A Walk Across the Rooftops

A Walk Across the Rooftops
Studio album by the Blue Nile
Released	30 April 1984
Recorded	1981–1983
Studio	Castlesound Studios, Pencaitland, East Lothian, Scotland
Genre	Sophisti-pop [1] synth-pop [2] ambient [2] blue-eyed soul [3]
Length	37:47
Label	Linn, A&M
Producer	Paul Buchanan and Robert Bell
The Blue Nile chronology
A Walk Across the Rooftops (1984) Hats (1989)
Singles from A Walk Across the Rooftops
"Stay" Released: 13 April 1984 (reissued: 29 October 1984) "Tinseltown in the Rain" Released: 20 August 1984

A Walk Across the Rooftops is the debut album by Scottish band The Blue Nile, released on 30 April 1984 on Linn Records in the UK and on A&M Records in the US. Although the album was released to little fanfare and was not a big hit on its initial release, it slowly accumulated fans and sales through word of mouth as the years passed, and by the time the follow-up Hats was released in 1989, A Walk Across the Rooftops had sold 80,000 copies. ^[4] It continued to gather praise when reissued in 2012.

Recording

Having put out their debut single "I Love This Life" in 1981, the Blue Nile spent the next couple of years playing gigs in their native Glasgow: with little money and due to singer Paul Buchanan's limited ability on the guitar, by necessity their songs were stripped-down cover versions of old songs, and as Buchanan later said, "I suppose to some extent that started to bleed into our own songs – there was more and more space in what we were doing". Buchanan and Robert Bell's songs would start out written on an acoustic guitar or a piano, and then together with third member Paul Joseph "PJ" Moore and engineer Calum Malcolm the songs would be rearranged in the studio. ^[5]

A persistent myth about the album's origins is that the band were approached by Linn Products and commissioned to make a record that the company could use to demonstrate the quality of their high-specification hi-fi equipment—the company were so pleased with the result that they decided to form a record label specifically to release the resulting album. In fact Linn had already recently manufactured a cutting lathe to produce their own records, frustrated by the poor quality of the test LPs that were being provided for their flagship turntable product, the Linn Sondek LP12, ^[6] and had already set up and released records on their ALOI (A Label of Integrity) Records label before signing the Blue Nile. ^[7] An article in ''Music Week'' in January 1984 states that Linn's aim was to make very high quality vinyl records, "..to compete with CCD, rather than following the general trend towards digital" and "..put out audiophile-standard discs, at normal price". ^[8] According to Paul Buchanan, the true story was that the band had already made demo recordings of some of their songs with engineer Calum Malcolm at his Castlesound Studios, which happened to be fitted out with Linn equipment as Malcolm had worked with the company in the past. Linn were visiting the studios and asked Malcolm to play a song recently recorded at the studio in order to test out their new speakers, and Malcolm duly obliged and chose the Blue Nile's demo of "Tinseltown in the Rain". On hearing the demo, Linn were impressed and felt the band's sound fitted in with the type of music they wanted to release on their new label, and contacted the Blue Nile to offer a contract to make a full album: even so, it took the band a full nine months to respond to the company's offer. ^{[9] [10] [11]} Buchanan recalled that Linn had given the band £10,000–£20,000 to make the record, ^[12] but rejected the suggestion that the company had asked the band to make a record in a particular style that would show off the company's products in the best light, saying, "It was great because they left us to it. They trusted the engineer and they trusted us so they said, go off and make a record ... We were—as you would imagine—you're so fervent about what you're doing that nothing would dissuade you from it and nothing would persuade you to do otherwise ... we'd already demo'd some of the things before we'd even met Linn so ... no, it was nothing to do with that." ^[9] PJ Moore also denied that Linn had deliberately chosen the band to produce a demo record for them, telling Uncut magazine that "it was a myth that we were a 'hi-fi band signed to a hi-fi company'. We just got lucky that we'd found our way to an excellent engineer who knew the company." ^[13]

The album was recorded over five months in 1983 at Castlesound Studios, which Malcolm had set up in 1979 in the former primary school building in the village of Pencaitland, 12 miles (19 km) east of Edinburgh. Living first in a rented flat in Edinburgh, and then later sleeping on Malcolm's floor when their money ran out, the band laboured over the album because all the sounds on the record had to be created and played physically. The band also had exacting standards and obsessed about every detail on the album: Malcolm recalled that "they were always particularly sensitive to not doing the wrong thing and making sure it had absolutely the right emotional impact: there were times when I'm sure everyone else felt something was done and then someone would throw a spanner in the works over some little thing". ^[5]

