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News 28th May 2008: David Scott & Norman Blake Live Videos Live from the Carnegie Hall, Dunfermline - via YouTube (ya tube)...
12th May 2008: David Scott & Norman Blake Live - 16th May Live at the Carnegie Hall, Dunfermline - www.tigerfest.co.uk
A unique bond formed between two of Scotland's finest songwriters as they toured Europe together in 2007 as part of the 'Sit Down and Sing' tour. Accompanied by a string quartet and other friends, David and Norman will perform some classic tracks from the Pearlfishers' and the Teenage Fanclub catalogues with a few choice surprises along the way! David Scott After an extended hiatus, Glasgow's The Pearlfishers returned refreshed and all improved with Up With The Larks, their sixth album for Marina Records. The album is clear evidence that main Pearlfisher David Scott continues his unique musical journey with renewed joy and verve - and that classic songwriting and well-crafted arrangements are alive and well in 2007. The Pearlfishers are firmly rooted in the classic tradition of three minute cinematics as pioneered by Webb, McCartney and recently Rufus Wainwright. "The Sunday Mail Scottish Album of the Year for 2007"- Billy Sloan
Norman Blake Norman Blake happens to be one of the best songwriters to have come out of Scotland. This has not been said often enough over the years. After first gaining acclaim for a densely melodic sound which anticipated the coming emergence of grunge, Norman and Teenage Fanclub spent their careers as torch-bearers for the power pop revival, unparalleled among their generation for both their unwavering adherence to and brilliant reinvention of the classic guitar pop approach of vintage acts like Big Star and Badfinger. Event
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Date:16 May 2008 10th May 2008: David Scott & Norman Blake - Scotsman Article One of the highlights of this year's Tigerfest music festival is a gig next week featuring two of the most influential men in Scottish pop: David Scott of the Pearlfishers and Norman Blake of Teenage Fanclub. The pair have appeared together on collaborative projects in the past, but it was when they toured Europe together last autumn, playing each other's songs, that the current partnership was forged. The rapport between them is uncanny and attempts to find cracks in the perfect facade of their relationship prove futile: theirs really does seem to be a musical match made in heaven. Here, in their own words, Scott and Blake explain how it all came to work out so well. David on Norman: "Everybody always says that Norman is the nicest guy in pop, and I guess that was probably my first impression of him. We first met through Douglas Stewart of BMX Bandits. Norman came and played in a series of concerts that Douglas and I did a few years ago, one featuring the music of Serge Gainsbourg and another featuring the music of Ennio Morricone. I'd been a fan of his records with Teenage Fanclub anyway, but there's something about hearing an amazing singer in person that just knocks your socks off - it's the kind of thing you never quite forget. After that, I'd always thought that if there was ever an excuse to work with Norman Blake I would take it without thinking twice. My favourite Norman songs are ones like Planets and The Concept. I love all the Fanclub songs, but Norman's are probably most in my world - they are the ones I most aspire to as a songwriter myself. There's a simplicity about them but there's a sophistication as well, an effortless sophistication. That's the kind of thing that drives you mad as a songwriter, trying to achieve that. It's been a real marriage of sensibility and I think that makes for a richness in what we do. There are lots of bits I really love in the show, but I think my favourite is right at the end. Last year we were closing with an encore of Hammond Song by the Roaches and that became the unofficial hymn of the tour. It's beautiful song, so make sure you stay to the end. Norman on David: The first thing that struck me about David is that he's a very, very talented musician. Most people think of him as a piano player, but his first instrument is actually the guitar, and he's a fabulous guitarist. He's recorded a lot of stuff for Geographic, Stephen Pastel's label, including some Japanese bands who are pretty out there. People tend to associate David with the pop thing the Pearlfishers do, but he's very open-minded in terms of music. Our paths have crossed several times, but I remember there was one thing I recorded with him a few years ago - the Caroline Now! record that had people covering Beach Boys songs. We were singing together and I remember thinking, "this is a nice blend, we could do something with this." I think he and I have very similar influences - Bacharach, Morricone and Paul McCartney. We're both McCartney fans. Poor Paul gets a bad press from the cognoscenti, but that's definitely a point where our tastes in music meet. We'll have some string players with us at the Carnegie Hall, so I'm looking forward to doing the songs in their stripped-down form with strings. Dave McGowan from Teenage Fanclub will be playing some pedal steel, and also upright bass. Then Stevie Jones, who plays with Malcolm Middleton, plays upright bass as well, so you never know - we might have a song with two upright basses on it. Whatever happens, we're going to try and throw some curveballs. David Scott and Norman Blake play the Carnegie Hall, Dunfermline, on 16 May. Other Tigerfest shows at the same venue next week include the Twilight Sad, Idlewild and Paul Haig. For a full programme, visit www.tigerfest.co.uk ROGER COX (The Scotsman) 16th March 2008: UK Health Secretary And The Pearlfishers... The Pearlies have a heavyweight political fan - Alan Johnson, the UK's Health Secretary - read the full article in the Observer. 