The Blue Nile: C or D?

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Finney I mean Finery is indeed EXCELLENT.

― Andy K (Andy K), Tuesday, 8 April 2003 17:06 (twenty-three years ago)

Sadly, I probably won't be able to get it here in Glasgow. And I'm internet-shopping averse. If I get it, I'll make a copy and give it to Paul Buchanan, I see him quite often, coming out of the local Safeways.

― Cozen (Cozen), Tuesday, 8 April 2003 17:08 (twenty-three years ago)

("I can't breathe"!!!)

― Cozen (Cozen), Tuesday, 8 April 2003 17:13 (twenty-three years ago)

I was thinking about why "Peace at Last" never appealed to me, and I reckon it's because it cuts the (admittedly tenuous) connection with disco. I love every single moment of "Tinseltown In The Rain", but the point where it really blows me away is the final string-riff loops where the disco beat suddenly gets more pronounced, and the whole song takes on this aura of bittersweet triumph. I could well imagine the song being the inspiration for Luomo's "The Present Lover". Actually Luomo could do a lot with a remix of The Blue Nile.

I was trying to think of more music from the eighties that fits into this area of explicitly emotional quasi-dance pop, but I couldn't get far beyond The Hounds of Love. Any ideas?

― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Thursday, 10 April 2003 00:44 (twenty-three years ago)

I have Hats, and that's definitely a Classic.

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Thursday, 10 April 2003 01:09 (twenty-three years ago)

was trying to think of more music from the eighties that fits into this area of explicitly emotional quasi-dance pop, but I couldn't get far beyond The Hounds of Love. Any ideas?

Associates surely fit this description.

But Tim is OTM regarding Tinseltown being a lost dance classic, I certainly remember hearing it in clubs in Dundee in the mid-80's. Apparently they had some of their work from Hats remixed by Oakenfold (or some other name remixer), but they nixed it on hearing it. Now that I'd like to hear.

― Billy Dods (Billy Dods), Thursday, 10 April 2003 07:32 (twenty-three years ago)

My other half was Paul's telephone answering service[flatmate]all through the writing and release of the first record.He says there was definately a whole bunch of up and happy songs right after rooftops.I met Paul once and he can do charm.Happy Easter everybody.

― jean bowman, Sunday, 20 April 2003 09:51 (twenty-three years ago)

Happy Easter Jean.

Where did the up and happy songs go, then? Left to rot as demos?

― Cozen (Cozen), Sunday, 20 April 2003 10:11 (twenty-three years ago)

Ta for the greetings. Re demos there must be millyens of them . If you see Paul ask him. I hear that Heatwave had five minutes of birds and boats before the music and even that was cut down from a long session outdoors. Regards to the West End, it must be great this time of year.

― jean bowman, Sunday, 20 April 2003 19:05 (twenty-three years ago)

It is, it's lovely.

I don't think I'd have the bare-faced gall to actually talk to the man though.

It feels a bit criminal to actually listen to the Blue Nile at this time of year though, like I'm going to shatter the mood.

― Cozen (Cozen), Sunday, 20 April 2003 19:12 (twenty-three years ago)

Interesting thread.

1. The only track I know is 'I Love This Life', which the Nipper gave me. The Nipper is right about it.

2. Cozen's big post above is indeed good, and indeed structurally resembles one of mine. But no, I didn't take my own structure from anyone else.

3. Whether or not the Bedingfield link is apt, I don't think 'emotional overinvolvement' etc is necessarily the key to 'If You're Not The One': what woke me up to that track was simply the rare quality of its tune.

― the pinefox, Monday, 21 April 2003 09:20 (twenty-three years ago)

There is a West End in Autumn when the freshers get free from mum and dad and the bar owners give thanks that summer is over.There are the foggy winter nights when you walk home after parties to the sound of nightingales and there is the first heatwave when everyone skips studies to lie on the grass but the story I most like is Paul being kept awake by people some might say were winos singing on hot summer nights and he went to the kitchen, made them sandwiches, then went to the park, got to know them and and joined in. I think the west end is the right mood.All of it.Yo sho lucky to be there.

― jean bowman, Wednesday, 23 April 2003 19:22 (twenty-three years ago)

two months pass...

If I crack this open tonight, you might never see me on ILx again.

― David. (Cozen), Sunday, 20 July 2003 21:26 (twenty-two years ago)

:-(

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Sunday, 20 July 2003 22:48 (twenty-two years ago)

I finally got the Coloma album today. I'm not entirely sold on all of it, but 'Welcome To Arcadia' is the best four minutes of pop I've heard all year.

― RickyT (RickyT), Tuesday, 22 July 2003 18:32 (twenty-two years ago)

OK, now I'm sold on it.

― RickyT (RickyT), Tuesday, 22 July 2003 21:47 (twenty-two years ago)

Ha ha Ricky that was exactly how it happened for me too.

― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Wednesday, 23 July 2003 05:27 (twenty-two years ago)

two weeks pass...