Release

A Walk Across the Rooftops became the first album released on the new Linn Records label, released on 30 April 1984 ^{[14] [15]} and reaching number 80 on the UK Albums Chart. ^{[16] [17]} Two singles were released from the album in the UK, with minor success: "Stay" reached number 97 on the UK Singles Chart, ^[18] and "Tinseltown in the Rain" reached number 87. ^[18] The video for "Tinseltown in the Rain" featured on the VHS video version of the compilation album Now That's What I Call Music 3 , but the song was not included on the vinyl LP or cassette versions of the album.

In November 2012 Virgin Records released two-CD "Collector's Edition" versions of A Walk Across the Rooftops and its 1989 follow-up Hats in the UK and Europe, each containing a remastered version of the original album plus a second CD of bonus tracks. The remastering process was overseen by original engineer Calum Malcolm, along with contributions by Paul Buchanan and Robert Bell, who chose the songs for the bonus CD.

Artwork

The photograph of the band on the front cover was taken on Cathcart Road in Glasgow. The building on the right of the picture was the Hermon Baptist Church, a single-storey pent-roofed structure built on to the end of a block of tenement houses. At some point the tenements were demolished and the church stood in isolation for some years until it was destroyed by fire in 2001, and subsequently demolished.

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[19]
Classic Pop	[20]
The Irish Times	[21]
Mojo	[12]
PopMatters	9/10 [22]
Q	[23]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide	[24]
Smash Hits	9/10 [25]
Sounds	[26]
Uncut	10/10 [27]

A Walk Across the Rooftops received great acclaim from the UK music press on its release in 1984. In a five-star review Sounds said, "Their music cuts a deep swathe right through the centre of blond-streaked wimpdom, without stance or calculation ... For the first time in a long time, they make you care. ^[26] Melody Maker proclaimed, "The Blue Nile's stunning debut album seduces the emotions as well as the senses, and instead of fighting its effect, the sensible thing to do is relax and enjoy it ... There's a mesmeric quality in this music that makes you want to savour every track with the respectful appreciation of a connoisseur. Like a good book you don't want it to end, but when it does that thrilling potency loses nothing in repetition ... A Walk Across the Rooftops generates a rarefied atmosphere that's a comfort to the soul. If this is just a sampler of The Blue Nile's catalogue, then we're in for a whole new chapter in delight." ^[28] NME described the album as "music to shade your dreamtime in subtle colours, a quiet influence, delicious persuasion ... It's difficult to describe (often a good sign), without too many specific features to pick upon. It's easier to suggest the moods it evokes: romance, doubt, a rich sadness. The keynote is restraint; far from straining for effort, The Blue Nile allow their music to find its own atmospheres ... To correct any misunderstanding: what The Blue Nile are not is, say, wispy or precious. There's red meat in this music, and a human pulse beat. The beauty is unassuming, the intelligence is uncontrived. It's good news. Great music is still being made." ^[29]

In the USA Rolling Stone felt that "the music slips between the cracks, an effortless flow of acoustic and electronic sounds with nary a hook ... What's required of the listener is patience, not fortitude; this shimmering music is not difficult, just sophisticated ... The Blue Nile flows across a calm, clean, misty landscape where complex technology is integrated with a palpable emotional component. Their music falls outside the known categories, presenting a seductive world for the receptive." ^[30] However, Spin was not so impressed, criticising the relentlessly downbeat tone of the tracks and Buchanan's singing, saying, "that's what makes this collection begin to wear on the nerves. Repetition and a distressing inertia prevent it from being precious." ^[31]

AllMusic said, "The seven lengthy tracks on A Walk Across the Rooftops all follow the model of the opener, with Paul Buchanan's rich voice at the center of near-symphonic arrangements that manage to sound lush and incredibly austere at the same time. The tempos are deadly slow, with the most upbeat track, 'Tinseltown in the Rain', barely rising above a graceful saunter, and the inventive arrangements make extensive use of empty space." ^[19] Reviewing the 2012 remastered version, BBC Music claimed that the album was "still a landmark, still high, still somehow intangible ... 1984's A Walk Across the Rooftops remains unique in its fusion of chilly technology and a pitch of confessional, romantic soul that 'alternative' types would usually shy away for fear it wasn't 'cool' ... in the years since, its peerless power to affect has accrued multiple layers of rueful resonance." ^[32] PopMatters believed that "A Walk Across the Rooftops proved to be perfect for someone almost seeking to relearn the art of listening to music; perhaps because it seemed to have been made by people who were in the early stages of learning how to make miraculous music from simple building blocks. This was a necessity as none of the members were trained musicians, but the resulting album of very simple, carefully constructed compositions proved far greater than the sum of its parts." ^[22] Reviewing the remastered versions of A Walk Across the Rooftops and Hats together, Mojo stated that they "remain superior, elegant examples of masterful craftmanship. Both albums present emotive, electro-acoustic mood pieces with elements of soul and classical minimalism ... exquisite music for the small hours in which little is said but much is revealed". ^[12]

