The River Detectives
Encyclopedia
The River Detectives were a folk rock
duo
from Craigneuk
in Motherwell, Scotland
. The duo, formed in 1985, comprised Sam Corry (vocals
, guitar
, harmonica
) and Dan O'Neil (vocals, guitar, drum
s). The River Detectives have released three album
s to date and had a UK
Top 40 hit
with their song
, "Chains".
played their first show
at Jack Daniel's Pub in Motherwell on 18 August 1986. They quickly built a following at their acoustic
and electric shows. In 1988 the band toured extensively in Scotland and attracted the interest of the Warner Bros. Records
label
, becoming the first Scottish band to sign for them in over a decade. Shortly afterwards, the duo moved to Glasgow
to pen the songs for their debut album, Saturday Night Sunday Morning. The album gathered momentum worldwide and gained a silver disk
for UK sales, spawning a Top 40 hit with "Chains". In 1990, Glasgow hosted The Big Day to celebrate the 'City Of Culture' status. The River Detectives were one of the headline bands at The Riverside that day.
The band recruited Van Morrison
's backing group for the follow-up album, Elvis Has Left The Building, released in 1992. The album's title is a reference to the state of music at the time of the record's release when computer technology and the rise of the DJ
were rampant and conventional performers were becoming peripheral. After the album's release, the band relocated to Ireland
, where they wrote and toured extensively and guested on a number of records
. By 1996 the band had hit a crossroads when they received the news that the record had produced two Top 10 singles in South Africa
. After playing the Splashy Fen
festival
in the Natal Province
, the band received further invitations to tour in the country and relocated to Durban
for a year before returning to the UK in 2000 to take a break.
The duo reunited when Corry asked O'Neil for assistance in finishing lyrics
to a new song, "Capetown to Glasgow". This song featured on their third release, King of the Ghost Train Ride, which was released on Neontetra Records in 2005.
The duo played a full band set in Glasgow on 28 September 2009, which they announced during the show was their farewell gig.
Folk rock
Folk rock is a musical genre combining elements of folk music and rock music. In its earliest and narrowest sense, the term referred to a genre that arose in the United States and the UK around the mid-1960s...
duo
Duet (music)
A duet is a musical composition for two performers. In classical music, the term is most often used for a composition for two singers or pianists; with other instruments, the word duo is also often used. A piece performed by two pianists performing together on the same piano is referred to as...
from Craigneuk
Craigneuk
Craigneuk is a suburb of Wishaw, North Lanarkshire, Scotland. The original village of Craigneuk was located in the area where Meadowhead Road meets Glasgow Road. It was originally part of Dalziel parish along with the other rural weaving villages of Flemington, Windmillhill and Motherwell....
in Motherwell, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. The duo, formed in 1985, comprised Sam Corry (vocals
Human voice
The human voice consists of sound made by a human being using the vocal folds for talking, singing, laughing, crying, screaming, etc. Its frequency ranges from about 60 to 7000 Hz. The human voice is specifically that part of human sound production in which the vocal folds are the primary...
, guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, harmonica
Harmonica
The harmonica, also called harp, French harp, blues harp, and mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used primarily in blues and American folk music, jazz, country, and rock and roll. It is played by blowing air into it or drawing air out by placing lips over individual holes or multiple holes...
) and Dan O'Neil (vocals, guitar, drum
Drum
The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments, which is technically classified as the membranophones. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player's hands, or with a...
s). The River Detectives have released three album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
s to date and had a UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Top 40 hit
Hit record
A hit record is a sound recording, usually in the form of a single or album, that sells a large number of copies or otherwise becomes broadly popular or well-known, through airplay, club play, inclusion in a film or stage play soundtrack, causing it to have "hit" one of the popular chart listings...
with their song
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
, "Chains".
History
The bandMusical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
played their first show
Concert
A concert is a live performance before an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, a choir, or a musical band...
at Jack Daniel's Pub in Motherwell on 18 August 1986. They quickly built a following at their acoustic
Acoustic music
Acoustic music comprises music that solely or primarily uses instruments which produce sound through entirely acoustic means, as opposed to electric or electronic means...
and electric shows. In 1988 the band toured extensively in Scotland and attracted the interest of the Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records Inc. is an American record label. It was the foundation label of the present-day Warner Music Group, and now operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of that corporation. It maintains a close relationship with its former parent, Warner Bros. Pictures, although the two companies...
label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
, becoming the first Scottish band to sign for them in over a decade. Shortly afterwards, the duo moved to 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...
to pen the songs for their debut album, Saturday Night Sunday Morning. The album gathered momentum worldwide and gained a silver disk
Music recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
for UK sales, spawning a Top 40 hit with "Chains". In 1990, Glasgow hosted The Big Day to celebrate the 'City Of Culture' status. The River Detectives were one of the headline bands at The Riverside that day.
The band recruited Van Morrison
Van Morrison
Van Morrison, OBE is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and musician. His live performances at their best are regarded as transcendental and inspired; while some of his recordings, such as the studio albums Astral Weeks and Moondance, and the live album It's Too Late to Stop Now, are widely...
's backing group for the follow-up album, Elvis Has Left The Building, released in 1992. The album's title is a reference to the state of music at the time of the record's release when computer technology and the rise of the DJ
Disc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
were rampant and conventional performers were becoming peripheral. After the album's release, the band relocated to Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
, where they wrote and toured extensively and guested on a number of records
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...
. By 1996 the band had hit a crossroads when they received the news that the record had produced two Top 10 singles in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
. After playing the Splashy Fen
Splashy Fen
Established in 1990, Splashy Fen is South Africa’s longest-running music festival, which every Easter attracts thousands of people to a farm near Underberg in KwaZulu-Natal for a unique outdoor music experience....
festival
Music festival
A music festival is a festival oriented towards music that is sometimes presented with a theme such as musical genre, nationality or locality of musicians, or holiday. They are commonly held outdoors, and are often inclusive of other attractions such as food and merchandise vending machines,...
in the Natal Province
Natal Province
Natal, meaning "Christmas" in Portuguese, was a province of South Africa from 1910 until 1994. Its capital was Pietermaritzburg. The Natal Province included the bantustan of KwaZulu...
, the band received further invitations to tour in the country and relocated to Durban
Durban
Durban is the largest city in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal and the third largest city in South Africa. It forms part of the eThekwini metropolitan municipality. Durban is famous for being the busiest port in South Africa. It is also seen as one of the major centres of tourism...
for a year before returning to the UK in 2000 to take a break.
The duo reunited when Corry asked O'Neil for assistance in finishing lyrics
Lyrics
Lyrics are a set of words that make up a song. The writer of lyrics is a lyricist or lyrist. The meaning of lyrics can either be explicit or implicit. Some lyrics are abstract, almost unintelligible, and, in such cases, their explication emphasizes form, articulation, meter, and symmetry of...
to a new song, "Capetown to Glasgow". This song featured on their third release, King of the Ghost Train Ride, which was released on Neontetra Records in 2005.
The duo played a full band set in Glasgow on 28 September 2009, which they announced during the show was their farewell gig.
Albums
- Saturday Night Sunday Morning (1989) - UKUK Albums ChartThe UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
#51 - Elvis Has Left The Building (1992)
- King of the Ghost Train Ride (2005)
Singles
- "You Don't Know a Thing About Her"
- "Chains"
- "Saturday Night Sunday Morning"
- "Will You Spin Me Round"
- "Acoustic Broadsides" (10" singles)
- "Blue Collar Love Song" (download only single)