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| The Big Wheel | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1991 | |||
| Studio | Castlesound Studios, Pencaitland, Scotland | |||
| Genre | Celtic rock | |||
| Length | 51:30 | |||
| Label | Chrysalis | |||
| Producer | Chris Harley | |||
| Runrig chronology | ||||
| ||||
The Big Wheel is a studio album by the Scottish Celtic rock band Runrig, released in 1991. [1] [2] The album peaked at No. 4 on the UK Albums Chart. [3]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Calgary Herald | B [4] |
The Kitchener-Waterloo Record wrote that "Donnie Munro's vocals drive the songs, but Iain Bayne's superbly produced drums power the band itself." [5] The Calgary Herald labelled the album "an inoffensive, watered-down brand of Celtic rock... Uninspiring but professional." [4]
All songs written by Calum Macdonald and Rory Macdonald.
| "Flower of the West" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Runrig | ||||
| from the album The Big Wheel | ||||
| B-side | "Ravenscaig" | |||
| Released | 28 October 1991 | |||
| Studio | Castlesound Studios, Edinburgh, Scotland | |||
| Label | Chrysalis – CHS 3451 | |||
| Producer(s) | Chris Harley | |||
| Runrig singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"Flower of the West" is a 1991 single, released as the lead and only single from the album. The single was released on 28 October 1991 and was released by Chrysalis. [6] Upon its release, "Flower of the West" became the highest-charting entry for the band on the UK Singles Charts, following its peak at number forty-three. [7]
"Flower of the West" features an "intensely emotional evocation of a micro-historical landscape" as described by the National Museums Scotland. [8] AllMusic said that "Flower of the West concludes The Big Wheel in typical grandiose Runrig fashion". [9]
The release of "Flower of the West" brought Runrig the closest they had been to entering the UK Top 40 Singles Charts, after the song debuted at number forty-three in the United Kingdom. It spent a total of two weeks within the UK Top 100 Singles Charts, falling to number forty-seven in its second and final week, before falling out of the UK Top 100. [10]
Runrig were a Scottish Celtic rock band formed on the Isle of Skye in 1973. From its inception, the band's line-up included brothers and songwriters Rory MacDonald and Calum MacDonald (percussion). The line-up during most of the 1980s and 1990s, which was the band's most successful period commercially, also included Donnie Munro (vocals), Malcolm Jones (guitar), Iain Bayne (drums), and Pete Wishart (keyboards). Munro left the band in 1997 to pursue a career in politics and was replaced by Bruce Guthro. Wishart left in 2001, also to pursue a career in politics, and was replaced by Brian Hurren. The band released fourteen studio albums, with a number of their songs sung in Scottish Gaelic. At the height of their success during the 1980s and 1990s, Runrig were described by Billboard as one of the "most celebrated" Gaelic language bands in Scotland.
Donnie Munro is a Scottish musician and the former lead singer of the band Runrig.
Roderick (Rory) MacDonald is a Scottish songwriter and musician. He was bassist, and a primary song writer, for Celtic rock band Runrig, alongside his younger brother, Calum Macdonald. Generally, Rory wrote the melodies, and Calum the lyrics. After former lead singer Donnie Munro left the band in 1997, Rory took lead vocal duties on songs in the band's catalogue written in the Scottish Gaelic language, as the band's new lead singer, Bruce Guthro, was not a Gaelic speaker.
Play Gaelic is the first album by the Scottish Celtic rock band Runrig. It was released in 1978 on LP and tape by Neptune Records. In 1990 it was re-released on CD by Lismor Recordings with different cover art.
Recovery is the third album by Scottish Celtic rock band Runrig, released in 1981. The album deals with the social history of the Scottish Gàidhealtachd, mirroring a renewed sense of cultural and political identity within the Scottish Gaelic community.
The Cutter and the Clan is the fifth album by the Scottish Celtic rock band Runrig. It was the band's breakthrough album, taking them from cottage industry to the international stage. It was also the first Runrig album to feature keyboard player Pete Wishart – forming the "classic" line-up of the band through what would be their most commercially successful period.
