Classic Scottish Albums

From her Bishopbriggs bedroom to platinum discs, presenter Davie Scott celebrates the success of Amy Macdonald's debut album.

Davie Scott talks to Strawberry Switchblade's pop duo Rose and Jill about the making of their hit album including the single Since Yesterday. Further contributions from music journalists and broadcasters Halina Rifai and Nicola Meighan.

Davie Scott meets Frank, John and Paul of the Trashcan Sinatras and hears about the making of their 4th album Weightlifting. With further contributions from Recording Engineer Duncan Cameron, Producer Andy Chase, music journalist Paul Laird and fan Traceyanne Campbell of Camera Obscura.

Davie Scott meets Roddy and Rod of Idlewild to talk about the making of The Remote Part, including the hit single You Held the World In Your Arms. With further contributions from Producer Dave Eringa, and music journalists Catrina Rose and Paul Laird.

Davie Scott meets KT Tunstall to find out how she made her debut album Eye to the Telescope, including hit singles Black Horse and the Cherry Tree, Other Side of the World and Suddenly I See. With further contributions from Producer Steve Osborne, co-writer Martin Terefe, fellow Fife songwriter Kenny Anderson and blogger/podcaster Paul Laird.

Davie Scott chats with Justin Currie and Iain Guthrie about the making of Del Amitri's Waking Hours including smash hits Kiss This Thing Goodbye and Nothing Every Happens. With further contributions from Producer Mark Freegard, US journalist and broadcaster Alex Green, blogger and podcaster Paul Laird and music journalist Catrina Rose.

As the world celebrates Burns Night, Davie Scott takes a deep dive into Eddi Reader's album where she Sings the Songs of Robert Burns. With contributions from Eddi Reader, Boo Hewerdine, John McCusker, Phil Cunningham and Jon Kelly.

Davie Scott hears about the making of Snow Patrol's massive hit album Eyes Open, including the single Chasing Cars. With singer Gary Lightbody and producer Jacknife Lee.

Davie Scott chats to Alan Rankine about The Associates' second studio album Sulk, including the single Party Fears Two.

Davie Scott chats with Tommy and Graeme about Wet Wet Wet's Popped In Souled Out.

Davie Scott hosts a reunion for the four members of The Delgados to hear how they made their epic album The Great Eastern.

Davie Scott meets singer songwriter Emeli Sande to hear how she wrote her multi-million selling debut Our Version of Events.

Davie Scott talks to Grahame Skinner and Johnny McElhone about their debut album with Hipsway including the hit singles The Honey Thief, Tinder and The Broken Years.

Davie Scott chats with Bobby Bluebell and Ken McCluskey about the making of their album Sisters featuring the hit singles Young at Heart, Cath and I'm Falling.

Davie Scott speaks to Donovan and pals about the dippy, trippy 'Sunshine Superman' album. He recalls his unusual recording process, his massive US breakthrough and his longing for a lost love. It'd be another 6-years before he and Linda Lawrence finally got together, but making her a muse for this worldwide chart-topper certainly helped his cause.

Davie Scott delves into the story behind Stealers Wheel's self-titled 1972 debut album, including the unforgettable track 'Stuck in the Middle'.

Davie Scott reveals more insightful tales behind Classic Scottish Albums, selecting another album that changed the lives of those involved, and struck a very intimate chord in the history of music. In today's programme, Davie Scott reveals the true and very amusing stories behind The Incredible String Band's first and self-titled album, which emerged from the 1960s folk scene.

If you were growing up in the 1980s this band's probably improved your vocabulary. Lloyd Cole explains to Davie Scott how they honed their sound on the live circuit before recording 'Rattlesnakes', while along the way they influenced a young student called Ian Rankin with their wordy references.

The group behind crowd anthems like 'In a Big Country', 'Chance' and 'Fields of Fire' has a story more emotive than their music. In programme two of 'Classic Scottish Albums', Davie Scott discovers the story behind worldwide hit 'The Crossing' by Big Country, talking to those who matter including U2's super-producer Steve Lillywhite who still thinks Big Country are one of the most talented bands he's ever worked with.

