and Lloyd Cole. The band also had a high profile support slot with U2 at Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh.
[edit] Strange Kind of Love
The 1988 follow-up album Strange Kind of Love (which featured Toto's Jeff Porcaro on drums following the departure of Kerr) was overseen by Steely Dan producer Gary Katz and featured the minor hit "Halleluiah Man" which helped to establish a sizeable following for the band. The more restrained production and the band's refined and tight funk sound made the album almost unrecognisable from their earliest work. Further singles "Strange Kind of Love", "Jocelyn Square" and "Up Escalator" all charted, although none could quite break the top 40.
The band toured extensively to promote "Strange Kind Of Love", including support slots with Tina Turner, Simply Red and BB King. Part of the band's performance at the Eden Court Theatre in Inverness was filmed for BBC Scotland's "Sounds of Eden" programme. A half hour set from the band also featured on the "Night Network" television show and they performed the "Strange Kind Of Love" single on Wogan.
[edit] The Mother's Boy and Dogs In The Traffic
The band, now supplemented by permanent drummer Gordon Wilson and rhythm guitarist Douglas MacIntyre, returned to the studio to record the follow-up, to be entitled "The Mother's Boy", but the songs met disapproval from Phonogram. The release was scrapped and the band returned to the studio. Several of the tracks including proposed album opener "Hubcap to Blue Town" would reappear as b-sides to the singles from the eventual follow-up "Dogs in the Traffic".
"Dogs in the Traffic" is considered by many to be Love and Money's greatest achievement and was included in the All Time Top 100 Scottish Pop and Rock albums in The Scotsman newspaper (at number 30). The album reflected Grant's growing maturity as a writer and the stripped-down arrangements allowed greater emphasis on his lyrics and melodies. The band gave a pre-release performance of the album at City Halls in Candleriggs, Glasgow which included an encore featuring Tom Waits' "Clap Hands" and Bob Dylan's "You Ain't Goin' Nowhere". Three further singles were released, "Winter", "My Love Lives In A Dead House", and the "Wishing Waters" EP on which live favourite "Looking For Angeline" was lead track.
[edit] littledeath
Love and Money's fourth and final album, "Littledeath" (1993) was released independently on Iona Gold records and featured what would be the band's last single, "Last Ship on the River". Due primarily to lack of promotion, "Littledeath" sold 25,000, one tenth of the sales for "Strange Kind of Love" and the group were subsequently released from Mercury. Bassist Bobby Paterson split from the band to form a career in bar management and did not feature on this album, Grant himself taking on bass duties. The remainder of the band went their separate ways in 1994, although they did regroup for one final gig at Barrowlands, on 23 December 1994 entitled "Love and Money: RIP" where older hits "River of People", "Halleluiah Man" and "Candybar Express" were dusted off, alongside newer material "Pray For Love", "Johnny's Not Here", and "Pappa Death" and a cover of Bowie's "Ziggy".
[edit] Bobby Paterson 1956 - 2006
Robert Armstrong Paterson was born in 1956 in Carntyne, Glasgow and in the 1970s was the bassist for the group Cado Belle, which also featured the singer Maggie Riley. In the 1980s he recorded with the bands Sandy McClellan and the Backline and also with Set The Tone, where a number of singles were released on Island Records. These records, such as "Rap Your Love" and "Dance Sucker", became club hits at the time, with the later record being given a remix by Francois Kevorkian.
After being involved in the original version of Primal Scream, he became a member of Love and Money, where he stayed for 9 years.
After leaving the band before their last album Littledeath was released, he moved into bar and club management, overlooking Big Beat owned clubs such as Expo and The Tunnel Club as well as being involved in the Glasgow hotel Saint Jude's.
More recently he formed a new band with Bobby Bluebell from 1980s hitmakers The Bluebells, called the Poems.
He died in Glasgow on the 23rd July 2006.
[edit] James Grant
James Grant released his first solo album 'Sawdust in My Veins' in 1998 and has released three further albums, 'My Thrawn Glory', 'I Shot The Albatross' and 'Holy Love'. A 5th solo record is expected later in 2008. Grant also scored the movie "The Near Room" and has collaborated with Capercaillie's Karen Matheson, performing live and writing songs for her solo records.
[edit] Albums
[edit] All You Need Is..Love and Money (1986)
- Candybar Express
- River of People
- Twisted
- Pain is a Gun
- Love & Money
- Dear John
- Cheeseburger
- You're Beautiful
- Temptation Time
[edit] Strange Kind Of Love (1988)
- Halleluiah Man
- Shape of Things To Come
- Strange Kind of Love
- Axis of Love
- Jocelyn Square
- Walk The Last Mile
- Razorsedge
- Inflammable
- Up Escalator
- Avalanche
- Scapegoat
[edit] Dogs In The Traffic (1991)
- Winter
- Johnny's Not Here
- My Love Lives In A Dead House
- Cheap Pearls
- You're Not The Only One
- Looking For Angeline
- Sometimes I Want To Give Up
- Lips Like Ether
- Whisky Dream
- Pappa Death
[edit] Littledeath (1993)
- littledeath (reprise)
- Last Ship on the River
- I'll Catch You When You Fall
- Keep Looking For The Light
- Pray For Love
- Don't Be Afraid of The Dark
- Ugly As Sin
- Love Is Like A Wave
- Bitches Breach
- Kiss of Life
- Sweet Black Luger
- What Time Is The Last Train
- littledeath
[edit] Cheap Pearls and Whisky Dreams: Best of (1999)
- Halleluiah Man
- Winter
- River of People
- Who In Their Right Mind
- Walk The Last Mile
- Last Ship on the River
- My Love Lives in a Dead House
- Looking For Angeline
- Strange Kind of Love
- Jocelyn Square
- You're Beautiful
- Up Escalator
- Wanderlust II
- Sometimes I Want to Give Up
- Pray For Love
- Candybar Express
- Whisky Dream
[edit] Singles
- Candybar Express (1986) UK #56
- Dear John (1986)
- River of People (1987) UK #82
- Love & Money (1987) UK #68
- Halleluiah Man (1988) UK #63
- Strange Kind of Love (1989) UK #45
- Jocelyn Square (1989) UK #51
- Up Escalator (1989) UK #79
- Winter (1991) UK #52
- My Love Lives in a Dead House (1991)
- Wishing Waters EP (1991)
- Last Ship on the River (1994)
