The Bluebells - Sisters

I quite liked some of the lyrical and melodic Scottish New Wave bands of the mid 1980s such as Aztec Camera, Orange Juice and Lloyd Cole And The Commotions, so The Bluebells fitted nicely into this category.

Most people will recognise "Young At Heart", especially after it was used in a Volkswagen advert and subsequently re-released and getting to Number 1 in the UK Charts nine years after it was recorded. What most people don't realise though is that the song was co-written with Siobhan Fahey and first released by Bananarama as an album track. The mindless, bouncy, fun Stock Aitken & Waterman pop version is virtually unrecognizable from the Bluebells much slower version though. The fiddle and slower tempo allow the lyrics to be heard much more clearly, and for the some of the profound meaning to be understood. It borders on being Bluegrass !

Bass player Lawrence Donegan quit the music industry to become a writer, and I bought his first book, Four Iron In The Soul, when it was published. The book described his stint working as a caddy for journeyman golfer Ross Drummond, the premise being how could you get to be at the centre of a major sporting event despite having no talent ? Answer, become a golf caddy and be on screen as your player walks down the 18th about to win a major trophy. Except it didn't quite work out like that, and Donegan didn't last long as a caddy and became a journalist instead. He is now apparently the Guardian's Golf correspondent !

When I first obtained the Bluebells' only LP, it was virtually a game of two halves, with Side 1 being played a lot, and Side 2 hardly ever. As a result I remember all the songs on Side 1 and none of the songs on Side 2.....

The first song is Everybody's Somebody's Fool" which must win some award for the use of two apostrophes in a three word title ! However, I was unable to find the album version on YouTube, instead there is only the EP version, which is played in a 60's skiffle/pop style which could be The Tremeloes rather than the much slower version I remember from the album........

After "Young At Heart" is "I'm Falling" which is almost hypnotic and probably the most mature piece of song writing on the album.

"Will She Always Be Waiting" is a haunting ballad but again the only version on YouTube is a faster paced recording, not the version from the album.

Side 1 ends with the sing-along pop song "Cath", which I always liked and in my opinion should have been a bigger hit than it was. Again though, nearly all the versions on YouTube are the EP version although I did eventually find the album version under the description US Mix. There are some great lines in the song "You spoilt my day for the rest of the night", "Cath, it takes a lot to make me laugh, Cath, you led me up the garden path".

Moving on to Side 2, I could only find live versions of "Syracuse University" and "Learn To love" on YouTube. "Red Guitars",,"Syracuse University" and "South Atlantic Way" are pretty ordinary songs but listenable, although I have already forgotten them. I'm not too sure why a Scottish band would feel the need to record an IRA song but "The Patriot Game" is an OK tune. "Learn To Live" is dreadful though. I'm not sure many bands have covered the Falklands War, the IRA and Communism on one side of the record but The Bluebells managed it.

Overall, my view of this being an album of two sides still holds good, but someone needs to post the entire album on to YouTube !


Track Listing :

1. Everybody's Somebody's Fool
2. Young At Heart
3. I'm Falling
4. Will She Always Be Waiting
5. Cath
6. Red Guitars
7. Syracuse University
8. Learn To Love
9. The Patriot Game
10.South Atlantic Way

Released 1984
UK Chart Position : 22

Singles :

I'm Falling ( No 11 - 1984 )
Young At Heart ( No 8 - 1984/No 1 - 1993 )
Cath ( No 38 - 1984 )