Accolades

NME placed A Walk Across the Rooftops at number 28 in its critics' list of albums of the year in 1984, while the single "Tinseltown in the Rain" placed at number 27 in the equivalent singles list. ^[33]

In 1989 Record Mirror placed A Walk Across the Rooftops at number 74 in its critics' list of the best albums of the 1980s. ^[34] The Guardian included A Walk Across the Rooftops in their 2007 feature 1000 Albums to Hear Before You Die, saying, "This stunning debut album was an 80s high-water mark ... The arrangements meld electro and contemporary classical influences into a rich and satisfyingly yearning whole." ^[35] The album was also included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die . ^[36]

It was voted number 407 in the third edition of Colin Larkin's All Time Top 1000 Albums (2000). ^[37]

Track listing

All songs written, composed and arranged by Paul Buchanan and Robert Bell.

Side one

1. "A Walk Across the Rooftops" – 4:56
2. "Tinseltown in the Rain" – 5:57
3. "From Rags to Riches" – 5:59

Side two

1. "Stay" – 4:57
2. "Easter Parade" – 4:34
3. "Heatwave" – 6:28
4. "Automobile Noise" – 5:08

2012 Remastered Collector's Edition CD bonus disc

1. "I Love This Life" (1981 debut single) – 4:02
2. "Heatwave" (Rhythm Mix) – 5:50
3. "St. Catherine's Day" (previously unreleased) – 4:42
4. "Tinseltown in the Rain" (Mix) – 6:31
5. "The Second Act" (B-side of "I Love This Life") – 4:39
6. "Stay" (Little Mix) – 3:34
7. "Regret" (B-side of 12" single of "Tinseltown in the Rain") – 3:37

Personnel

The Blue Nile

• Robert Bell – bass, synthesizers
• Paul Buchanan – vocals, guitars, synthesizers
• Paul Joseph Moore – keyboards, synthesizers

Additional personnel

• Calum Malcolm – recording engineer
• Nigel Thomas – drums

Charts

Chart (1984)	Peak position
Australian Albums (Kent Music Report) [38]	83
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ) [39]	24
UK Albums (OCC) [17]	80

Release history

Region	Date	Label	Format	Catalog
United Kingdom	30 April 1984	Linn Records	LP	LKH 1
			cassette	LKHC 1
United States	1984	A&M Records	LP	SP-06-5087
			cassette	CS-06-5087
United Kingdom	1989	Linn Records	CD	LKHCD 1
United States		A&M Records		CD 5087
United Kingdom	19 November 2012	Virgin Records	Remastered 2CD collector's edition	LKHCDR 1
Europe				5099901730326
United Kingdom	20 January 2013	Virgin Records	180 gram vinyl	LKHR 1
United Kingdom, Europe & United States	14 December 2018	Confetti Records	Remastered 2CD collector's edition (same content as 2012 reissue)	BLUECD1/5052442014935

