Letter from America (song)

Last updated
"Letter from America"
Letter From America.jpg
Single by The Proclaimers
from the album This Is the Story
A-side "Letter From America (Band Version)"
B-side "Letter From America (Acoustic Version)"
"I'm Lucky"
Released1987
Studio Comfort's Place, Lingfield, Surrey
Length4:00
Label Chrysalis Records Ltd.
Songwriter(s) Reid & Reid
Producer(s) Gerry Rafferty & Hugh Murphy
The Proclaimers singles chronology
"Throw the 'R' Away"
(1987)
"Letter from America"
(1987)
"Make My Heart Fly"
(1988)

"Letter from America" is a song written and performed by Scottish band The Proclaimers, that appears on their 1987 debut album, This Is the Story .

Contents

The track was a Top 3 hit in Ireland and the United Kingdom, whilst making the Top 30 in Belgium and The Netherlands and also charting in Germany.

Theme

Lyrically, the song reflects Scotland's long history of emigration, with Scots leaving behind economic depression in their own nation to start new lives in America and Canada ("the day you sailed from Wester Ross to Nova Scotia"). There is also an allusion to the enforced emigrations of the Highland Clearances when wealthy landowners forcibly evicted whole communities in order to turn their land over to the more profitable enterprise of raising sheep, and comparison of the impact of the Highland clearances to that of 1980s Thatcherite economic policies. Both of these themes are portrayed on the sleeve artwork for the single - a painted image of a man and woman from the time of the clearances (from the John Watson Nicol painting Lochaber No More superimposed onto a black-and-white photograph of the interior of Gartcosh steel works after its closure in 1986.

Single version

The song was later recorded, as a single, in a fuller arrangement with producer Gerry Rafferty, [1] and became a hit in November 1987, peaking at No. 2 and No. 3 on the Irish Singles Chart and UK Singles Chart in November 1987 and December 1987 respectively. The single was released in 7", 12", and 10" versions. The 10" vinyl single of the song featured an unusual double groove pressing, with the two versions - acoustic and orchestral - interwoven on the same side of the disc, so that placing the needle on the record would result in a random playing of one or the other version. [2]

The song appears in the 1991 film The Commitments , playing in the background at a wedding, and also in the 2013 film Sunshine On Leith , along with several other Proclaimers songs.

In February 2014, the song was parodied by Scottish Labour Party leader Johann Lamont during a session of First Minister's Questions after the savings and investment business Standard Life said it might leave Scotland if the country voted to separate from the United Kingdom. [3] The Reid brothers (who are themselves both vocal supporters of Scottish independence and the Scottish National Party) subsequently issued a statement criticising Lamont for "distorting our song as part of Labour's anti-independence cabal with the Tories". [4]

Personnel

Personnel are taken from the CD single liner notes [5]

Chart

Chart (1987)Peak
position
Ireland (IRMA) [6] 2
UK Singles (OCC) [7] 3

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stealers Wheel</span> Scottish rock band

Stealers Wheel were a Scottish folk rock/rock band formed in 1972 in Paisley, Scotland, by former school friends Joe Egan and Gerry Rafferty. Their best-known hit is "Stuck in the Middle with You". The band broke up in 1975 and re-formed briefly in 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barbara Dickson</span> Scottish singer, actress (b. 1947)

Barbara Ruth Dickson is a Scottish singer and actress whose hits include "I Know Him So Well", "Answer Me" and "January February". Dickson has placed fifteen albums on the UK Albums Chart from 1977 to date, and had a number of hit singles, including four which reached the top 20 on the UK Singles Chart. The Scotsman newspaper has described her as Scotland's best-selling female singer in terms of the numbers of hit chart singles and albums she has achieved in the UK since 1976.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Proclaimers</span> Scottish musical group

