Shocked and saddened to hear of the passing of Alan Rankine, best known as one half of the Scottish duo that comprised the Associates. He was a brilliant multi-instrumentalist, and leaves behind a legacy of great, timeless music. Particular albums of note: Sulk, the Affectionate Punch, Fourth Drawer Down.
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2023/jan/03/alan-rankine-of-the-associates-dies-aged-64?fbclid=IwAR0qoCvqUmMul0MxVuGa-I3JR1ARTeNHUt4koa0yLVwRX64J36-X2xgAS7A
https://www.nme.com/news/music/alan-rankine-of-the-associates-has-died-aged-64-3373516?fbclid=IwAR1oKpfUuvVZKsDXrGI0MnHEeeNF9Nb83vrjzLqtG3fHap039307E1fUS_Q
I watched everything I could find of Alan Rankine on YouTube not too long ago. He had a magic connection to music. It’s easy to imagine him as a lecturer at university. Whenever someone uses the term “brooding good looks,” one of the guys that comes to mind is Alan Rankine. When I was a kid, I’d assumed that The Associates and Voice Farm were associates because I guess the album covers of ‘Fourth Drawer Down’ and ‘The World We Live In’ slightly alarmed me similarly.
Be sure to check out EP56 of Electronically Yours with Martyn Ware.