Colin MacIntyre
{{Short description|Scottish musician and novelist}}
{{Use British English|date=January 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2014}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| image = Colinmackintyredumfriesspiegeltent2014.jpg
| name = Colin MacIntyre
| caption = Dumfries, January 2014
| image_size = 200
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1971|04|08|df=yes}}
| origin = Isle of Mull, Scotland
| genre =
| years_active = 2000–present
| label = B-Unique
Blanco Y Negro
Xtra Mile Recordings
| associated_acts = The Reindeer Section
| alias = Mull Historical Society, INK
| website = [http://www.colinmacintyre.com colinmacintyre.com]
}}
Colin MacIntyre (born 8 April 1971) is a Scottish musician and novelist. A singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist, he has released five albums under the name Mull Historical Society{{cite news|url=http://arts.guardian.co.uk/homeentertainment/story/0,,1271699,00.html|title=Fair islander|date=30 July 2004|work=The Guardian|accessdate=5 February 2014}} as well as two albums under his own name. His most successful album, Mull Historical Society's Us (2003), reached number 19 in the UK Albums Chart. His debut novel, The Letters of Ivor Punch, was published in 2015.
Early life and education
MacIntyre's father Kenny Macintyre was born in Oban then moved to Mull, an island off the west coast of Scotland. He was a bank clerk, a gift-shop operator and then BBC Scotland's Political Correspondent for ten years.{{cite news|url=http://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/spl/aberdeen/on-top-of-the-world-from-lowly-support-slots-mull-historical-society-are-now-on-the-brink-of-going-global-john-williamson-charts-their-rise-1.160047|title=On top of the world From lowly support slots, Mull Historical Society are now on the brink of going global. John Williamson charts their rise|date=2 February 2002|accessdate=6 February 2014|work=The Herald (Glasgow)}}{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/404054.stm|title=Lasting tribute to BBC journalist|date=26 July 1999|work=BBC Online|accessdate=7 February 2014}} His paternal grandfather, Angus Macintyre, was a poet{{cite news|url=http://www.scotsman.com/news/rewriting-history-1-1076189|title=Rewriting history|date=30 January 2008|work=The Scotsman|accessdate=5 February 2014}} and his brother Kenny Macintyre is a radio journalist for BBC Scotland Sport.{{cite news|url=http://glasgow.stv.tv/articles/260435-mull-historical-society-play-loss-album-at-celtic-connections-at-the-arches/|title=Mull Historical Society play Loss album at Celtic Connections at The Arches|work=STV|date=17 January 2014|accessdate=26 January 2014}}
MacIntyre was born on 8 April 1971{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/music/artists/b29333a8-b253-4cda-9c86-2e562dc8acad|title=BBC - Music - Colin MacIntyre|work=BBC Online|accessdate=7 February 2014|archive-date=25 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150925095832/http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/artists/b29333a8-b253-4cda-9c86-2e562dc8acad|url-status=dead}} on Mull. He wanted to be a musician from a young age and grew up listening to his uncle's covers band. He formed a covers band of his own called Trax, later renamed Love Sick Zombies, while still at Tobermory Primary School. He was influenced by his art teacher at Tobermory High School, and considered going to art school. He also attended Oban High School.{{cite news|url=http://www.tes.co.uk/article.aspx?storycode=6289186|title=Colin MacIntyre|work=Times Educational Supplement|date=7 September 2012|accessdate=5 February 2014}} In the late 1980s he and his brother moved to Glasgow, where he attended Glasgow Caledonian University, trained with Queen's Park F.C., worked for a stockbroker, and then for telephone company BT's 192 directory enquiries service for three years.{{cite news|url=http://www.scotsman.com/what-s-on/music/off-the-beaten-track-1-589413|title=Off the beaten track - The Scotsman|date=14 December 2001|work=The Scotsman|accessdate=5 February 2014}}{{cite news|url=http://www.scotsman.com/what-s-on/music/macintyre-undercover-1-1383340|title=MacIntyre undercover - The Scotsman|work=The Scotsman|date=27 January 2003|accessdate=5 February 2014}}
