Ruby Blue

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This article is about the UK music group. For other uses, see Ruby Blue (disambiguation).
Ruby Blue
Ruby Blue
Ruby Blue
Background information
Origin England
Genre(s) Folk Rock
Years active 1986 - 1993
Label(s) Red Flame Records

Ruby Blue were a UK folk rock/pop band of the late 1980s and early 1990s. Fronted by Rebecca Pidgeon, they released a total of four albums, beginning with Glances Askances in 1987 and Down From Above in 1990. The original members of the band were Rebecca and Roger Fife. Erika Spotswood and Anthony Coote joined for the album Down From Above.

Rebecca Pidgeon left the band in late 1990 due to differences between her and Roger Fife. Rebecca married the playwright David Mamet in 1991. She later went on to have a solo singing and acting career, and to date has released four albums of songs. The album Broken Water, a compilation of pre-Down From Above material, was released after the breakup by Red Flame records.

Between Glances Askances and Down From Above the band released a flexidisc 'Easy' on the Fatea label, in conjunction Fatea magazine as a thank you for the support the magazine provided during their early career.

Two of the original members, Erika (now called Erika Woods), and Roger, kept the name and released a fourth album, Almost Naked, but it was very unsuccessful, and no further recordings were published. Erika, like Rebecca an alumnus of RADA, moved to Los Angeles and married Tony Philips, the producer of Down from Above, and has had a minor career as an actress. Roger went on to become a successful producer/engineer/mixer and has worked with a variety of artists including Cyndi Lauper, Antony and the Johnsons, Tricky, and The Assassins.

Always difficult to categorise, their style was mainly pop with strong folk influences, with occasional forays into jazz (Betty's Last Letter, Too Many Suitcases, Meaning of Life). Some songs have a slightly Scottish theme (Meaning of Life, Not Alone), drawing on Rebecca Pidgeon and Roger's time in Edinburgh.

Contents

[edit] Background and Early History

In autumn 1986, Roger (then in Edinburgh) sent a home-recorded cassette of some demos he and Rebecca had made at his home to Red Flame Records in London, which was a small indie record company owned by Dave Kitson. At that time the duo called themselves R'n'R. Kitson arranged to meet them, and agreed to fund the album which became Glances Askances. After this first album was released three further singles were released by Red Flame; Because, Bloomsbury Blue and Stand Together (which received widespread radio play and entered the top 30 UK Indie charts).

Anthony was recruited to the band via an advertisement placed in Melody Maker magazine. Erika Spotswood, a college friend of Rebecca, was added to sing harmony vocals.

[edit] Singles

Ruby Blue released the following singles. Some tracks were not released on any of their albums (Positive Love Song, Say Goodbye, The Traveller, Sally Free and Easy and The Raven).

  • Give us our flag back b/w The quiet mind; June 1987 (7").
  • So unlike me b/w Life and Times of the Twentieth Century; September 1987 (7" and 12").
  • Because b/w The Ruby Blue; April 1988 (7" and 12"; 12" also has extended mix of The Ruby Blue).
  • Bloomsbury Blue b/w Save Me; November 1988 (7" and 12"; 12" also has Childs Song).
  • Stand Together b/w Easy; February 1989 (7" and 12"; 12" also has Too Many Suitcases).
  • The Quiet Mind (for Joe) b/w Positive Love Song; April 1990 (7", 12" and CD single; 12" and CDs also have Say Goodbye (live)).
  • Primitive Man b/w The Traveller; June 1990 (7", 12", CDs; 12" and CDs also have Betty's Last Letter and an extended mix of Primitive Man).
  • Can It Be b/w Something's Gone Wrong; September 1990 (7", 12", CDs; 12" and CDs also have Sally Free and Easy and The Raven).

After the split, Ruby Blue released two further singles:

  • I Feel Good Now b/w Get Your Life Back; June 1991 (7", 12", CDs; 12" also has Am I Turning Into You? and CDs also has Too Far and Smile Slow).
  • Done My Thinking b/w Magnificent Truth and Almost Naked; June 1993 (CDs).

[edit] Glances Askances

Glances Askances was the first album, released on Red Flame Records in October 1987 on LP, and re-released in January 1991 on CD. It features Rebecca and Roger. It has a raw and slightly tinny sound, in keeping with its low production budget (the whole album was recorded for £3000). Despite this, there is a creativity and energy to the music which is captivating. It contains the following tracks:

  • Give Us Our Flag Back
  • The Quiet Mind
  • Just Relax
  • So Unlike Me
  • Walking Home
  • The Meaning of Life
  • Wintry Day
  • Sitting in a Cafe
  • Bless You

[edit] Down From Above

Down from Above was their best (and best-known) album, released in August 1990 after signing a deal with Fontana. The production quality was markedly improved, with strong melodic themes, expressive lyrics, and rousing, spiritual harmonies. Several of the tracks are reworkings of earlier material, with considerable improvement (especially The Quiet Mind). The track list is:

  • Primitive Man
  • The Quiet Mind (for Joe)
  • Take Your Money
  • Can It Be?
  • Away from Here
  • Pavan
  • Stand Together
  • Betty's Last Letter
  • Bloomsbury Blue
  • Midnight Road
  • Not Alone
  • Song of the Mermaid
  • Something's Gone Wrong
  • Epitaph

David Mamet wrote the lyrics for Primitive Man and Epitaph, and provided backing vocals on Pavan. Another (very different) rendition of Primitive Man appears on Rebecca's solo album The New York Girls' Club; the only Ruby Blue song to feature in her solo material.

Epitaph refers to the Marchioness disaster of 20th August 1989, where 51 people lost their lives in a collision between a pleasure boat and a dredger in the River Thames [1]. Roger Fife and Erika Spotswood were attendees at the Marchioness party and were amongst the lucky survivors. Their witness statements can be viewed on the above link. A drama-documentary about the Marchioness disaster in which both Roger and Erica were portrayed was dropped by ITV in August 2007 after relatives of the deceased described it as "distressing and insensitive". [2]

[edit] Broken Water

Broken Water, released in February 1992, is a compilation of original Red Flame material recorded in late 1987 and early 1989, and therefore featuring only Rebecca and Roger. Once again the quality of the production is disappointing, as most of the songs were recorded as demos and were never intended for release.

  • Easy
  • Stand Together
  • Away From Here
  • Life and Times of the Twentieth Century
  • Somebody Say Something
  • Because
  • Shining Snow
  • Save Me
  • Child's Song
  • The Ruby Blue
  • Too Many Suitcases
  • Bloomsbury Blue
  • Betty
  • Stuart

[edit] Paradise

Paradise was the title of a limited-release cassette (possibly fan-club only) released by Ruby Blue in January 1992. It contained the following tracks:

  • Bless You
  • Strength of Mind
  • Paradise
  • Elvis
  • Should Know Better
  • I Feel Good Now
  • Beyond Us
  • Too Far
  • High 'n' Low

[edit] Almost Naked

In a seemingly desperate attempt to keep the band alive, their final album, Almost Naked, was released on Red Flame in April 1993. But the sparkle was gone, and the album is considered dull and lifeless, as well as stylistically very different from the earlier material. The track list is:

  • Recreate Your Kiss
  • Your Way
  • High For a While
  • Goddess
  • You'll Find Out
  • I Still Love You
  • Done My Thinking
  • Strength of Mind
  • Magnificent Truth
  • Almost Naked

[edit] External links