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The Blue Nile

Contributor: Paul Glinn August 14, 2013
TrackAlbum
Body And SoulPeace At Last
The Downtown LightsHats
HappinessPeace At Last
Headlights On The ParadeHats
HighHigh
Saturday NightHats
StayA Walk Across The Rooftops
Stay CloseHigh
Tinseltown In The RainA Walk Across The Rooftops
A Walk Across The RooftopsA Walk Across The Rooftops
The Blue Nile A Walk Across The Rooftops
The Blue Nile High
The Blue Nile Hats
spotify-logo-primary-horizontal-dark-background-rgb-sm

Blue Nile playlist

Despite making only four albums, it’s been incredibly difficult to whittle down to just ten tracks to share, such is the quality of The Blue Nile’s work. A Walk Across The Rooftops was released to huge critical acclaim in 1984 and over the course of the next twenty years, slow but meticulous work methods produced just three further gems. Glasgow University friends Paul Buchanan, Robert Bell and Paul Moore formed the band in 1981 and such is the myth that surrounds the band, that it’s difficult to work out whether they will ever make another record, but it seems unlikely. Paul Buchanan released a solo album, Mid Air, last year and is thought to be currently making the follow up.

Wikipedia classifies the music under the ‘Adult Alternative’ and ‘Sophist-pop’ genres, but I would suggest ‘Sublime’ as a suitable adjective. I had the pleasure of seeing TBN perform at Somerset House a few years ago, in what could well be one of their last ever shows and it was one of the best (and most emotional) concerts I’ve ever seen.

The Blue Nile website

TopperPost #48

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Category: 80s, ALTERNATIVE, Indie
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Peter Viney

    August 16, 2013 at 1:11 pm

    The Blue Nile worked with Robbie Robertson, and appear on the exquisite “Breakin’ The Rules” which is in the Toppermost Robbie Robertson selection.

    Reply
  2. Paul Glinn

    September 9, 2013 at 9:53 pm

    Peter, Breakin The Rules is an absolute gem of a track….

    Reply
  3. Nairn Davidson

    November 22, 2013 at 8:59 pm

    “Mid Air” is well worth anyone’s time and effort. Sparse vignettes, without that Linn Drum sound, which you may consider to be a blessing!

    Reply
  4. Colin Duncan

    March 28, 2020 at 5:37 pm

    I just completed my collection of the Blue Nile with the remastered Peace at Last. It’s a really good selection of tracks and I now know and really enjoy their music. I think Mid Air is a really good piece of work too. It was the brilliant ‘Breakin’ The Rules’, which took me into The Blue Nile. I think ‘Lets’s Go Out Tonight’ is a miss, but a good selection of very good tracks. Many thanks, Paul.

    Reply

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