Musical career
MacIntyre coined the name Mull Historical Society after seeing an advert for an organisation which has since changed its name to the Mull Historical and Archaeological Society.{{cite web|url=http://www.erasingclouds.com/04jan.html|title=It's Not That Grim Up North: Interview with Mull Historical Society's Colin MacIntyre|publisher=Erasing Clouds|last=Battista|first=Anna|date=January 2002|accessdate=6 February 2014}}{{cite web|url=http://portable-infinite.blogspot.co.uk/2012/01/blast-from-past-mull-historical-society.html|title=The portable-infinite: Blast from The Past: Mull Historical Society|last=Laurence|first=Alexander|date=24 January 2012|accessdate=28 February 2014}} His first album under the name, Loss in 2001, was inspired by his upbringing on Mull and the sudden death of his father in 1999. It contains samples from a Caledonian MacBrayne ferry and the waves in Calgary Bay in Mull. Q magazine named Loss as one of its top 50 albums of 2001.{{cite web|url=http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/qlists.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060104040314/http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/qlists.html|url-status=usurped|archive-date=4 January 2006|title=Rocklist.net...Q magazine Recordings Of The Year|work=rocklistmusic.co.uk|accessdate=1 March 2014}} "Public Service Announcer" is about MacIntyre's time at BT, and is based on the rhythm of a telephone ring tone.{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2011/dec/11/mull-historical-society-live-review|title=Mull Historical Society|date=11 December 2011|work=The Guardian|accessdate=28 February 2014}} "Barcode Bypass" is about a small shopkeeper threatened by the supermarkets.{{cite news|url=http://www.scotsman.com/news/why-the-rest-is-history-1-636869|title=Why the rest is history|date=17 January 2003|work=The Scotsman|accessdate=5 February 2014}} "Watching Xanadu", a song about watching the film Xanadu, was included on STV's Scotland's Greatest Album as one of the top tracks of the 2000s.In a programme transmitted in November 2011; {{cite web |url=http://programmes.stv.tv/scotlands-greatest-album/panel/00s/mull-historical-society/ |title=Mull Historical Society; 00s; How The Panel Decided; Scotland's Greatest Album; STV Programmes |publisher=Programmes.stv.tv |date=25 October 2011 |accessdate=17 April 2012 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://archive.today/20120713051248/http://programmes.stv.tv/scotlands-greatest-album/panel/00s/mull-historical-society/ |archivedate=13 July 2012 |df=dmy-all }} In 2000-01 Mull Historical Society played support for Elbow and the Strokes, and in 2002 for R.E.M., the Delgados and The Polyphonic Spree.{{cite web|url=http://www.2-4-7-music.com/newsitems/MAY03/mullhistoricalsociety.asp|title=Mull Historical Society 'Am I Wrong?'|date=22 May 2002|publisher=Crud Music|accessdate=5 February 2014|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://archive.today/20140205203038/http://www.2-4-7-music.com/newsitems/MAY03/mullhistoricalsociety.asp|archivedate=5 February 2014|df=dmy-all}} MacIntyre was named as "Scotland's Top Creative Talent" at the Glenfiddich Spirit of Scotland Awards in 2002.
The second album, Us, came out in 2003 to generally positive reviews;{{cite web|url=http://www.metacritic.com/music/us/mull-historical-society|title=Us Reviews - Metacritic|work=Metacritic|accessdate=23 February 2014}} NME called it "a joyous slice of orchestral prozac".{{cite web|url=http://www.nme.com/reviews/mull-historical-society/7002|title=NME Album Reviews - Mull Historical Society : Us - NME.COM|last=Jonze|first=Tim|work=NME|date=12 September 2005 |accessdate=23 February 2014}} The track "The Supermarket Strikes Back" is a sequel to "Barcode Bypass" from Loss.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/manchester/content/articles/2004/08/02/mull_historical_society_this_is_hope_music_album_review.shtml|title=BBC - Manchester - Entertainment - Mull Historical Society - This Is Hope|date=2 August 2004|work=BBC Online|accessdate=27 February 2014}} After the album his record label, Warners, dropped him.