Davey Scott discovers the story behind the Mercury Prize-winning 'Franz Ferdinand' by Franz Ferdinand. With a suaveness, optimism and confidence not typically associated with bands from Scotland, the band swept into focus in 2004 with their self-titled debut. By the year's end, 'Franz Ferdinand' had bagged the Mercury Music Prize, three top-10 singles and 3.6 million album sales worldwide. They made a bigger impact on America than Robbie Williams and Oasis combined, and did it with a lot less bluster. Their influences include Talking Heads, Chic, Pulp and Joy Division, and these combined to reach a far wider audience than your average indie band. 'Take Me Out' topped several 'Best of 2004' lists and was seemingly never off the jukebox in Eastenders Queen Vic. 'Michael' gained attention for it's homoerotic overtones - "beautiful boys on a beautiful dancefloor" - while 'This Fire' is a fan-favourite and closes a typically energetic Franz Ferdinand live set. The NME called them music "intoxicating", while others compared their universal buzz to that of The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and Duran Duran. In this episode of Classic Scottish Albums, Davey discovers how they did it...

Davie Scott reveals more insightful tales behind Classic Scottish Albums, selecting another album that changed the lives of those involved and struck a very intimate chord in the history of music. With 'High Land, Hard Rain' Aztec Camera blended infectious tunes and mature lyrics to create a debut with a very distinctive Scottish take on the world.

Davie Scott reveals more insightful tales behind Classic Scottish Albums, selecting another album that changed the lives of those involved and struck a very intimate chord in the history of music. Davie goes back to 1984 to reveal untold stories about The Blue Nile's debut album, "A Walk Across The Rooftops".

Al Stewart's 'Year of the Cat' album took the Hippie Trail mainstream. Davie Scott hears how this escapism resonated with UK listeners mired in strikes and unemployment in 1976. It was a far cry from Al Stewart's humble beginnings. As he tells it in one of his songs, "I came up to London when I was 19 with a corduroy jacket and a head full of dreams." A poetic singer-songwriter born in Glasgow, he moved to Dorset before falling in with the folk scene. So far, so Donovan, but then Al's story splinters off into peculiarly unique directions.He bought his first guitar from Andy Sumners of The Police, shared a flat with Paul Simon and gave Yoko Ono all his money for an exhibition of naked bottoms. That came before landing in the US Top 5 with his 1976 album 'Year of the Cat'. The single of the same name is a dreamy, meandering epic about a life changing meeting between a naïve young traveller and a worldly hippy. It's absolutely of its time, but continues to get airplay around the world and helped Al secure high-profile friends and admirers such as Tori Amos, Jimmy Page, Bert Jansch and Rick Wakeman.

Davie Scott selects another album that changed the lives of those involved and struck a very intimate chord in the history of music. With 'Solid Air' John Martyn's distinctive vocal style and stunning guitar playing is combined to pay homage to friendship, love and life.

Davie Scott highlights Capercaillie's dynamic 1991 crossover album Delirium. A groundbreaking record it marked a major change in their approach to Gaelic music, adding contemporary dance grooves to the traditional tunes. It took the band from folk clubs into the national spotlight when the Gaelic waulking song, 'Coisch A Ruin', made it into the top forty. Davey talks to the band members about how they were spotted and signed after a television appearance and to contemporary Gaelic singer Julie Fowlis about their influence on young performers.

Davie Scott delves into the story behind the standout debut album of Dundee band Danny Wilson including the timeless and magical song Mary's Prayer.

In the run-up to the 6 Music Festival, taking place this year in Glasgow, we repeat highlights of a series first broadcast in 2007 on BBC Radio Scotland in which musician Davie Scott reveals the stories behind classic Scottish albums.In this episode Davie chats to Robin Guthrie of the Cocteau Twins about the chaotic sessions for their sixth album, Heaven or Las Vegas, released in 1990, and now acknowledged as a masterpiece. Robin also reveals something of the mystery of the enigmatic lead singer Elizabeth Fraser's extraordinary lyrics and vocal style.

Looking back at the importance of Teenage Fanclub's second album "Bandwagonesque", including interviews with Norman Blake, Nick Hornby, Stuart MaConie and Alan McGee.

Teen angst never sounded so good - or certainly not from East Kilbride. This is the story of the 'Psychocandy' album by The Jesus and Mary Chain, as told by Janice Long, Bobby Gillespie and the famously-elusive Reid Brothers themselves.

