Big Country's last studio album, "Driving To Damascus", combined all the elements that originally elevated the band into the charts in the mid-Eighties. These, along with a new found stylistic diversity stemming from Stuart Adamson's relocation to Nashville in 1997 where he immersed himself in the musical community and scene.
"Its the first time I've ever lived in a totally creative community" he commented "and the first time I have ever co-written with other artists". In 1999 Stuart (who was spiritual but not religious), played signature guitar on Randy Stonehill's No 1 Christian record The Face of God, sang on Darryl Scott's messed up bluegrass record and then wrote with Texan out and out country singer Christie Sutherland.
As co-founder member with Richard Jobson of seminal new wavers the Skids, Stuart first tasted success with songs such as Into The Valley, Masquerade, Charade and Working for the Yankee Dollar.
The nucleus of Big Country was formed after the demise of the Skids when Stuart recruited guitar partner Bruce Watson from a day job cleaning nuclear submarines in Dunfermline. They came across the invincible rhythm section of Tony Butler and Mark Brzezecki when they cut their first Big Country demos and soon signed to Phonogram, released their first single and supported The Jam at Wembley for six nights on their farewell dates.
The band broke massively worldwide with their debut album The Crossing (1983), which sold over 3 million copies and earned Big Country 2 Grammy nominations. Their subsequent four albums, Steeltown (1984), The Seer (1986), Peace In Our Time (1988) and No Place Like Home (1991) were all certified gold on release and took the bands total record sales tally to over ten million. Big Country played at the Wembley Live Aid and The Princes Trust 10th Birthday Party and in 1988 they played the first ever privately promoted gig in Russia at the Moscow Sports Stadium. At the end of the decade Through A Big Country, featuring all the bands classic hits was released and while it charted Top 5 nationwide and sold over two million copies, the group parted company with Phonogram after massive personnel changes at the label. In 1992 Big Country signed to Compulsion, through Chrysalis, scored two top 30 hit singles (Alone and Ships) from their sixth album Buffalo Skinners, and set out on another sold out UK and European tour. Their first live album, Without The Aid of a Safety Net, was recorded in December 1993 at a tumultuous sold out Barrowlands gig and released in June 94.
Big Country's seventh studio album, Why The Long Face, was released on the newly reactivated Transatlantic Records label in 1995, and while critically well received, did not sell as well as hoped. But on the live scene the band were doing as well as ever; they co-headlined many 1995 European festivals with the likes of Bob Dylan, Faith No More, Black Crowes and Soul Asylum. They then landed the special guest slot on the Rolling Stones European tour and several shows in the UK and Ireland with Page and Plant later that year. A 40-date UK tour proved the band still had much gas left in the tank.
An unplugged album featuring friends (Steve Harley, Kym Mazelle, Hassam Ramzys Egyptian drummers) was released in 1996 after which Stuart decided it was time for a break; he moved to Nashville and the rest of the band did their own thing for a while. In August 1998 they were once again invited to open for the Rolling Stones and played 18 shows in Europe. Some of the best songs on the new album Driving To Damascus, their upcoming eighth studio album, were written in between these dates. ("one of the best opening bands we have had" - quote Mick Jagger)
Two songs (Somebody Else and Devil In The Eye) were co-written with Ray Davies, who became firm friends with the band after they joined him on the main stage (sans Bruce) at Glastonbury in 1997 to perform a storming set in the rain. Both Ray and I pushed each other into areas we wouldn't normally go says Stuart.
The first single from the album, Fragile Thing, released August 2nd, featured Eddi Reader. "We had been mutual admirers from afar and Eddi is one of the finest singers I have ever come across. She took a sideways look at the song and expressed herself" comments frontman Stuart Adamson. Eddi also sang backing vocal on See You, Grace and Bella.
Big Country are one of the few truly awesome live outfits to have survived the roller coaster ride of the mad Eighties to come through wiser and stronger, their star burning brighter than ever in 1999. The group triumphantly returned to the live scene when they headlined the Scotland for Kosovo gig, joined by Eddi Reader, Teenage Fanclub, Gun, Simple Minds, Ricky Ross and Midge Ure, in Glasgow on May 31st this year.
The success of this gig led to the band actually performing on 11th September in Pristina, the capital of Kosovo, as part of a multinational all-star bill brought together by Vanessa Redgrave & Bill Kenwright. The band were flown to the gig by the RAF and then shuttled to the venue in a K-FOR armoured car. The sight of several thousand Kosovars going wild in a sports arena in the middle of a devastated city was one of the most moving events in the bands career.
Big Country, who have scored 17 top 30 singles and seven top 30 albums in the past, released their eighth studio album in September 1999.Produced by Rafe McKenna, Driving To Damascus was released on the reactivated Track Record label (original home of Hendrix, The Who etc.).
Driving To Damascus was a major leap forward for the band, containing textures and influences never before embraced and manifested Big Country back at the peak of their creative powers.
However, in November 1999, the band received more International Media coverage than they had seen in a decade or more. Stuart Adamson did not arrive in the UK for British TV appearances and some shows with Bryan Adams. Speculation was such that not only the tabloids but the broadsheets (The Times called his publicist requesting an up to date biog so that they could prepare an obituary) and radio and TV gave massive coverage to him being missing. Then residing in America and with many changes in his personal life, Stuart decided he had had enough of touring. In December the band commenced a British tour which turned out to be the start of the "Final Fling tour". One date was a headline appearance at Aberdeens Millenium Street party with over 50,000 in attendance.Stuart agreed to tour one final time in Europe and the band did perform 18 dates in Germany and Holland.
"In April 2000, a dear work colleague & friend of the bands and management - Joe Seabrook - passed away. On May 3rd (his birthday) Bruce and Mark jammed with Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood of The Rolling Stones at his memorial. In more ways than one, the new millennium for Big Country turned out to be the end of an era.
In May of the same year,the band embarked on their "Final Fling" tour of UK. 11 sold out dates resulted in the recording and subsequent release of "Come Up Screaming" a double CD which included most of The Crossing live and other favourite tracks.The band had never sounded so good and the audience as fervent or even, more so than ever.
One would have thought this was the end due to the title of the tour but, the band did in fact perform one more show in 2000 and this was in Kuala Lumpar, Malaysia. In October they were on a multi national bill which included Jethro Tull,Steve Vai and Joe Satrianni plus numerous acts from the Pacific Rim. This was their last ever performance.
Stuart only ever wanted to put Big Country on the backburner whilst he explored new territory in Nashville with his new band The Raphaels, he fully intended to work Big Country again. Tragically, it was not to be.
Stuart sadly died on December 16th 2001.
He was honoured by his children Callum (20) and Kirsten (16), former band members and musician friends when they gathered to perform and remember him and his music at Barrowlands in Glasgow on May 31st 2002. The Skids made an appearance for the first time in 20 years. Hugh Cornwell (former Strangler) Midge Ure, Bill Nelson, Steve Harley, Brian James and The Vibrators, Runrig, Damon Hill, Mike Peters and many more took part in a programme put together by Bruce Watson and band manager Ian Grant. A dvd/cd will be released of the concert in 2003 on Track Records.
Whatever can be or has been said about Stuart Adamson,Big Country, The Skids or The Raphaels, no-one can take away the musical legacy.