Del Amitri

Del Amitri's founding member and main songwriter, Justin Currie, explained in 2010 that the band's name "was invented to be meaningless – basically a corruption of the Greek name 'Dimitri'."Steinfeld, Dave. (2010). "[http://beyondrace.com/columns/catching-up/2712-catching-up-with-justin-currie Catching Up with Justin Currie] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100903024429/http://www.beyondrace.com/columns/catching-up/2712-catching-up-with-justin-currie|date=3 September 2010}}." Beyond Race Magazine. Retrieved 23 May 2011. In 2018, Currie clarified that 'Del Amitri' is a bastardisation of the name of a film producer who appeared in the closing credits of a film he saw in 1979: "probably Dimitri-something, but we couldn't remember... so eventually through osmosis or maybe Chinese Whispers 'Dimitri' became 'Del Amitri'."{{Cite book|title=These Are Such Perfect Days: The Del Amitri Story|last=Rawlings-Way|first=Charles|publisher=Urbane Publications|year=2018|isbn=978-1911331414|pages=35–36}} Many sources have repeated a claim that the name was chosen because it is Greek for "from the womb",{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Fie47qSuTsoC&pg=PA1835|title=The Rough Guide to Rock|first=Rough|last=Guides (Firm)|date=16 December 2003|publisher=Rough Guides|isbn=9781858284576|via=Google Books}} but this is untrue.{{cite news|url=http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/del-amitri-we-dont-even-like-ourselves-9191662.html|title=Del Amitri: We don't even like ourselves|date=5 April 2002|website=The Independent}}

Del Amitri grew out of Justin Currie's Jordanhill College School band whose original members were Currie (bass and vocals), James Scobbie (guitars), Donald Bentley (guitars) and Paul Tyagi (drums).{{citation needed|date=April 2019}}

In 1984, Del Amitri signed a recording contract with Chrysalis Records, which released their eponymous debut studio album in 1985.{{cite book

| first= Martin C.

| last= Strong

| year= 2000

| title= The Great Rock Discography

| edition= 5th

| publisher= Mojo Books

| location= Edinburgh

| pages= 255–256

| isbn= 1-84195-017-3}}

{{main|Waking Hours}}

As recording started for what would become Del Amitri's second studio album, the line-up changed. Currie and Harvie invited keyboard player Andy Alston to join the band and fired both guitarist Bryan Tolland and drummer Paul Tyagi. Tolland was replaced in the studio by Mick Slaven and Tyagi by the Commotions' Stephen Irvine. However, Slaven and Irvine chose not to join the band full-time and were replaced by David Cummings and Brian McDermott, respectively.

Released in 1989, Waking Hours reached No. 6 on the UK Albums Chart and gave the band their most successful UK single, "Nothing Ever Happens", which peaked at No. 11. They also gained some mainstream exposure abroad for the first time, as Waking Hours was a success in several territories with the single "Kiss This Thing Goodbye" flirting with the lower reaches of the US Billboard Hot 100's Top 40. In between Waking Hours and their next album, the band released the single "Spit in the Rain", which reached No. 21 in the UK.

The line-up of Currie, Harvie, Alston, Cummings and McDermott proved to be stable and successful. They stayed together to record the follow-up album Change Everything, which was released in 1992 and became the band's biggest chart success, reaching No. 2 in the UK, being held off top spot only by Lionel Richie's best-of collection, Back to Front. The single "Always the Last to Know" peaked at No. 13 in the UK, and again provided them with an entry into Top 40 in the US. The video for the song was directed by Oil Factory's Pedro Romhanyi.{{cite web|url=http://www.indiepedia.de/index.php?title=Pedro_Romhanyi |title=Pedro Romhanyi – |website=Indiepedia.de |access-date=10 August 2015|language=de}} Their increasing success in the US led to appearances on the television show Late Night with David Letterman{{citation | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mKwMVzzS5B4#! |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/mKwMVzzS5B4 |archive-date=2021-12-21 |url-status=live| title= Del Amitri performance | work=Late Night With David Letterman | date= c. 1992 |publisher= NBC, on YouTube | access-date= 25 October 2012 | quote=Welcome back to the program – Del Amitri! }}{{cbignore}} and the Woodstock '94 anniversary festival.{{cite news|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/peace-love-and-wilful-misunderstanding-1.3833905|title=Peace, love and wilful misunderstanding|first=Donald|last=Clarke|newspaper=The Irish Times}}