7th March 2008: Lindsay Chapman and Eddie Trayner Hi everyone. Difficult day yesterday to see our friend Lindsay laid to rest and as Davie said, so soon after Eddie. Was so heartening tho to see so many people in attendance to see him off and realise just how loved he was!! So thanks to Lindsay and Eddie for everything you did for us but mostly just thanks for being our friends!! Love and peace Jim Gash XXX 6th March 2008: Eddie Trayner and Lindsay Chapman Thanks for all the lovely messages - glad that UWTL has found a corner of your hearts... It's been a tough few weeks - we lost a couple of people who played a big part in the pearlies story - Eddie Trayner and Lindsay Chapman. I'm going to write something and explain a wee bit more about that soon. It does make the heart leap to see your lovely comments though...we want to do some shows really soon - keep fingers crossed for us. Love, David xxx 25th January 2008: Live at the Classic Grand - Review Glasgow
Herald Review Finniston were first up on Sunday night. This fine little beat combo's tight harmonies, intelligent lyrics and fine musicianship combine in a promise of great things to come. And they're hip with it, right down to the bare feet of keyboard player of Jolene Crawford. That coolness was confirmed with the announcement that, as part of their merchandising, they do fridge magnets. There were many Pearlfishers on the small stage; the five-piece augmented by a string quartet and a two-man brass section. There's no denying the song-writing talents of frontman Davie Scott, and the band is as good as I have heard it. That they are still something of a well-kept secret is curious, but this performance was chock-full of joy, vigour and ambition. Even their perfect cover of Paul McCartney's Let Em In sat seamlessly with the rest of the set. Scott
summed the night up when he described it as a romp through some 20 years
of back catalogue, and as a body of work, it more than holds its own.
Courtesy of Stu Matthews 24th January 2008: Live at the Classic Grand - Review Review by is this music? Celtic
Connections @ Glasgow Classic Grand (Sunday 20th January) Everyday I Read Your Stars provides us with all the evidence we need to arrest Mr. Scott for his Beatles infatuation, not only musically do his songs often pay tribute to the Fab Four but his moves with a guitar in tow do also, he just can’t stop shaking his head while he hits those high notes! However we’ll forgive him because the song itself could easily have been written by a Beatle with its jangly chords and cookie lyrics. There are many highlights throughout the set, and Scott provides us with many an anecdote to accompany them, like how he felt, “slightly perverted” at entertaining the notion that his wife might run a post office, documented in Send Me a Letter, or when introducing the title track of latest offering, Up with the Larks asking the audience whether they bought it or not, there’s a middling cheer and Scott turns to the band and says, “that’s another five!”. The most beautiful moment tonight comes with Blanket of Ribbons, from The Pearlfishers 1993 debut album, Za Za’s Garden. Unfamiliar with this song before this evening, it’s a credit to the quality of the song-writing that this arrangement is so striking; you can’t help but get swept up in the soaring strings in the middle section, the band themselves seem to be really enjoying it also. Cheese
ridden Let ‘em in McCartney cover aside, The Pearlfishers
gallop through a joyous set, We’ll Get By is a
personal favourite and is received by ripples of whoops and cheers and
the wonderful, Stella Painted Joy closes the set with
gusto. Returning to the stage to perform a majestic version of My
Dad the Weatherfan, the crowd are in genuine awe and the band
seem humbled beyond belief, hopefully it won’t be another eight
years until they return next time. 23rd December 2007: The Sunday Mail Scottish Album Of The Year for 2007 The Pearlfishers Up With The Larks is The Sunday Mail Scottish Album Of The Year for 2007! from today's (23.12.07) newspaper: "This category caused a major headache. I was spoiled for choice with great albums by Steven Lindsay, Eddi Reader, The Proclaimers and Biffy Clyro. But Davie Scott of The Pearlfishers remains one of our most inspiring writers and "Up With The Larks" was a record of rare beauty while the 1990's "Cookies" was a mix of fiery guitar and sharp lyrics. I couldn't split them - proof the Scottish music scene has never sounded better." (Billy Sloan) Hooray! 9th December 2007: Sunday Times - Pop CD of the Week
5th November 2007: News of the World - Larks Review
1st November 2007: David Live Tonight on Radio Eins - Berlin
David plays Berlin tonight. He and Norman Blake will also be guests on the evening show of the main radio station of that area, Radio Eins. There are two interview slots and at least one live track. You can listen to it live at: http://www.radioeins.de/_/livestream_jsp.html (you need to click on the player). They will be in the studio between (approx) 19:00 and 20:00 this evening. 29th October 2007: Celtic Connections 2008 show announced
The Pearlfishers will be appearing at The Celtic Connections 2008. They are on at the Classic Grand on Sunday, 20th January 2008 - 7:30pm. More details and online booking facility at: www.celticconnections.com. Sit Down & Sing Tour: Munich Ampere (23rd October 2007) set list
Thanks to Chris MacFadyen 13th October 2007: Even on a Sunday Afternoon Official Video Rarely seen 1997 promo video.