{{cite news|url=http://www.scotsman.com/what-s-on/music/time-to-mull-things-over-1-1394682|title=Time to Mull things over - The Scotsman|date=5 June 2004|work=The Scotsman|accessdate=5 February 2014}} The third Mull Historical Society album, This Is Hope, was released on B-Unique Records in 2004. It was inspired by a two-month visit to the United States, ending in New Orleans. One of its songs is about the death of David Kelly, and the album also includes a recording of MacIntyre's grandmother. The covers of Loss and This Is Hope, and several of the videos and stage sets from this era, feature 'The Giant Dog With The Wig', which MacIntyre created using MS Paint.{{cite web|url=http://www.leedsmusicscene.net/article/4604/|title=Mull Historical Society - biography, band news, gig listings and reviews. (412)|year=2005|accessdate=28 February 2014}}{{cite web|url=http://www.dustedmagazine.com/reviews/178|title=Dusted Reviews: Mull Historical Society - Loss|last=Dungan|first=Jason|date=14 May 2002|work=Dusted|accessdate=28 February 2014}} In January 2005, Mull Historical Society was voted the twelfth-greatest Scottish band of all time by The List magazine.{{cite web|url=http://www.list.co.uk/fiftybandsmain.html |title=The List |publisher=List.co.uk |date=1 January 2005 |accessdate=5 February 2014}}
{{Listen|filename=Watchingxanadusample.ogg|title="Watching Xanadu", from Loss, 2001|description=A sample from near the start of "Watching Xanadu"|filename2=Colinmacintyreyoureastarsample.ogg|title2="You're a Star", from The Water, 2008|description2=A sample from near the start of "You're a Star"}}
MacIntyre released The Water under his own name in 2008. He had written the album in New York, his wife's home city. It was produced by Nick Franglen from Lemon Jelly; MacIntyre had produced the first three albums himself.{{cite news|url=http://www.scotsman.com/what-s-on/music/hope-springs-eternal-1-1417481|title=Hope springs eternal - The Scotsman|date=2 December 2006|work=The Scotsman|accessdate=5 February 2014}} The last track, "Pay Attention to the Human", features a poem written and performed by Tony Benn.{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/3670995/Tony-Benn-pop-star.html|title=Tony Benn, pop star - Telegraph|date=7 February 2008|work=The Daily Telegraph|accessdate=5 February 2014}}{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/house-music-tony-benns-debut-solo-album-800170.html|title=House music: Tony Benn's debut solo album|date=25 March 2008|work=The Independent|accessdate=6 February 2014}} In 2009, Irvine Welsh used the track "You're a Star" from The Water in his comedy Good Arrows.{{cite web|url=http://www.bollyfirst.com/music/popmusic/album/Colin+Macintyre+Youre+A+Star-6850.html|title=Colin Macintyre - You're A Star|date=15 January 2009|publisher=Bollyfirst|accessdate=5 February 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140221171153/http://www.bollyfirst.com/music/popmusic/album/Colin+Macintyre+Youre+A+Star-6850.html|archive-date=21 February 2014|url-status=dead}} MacIntyre's fifth album Island, the second under his own name, was released in the UK in 2009. It features Kenny Anderson (King Creosote) on backing vocals on "Out Stealing Horses"{{cite web|url=http://entertainment.ie/album-review/Colin-MacIntyre-Island/111892.htm|title=Colin MacIntyre - Island|last=Murphy|first=Lauren|date=10 August 2009|publisher=Entertainment.ie|accessdate=23 February 2014}} and was recorded in MacIntyre's old primary classroom in Tobermory.{{cite news|url=http://www.scotsman.com/news/album-reviews-colin-macintyre-john-mcleod-acoustic-ladyland-partisans-chris-wood-jerusalem-1-758891|title=Album reviews: Colin MacIntyre; John McLeod; Acoustic Ladyland; Partisans; Chris Wood; Jerusalem - The Scotsman|date=5 July 2009|work=The Scotsman|accessdate=23 February 2014}} In 2012, MacIntyre returned as Mull Historical Society for his sixth album City Awakenings, which is about London, New York and Glasgow.{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2012/jan/19/mull-historical-society-city-awakenings-review|title=Mull Historical Society: City Awakenings – review|date=19 January 2012|work=The Guardian|accessdate=23 February 2014}} In early 2014 MacIntyre gigged as Mull Historical Society again, playing Loss in its entirety, to promote the best-of album which was released in 2015. In June 2014 MacIntyre's project INK released its first single, "Control".