Day 95
The Proclaimers
Craig and Charlie Reid pictured at the shore. Photo shoot with Murdo Macleod, Jan 2015
Born in Leith, twin brothers Craig and Charlie Reid are the world famous Scottish music duo The Proclaimers. Their impressive career spans 38 years and is still going strong as ever. In 2018 they released their 11th studio album “Angry Cyclist” and followed that up with a sell-out world tour.
Even in this year of pause The Proclaimers again came to national attention with the Red Nose Day performance of ‘Sunshine of Leith’. The segment went viral when David Tennant became emotional while presenting. It featured 4 choirs, one of which was The Phoenix Choir singing ‘Sunshine on Leith’ which was originally featured right here on this site on Day 40!
But we digress, Charlie and Craig were born here in Leith and grew up in Edinburgh, Cornwall and Auchtermuchty. They formed The Proclaimers in 1983 and their big break came in 1986 when they were invited on tour with the Housemartins.
They gained another level of fame the following year when they appeared on the Channel 4 pop programme The Tube and performed Letter to America. Singing in their regional Scottish accents about politics and emigration was in stark contrast to the overproduced mid-eighties popular bands of the time and they became a sensation almost over night. Within a month they were recording their debut album This Is The Story. Gerry Rafferty produced a version of Letter to America with a full band and that song reached No 3.
The music video for ‘Letter to America’ was filmed right here in Leith and it has been remembered that when shooting that music video they pulled a number of the extras for the film shoot right out of the queue of people waiting at the Job Centre which was located on the shore where Mimi’s Bakehouse now is.
Then, when one would think they possibly couldn’t get any more connected to Leith and any more famous, in 1988, they went on to release their second studio album ‘Sunshine on Leith’. This album solidified their musical prowess on a global scale and they left on their first (of many) world tours. The album has been turned into an award winning musical and a feature film, which Craig and Charlie make an appearance in.
Though “I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)” was their biggest hit from the album it is the extremely moving title track of ‘Sunshine on Leith’ which Leith has embraced. “Sunshine on Leith” has gone on to become the anthem for this area and no video supports this more clearly than the footage taken at the 2016 Scottish Cup Final.
I think it’s fair to say that The Proclaimers are connected to Leith, For Ever. (Get it). Full list of their 11 studio albums below next to two videos that feature some lovely shots of Leith and Edinburgh.
Studio albums:
This Is the Story (1987)
Sunshine on Leith (1988)
Hit the Highway (1994)
Persevere (2001)
Born Innocent (2003)
Restless Soul (2005)
Life with You (2007)
Notes & Rhymes (2009)
Like Comedy (2012)
Let's Hear It for the Dogs (2015)
Angry Cyclist (2018)