"What do you say when three years into a relationship the only things holding you together is the fear of breaking the ties you?ve built in the outside world as a unit? When an offer of tea is the only lull in the silence? ?Let?s go out tonight?, one last time, meet up with the ghost of your happiness, it can be the same again, you will dance, for one night, oh to bed the same different woman every night, and leave the relationship strafed with cigarette burns and headaches in, alone."

This feels terrifyingly prescient in light of recent of events. If I can be specious for a moment.

― David. (Cozen), Thursday, 7 August 2003 18:09 (twenty-two years ago)

four months pass...

god they are classic. hats is just really beautiful. i want the world to be this beautiful.

― Aaron Grossman (aajjgg), Monday, 22 December 2003 05:07 (twenty-two years ago)

i think if i had had this record in high school i would have killed myself. i dont know how to explain.

― Aaron Grossman (aajjgg), Monday, 22 December 2003 06:08 (twenty-two years ago)

The juncture between the beauty present in that record and that present in your life? I got into The Blue Nile when I was sixteen and it felt a bit like that.

― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Monday, 22 December 2003 08:51 (twenty-two years ago)

Like, "Do I love you?? YES I love you!!" feels even more bittersweet if the person you're singing it about is only imaginary.

― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Monday, 22 December 2003 08:52 (twenty-two years ago)

... shouted from imaginary rooftops in an imaginary city.

― fields of salmon (fieldsofsalmon), Monday, 22 December 2003 09:40 (twenty-two years ago)

hard to say. it was just a very very emotionally intense time (as it was for most) and maybe the album would have pushed me over the edge. the person wasnt imaginary, just the potential for a relationship. i met someone when i was sixteen who knew more about me than i did.

the city doesnt have to be imaginary. any city is good when the street lights are reflected in puddles on the sidewalk.

― Aaron Grossman (aajjgg), Monday, 22 December 2003 17:57 (twenty-two years ago)

pavement.

; )

― RJG (RJG), Monday, 22 December 2003 17:58 (twenty-two years ago)

the three times i can remember hearing the Blue Nile on the radio
1. 'tinseltown in the rain' in a chipshop in Maryhill. i'm 15 and its the first time i've heard them. i strain to hear who its by.
2. 'downtown lights'. i'm 20 and driving home after splitting up with someone, it comes on my battered car radio and i finally fall in love with 'hats' (which i hadnt been to impressed with).
3. 'saturday night' in a cafe/bar near the gaudi cathedral in barcelona a couple of years ago. i suddenly feel very homesick.

― zappi (joni), Monday, 22 December 2003 18:26 (twenty-two years ago)

Maryhill! i live there!

― jed (jed_e_3), Monday, 22 December 2003 23:06 (twenty-two years ago)

haha point of shame: i followed p4ul buch4nan (de-googlable to protect myself, wince wince) home the other night.

still utterly classic. i only wish someone else would make music this good sometime soon, i thk i might've worn out my copies of hats and rooftops.

― cozen (Cozen), Monday, 22 December 2003 23:55 (twenty-two years ago)

now that's funny!

― jed (jed_e_3), Tuesday, 23 December 2003 00:03 (twenty-two years ago)

I only just spotted Cozen's O'Hara pastiche.

― the pinefox, Tuesday, 23 December 2003 22:24 (twenty-two years ago)

Such a great band, so many bad ideas.

I fell asleep listening to Hats last night and woke up to track 6, 'Seven A.M.,' and thought this must be a precursor to Stereolab's mutation of Neu!'s motorik sound. I'm listening to it again now and not really hearing it. Maybe I was dreaming, or confused. Okay, now it's coming on.

― youn, Wednesday, 24 December 2003 02:05 (twenty-two years ago)

I thought their 80s albums were great, but they should have kept to that New Romantics influenced sound, as the more organic 90s album was somewhat ill-advised.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Wednesday, 24 December 2003 02:07 (twenty-two years ago)

Btw. Speaking of Talk Talk, isn't David Sylvian a natural reference too?

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Wednesday, 24 December 2003 02:08 (twenty-two years ago)

Ooops. I didn't mean it was a bad idea. I thought it was kinda cool. I only wanted to reference Hamish's post cos I didn't think of them as innovators until I read his remark.

― youn, Wednesday, 24 December 2003 02:12 (twenty-two years ago)

WAART is innovative, edgy, and hard to categorize. Hats sounds like there's a layer of importance missing — like quality.

― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Thursday, 25 December 2003 08:17 (twenty-two years ago)

That said, AMG says this about WATRT (apologies for the incorrect acronym above), which I've never heard:

"The Blue Nile's debut album has a rather fascinating genesis. Scotland's Linn Electronics, makers of the famous LinnDrums rhythm boxes, wanted a demo track to demonstrate the fidelity and versatility of their new digital recording console and tapped a struggling local trio, the Blue Nile, to provide it. Their effort was a deliberately disjunctive song called "A Walk Across the Rooftops." To demonstrate the recording equipment's dynamic range and clarity, the song was arranged most peculiarly, with vocals, guitar, bass, keyboards, drums, and full string and horn sections all appearing, but never at the same time. Linn liked the song so much that they formed a record label and bankrolled the recording of this full album."

― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Thursday, 25 December 2003 08:19 (twenty-two years ago)

seven months pass...

