Del Amitri

Del Amitri's founding member and main songwriter, Justin Currie, explained in 2010 that the band's name "was invented to be meaningless – basically a corruption of the Greek name 'Dimitri'."[5] In 2018, Currie clarified that 'Del Amitri' is a bastardisation of the name of a film producer who appeared in the closing credits of a film he saw in 1979 – "probably Dimitri-something, but we couldn't remember... so eventually through osmosis or maybe Chinese Whispers 'Dimitri' became 'Del Amitri'."[6] Many sources have repeated a claim that the name was chosen because it is Greek for "from the womb",[7] but this is untrue.[8]

Del Amitri grew out of Justin Currie's Jordanhill College School band. The band was formed with the original line-up of Currie (bass and vocals), James Scobbie (guitars), Donald Bentley (guitars) and Paul Tyagi (drums). Scobbie and Bentley left the band in 1982 to study at university. A new line-up came together after Currie placed an advertisement in the window of a music store. Scobbie and Bentley were replaced by Iain Harvie (guitar) and Bryan Tolland (second guitar). From then on, Currie and Harvie have remained the only constant members of the band.

In 1984, Del Amitri were signed by Chrysalis Records, which released their eponymous debut album in 1985.[9]

As recording started for what would become Del Amitri's second album, the line-up changed. Currie and Harvie invited keyboard player Andy Alston to join the band and fired both guitarist Bryan Tolland and drummer Paul Tyagi. Tolland was replaced in the studio by Mick Slaven[9] and Tyagi by The Commotions' Stephen Irvine. However, Slaven and Irvine chose not to join the band full-time and were replaced by David Cummings and Brian McDermott, respectively.[9]

Released in 1989, Waking Hours reached No.6 in the UK Albums Chart and gave the band their most successful UK single, "Nothing Ever Happens", which peaked at No 11. They also gained some mainstream exposure abroad for the first time, as Waking Hours was a success in several territories with the single "Kiss This Thing Goodbye" flirting with the lower reaches of the US Billboard Hot 100's Top 40. In between Waking Hours and their next album, the band released the single "Spit in the Rain", which reached No. 21 in the UK.[9]

The line-up of Currie, Harvie, Alston, Cummings and McDermott proved to be stable and successful. They stayed together to record the follow-up album Change Everything, which was released in 1992 and became the band's biggest chart success, reaching No. 2 in the UK, being held off top spot only by Lionel Ritchie's best-of collection, Back to Front. The single "Always the Last to Know" peaked at No. 13 in the UK, and again provided them with an entry into Top 40 in the US.[9] The video for the song was directed by Oil Factory's Pedro Romhanyi.[10] Their increasing success in the USA led to appearances on the television show Late Night with David Letterman[11] and the Woodstock '94 anniversary festival.[12]

Twisted was released in 1995 and peaked at No. 3 in the UK. Soan joined the band as a permanent member, although on the album, drums were played by Chris Sharrock.[13]

The single "Roll to Me", only a moderate hit in the UK where it reached No. 22, reached the Top 10 in the US charts; this was a noteworthy achievement during an era when British acts were finding success in the US difficult.[1]

Del Amitri's fifth album, Some Other Sucker's Parade, was released in 1997 and reached No. 6 in the UK chart.[14]

The band found it harder to capitalise on their previous successes in the US, however, and lost out on more airplay at home when their record company took the decision to withdraw the album's planned third single "Medicine" in September 1997, putting out a false press story that the lyrics could be interpreted as a critique of the then recently deceased Diana, Princess of Wales.[15]

Five years passed before Del Amitri released another album. In 1998, however, they recorded the official anthem for the Scottish World Cup squad, "Don't Come Home Too Soon". It reached No. 15 on the charts, becoming their third biggest UK hit and their last Top 20 entry to date. They also released a best of album, Hatful of Rain: The Best of Del Amitri, which was a No. 5 success in the UK Albums Chart and was accompanied by a new track, "Cry to Be Found", which reached No. 40.[16]

The 2014 tour line-up of Del Amitri performing at Vicar Street in Dublin.

The album Can You Do Me Good? was released in the spring of 2002. Both the album and the single "Just Before You Leave", reached the Top 40. The band then went on hiatus.[17]

On 18 August 2013, during an interview with Terry Wogan on his BBC Radio 2 programme, Currie hinted at a Del Amitri reunion. A UK tour was subsequently announced. As part of the tour, the band played to 8,000 people in the SSE Hydro, Glasgow on 24 January 2014. A live album, called Into The Mirror, was released following the tour.[18]

Del Amitri reformed again in July 2018, playing eight dates in seven UK cities. Their live set included a new song, 'You Can't Go Back', and a cover of Twenty One Pilots' hit song, "Heathens". In July 2018, Currie said that a new group album and further activity was possible.[19]

On 2 March 2020, drummer Ash Soan revealed that work on Del Amitri's seventh studio album had begun at Vada Studios, Worcestershire.[20] On 8 April, Justin Currie confirmed that the band finished recording the album "the night before the UK-wide lockdown" began on 24 March, and that they expected to tour in January 2021, following a one-off free show in December 2020 for Scottish NHS workers.[21] On 5 May via a short video clip, the band announced that they had signed to Cooking Vinyl.

In November 2020, the band announced new single "Close Your Eyes And Think of England" and released the album title Fatal Mistakes, which is due to be released by Cooking Vinyl on 14 May 2021 alongside bonus album Outtakes & B-side (the latter of which will be available for a limited period with the parent album).[22]

• del Amitri (1985)
• Waking Hours (1989)
• Change Everything (1992)
• Twisted (1995)
• Some Other Sucker's Parade (1997)
• Can You Do Me Good? (2002)
• Fatal Mistakes (2021)

• The Best of Del Amitri: Hatful of Rain (1998)
• Lousy with Love: The B-Sides (1998)
• 20th Century Masters – The Best of Del Amitri (2003)
• The Collection: Best of Del Amitri (2007)

• Into the Mirror: Del Amitri Live in Concert (2014)