| The River Detectives | |
| Background: | group_or_band |
| Years Active: | 1985–2009 |
| Origin: | Craigneuk, Scotland |
| Current Members: | Sam Corry Dan O'Neill |
The River Detectives were a folk rock duo from Craigneuk in Wishaw, Scotland.[1] The duo, formed in 1985, comprised Sam Corry (vocals, guitar, harmonica) and Dan O'Neill (vocals, guitar, drums).[1] The River Detectives have released three albums to date and had a UK top 75 hit with their song, "Chains".[2]
The band played their first show at Jack Daniel's Pub in Motherwell on 18 August 1986.[3] In 1988 the band toured extensively in Scotland and attracted the interest of the Warner Bros. Records label, becoming the first Scottish band to sign for them in over a decade.[3] Shortly afterwards, the duo moved to Glasgow to pen the songs for their debut album, Saturday Night Sunday Morning. The album spawned the UK top 75 hit "Chains".[1] [2]
The band recruited Van Morrison's backing group for the follow-up album, Elvis Has Left the Building, released in 1992.[3] The album's title is a reference to the state of music at the time of the record's release when computer technology and the rise of the DJ were rampant and conventional performers were becoming peripheral.[3] After the album's release, the band relocated to Ireland, where they wrote and toured extensively and guested on a number of records. By 1996, after playing the Splashy Fen festival in the Natal Province, the band received further invitations to tour in the country and relocated to Durban for a year before returning to the UK in 2000 to take a break.
The duo reunited when Corry asked O'Neil for assistance in finishing lyrics to a new song, "Capetown to Glasgow". This song featured on their third release, King of the Ghost Train Ride, which was released on Neontetra Records in 2005.[4]
The duo played a full band set at the O2 ABC in Glasgow on 28 September 2009, which they announced during the show was their farewell gig.
| Year | Album | UK | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | Saturday Night Sunday Morning | align=center | 51 | |
| 1992 | Elvis Has Left the Building | align=center | — | |
| 2005 | King of the Ghost Train Ride | align=center | — | |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart. | ||||
| Year | Song | UK | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | "Chains" | align=center | 51 | |
| "You Don't Know a Thing About Her" | align=center | 86 | ||
| "Saturday Night, Sunday Morning" | align=center | — | ||
| 1990 | "Will You Spin Me Round" | align=center | — | |
| 2006 | "Blue Collar Love Song" (download only single) | align=center | — | |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart. | ||||