The Proclaimers open up about making their new album and which Wings song is 'absolute genius'
They spoke to Ken Bruce on Greatest Hits Radio
Last updated 20 hours ago
Twin brothers Craig and Charlie Reid, better known as The Proclaimers, joined Ken Bruce on Greatest Hits Radio, where they chose their Golden Year 1976, and opened up about the making of their new album 'You May Offend'. The duo also spoke about how they are still attracting new fans, and their love for a Wings' classic.
Craig, who started playing music in their Golden Year, reminisced about the early days: "It was kind of later in that year (1976). I got an old beat up drum kit and Charlie had a guitar and he'd been playing it for a couple of years and we just started playing," he told Ken.
"And then we started getting guys in to play the bass and just went from there for years and years after.
"I think we gradually got better, but we didn't actually get any good until we started The Proclaimers I think!"
New album 'You May Offend'
On the same day The Proclaimers joined Ken, they also released their 13th studio album, 'You May Offend', and opened up on Greatest Hits Radio about the process behind making.
Charlie explained: "Well, it (the album) was a couple of years in the making and unfortunately, we were delayed a little bit. I burst an eardrum on the last tour.
"So the last 12 dates were stopped. So we kind of stopped rehearsing for a little while, but we got back in the swing of it and Craig had the creative ideas, and thank god we made another record."
Craig went on to explain the process the pair go through when creating a new album, saying: "What happens when... even when we're not on the road or doing anything, we get together a couple of times a week just to sing 40... we would rotate 40 or 50 old songs.
"And then we're writing and once we've got three or four new songs, then we start rehearsing them and then over and over again, and then you gradually build it up and then most of the day is spent rehearsing new material. And once you've got about 10, you know you're going to have enough for a record, so you book the studio and you do all the rest of it, and then you get 12 (songs) and then you're ready to go that's it."
Charlie continued: "Craig does most of it and then we'll get together, we'll sit in the studio and then we'll change chords or we'll change tempo or whatever. And very occasionally we'll go, that's not working, but that doesn't happen so much now.
"So when we're happy with everything and we've got the right key and it sits properly, (it) has to sit properly, and then you're ready to record it."
The Proclaimers' tour and today's fans
Speaking about their tour, Charlie said: "Most of the gigs everywhere are sold out. I don't know, we just seem to still be able to sell tickets, as long as we can, as long as people want to come, then we're really able to do it.
"Because if you're not doing it justice, then you should really stop, even if you can still sell tickets. But we're still doing it justice and folk want to be there."
They went on reveal that over the years they have continued to attract new fans. "It is a mixture (of fans)," Charlie explained. "As we age, someone once was put it, the audience gets older too. So, but there is a lot... there are a lot of young people who come along and attracted from various things from stuff that has been on cartoons or films or whatever.
"And so you do get a new audience. And that's one of the main reasons to play in the festivals in the summer, Ken, because you're getting people who are not really there to see you. But you can win some of them over and some of them are young."
Wings' 'Let Em' In'
One of the songs the pair chose from their Golden Year was Wings' hit 'Let Em' In'. The song was a big hit here and in America, where it reached Number 1 in the Billboard Hot 100. Here in the UK the song reached Number 2. "He's (Paul McCartney) one of the greatest songwriters, not the last 50 years… of all time," Craig said. "And I think sometimes people, they kind of disparage him because the melodies are so certain that the lyrics aren't, but the lyrics in this are absolute genius.
"I mean, he's written maybe five or six songs where you could actually just look at the lyrics on a page and not hear the music and go, how the hell would you do something as good as that?"
Listen to the full interview below
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Author: Anna Sky Magliola
Anna Sky Magliola is a Digital Content Editor at Rayo, creating content for brands including Hits Radio, Greatest Hits Radio, KISS, Cool FM and Magic Radio. She began her career at Bauer Media in 2007 and has spent almost two decades creating engaging digital content for millions of readers, specialising in music news, celebrity interviews and TV features. A passionate dance music fan, Anna Sky has travelled the world to experience some of the biggest festivals and is always looking for the next great music story.