Three decades with Mike Scott at the helm and their most dazzling record remains 'This Is The Sea'. Waterboys lead singer reveals to Davie Scott how he created the album and revelas the real reason he refused to appear on Top of The Pops.

Davie Scott rediscovers the album that spawned the monster hit 'Baker Street', and reveals how despite the record's massive success Gerry Rafferty withstood the wrath of the music industry by refusing to tour the U.S.

It's pop music, but not as you know it. Containing stabbings, social work and sectarianism, this is the story of Glasvegas by Glasvegas.

Five amazing years together and a frantic eight albums, The Sensational Alex Harvey Band lived up to their name in the studio and on stage. Surviving members of the band talk to musician Davie Scott about the creation of their finest record of those years, 'Next'.

Davie Scott takes a deep dive into the making of The White Album from the Average White Band, including a contribution from their producer, the late and great Arif Mardin.

Musician Davie Scott goes behind the scenes revealing remarkable stories about the classic album New Gold Dream from Simple Minds. Lead singer Jim Kerr talks about how this album launched the band internationally

Davie Scott explores the making of Love and Money's second album A Strange Kind of Love featuring Halleluiah Man, Jocelyn Square and Walk the Last Mile.

As part of BBC Rado 6 Music celebration of the KLF, another chance to hear a programme first broadcast on BBC Radio Scotland in 2011, in which Davie Scott unravels one of music's most fascinating tales, The White Room by the KLF. Bill Drummond - son of a Church of Scotland minister - was almost 40 years old when he decided to create a 'Stadium House' band. He wanted to unite music fans with "gigantic anthems". A former top music exec, he understood pop music hype and hyperbole and used that to his advantage. While some might have judged he and partner Jimmy Cauty as over-the-hill, Bill's marketing know-how pushed The KLF to become the bestselling singles act in the world in 1991. 'Justified and Ancient' (featuring Tammy Wynette) was inescapable. It was No.1 in 18 countries and provided her highest-ever Billboard placing. 'What Time is Love' provided the first taste of The KLF's big commercial sound and was soon answered by the number 1 single '3am Eternal'. And it wasn't just the fans who loved them. The music press couldn't get enough of their contrary ways, one journalist enthusing that "as providers of perverse, throwaway, three-minute pop-song manna... (they're) punk rock, the Renaissance, Andy Warhol and Jesus Christ all rolled into one." The gigantic commercial success of the band flew in the face of taste-making rhetoric, and Bill and Jimmy caused further alarm when - at the height of their success - they gave a "violently antagonistic performance" at the 1992 Brit Awards and left the stage to a tannoy announcement stating that "The KLF have now left the music business". Job done!

In the second series revealing insightful tales behind Classic Scottish Albums, musician Davie Scott selects 6 albums whose success changed the lives of those involved, and struck a very intimate chord in the history of music. The Boy With The Arab Strap won Belle & Sebastian 'Best Newcomer' Award at the Brit Awards in 1998. In today's programme Davie delves deep into the pockets of the album with the famously interview-shy collective, and hears from crime writer Iain Rankin about his passion for their melancholy summertime sounds.

Musician Davey Scott talks to Bert Jansch about how he recorded his seminal 1965 album.

Musician Davie Scott goes behind the scenes revealing remarkable stories about the classic album Screamadelica. Band member Bobby Gillespie takes us back to the heady days when the album was recorded and talks about how ecstasy, Thatcher and hedonism fuelled their songs.

Davie Scott reveals more insightful tales behind Classic Scottish Albums. He selects another album that changed the lives of those involved and struck a very intimate chord in the history of music. Dignity, work, dreams, love and loss, all themes on Deacon Blue's 'Raintown'. Lead singer Ricky Ross reveals the inspirations for one of the most successful albums to emerge from the 1980s.

If you could vote for a band to rule the country this one would probably win. They've peppered the last two decades with infectious songs that are sung all over the world. Craig and Charlie Reid tell Davie Scott how a lot of hard work and an explosive appearance on The Tube kick-started a memorable career and a classic Scottish album.

Davie Scott hears the stories behind the making of Texas' most successful No 1 album White on Blonde featuring Say What You Want, Halo and Black Eyed Boy.

Musician Davie Scott reveals remarkable stories about Orange Juice's 1982 classic album.