This Is the Story

This Is the Story
This Is the Story
Studio album by The Proclaimers
Released	27 April 1987
Recorded	1986–1987
Genre	Folk punk ; minimalist ; post-punk ;
Length	40:36
Label	Chrysalis
Producer	John Williams, Gerry Rafferty, Hugh Murphy
The Proclaimers chronology
Singles from This Is the Story
	"Throw The 'R' Away"; Released: 1987; "Letter from America"; Released: 1987; "Make My Heart Fly"; Released: 1988;

Last updated January 27, 2024

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.

Featuring a stripped-back musical arrangement, the instrumentation on This Is The Story consisted exclusively of hand percussion, acoustic guitar and vocals.^[2] The album featured many political themes, something that would characterise much of the duo's later work; the lyrics on This Is The Story concerned issues including the 18th and 19th century Highland Clearances to industrial decline and regional divisions in late 20th century Britain under Margaret Thatcher.^[4]

The album was re-issued in 2001. A remastered edition was released in 2011.

Background and recording

Background

The Proclaimers recorded a demo album with the assistance of Kevin Rowland. The demos caught the attention of Hull-based indie rock band The Housemartins, who invited the duo on their 1986 tour. After that tour afforded them the opportunity, The Proclaimers performed the songs "Throw the 'R' Away" and "Letter from America" on Channel 4 music program The Tube .^[2] Following this performance, the band were signed swiftly to Chrysalis Records and began recording This Is The Story within 5 days of signing.^[2]^[5]

Recording and production

After signing to Chrysalis, This is the Story was recorded in London at AIR Studios and Strongroom Studios.^[6] The record was produced by John Williams, who had previously produced The Housemartins' debut album London 0 Hull 4 (1986).

Content

Musical style

The arrangements of This is the Story were described as "sparse but spirited" by AllMusic's Timothy Monger,^[2] featuring as its sole instrumentation Charlie Reid on six- and twelve-string guitar, and Craig Reid on hand percussion ^[2] and vocals.

Themes and lyrics

Describing This is the Story in 2012, The Scotsman wrote that the record was "written against a backdrop of unemployment and uncertainty".^[7] "Letter from America" compared the Highland Clearances of the 18th and 19th centuries to industrial decline in 1980s Scotland during the Premiership of Margaret Thatcher. "It Broke My Heart" similarly was themed around the regional divisions in Britain regarding employment opportunities (see North-South divide).^[4]

Some songs on This Is the Story contained references to Scottish culture and society. Los Angeles Times described the album's first single, "Throw the 'R' Away", as a celebration of the Scottish accents in which the duo sing and which many critics saw as a potential barrier to commercial success.^[8]

Reception

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	^[9]
Chicago Reader	Mixed

In 1989, Bill Wyman of Chicago Reader commented that This is the Story was "engaging and charming [...] even sharp in places", but "uneven".^[10]

Accolades

This is the Story was ranked No. 18 on Record Mirror's "End of Year List" for 1987.^[11]^{[ better source needed ]}

This is the Story was ranked at No.2 by The Scotsman on their list "100 Best Scottish Albums" in 2003, behind only Screamadelica by Primal Scream (1991).^[12]

Influence

This Is The Story had a notable impact on Canadian alternative rock band Barenaked Ladies, with former member Steven Page calling the album "perfect for us", elaborating that "it was exactly what we were; two guys with acoustic guitars, singing in harmony. It had all the energy of punk rock but just with acoustic guitars and voices" and Ed Robertson praising it as "the best thing" he'd ever heard.^[13]

Track listing

All songs written by Charlie Reid and Craig Reid unless otherwise noted.

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Throw the 'R' Away"	2:44
2.	"Over and Done With"	2:47
3.	"Misty Blue"	3:35
4.	"The Part That Really Matters"	2:42
5.	"(I'm Gonna) Burn Your Playhouse Down" (written by Lester Blackwell)	1:59
6.	"Letter from America" (Acoustic Version)	4:03
7.	"Sky Takes the Soul"	2:22
8.	"It Broke My Heart"	2:25
9.	"The First Attack"	3:58
10.	"Make My Heart Fly"	2:28
11.	"Beautiful Truth"	4:26
12.	"The Joyful Kilmarnock Blues"	3:04
13.	"Letter from America" (Band Version)	4:00

Personnel

The Proclaimers

Craig Reid – vocals, tambourine, bongos, marracas
Charlie Reid – acoustic six-string and twelve-string guitar, acoustic bass, vocals
Ian Maidman – bass and keyboards (band versions)^[14]

Production

Produced by John Williams
Track 13 produced by Gerry Rafferty and Hugh Murphy
Engineered and mixed by Phil Bodger
Assistant Engineering (Strongroom Studios): Danton Supple
Assistant Engineering (Air Studios): Matt Howe
Photography by Nick Knight
Design by John Pasche

Chart

Chart (1987/88)	Peak position
Australia (ARIA Charts)^[15]	41
UK Albums (OCC)^[16]	43

Release history

Region	Date	Format(s)	Label
United Kingdom	27 April 1987	cassette vinyl LP	Chrysalis
Australia	1987	CD cassette	Chrysalis
New Zealand	1987	Cassette	Chrysalis
USA	1987	Vinyl LP	Chrysalis
Canada	1987	CD cassette vinyl LP	Chrysalis
France	1987	Vinyl LP	Chrysalis
Greece	1987	Vinyl LP	Chrysalis Parlophone
Europe	1988	CD	Chrysalis
Spain	1988	Vinyl LP	Chrysalis
United Kingdom	1990	CD	Chrysalis
United Kingdom	2017	Vinyl LP	Parlophone
USA	2017	Vinyl LP	Parlophone
Europe	2017	Vinyl LP	Parlophone