The Proclaimers are a Scottish rock duo formed in 1983 by twin brothers Craig and Charlie Reid. They came to attention with their 1987 single "Letter from America", which reached No. 3 in the United Kingdom, and the 1988 single "I'm Gonna Be ", which topped charts in Australia, Iceland and New Zealand. The duo's biggest album, Sunshine on Leith (1988) has been certified multi-Platinum in Australia and Canada, selling over 2 million copies worldwide, including around 700,000 in the United States. The Proclaimers have sold over 5 million albums worldwide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stuck in the Middle with You</span> 1973 single by Stealers Wheel

"Stuck in the Middle with You" is a song written by Scottish musicians Gerry Rafferty and Joe Egan and performed by their band Stealers Wheel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gerry Rafferty</span> Scottish singer and songwriter (1947–2011)

Gerald Rafferty was a Scottish singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer. He was a founding member of Stealers Wheel, whose biggest hit was "Stuck in the Middle with You" in 1973. His solo hits in the late 1970s included "Baker Street", "Right Down the Line", and "Night Owl".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)</span> 1988 single by the Proclaimers

"I'm Gonna Be " is a song written and performed by Scottish duo the Proclaimers, and first released in August 1988 by Chrysalis as the lead single from their second album, Sunshine on Leith (1988). The song reached number 11 in the UK Singles Chart on its initial release and topped the charts of Australia, Iceland, and New Zealand.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baker Street (song)</span> 1978 single by Gerry Rafferty

"Baker Street" is a song written by Scottish singer-songwriter Gerry Rafferty and issued as a single by him in February 1978. It won the 1979 Ivor Novello Award for Best Song Musically and Lyrically and reached the top three in the UK, US and elsewhere. The arrangement is known for its saxophone riff.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Next Year</span> 2000 single by Foo Fighters

"Next Year" is a song released as the last single from the third Foo Fighters' album There Is Nothing Left to Lose.

The Humblebums were a Scottish folk rock band, based in Glasgow. Its members included Billy Connolly, who later became a renowned stand-up comedian and actor; guitarist Tam Harvey; and singer-songwriter Gerry Rafferty. The band was active from 1965 to 1971.

"You Raise Me Up" is a song composed by Rolf Løvland and written by Brendan Graham. It was first recorded by Secret Garden, in collaboration with Brian Kennedy. Although the original version was not a major hit, the song has since been recorded by more than a hundred other artists, most notably American singer Josh Groban in 2003 and Irish group Westlife in 2005.

<i>City to City</i> 1978 studio album by Gerry Rafferty

City to City is the second solo studio album by Scottish singer-songwriter Gerry Rafferty, released on 20 January 1978 by United Artists Records. It was Rafferty's first solo release in six years—and first release of any kind since 1975—due to his tenure in the band Stealers Wheel and subsequent legal proceedings which prevented Rafferty from releasing any new solo recordings for the next three years. The album was well received, peaking at No. 1 in the US and going Platinum, as well as reaching No. 6 in the UK Albums Chart and achieving Gold status. "Baker Street", "Right Down the Line" and "Home and Dry" were successfully released as singles.

"Night Owl" is a song by Gerry Rafferty. It is the second track on his 1979 album of the same name. It features a Lyricon solo played by "Baker Street" saxophonist Raphael Ravenscroft. An edited version, omitting one verse, made the top five in the UK Singles Chart, and along with "Baker Street" is one of two solo efforts by Gerry Rafferty to accomplish this feat.

<i>This Is the Story</i> 1987 studio album by The Proclaimers

This Is the Story is the debut studio album from Scottish rock duo The Proclaimers, released in 1987. It was originally released with 12 tracks but after the success of the Gerry Rafferty-produced full band version of "Letter from America", which reached number 3 in the UK Single Chart, it was re-pressed later that year with that track added.