12th October 2007: Send Me A Letter: Unofficial Video What the ****? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u11dFJW40YU
11th October 2007: Word Magazine: Now Hear This!
6th October 2007: Up With The Larks Wake
up everybody, they are back back back: After an extended hiatus,
Glasgow’s The Pearlfishers return refreshed and all improved with
Up With The Larks, their sixth album for Marina Records - the latest in
a line of orch-pop masterpieces including Across The Milky Way,
Sky Meadows and A Sunflower At Christmas.
The album is clear evidence that main Pearlfisher David Scott
continues his unique musical journey with renewed joy and verve - and
that classic songwriting and well- crafted arrangements are alive and
well in 2007. Joyous title track, Up With The Larks kick starts the day, “shattered and blue in splinters and sparks”, rich with trademark Pearlfishers lush vocal harmonies, multi-layered guitar texture, the wild jangle of a battered upright piano and exquisite melodic twists and turns. Teenage Fanclub’s Norman Blake co-produced four of the album’s cuts, starting with The Bluebells – not a tribute to once famous Scottish popsters but a beautiful, string-laden rumination on the turning of seasons. One act who do indeed receive a full-blooded name-check are Womack And Womack in a song titled, aptly enough, Womack And Womack which recalls Scott’s early days running with the hawks of the major music industry (“...left the school and joined a band, like other lads across the land, gladly kissed the corporate hand...”). Morning
breaks again in Ring The Bells For A Day, complete with
the glittering Big Star chime of massed Fender Stratocaster, an exultation
to “cast the night away”and a line written in tribute
to one of Scott’s enduring heroes, Brian Wilson: “Wherever
you lie down, wherever you wake up, the world follows”. The
Pearlfishers 2006 Japanese tour with BMX Bandits is thrillingly recounted
in The Pearlfishers, firmly rooted in the classic tradition of three minute cinematics as pioneered by Webb, McCartney and, recently Rufus Wainwright, reach a great finale with the album’s two closing songs: Blue Riders On The Range, a sparkling widescreen epic (sounding like Marvin & Diana doing “RAM”) and the gorgeous, pastoral I Just See The Rainbow which ends the album on an optimistic note. “And call me cock-eyed if you will, but I don’t see that dark hill, I just see the rainbow...”. The only way is UP! David Scott will play numerous live shows with Norman Blake during October and November 2007. The Umbrellas Of Shibuya is also available as a limited 7”. 27th
September 2007 Album Release date - 28th September 2007 The new Pearlfishers album, Up With The Larks is released on 28th September, also issued that day is a limited edition 7" vinyl single featuring album track The Umbrellas of Shibuya and the otherwise unavailable Clumsy on the b-side. The Pearlfishers: Thank You For The Music: BBC Radio Scotland
The music of David Scott and The Pearlfishers was celebrated in a one hour special, onThursday 13th September 2007 on BBC Radio Scotland, presented by Janice Forsyth. The show was recorded live at the BBC’s new Pacific Quay building on the River Clyde, Glasgow earlier in the summer and features new songs, old songs and David’s unique take on the craft of the songwriter in an interview spanning influences, inspirations and the sheer amount of animals appearing in Pearlfishers songs. Thank You For The Music offers a sneak preview of one new Pearlfishers song, Fighting Fire With Flowers, David’s recollection of Falkirk’s Boulevard Café, unofficial home of CND and the Socialist Workers Party circa 1980-82. This and other songs are illustrated with stories and anecdotes, giving a real sense of “the life behind the song”. You can listen online by visiting the following link: http://www.pearlfishers.com/site/sounds/thank you/pearlfishers.mp3 Remember: you can receive (occasional) SMS text alerts when this News page is updated. Email your mobile number to mike@pearlfishers.com Album
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