Heartland is the fourth album by Celtic rock band Runrig. It was released in 1985, and was their first output in which English songs exceeded the number of Gaelic ones.
Everything You See is the thirteenth album by the Scottish Celtic rock band Runrig, released by Ridge Records in the United Kingdom on 14 May 2007. All songs were written by band members Calum and Rory Macdonald, except for "Sona" and "And the Accordions Played", which they co-wrote with fellow band members Malcolm Jones and Brian Hurren, respectively. As on all Runrig albums, several songs are written and performed in Scottish Gaelic, underlining the band's heritage.
Mara is the ninth album by Scottish Celtic rock group Runrig, released in 1995. The title means 'of the sea' in Scots Gaelic. In keeping with this title, much of the album has a broadly maritime theme. It is the last album featuring Donnie Munro on vocals and the fifth and final album released by the band on Chrysalis Records.
Once in a Lifetime is a live album by Scottish Celtic rock band Runrig. It was released in 1988.
Searchlight is a 1989 album, the sixth by Scottish Celtic rock band Runrig.
Amazing Things is the eighth studio album by the Scottish Celtic rock band Runrig, released in 1993.
The Stamping Ground is the eleventh studio album by Scottish Celtic rock band Runrig, released on 6 May 2001 on Ridge Records. The album marks the final appearance of keyboardist Peter Wishart, who departed from the band to follow a career in politics.
In Search of Angels is a 1999 album, the tenth by Scottish Celtic rock band Runrig. This was the first Runrig album recorded after the departure of longtime lead vocalist Donnie Munro. Canadian singer songwriter Bruce Guthro became lead vocalist after the band searched for a new singer. The album contains songs in both English and Gaelic, the latter being sung by the bands bassist Rory MacDonald as Guthro isn’t a native Gaelic speaker.
Proterra is the twelfth album by the Scottish Celtic rock band Runrig, with Paul Mounsey.
Live at Celtic Connections 2000 is a live album by Scottish Celtic rock band Runrig. It marked their first appearance at Celtic Connections, a Scottish music festival which takes place annually in Glasgow during the month of January.
This is a comprehensive listing of the discography of Celtic rock group Runrig. They released their debut album, Play Gaelic, in April 1978, followed by the albums The Highland Connection (1979), Recovery (1981) and Heartland (1985). The band achieved moderate breakthrough commercial success in 1987 upon the release of The Cutter and the Clan, which yielded the singles "Worker for the Wind" / "Alba" and "Protect and Survive", which peaked just outside the Top 100 of the UK Singles Chart. "News from Heaven" was released as the lead single from their sixth album Searchlight (1989), which peaked at number ninety on the UK Singles Chart. Searchlight reached a peak of number eleven on the UK Albums Chart, and was certified Silver in the United Kingdom and marked the beginning of a period of commercial success for the band across Europe.
The Band from Rockall is a Gaelic music band from the Scottish Hebrides, consisting of songwriters Calum and Rory Macdonald.
"Wonderful" is a 1993 single released by Scottish celtic rock band Runrig, which was released on 22 February 1993 as the lead single from their eighth studio album Amazing Things (1993). The release of "Wonderful" marked the first appearance of Runrig in the UK Top 40 Singles Chart, after the song debuted at number twenty-nine on the UK Singles Chart on 6 March 1993. It spent a total of three weeks on the UK Singles Chart before falling to number forty-three in its second week and number seventy in its third week.
"Maymorning" is a 1999 single released by Scottish celtic rock band Runrig, released as the second single from their tenth studio album In Search of Angels (1999). Its release was preceded by the single "The Message". Written by Rory MacDonald and Calum MacDonald, it was released via Ridge Records in the United Kingdom, and by Columbia Records across continental Europe. The release of the single marked one of the first releases of new lead singer for the band, Bruce Guthro, following the departure of original lead singer Donnie Munro.
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