Andy Alston, Del Amitri

Del Amitri have been an internationally successful Scottish band that have sold well over 6 millionalbums worldwide and have been on the scene for more than forty years. Andy Alston has been around for nearly all of that, aside from his own work and fascinating history. Andy has some great tips for new players as well as an amazing story of musical collaborations with prison inmates.

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Discussion topics covered during the show (links will open in new tab):

Postcard Records

Meeting Justin Currie

The two attempts at recording the Waking Hours album

Strangers and Brothers – Sensational

Andy with Paul Quinn & The Independent Group

James Kirk – Felicity (from You Can Make It If You Boogie)

Quick visual tour of Andy’s songwriting and recording space (apologies to our audio listeners!)

Crooked Timbers – On This Ocean (James Kirk and Andy Alston collaboration)

Getting into the accordion and buying one from Blair Cowan (Lloyd Cole and The Commotions)

Accordions in rock

Andy on Del Amitri – Nothing Ever Happens

Experience of touring the US, Canada and Australia

A great history of The Sebel Townhouse as a famous rock ‘n roll hotel

Go-to keyboards with Del Amitri

Andy’s train wreck moment

Working with prison inmates to record music and the aborted ‘All Killer No Filler’ album

Tips for new players wanting to make a career in music

How Del Amitri have kept such a stable lineup for so long

Tag a keyboard player: Count Basie, Thelonius Monk, Professior Longhair

Desert Island Discs: Studio Kinda Cloudy – Keith Hudson, ‘TIl I Can Make It On My Own – Tammy Wynette, A Modern Jazz Symposium of Music and Poetry – Charles Mingus (New York Sketchbook), Let The Music Play – Barry White, The Chronic – Dr Dre.

Thanks to our supporters for this episode: Brother Paul Brown , Musicplayer.com forums, Tammy Katchur’s Musical Stew and Radio Grande

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