{{cite web|url=http://inkmusic.tv/INK/INK.html|title=INK|accessdate=12 June 2014|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130426050716/http://inkmusic.tv/INK/INK.html|archivedate=26 April 2013|df=dmy-all}} Dear Satellite, a new Mull Historical Society record, was released in April 2016.{{cite web|url=http://www.propermusic.com/product-details/Mull-Historical-Society-Dear-Satellite-226991|title=Dear Satellite: Mull Historical Society - propermusic.com|accessdate=12 March 2016}} The latest Mull Historical Society album, In My Mind There's A Room, was released in July 2023.{{cite web|url=http://mullhistoricalsociety.com/in-my-mind-theres-a-room-new-mhs-album-out-now/|title=In My Mind There's A Room -- New MHS Album Out Now!! - mullhistoricalsociety.com|accessdate=10 September 2024}}
Literary career
MacIntyre's first novel, The Letters of Ivor Punch, was published in May 2015 by Weidenfeld & Nicolson. It is set on Mull.{{cite news|url=http://www.thebookseller.com/news/wn-wins-macintyre-auction.html|title=W&N wins MacIntyre auction|date=10 April 2014|work=The Bookseller|accessdate=15 April 2014}}
Discography
=Albums=
| class="wikitable" |
| style="background:#b0c4de; text-align:center;"
!Year !Information !UK Albums Chart{{cite web | url=http://www.zobbel.de/cluk/CLUK_M.HTM | title=Chart Log UK 1994–2010 M – My Vitriol| publisher=Chart Log UK | accessdate=29 January 2017}} |
| 2001
|Loss
|style="text-align:center;"|43 |
| 2003
|Us
|style="text-align:center;"|19 |
2004
|style="text-align:center;"|58 |
2008
|style="text-align:center;"|— |
| 2009
|Island
|style="text-align:center;"|— |
| 2012
|City Awakenings
|style="text-align:center;"|163 |
| 2016
|Dear Satellite
|style="text-align:center;"|— |
| 2018
|Wakelines
|style="text-align:center;"|— |
| 2023
|In My Mind There's A Room
|style="text-align:center;"|— |
=Compilations=
| class="wikitable" |
| style="background:#b0c4de; text-align:center;"
!Year !Information |
| 2015
|The Best of Mull Historical Society & Colin MacIntyre
|style="text-align:center;"|— |
=Singles=
| class="wikitable" |
| style="background:#b0c4de; text-align:center;"
! Year ! Single ! Album |
| rowspan="1"| 2000
| "Barcode Bypass" |style="text-align:center;"|160 |rowspan="4" style="text-align:center;" | Loss |
| rowspan="2"| 2001
| "I Tried" |style="text-align:center;"|77 |
| "Animal Cannabus"
|style="text-align:center;"|53 |
| rowspan="1"| 2002
| "Watching Xanadu" |style="text-align:center;"|36 |
| rowspan="2"| 2003
| "The Final Arrears" |style="text-align:center;"|32 |rowspan="2" style="text-align:center;" | Us |
| "Am I Wrong" / "It Takes More"
|style="text-align:center;"|51 |
| rowspan="1"| 2004
| "How 'Bout I Love You More" |style="text-align:center;"|37 |rowspan="1" style="text-align:center;" | This Is Hope |
| rowspan="1"| 2007
| "Stalker" |style="text-align:center;"|— |rowspan="4" style="text-align:center;" | The Water |
| rowspan="3"| 2008
| "Famous for Being Famous" |style="text-align:center;"|— |
| "Be My Saviour"
|style="text-align:center;"|— |
| "You're a Star"
|style="text-align:center;"|— |
| rowspan="1"| 2009
| "Cape Wrath" |style="text-align:center;"|— |rowspan="1" style="text-align:center;" | Island |
| rowspan="4"| 2012
| "The Lights" |style="text-align:center;"| — |rowspan="3" style="text-align:center;" | City Awakenings |
| "Must You Get Low"
|style="text-align:center;"|— |
| "Must You Make Eyes At Me"
|style="text-align:center;"|— |
| "Christmas is Here Again"
|style="text-align:center;"|— |rowspan="1" style="text-align:center;" | non-album single |
| rowspan="1"| 2015
| "Keep Falling" |style="text-align:center;"|— |rowspan="1" style="text-align:center;" | The Best of Mull Historical Society & Colin MacIntyre |
| rowspan="2"| 2016
| "The Ballad of Ivor Punch" |style="text-align:center;"|— |rowspan="2" style="text-align:center;" | Dear Satellite |
| "Sleepy Hollow"
|style="text-align:center;"|— |
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.colinmacintyre.com/ Official website]
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Macintyre, Colin}}
Category:Scottish multi-instrumentalists
Category:People from the Isle of Mull
Category:Scottish male singer-songwriters
Category:Scottish singer-songwriters
Category:21st-century Scottish novelists
Category:Scottish male novelists