The Proclaimers
The Proclaimers are a Scottish rock duo formed in 1983 by twin brothers Craig and Charlie Reid (born 5 March 1962).[1] They came to attention with their 1987 single "Letter from America", which reached No. 3 in the United Kingdom, and the 1988 single "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)", which topped charts in Australia,[2][3] Iceland and New Zealand.[4] The duo's biggest album, Sunshine on Leith (1988) has been certified multi-Platinum in Australia and Canada, selling over 2 million copies worldwide, including around 700,000 in the United States.[5] The Proclaimers have sold over 5 million albums worldwide.[6][7]
The Proclaimers
Auchtermuchty, Fife, Scotland
1983–present
Charlie Reid
Craig Reid
Backing band
Steven Christie (keyboard)
Clive Jenner (drums)
Garry John Kane (bass guitar)
Zac Ware (electric guitar)
First active from 1983 as an acoustic duo,[1] the Proclaimers moved toward band-oriented rock in later works. The Proclaimers' style draws from a diversity of influences, including country, folk[8][9] and punk rock.[10] Their playing range has included roots rock,[11] alternative rock[12] and folk rock,[13] and their music is typified by their Scottish accents.[8] The Proclaimers often tour internationally[8] and have released 12 studio albums since 1987, the most recent being 2022's Dentures Out, as well as three compilation albums and a DVD.
Influences and style[edit]
Influences[edit]
Craig Reid has acknowledged 1970s punk rock as a major influence,[10] citing the Clash, the Jam, the Damned and the Sex Pistols as inspirational.[10][9] On the punk influence, Stuff New Zealand remarked that punk bands galvanized the Proclaimers into making "whatever music they liked, in their own way, using their own accents".[9] Other notable influences were 1960s music, such as The Beatles, Bob Dylan, The Kinks, Van Morrison, Rolling Stones,[10][73] and 1950s American pop acts such as The Everly Brothers, the duo themselves being described as a "post-punk Everly Brothers", and Frankie Laine.[74] Other influences include Dexys Midnight Runners,[10] Joy Division,[75] and Bruce Springsteen.[8]
When exploring lyrical influences in a 2012 interview with The Scotsman, the Proclaimers cited Dexys' Kevin Rowland, The Blockheads' Ian Dury, Joe Strummer of the Clash, the Smiths vocalist Morrissey and Merle Haggard as their "favourite lyricists".[76]
Style[edit]
Described by Timothy Monger of AllMusic as a "charismatic amalgam", the Proclaimers' style of music incorporates elements of country,[8][9] folk,[8][9][51] new wave,[51] pop,[51] punk rock,[51] rock,[8] rockabilly[9] and soul.[8] Stylistically, the Proclaimers have been typified as alternative folk,[8] alternative rock,[12] Celtic pop,[77] country folk,[78] folk rock,[13] post-punk,[79] rhythm and blues,[11] and roots rock.[11]
The vocals in the Proclaimers' music are characterized by distinct Scottish accents.[8] Describing this to The Courier in 2018, Craig Reid commented "it was a conscious thing, because we were singing about where we live, our experiences and it just felt stupid to sing in an English or American accent".[56]
Impact and influence[edit]
Many bands and artists have cited the Proclaimers as an influence or inspiration, including the Balconies,[80] Barenaked Ladies,[81] Belle and Sebastian,[8] Camera Obscura,[8] the Concretes,[8] Jens Lekman,[8] Sondre Lerche,[8] Lonely Dear,[8] Oppenheimer, Peter Bjorn and John[8] and the Weepies.[8]
Recalling feeling an immediate kinship with the Proclaimers after discovering This Is the Story, Steven Page of Barenaked Ladies commented that "[the album] was perfect for us because it was exactly what we were; two guys with acoustic guitars, singing in harmony. It had all the energy of punk rock but just with acoustic guitars and voices".[81]
Many acts have performed cover versions of Proclaimers songs, including Imagine Dragons,[82] L7,[82][83] and Todd Rundgren.[82]
Sunshine on Leith, a stage musical spotlighting the songs of The Proclaimers, was named in renown of the group's second studio album and its title track.[84] The TMAAward-winning musical debuted in 2007,[85][86] and the film adaptation, starring Peter Mullan and Jane Horrocks, was completed in 2013,[87] grossing over US$4.7 million after debuting at No. 3 in the UK box office.[88][89]
The song Sunshine On Leith was featured on the BBC Radio 4 programme Soul Music on 15 December 2020.
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