(Vocal/instrumental group, 1981–2001) Stuart Adamson began with Scottish punk band The Skids. His Caledonian heritage came to the fore with Big Country, as he employed guitar gizmos to create a choral ‘bagpipe’ sound. The epic, yearning songs of debut album The Crossing (1983) played well in America. The follow-up, the more political Steeltown (1984), was a UK No. 1, and singles such as ‘Wonderland’ and ‘Look Away’ fared well for Scotland’s ...
(Vocal/instrumental group, 1978–86) The brainchild of Kevin Rowland, Dexy’s bagged a UK No. 1 with the punky, singalong soul of ‘Geno’ (1980). The manifesto album Searching For The Young Soul Rebels (1980) backed it up. After internal disruptions, a Celtic element was added, and the stomping anthem ‘Come On Eileen’ from the 1982 album Too-Rye-Ay became a global No. 1. ‘Jackie Wilson Said’ charted in 1982, but a disappointing 1985 album, ...
(Vocals, b. 1961) Born Eithne Patricia Brennan in County Donegal, into the Clannad musical dynasty, Enya trained as a classical pianist, and remains a major innovator in ambient music. Her first solo endeavour was a 1986 BBC soundtrack, The Celts. Her trademark luxuriant soundscapes and melodic mysticism are present and correct. These elements washed through her follow-up, Watermark (1988) – which produced the UK No. 1 ‘Orinoco Flow’ – and all ...
(Vocal/instrumental group, 1982–present) Formed in North London around gifted songwriter Shane MacGowan (vocals). Other long-term members include Spider Stacey (tin whistle, vocals), Jem Finer (banjo, guitar), Phil Chevron (guitar) and Andrew Ranken (drums). They breathed fresh, punky life into Irish music on excellent albums Rum, Sodomy And The Lash (1985) and If I Should Fall From Grace With God (1988), and big hit ‘Fairytale Of New York’ (duet with Kirsty MacColl). ...
(Vocals, b. 1945) After leaving Irish beat group Them, Van Morrison relocated to the States in 1967 to launch a solo career. His debut single ‘Brown Eyed Girl’ was a hit in America but not Britain. His second album Astral Weeks (1968) was a massively influential work, which added Celtic and jazz influences to his R&B and soul roots. Particularly prolific in the mid-1970s, Morrison has made over 30 albums in ...
By 200 BC, the Celts occupied Europe from the Balkans to France, with outposts in Turkey, Spain and the British Isles. However, the rise of Rome, followed by a Germanic drift south, pushed the Celts to the edge of the continent: Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Brittany and the Basque country. One theory suggests that the Celts also had a Mediterranean heritage, and arrived in the west carrying traces of black African culture. ...
AUTHORITATIVE
An extensive music information resource, bringing together the talents and expertise of a wide range of editors and musicologists, including Stanley Sadie, Charles Wilson, Paul Du Noyer, Tony Byworth, Bob Allen, Howard Mandel, Cliff Douse, William Schafer, John Wilson...
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Classical, Rock, Blues, Jazz, Country and more. Flame Tree has been making encyclopaedias and guides about music for over 20 years. Now Flame Tree Pro brings together a huge canon of carefully curated information on genres, styles, artists and instruments. It's a perfect tool for study, and entertaining too, a great companion to our music books.
David Bowie
Fantastic new, unofficial biography covers
his life, music, art and movies, with a
sweep of incredible photographs.