<i>Sunshine on Leith</i> (album) 1988 studio album by The Proclaimers

Sunshine on Leith is the second studio album by Scottish folk rock duo The Proclaimers, released in August 1988 through Chrysalis Records. The record spawned four singles: "I'm Gonna Be ", which topped charts in Australia, New Zealand and Iceland; "Sunshine on Leith", a ballad that has become an anthem for Scottish football club Hibernian F.C.; the No. 3 Australian hit "I'm on My Way"; and the Australian-exclusive "Then I Met You". The non-single "Cap in Hand" also came to prominence in 2014 with the Scottish Independence referendum.

<i>Hit the Highway</i> 1994 studio album by the Proclaimers

Hit the Highway is the third studio album by the Scottish folk rock duo the Proclaimers, released in March 1994 by Chrysalis Records. It took them six years to follow their second album, Sunshine on Leith. The album included three singles: "Let's Get Married", "What Makes You Cry?" and "These Arms of Mine". It topped the charts in Scotland, debuting in the top-10 in the UK while also charting in Austria, Canada and Sweden.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I'm on My Way (The Proclaimers song)</span> 1989 single by the Proclaimers

"I'm on My Way" is a song by Scottish folk pop duo the Proclaimers from their 1988 album Sunshine on Leith. It was released as a single in 1989 and reached number 43 in the United Kingdom and number three in Australia. The lyrics "I'm on my way from misery to happiness today" differ from "I'm on My Way", the spiritual of the same name.

<i>Notes & Rhymes</i> 2009 studio album by The Proclaimers

Notes & Rhymes is the eighth studio album by Scottish folk rock duo the Proclaimers, released in 2009. It was produced by Steve Evans and recorded at Rockfield Studios.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">April Skies</span> 1987 single by the Jesus and Mary Chain

"April Skies" is a song by Scottish alternative rock group the Jesus and Mary Chain and the first single from the group's second studio album, Darklands (1987). The song was released by Blanco y Negro Records in April 1987, reaching No. 8 on the UK Singles Chart, No. 6 in Ireland, and No. 16 in New Zealand, making it the band's highest-charting single in all three countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roddy Hart</span> Scottish musician

Roderick John Hart is a Scottish singer–songwriter, composer and broadcaster from Glasgow. As a solo artist, he has released three records – Bookmarks, Sign Language and Road of Bones – and one EP, The Dylan EP. Hart also releases albums with his band the Lonesome Fire, the first of which was the self-titled Roddy Hart & the Lonesome Fire produced by Danton Supple. Released in late 2013, the album was nominated for the Scottish Album of the Year Award in April 2014. Their second album, Swithering, was co-produced by Paul Savage and released in 2016. The band made their American network TV debut on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson on 17 February 2014 and proved so popular they were invited back the following week to perform a week-long residency on the show.

Betsy Cook is an American-born singer, songwriter and musician. Since the late 1970s, she has worked mainly in the United Kingdom and collaborated with various British artists such as Gerry Rafferty, Ray Jackson, Lindisfarne, George Michael, Paul Young, Seal and Marc Almond. She later became affiliated with the acclaimed producer Trevor Horn and worked on several of his projects in the late 1980s and early 1990s before releasing her own album, The Girl Who Ate Herself, in 1992. As a songwriter, Cook was nominated for a Grammy Award in 1988 for the song "Telling Me Lies".

References

  1. Colin Larkin, ed. (2003). The Virgin Encyclopedia of Eighties Music (Third ed.). Virgin Books. p. 392. ISBN   1-85227-969-9.
  2. "The Proclaimers – Letter From America (Band Version)". Discogs . Retrieved 13 September 2017.
  3. "Labour leader riffs on Proclaimers in independence jobs warning". STV News . 27 February 2014. Retrieved 27 February 2014.
  4. Andrews, Kieran (28 February 2014). "Quote us no more! — The Proclaimers hit out at Johann Lamont's use of lyrics". The Courier . Dundee: D. C. Thomson & Co. Retrieved 28 February 2014.
  5. The Proclaimers - Letter From America (Band Version), 1987, retrieved 2023-11-13
  6. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Letter from America". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved August 30, 2021.
  7. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 30, 2021.