Twisted was released in 1995 and peaked at No. 3 in the UK. Ash Soan joined the band as a permanent member after touring with them on drums starting in 1994; although on the album, drums were played by Chris Sharrock.{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/twisted-mw0000123588/credits|title=Twisted - Del Amitri | Credits | AllMusic|access-date=16 October 2020|publisher=AllMusic}}

The single "Roll to Me", only a moderate hit in the UK where it reached No. 22, reached the Top 10 in the US charts; this was a noteworthy achievement during an era when British acts were finding success in the US difficult.

Del Amitri's fifth studio album, Some Other Sucker's Parade, was released in 1997 and reached No. 6 in the UK chart.{{cite web|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/search/albums/some-other-suckers-parade/|title=some other suckers parade|publisher=Official Charts Company|language=en|access-date=2019-12-16}}

The band found it harder to capitalise on their previous successes in the US, however, and lost out on more airplay at home when their record company took the decision to withdraw the album's planned third single "Medicine" in September 1997, putting out a false press story that the lyrics could be interpreted as a critique of the then recently deceased Diana, Princess of Wales.{{Cite book|title=These Are Such Perfect Days: The Del Amitri Story|last=Rawlings-Way|first=Charles|publisher=Urbane Publications|year=2018|isbn=978-1911331414|page=259}}

Five years passed before Del Amitri released another album. In 1998, however, they recorded the official anthem for the Scottish World Cup squad, "Don't Come Home Too Soon". It reached No. 15 on the charts, becoming their third biggest UK hit and their last Top 20 entry to date.{{citation needed|date=December 2019}} They also released a best of album, Hatful of Rain: The Best of Del Amitri, which was a No. 5 success in the UK Albums Chart{{citation needed|date=December 2019}} and was accompanied by a new track, "Cry to Be Found", which reached No. 40.{{cite web|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/search/singles/cry-to-be-found/|title=cry to be found|publisher=Official Charts Company|language=en|access-date=2019-12-16}}

File:Del Amitri in Dublin, 22 January 2014.jpg in Dublin.]]

The album Can You Do Me Good? was released in the spring of 2002. Both the album and the single "Just Before You Leave", reached the Top 40. The band then went on hiatus.{{cite web|url=https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/entertainment/celebrity/deli-amitri-singer-says-old-12948291|title=Del Amitri singer says old bands like his are 'killing music'|last=Dingwall|first=John|date=2018-07-20|website=Dailyrecord.co.uk|access-date=2019-12-16}}

On 18 August 2013, during an interview with Terry Wogan on his BBC Radio 2 programme, Currie hinted at a Del Amitri reunion. A UK tour was subsequently announced. As part of the tour, the band played to 8,000 people in the SSE Hydro, Glasgow on 24 January 2014. A live album, called Into the Mirror, was released following the tour.{{cite web|url=https://www.delamitri.info/into-the-mirror/|title=Into The Mirror {{!}} Del Amitri|website=Delamitri.info|language=en-GB|access-date=2019-12-16}}

Del Amitri reformed again in July 2018, playing eight dates in seven UK cities. Their live set included a new song, "You Can't Go Back", and a cover of Twenty One Pilots' hit song, "Heathens". In July 2018, Currie said that a new group album and further activity was possible.{{cite web|url=https://www.classicpopmag.com/2018/07/the-godfathers-of-pop-justin-currie-inteview/|title=The Godfathers of Pop: Justin Currie {{as written|intev|iew [sic]}}|date=18 July 2018|website=Classicpopmag.com|access-date=31 March 2019}}

