The Definitive 1000 Songs Of All Time 1955 to 2005: Number 838

Wednesday, September 06, 2006

Number 838 - Edwyn Collins

Number 838

Edwyn Collins

"A Girl Like You"

(1994)

Genre:Pop

Och da ayes and a Nooos, its Scottish Born Edwyn Collins Och Aye. Whaddya mean you haven't heard of him? Oh for petes sake.

"Best known for his tenure fronting the Scottish pop Revivalists

Orange Juice as well as his international solo hit "A Girl Like You," singer Edwyn Collins was born in Edinburgh, Scotland in 1959. In 1976, he formed the Nu-Sonics, which resurfaced three years later as Orange Juice; the leading proponent of the Glasgow neo-pop scene, the band earned a devoted cult following but little commercial success, and by the early 1980s Collins was the only remaining founding member. After a self-titled 1984 release failed to chart, Orange Juice disbanded, and Collins was freed from his contract with the group's label, Polydor.."

"After spending much of the decade's first half in the producer's seat, overseeing sessions from artists including longtime pal Paul Quinn, the Rockingbirds, A House and the Frank & Walters, Collins finally earned another shot as a performer: after signing with the tiny U.K. indie Setanta, he recorded 1994's Gorgeous George, a scathing, shimmering set of retro-pop highlighted by the single "A Girl Like You." Slowly, the song became a massive hit throughout Europe as well as the U.S. and returned Collins to the charts for the first time since the 1983 Orange Juice smash "Rip It Up," finally establishing the long-standing cult hero as something of a household name"

"In a BBC 6 Music radio interview on February 18, 2005 Collins had said he felt unwell, but ascribed the nausea and vertigo to food poisoning. Two days later he was admitted to intensive care in London's Royal Free Hospital after apparently suffering a major cerebral haemorrhage. On February 25, he underwent an operation, reportedly after suffering a second haemorrhage. The procedure was successful, and Collins began a lengthy programme of neurological rehabilitation."

[23.8.07] Update: It was announced in June 2007 that Collins would be releasing his sixth solo album in September 2007 on Heavenly Records entitled Home Again. The album was recorded before his accident but mixed after his discharge from hospital.

Rolling Stone Top 500 Songs ranked this song at Number (Why even ask?) and the Album ranked at Number (Maybe i should start a magazine called Tumbling Boulder)

Oh and do please enjoy the video, its Angelina Jolie trying to be sexy.

This song has a crowbarred rating of 62 out of 108