Proclaiming the Proclaimers are brilliant

The original title of this post was "The Proclaimers: Britain's most underrated band?"

After spending a bit of time "researching" on YouTube I realise I sell them hilariously short. They are obviously Britain's most underrated band. And they will continue to be so until British popular opinion catches up with the obvious: they are the only British band to give the Fall any competition as the greatest ever.

Allow me to make my case…





The Proclaimers are the most American, and least English, of British bands. They draw on country, R&B, gospel, mix it up and sing it in their own voices.

They may be British popular music's greatest singers. They are almost certainly the most passionate.

No deep-cuts here; let's just take a tour of the highlights.

1) Letter from America

I know, you've heard it before. Listen to it again. Some of the lyrics are hidden in the beautiful vocal interplay - here they are. A deep, heartfelt song about economic depression and the Scottish diaspora. It's the Pogues, but better!

But look at their glasses! Haha! They wear glasses!


2) Sunshine on Leith

Britain's greatest gospel song, and, along with You'll Never Walk Alone, its greatest football supporter song. Here are the Hibs crowd, post cup final. Good from the beginning, but particularly good from 1minute (wipes away tear).

But haha, look, they're twins!


3) Let's Get Married

This is, without doubt, the most joyful song about commitment. It's direct, passionate, capturing the giddiness of deciding that yes, actually, we will spend the rest of our lives together. (boundary extension and BRING A BOOK, this one's for you.)

But haha, they look a bit funny!


4) 500 Miles

Imagine you've never heard this song before. The Proclaimers' trademarks are all here: mastery of American musical forms, harmony, melody, simple direct lyrics. Now ask yourself, why is this song a bit of a joke? Why does it get played in cheesy nightclubs alongside the Ghostbusters theme and MC Hammer?

Answer: because English people think being Scottish accents are funny. If we'd just taken the Proclaimers for what they were, and stopped being arseholes, this whole Scottish Independence thing would never have got off the ground.

But haha, they're SCOTTISH!

5) There's a Touch

Unfortunately this song doesn't quite live up to that passionate burst as the vocals come in at 0.20, but which song could? This direct, energetic passion - it's something we don't see much of in British music.

We have here a Janus-faced Caledonian D'Angelo and we don't even know it.


Odds and ends

They've taken a lot from country music -- songs about grown-up issues, the direct lyrics -- and they've given back with cover versions.

Billy Bragg can sing Woody Guthrie in his accent, and yet…

And a couple of other ones, just for fun.

You're right - they are brilliant. How could I have been so blind?

No worries.