Revive! New album (_High_) out 8/31.

― Chris Hill (Chris Hill), Friday, 20 August 2004 20:01 (twenty-one years ago)

hasn't this been out for a while already and everyone agreed it was shit?

― kyle (akmonday), Friday, 20 August 2004 20:09 (twenty-one years ago)

Promos have been circulating for a while, and there should be samples up on various websites. From the BN Yahoogroups list, I'd say it's been a bell curve of mostly praise. Only a few have said it's shit, though I wouldn't expect a fan list to destroy a new effort.

I'm saving my judgment until I hear it. It'll be hard to top _Hats_ in my book, but I'm not expecting them to set a new watermark. I'm just looking forward to setting up my own vibe with the record, and replaying the earlier albums for contrast & comparison.

― Chris Hill (Chris Hill), Friday, 20 August 2004 20:17 (twenty-one years ago)

... the story I most like is Paul being kept awake by people some might say were winos singing on hot summer nights and he went to the kitchen, made them sandwiches, then went to the park, got to know them and and joined in.

-- jean bowman ( ... ), April 23rd, 2003.

That's a great story.

― Chris Hill (Chris Hill), Friday, 20 August 2004 20:20 (twenty-one years ago)

4 posts and no Cozen!

As I lately said to JtN, I fear that the Blue Nile may actually be worse than I want them to be.

I blame RJG's car.

― the bluefox, Friday, 20 August 2004 20:37 (twenty-one years ago)

Would he not consider that an insult?

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 20 August 2004 20:39 (twenty-one years ago)

Here's hoping!!

― the bellefox, Friday, 20 August 2004 20:45 (twenty-one years ago)

> Scotland's Linn Electronics, makers of the famous LinnDrums
> rhythm boxes

*wince*

Totally incorrect. Linn the hi-fi systems manufacturer has absolutely nothing to do with the long-defunct drum machine manufacturer of the same name. What lazy journalism.

― Palomino (Palomino), Friday, 20 August 2004 22:16 (twenty-one years ago)

I'm not sure I'll ever be completely bonkers over The Blue Nile but they do have a real nice soft spot in my heart. Anyone here heard the first single I Love This Life/The Second Act? Or the track they did with trumpet player Chris Botti called "Midnight Without You"? I like these a lot.

― Bimble (bimble), Friday, 20 August 2004 22:35 (twenty-one years ago)

oh!

― RJG (RJG), Friday, 20 August 2004 22:45 (twenty-one years ago)

New Blue Nile Album

― scott seward (scott seward), Saturday, 21 August 2004 00:19 (twenty-one years ago)

Thanks for the link, Scott. Your words at the bottom of it made the few worries I had disappear.

― Chris Hill (Chris Hill), Saturday, 21 August 2004 02:49 (twenty-one years ago)

Linn Records the label had everything to do with Linndrums, though, dude.

― Colin Meeder (Mert), Saturday, 21 August 2004 08:53 (twenty-one years ago)

Stylistically, you mean?

― Palomino (Palomino), Saturday, 21 August 2004 09:12 (twenty-one years ago)

Skipping 512 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

wait, I saw schoenbrun say those words on twitter, but I didn’t realize they were referring to the score of the new movie…

― comrade jhøsh (k3vin k.), Saturday, 14 February 2026 02:41 (three months ago)

https://pitchfork.com/news/alex-g-the-blue-nile-paul-buchanan-to-score-jane-schoenbrun-new-film/

oh man

― comrade jhøsh (k3vin k.), Saturday, 14 February 2026 02:42 (three months ago)

Yeah a definite plus for sure. Will be fascinating to hear the end results!

― Ned Raggett, Saturday, 14 February 2026 16:59 (three months ago)

two months pass...

lovely edit of heatwave here...

https://bleachingagent.bandcamp.com/track/hw-version-2

― Ash Ra Pimples (NickB), Monday, 20 April 2026 17:33 (one month ago)

Will pick that up. Version 1 is nice, also.

But BOO for the rise of "Buchanan's album release?" hope, dashed on the rocks.

― the body of a spider... (scampering alpaca), Monday, 20 April 2026 18:46 (one month ago)

Paul Buchanan turned 70 last week. Doesn’t bode well for new material.

― Dan Worsley, Monday, 20 April 2026 18:51 (one month ago)

girl, he’s appearing on a movie score in just a few months

― ivy., Monday, 20 April 2026 19:07 (one month ago)

Ooh exciting. Searches internet. One track. Ah well, going to be great anyway.

― Dan Worsley, Monday, 20 April 2026 19:49 (one month ago)

two weeks pass...

listening to a jazz mix this morning and this came up -- I didn't clock it until the chorus and then it blew me away. there's a whole album of it from last year!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w7jQ0d5RKkg-

― J Edgar Noothgrush (Joan Crawford Loves Chachi), Wednesday, 6 May 2026 15:21 (one month ago)

oh hell yeah

― shaking babies (map), Wednesday, 6 May 2026 15:29 (one month ago)

partial to their "let's go out tonight"

― shaking babies (map), Wednesday, 6 May 2026 15:40 (one month ago)

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