Deacon Blue record song as tribute to Scots-born
conservationist John Muir
Scotland Now 3rd September 2014
SCOTS band Deacon Blue have recorded a tribute to the Scots-born founding father
of American National Parks Association. Frontman Ricky Ross has penned the song
For John Muir on his band’s new album A New House, released next week.
The song comes 100 years after the East Lothian-born ecologist’s death. Ricky
said: “It came about after Phil Cunningham and I were asked to work together on
a possible commission. The commission didn’t come off, but it got me thinking
about John Muir again. I remember being in Dunbar years ago and then we went on
holiday to Yosemite National Park in California and I was taken by his amazing
history, from Dunbar to America. It focussed a lot of things for me.”
Born in Dunbar, East Lothian, in 1838, Muir emigrated to the American state of
Wisconsin aged 11 and went on to become a hugely respected figure in the study
of nature. He lobbied American presidents Roosevelt and Wilson over the
protection of delicate US ecosystems and was massively influential in the
establishment of America’s National Parks. His legacy is such that the Scot is
now known in America as the Father of The National Parks because of his
pioneering insight.
This year in Scotland, the John Muir Way was opened to mark the 100th
anniversary of his death. The long distance walk stretches 130 miles from
Helensburgh in the west to Dunbar in the east.
Former English teacher Ricky’s song was also inspired by Gerard Manley Hopkins’
poem Inversnaid, while another track on the album, Bethlehem Begins, was
influenced by the work of Irish writer WB Yeats. Ricky said: “It’s an idea from
his writing about two sides of history coming together, the idea that you have
to go back, rather than forward, to find the meaning.”
And he revealed how he moved to ensure the album wasn’t released in the same
week as the Scottish independence referendum. He said: “Our management
originally wanted us to bring it out in the second week of September, they were
sort of unaware of what was going on then. We told them that was a week to
avoid. Timing wise, it was just a case that the album was ready. And the title
isn’t a metaphor. It’s about what it says its about.”
Drummer Dougie Vipond added: “You never know how these things are going to turn
out when you start working on them, but this has turned out brilliantly. The way
the songs developed in the writing process is something I’m really proud of.
“Ricky has always been very open to other people’s ideas and the difference
between his solo stuff and the band’s stuff is really apparent, I think. You can
hear there’s more than one person’s ideas on it.”
Meanwhile, backing singer and Ricky’s wife Lorraine McIntosh, admitted the
Deacon Blue didn’t expect to play the Commonwealth Games closing ceremony last
month with Lulu and Kylie. The band were asked by organisers to play their song
Dignity as a thank you to the thousands of council employees who helped make the
games a success. She said: “We played at the party when it was announced that
Glasgow had won the bid for the games, but that was seven years ago and to be
honest none of us thought we’d still be doing anything as Deacon Blue the time
the Games came about. It was fantastic to be part of. There was so much joy
about Hampden Park that night, I don’t think I’ll ever experience anything like
it again.”
Ricky added: “The invite was really to the song, more than the band. They wanted
it because it’s a song about Glasgow and a song that people relate to. For that
reason alone, I wanted to make it happen. It’s fantastic that this song has
become so accepted. Sometimes a song doesn’t go much beyond 50 people. But
they’re all your babies.”
Despite having formed the band almost 30 years ago, the frontman still harbours
ambition and has hinted at another album. He said: “I still have that creative
energy and there might be more stuff to come out of that. I’m just really
enjoying focussing on Deacon Blue at the moment. I wake up in the morning
thinking about what Deacon Blue will do next, not what I’ll do next. Paul
English