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References

↑ "The Proclaimers are back ripping up the Park". The Scotsman. The Scotsman. 11 July 2003. Retrieved 5 January 2020.
1 2 3 4 5 6 Monger, Timothy. "The Proclaimers - Biography and History". AllMusic. Retrieved 20 January 2020.
↑ Dangelo, Joe (12 March 2001). "Proclaimers Return With Persevere". MTV News. Retrieved 23 November 2018.
1 2 Kitching, Robert Thomas. "THE IMMOBILITY OF THE LOW-SKILLED AND UNEMPLOYED IN THE UNITED KINGDOM" (PDF). Retrieved 24 December 2023.
↑ "The Proclaimers: We never even thought about having hits". The Herald. 7 November 2021. Retrieved 10 March 2022.
↑ The liner notes describe This Is The Story as having been recorded at AIR and Strongroom by John Williams.
↑ "Still Game: The Proclaimers at 50". The Scotsman. 5 May 2012. Retrieved 21 February 2020.
↑ Bohem, Mike (28 April 1989). "Proclaimers: Guileless Love Songs in a Rich Burr Earthy Approach Helps Scottish Twins Put Over Paeans of Pure Joy". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved 18 January 2020.
↑ "The Proclaimers: This Is the Story". AllMusic . Retrieved 13 September 2017.
↑ Wyman, Bill (27 April 1989). "The Proclaimers--Sunshine on Leith - Music Review". Chicago Reader. Chicago Reader. Retrieved 17 January 2020.
↑ "Record Mirror List". RockListMusic. Retrieved 18 January 2020.
↑ "100 Best Scottish Albums Nos 1–25". The Scotsman . 16 October 2003. Retrieved 8 January 2008.
↑ Meyers, Paul (2007). Barenaked Ladies: Public Stunts, Private Stories (Illustrated ed.). Simon and Schuster. p. 36. ISBN 9781416587361 . Retrieved 11 January 2020.
↑ "The Proclaimers – Letter From America (Band Version)". Discogs . Retrieved 13 September 2017.
↑ Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (pdf ed.). Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing.
↑ "{{{artist}}} | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart.

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[scotsman1-1] "The Proclaimers are back ripping up the Park". The Scotsman. The Scotsman. 11 July 2003. Retrieved 5 January 2020.

[allmusic-2] 1 2 3 4 5 6 Monger, Timothy. "The Proclaimers - Biography and History". AllMusic. Retrieved 20 January 2020.

[3] Dangelo, Joe (12 March 2001). "Proclaimers Return With Persevere". MTV News. Retrieved 23 November 2018.

[kitching-4] 1 2 Kitching, Robert Thomas. "THE IMMOBILITY OF THE LOW-SKILLED AND UNEMPLOYED IN THE UNITED KINGDOM" (PDF). Retrieved 24 December 2023.

[herald21-5] "The Proclaimers: We never even thought about having hits". The Herald. 7 November 2021. Retrieved 10 March 2022.

[liner_notes-6] The liner notes describe This Is The Story as having been recorded at AIR and Strongroom by John Williams.

[scotsman2-7] "Still Game: The Proclaimers at 50". The Scotsman. 5 May 2012. Retrieved 21 February 2020.

[latimes-8] Bohem, Mike (28 April 1989). "Proclaimers: Guileless Love Songs in a Rich Burr Earthy Approach Helps Scottish Twins Put Over Paeans of Pure Joy". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved 18 January 2020.

[allmusic2-9] "The Proclaimers: This Is the Story". AllMusic . Retrieved 13 September 2017.

[reader-10] Wyman, Bill (27 April 1989). "The Proclaimers--Sunshine on Leith - Music Review". Chicago Reader. Chicago Reader. Retrieved 17 January 2020.

[rml-11] "Record Mirror List". RockListMusic. Retrieved 18 January 2020.

[scotsman3-12] "100 Best Scottish Albums Nos 1–25". The Scotsman . 16 October 2003. Retrieved 8 January 2008.

[barenaked-13] Meyers, Paul (2007). Barenaked Ladies: Public Stunts, Private Stories (Illustrated ed.). Simon and Schuster. p. 36. ISBN 9781416587361 . Retrieved 11 January 2020.

[14] "The Proclaimers – Letter From America (Band Version)". Discogs . Retrieved 13 September 2017.

[15] Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (pdf ed.). Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing.

[ac_UK_-16] "{{{artist}}} | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart.

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v t e The Proclaimers
Studio albums	This Is the Story Sunshine on Leith Hit the Highway Persevere Born Innocent Restless Soul Life with You Notes & Rhymes Like Comedy Let's Hear It for the Dogs Angry Cyclist Dentures Out
Compilations	The Best of The Proclaimers Finest The Very Best Of: 25 Years 1987–2012
Singles	"Throw the 'R' Away" "Letter from America" "Make My Heart Fly" "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)" "Sunshine on Leith" "I'm on My Way" "King of the Road" "Whole Wide World" "Let's Get Married" "Life with You"
Related articles	Discography Sunshine on Leith (musical) Sunshine on Leith (soundtrack)