On 2 March 2020, drummer Ash Soan revealed that work on Del Amitri's seventh studio album had begun at Vada Studios in Cookhill, Worcestershire.{{cite web|url=https://www.instagram.com/p/B9PMmn1Aijf/ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/iarchive/s/instagram/B9PMmn1Aijf |archive-date=2021-12-24 |url-access=limited|title=Ash Soan on Instagram: "And we're off!!!! ......... 👊🏼🥁❤️"|website=Instagram|language=en|access-date=2020-04-11}}{{cbignore}} On 8 April, Justin Currie confirmed that the band finished recording the album "the night before the UK-wide lockdown" began on 24 March, and that they expected to tour in January 2021, following a one-off free show in December 2020 for NHS Scotland workers.{{cite web|url=https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/health/coronavirus/del-amitri-stage-free-glasgow-barrowland-gig-scottish-nhs-workers-2532884|title=Del Amitri to stage free Glasgow Barrowland gig for Scottish NHS workers|website=Edinburghnews.scotsman.com|language=en|access-date=2020-04-11}} On 5 May via a short video clip, the band announced that they had signed to Cooking Vinyl.

In November 2020, the band announced new single "Close Your Eyes and Think of England" and released the album title Fatal Mistakes. The album was released by Cooking Vinyl on 28 May 2021{{Cite tweet |user=Delamitri |number=1370313707985760256 |title=Due to unavoidable issues regarding production relating to the pandemic, Del Amitri's new album 'Fatal Mistakes' has been moved to May 28th 2021. }}

alongside bonus album Outtakes & B-side (the latter of which is available for a limited period with the parent album).{{Cite web|url=https://www.superdeluxeedition.com/news/del-amitri-fatal-mistakes/|title=Del Amitri / Fatal Mistakes | superdeluxeedition|date=13 November 2020 }} In its first week of release, Fatal Mistakes landed at No. 5 on the UK Album Chart,{{Cite web|title=Fatal Mistakes {{!}} full Official Chart History {{!}} Official Charts Company|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/search/albums/fatal-mistakes/|access-date=2021-06-05|website=www.officialcharts.com|language=en}} marking the band's sixth album to reach the UK Top 10.{{Cite web|title=DEL AMITRI {{!}} full Official Chart History {{!}} Official Charts Company|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/25603/del-amitri/|access-date=2021-06-05|website=www.officialcharts.com}}

Del Amitri announced a tour in support of Fatal Mistakes will begin in September 2021, concluding with a hometown show at Glasgow on 20 December 2021.{{Cite web|title=Gigs And Tours News|url=https://www.gigsandtours.com/news/del-amitri-announce-major-uk-headline-tour-for-2021/4324|access-date=2021-06-05|website=Gigs and Tours|language=en}}

File:Del Amitri 27.jpg, New Zealand (February 2023)]]

Del Amitri announced through their Instagram that a new documentary on the band had been made entitled "You Can't Go Back".{{Cite web|title=Instagram|url=https://www.instagram.com/p/CSrG4WPBhZs/ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/iarchive/s/instagram/CSrG4WPBhZs |archive-date=2021-12-24 |url-access=limited|url-status=live|access-date=2021-08-21|website=Instagram|language=English}}{{cbignore}} The film is set to premiere on British TV channel Sky Arts on September 4.

On 12 December 2022, Justin Currie and Ian Harvie appeared at the launch of the Blu-ray Disc Every Night Has a Dawn at the Glasgow Film Theatre where they took part in a Q&A session following the showing of excerpts of the film which was recorded live at the Barrowland Ballroom in Glasgow on the third night of a tour finale on 11 June 2022.

