So Long Ago

Description

So Long Ago is the debut album by the Scottish singer and songwriter Ricky Ross, later of Deacon Blue fame, released in the UK on Sticky Music in 1984. The album was recorded in Glasgow 1983, with Ricky Ross producing. All songs written by Ricky Ross.

Featuring Ricky Ross on vocals and keyboards; Zara Ross on accordion; Graeme Duffin, Malcolm Lindsay, and Craig Smillie on guitar; Ewen Vernal and Stuart Duffin on bass; and Malcom Duffin on drums. Backing vocals provided by Carol Moore.

The album track “Something About Ireland” was later included on the multi-artist sampler cassette Sticky Music Sneak Preview released on Sticky Music in 1986.

The year after So Long Ago came out, Ricky Ross formed Deacon Blue, signed with CBS Records and recorded Raintown. (In quite a few interviews from that time Ross said the album was about the Protestant work ethic with the main themes being home, faith and work, and that it was also an album about growing up.)

Despite being well below the standard reached on later solo albums and with Deacon Blue there are still some interesting songs here. «Don’t Look Back» hints at Ricky’s ear for a catchy anthem while several of the stripped down solo piano tracks stand up well today. Many of the themes which would crop up on future releases are all present and correct here and faith issues get a larger than usual mention. «Checkout Girls» insists there is “something beyond dying” and adds “the eyes and ears of the God in the sky are on the ground.” He can be found’ while the narrator in «Don’t Look Back» finds his reflection beneath the cross. The CS Lewis inspired «Surprised By Joy» tells a tale of conversion and concludes by appealing to the listener “trust him with your life”. «Vision On» deals with a desire to listen to and follow the voice within and the story of his father’s conversion during the war in an RAF bunkhouse is relived on «The Germans Are Out Today». Ewen Vernal and Carol Moore would work again with Ricky in Deacon Blue while Steve Butler and Graeme Duffin who also play on the sessions would record with Talking Drums, Lies Damned Lies and Wet Wet Wet respectively. Ricky’s lack on enthusiasm for this record seems partly based on the fact this was an old collection of songs by the time it was recorded and released. Over the next few years he would write and perform briefly with DB McGlynn in Wozaland several radio sessions with Radio Clyde and record over 20 demos before ‘Raintown‘ was cut. [Dougie Adam, Cross Rhythms, July 2005]

Cassette tracklist:

01. Something About Ireland
02. A Week In Politics
03. Checkout Girls
04. Don’t Look Back
05. Little India
06. Surprised By Joy
07. Some People Last Winter
08. Vision On
09. I Love You Like A Son
10. The Germans Are Out Today
11. Chairman Mao’s Vacation

Note: Re-issued on CD by Sticky Music in 1993 featuring new cover artwork.

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[youtube_sc url=”6bYdibkEsiM” title=”Ricky Ross – Surprised By Joy, Live 19th April 2018″ autohide=”1″ rel=”0″]