References

1. Gross, Joe (25 February 2019). "From 'Captain Marvel' to SXSW". Austin360 . Retrieved 7 January 2022.
2. Sodomsky, Sam (17 January 2018). "The Blue Nile - Hats". Pitchfork . Retrieved 7 February 2023.
3. Crockford, J.M. (20 June 2018). "I Will Understand You: The Power of The Blue Nile". No Recess. Retrieved 16 April 2023.
4. Thomas, Philip (October 1989). "For whom the bell tolls". Q . No. 37. pp. 22–23.
5. Thomson, Graeme (January 2013). "River of No Return". Uncut . No. 188. pp. 56–60.
6. Linn Records website
7. Brown, Allan (2011). Nileism: The Strange Course of the Blue Nile. Polygon Books. ISBN   978-1-84697-185-3.
8. "Linn set to challenge CD quality claims with vinyl label" (PDF). Music Week: 3. 21 January 1984. Retrieved 6 March 2024.
9. Murray, Robin (20 November 2012). "Tinseltown In The Rain: The Blue Nile". ClashMusic.com . Retrieved 10 March 2013.
10. Kelly, Jennifer (30 January 2013). "At the Source of the Blue Nile: An Interview with Paul Buchanan". PopMatters . Retrieved 10 March 2013.
11. Rudden, Bernard (director) (1991). Flags and Fences (television documentary). Virgin Records Media Ltd./BBC Scotland. 15:38 minutes in.
12. McNair, James (January 2013). "Still waters run deep". Mojo. No. 230. p. 104.
13. Thomson, Graeme (January 2013). "All Down the Linn". Uncut. No. 188. p. 58.
14. "Rats in the Grass". Melody Maker . 28 April 1984. p. 4.
15. "New Albums". Music Week . 28 April 1984. p. 27.
16. Roberts, David, ed. (2006). Guinness Book of British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). Guinness World Records Limited. p. 66. ISBN   978-1-904994-10-7.
17. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
18. "Blue Nile". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
19. Mason, Stewart. "A Walk Across the Rooftops – The Blue Nile". AllMusic . Retrieved 16 December 2016.
20. Wallace, Wyndham (December 2019). "The Blue Nile: A Walk Across the Rooftops / Hats / Peace at Last". Classic Pop . No. 59. p. 87.
21. Clayton-Lea, Tony (28 December 2012). "The Blue Nile". The Irish Times . Retrieved 21 March 2017.
22. Edwards, D. M. (1 February 2013). "The Blue Nile: A Walk Across the Rooftops / Hats". PopMatters. Archived from the original on 4 February 2013. Retrieved 9 March 2013.
23. Harrison, Ian (January 2013). "The Blue Nile: A Walk Across the Rooftops / Hats". Q. No. 318. p. 117.
24. Evans, Paul (1992). "The Blue Nile". In DeCurtis, Anthony; Henke, James; George-Warren, Holly (eds.). The Rolling Stone Album Guide (3rd ed.). Random House. p. 70. ISBN   0-679-73729-4.
25. Cranna, Ian (10–23 May 1984). "The Blue Nile: A Walk Across the Rooftops". Smash Hits . Vol. 6, no. 9. p. 27.
26. Mitchell, Tony (28 April 1984). "Blue heaven". Sounds . p. 20.
27. Thomson, Graeme (January 2013). "Late Night Music...". Uncut. No. 188. p. 59.
28. FitzGerald, Helen (5 May 1984). "The Blue Nile: A Walk Across the Rooftops". Melody Maker. p. 23.
29. Du Noyer, Paul (5 May 1984). "The Blue Nile: A Walk Across the Rooftops". NME . p. 29.
30. Holmes, Tim (26 September 1985). "The Blue Nile: A Walk Across The Rooftops". Rolling Stone . No. 457. pp. 101–102. Archived from the original on 24 August 2007. Retrieved 11 September 2011.
31. Dolan, Karen J. (October 1985). "The Blue Nile: A Walk Across the Rooftops". Spin . Vol. 1, no. 6. p. 31. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
32. Roberts, Chris (21 November 2012). "The Blue Nile A Walk Across the Rooftops: Collector's Edition Review". BBC Music . Retrieved 7 March 2013.
33. "Vital Vinyl". NME. 22–29 December 1984. p. 38.
34. "The Top 100 Albums of the Decade". Record Mirror . 25 November 1989. pp. 28–29.
35. "1000 Albums to Hear Before You Die – Artists beginning with B (part 1)". The Guardian . 17 November 2007. p. 10 (supplement). Retrieved 30 July 2015.
36. MacDonald, Bruno (2006). "The Blue Nile: A Walk Across the Rooftops". In Dimery, Robert (ed.). 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die. Universe Publishing. p. 508. ISBN   978-0-7893-1371-3.
37. Larkin, Colin (2000). All Time Top 1000 Albums (3rd ed.). Virgin Books. p. 152. ISBN   0-7535-0493-6.
38. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. Australian Chart Book. p. 38. ISBN   0-646-11917-6.
39. "Charts.nz – The Blue Nile – A Walk Across the Rooftops". Hung Medien. Retrieved 7 January 2022.

External links

A Walk Across the Rooftops at Discogs (list of releases)

• The Blue Nile's official website
• Photograph of the Hermon Baptist Church on Flickr
• The Blue Nile Fan pages Web site