The band joined the Simple Minds 2024 World Tour, for the UK and European legs, with dates between 15 March in Leeds to 29 March in Glasgow plus European shows in Luxembourg, Holland, Denmark, Germany, France and Italy.{{cite web | url=https://www.simpleminds.com/2023/09/11/simple-minds-play-europe-in-2024/ | title=Simple Minds Play EUROPE in 2024 | date=11 September 2023 }}

;Current members

• Justin Currie – lead vocals, bass, acoustic guitar (1980–2002, 2013–present)
• Iain Harvie – guitar, backing vocals, occasional bass (1982–2002, 2013–present)
• Andy Alston – keyboards, accordion (1989–2002, 2013–present)
• Ashley Soan – drums, percussion (1994–1997, 2013–present)
• Kris Dollimore – guitar, backing vocals, occasional bass (1997–2002, 2013–present)

;Former members

• Donald Bentley – guitar, backing vocals (1980–1982)
• James Scobbie – guitar, backing vocals (1980–1982)
• Paul Tyagi – drums, percussion (1981–1988)
• Bryan Tolland – guitar, backing vocals (1982–1987)
• Mick Slaven – guitar, backing vocals (1988–1989)
• Brian McDermott – drums, percussion (1989–1994)
• David Cummings – guitar, backing vocals (1989–1995)
• Jon McLoughlin – guitar, backing vocals (1996–1997, died 2005)
• Mark Price – drums, percussion (1997–2002)

;Timeline

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id:vocals value:red legend:Lead_vocals,_bass,_acoustic_guitar

id:guitar value:green legend:Guitar,_backing_vocals

id:drums value:orange legend:Drums,_percussion

id:keyboards value:purple legend:Keyboards,_accordion

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bar:Donald text:"Donald Bentley"

bar:James text:"James Scobbie"

bar:Iain text:"Iain Harvie"

bar:Bryan text:"Bryan Tolland"

bar:Mick text:"Mick Slaven"

bar:David text:"David Cummings"

bar:Jon text:"Jon McLoughlin"

bar:Kris text:"Kris Dollimore"

bar:Paul text:"Paul Tyagi"

bar:Brian text:"Brian McDermott"

bar:Ashley text:"Ashley Soan"

bar:Mark text:"Mark Price"

bar:Andy text:"Andy Alston"

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bar:Iain from:01/01/1982 till:31/08/2002 color:guitar

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bar:Ashley from:01/09/2013 till:end color:drums

bar:Mark from:01/07/1997 till:31/08/2002 color:drums

bar:Andy from:01/01/1989 till:31/08/2002 color:keyboards

bar:Andy from:01/09/2013 till:end color:keyboards

{{Main|Del Amitri discography}}

• del Amitri (1985)
• Waking Hours (1989)
• Change Everything (1992)
• Twisted (1995)
• Some Other Sucker's Parade (1997)
• Can You Do Me Good? (2002)
• Fatal Mistakes (2021)

• The Best of Del Amitri: Hatful of Rain (1998)
• Lousy with Love: The B-Sides (1998)
• 20th Century Masters – The Best of Del Amitri (2003)
• The Collection: Best of Del Amitri (2007)

• Into the Mirror: Del Amitri Live in Concert (2014)
• Every Night Has a Dawn (2022){{Cite web |title=Del Amitri | Official Website | 'Fatal Mistakes' OUT NOW |url=https://www.delamitri.info/every-night-has-a-dawn/ |archive-url=https://archive.today/20221227131635/https://www.delamitri.info/every-night-has-a-dawn/ |archive-date=27 December 2022 |access-date=27 December 2022}}

{{Reflist}}

{{commonscatinline}}

• {{Official|https://www.delamitri.info/}}
• [http://www.justincurrie.com Currie's official website]
• {{AllMusic|class=artist|id=mn0000815537}}
• {{discogs artist}}
• {{IMDb name|id=2862555}}

{{Del Amitri}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:Musical groups from Glasgow

Category:Scottish pop rock music groups

Category:Scottish power pop groups

Category:Scottish alternative rock groups

Category:Musical groups established in 1980

Category:Musical groups disestablished in 2002

Category:Musical groups reestablished in 2013

Category:A&M Records artists

Category:Chrysalis Records artists

Category:Cooking Vinyl artists

Category:Mercury Records artists

Category:Articles which contain graphical timelines