Horse
Thursday, 9th February @8:00 PM

Suppoert act Blue House

RudeBookings Presents: HORSE

Horse was born in Newport on Tay, Fife on Saint Cecelia's Day (the saint of music).  At the age of two the family moved to the town of Lanark where she spent her formative years.  Having written and sung from an early age, Horse received her first guitar on her 10th birthday. Throughout her school years she performed in concerts and teamed up with Sandy Ash. She later began an impressive collaboration with A ngela McAlinden  a writing partnership that lasted for 19 years, they were later joined by bass and drums.  

Astrakhan  was the name that followed, along with it a new batch of songs. One of those songs, '...And She Smiled', was the track that landed a place on the Melody Maker's Playback album. However it wasn't until their next demo, featuring ‘You Could Be Forgiven', that publishers began to take note. The demo was singled out by Alex Radvanyi of CBS songs (now EMI), and eventually a deal was signed in 1986. In March 1987 a TV appearance on The TUBE was scheduled. It wasn't really until the Autumn, that their hard work was finally rewarded; when lengthy negotiations resulted in a deal being signed on December 23, 1987 with the fledgling label Capitol UK! 

'Forgiven' and 'Sweet Thing' were then recorded as potential singles, and a video for Forgiven was soon arranged and shot in and around Soho. Just as ‘Forgiven' was being released however,.Horse began having difficulties with her voice, finding herself having to force her voice to get the correct pitch. It was then discovered she had a node on her left vocal chord.  She underwent surgery in London and when the time came for Horse to try her voice again, a session took place in Utopia Studios in London. A couple of notes had disappeared at the bottom of her range but at least 4 or 5 appeared at the top!  

Work had not yet begun on ‘Careful', since Horse had not wanted a band version, so she turned to Audrey Riley for string arrangements, a collaborative partnership which continues to this day.  With the recording complete, the promotion and marketing then began.  In between their own UK tours, the opportunity arose to support BB King , and a number of other 'names', culminating in audiences of up to 12,000 people whilst supporting Tina Turner  throughout Germany and the UK. Following the release of ‘ Sweet Thing ' the Americans summoned Horse to begin a promotional trip over there., and just as everything began to snowball for Horse, the Gulf war happened.  Suddenly everything then stopped. EMI froze and sat on the band  Eventually they began discussions with Oxygen. MCA in America really took to Horse and they travelled throughout the country where they sang, appeared on radio stations and in magazines. However, Oxygen then began to experience difficulties and folded - leaving Horse once again in no man's land. 

In ‘95 Horse planned and organised her solo Barrowlands show with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, before Angela and Horse parted company in 1996. Once again Horse set about putting a band together, and went through a series of musicians looking for the ones who fitted. Then when Horse began the journey to setting up her own record label. In the meantime, fans were reporting hearing ‘Careful' in clubs, but not the original. Apparently the Stress label had licensed the song from EMI and wanted Horse to promote it. Sadly once again it very narrowly missed out on the Top 40! By the beginning of ‘99 Randan Records was established with the release of the Horse concert with the SCO and arranged distribution through Pinnacle, (the UK's biggest independent distributor), so ‘Both Sides' was released to a good reception. 

Horse next began work on another studio album. 'Hindsight...It's a Wonderful Thing' was the album, that not only Horse had been wanting to make but also the one that fans had long been waiting for. Horse and Randan were now off and running and she really hasn't looked back since, releasing a further four albums (the latest of which being 'Coming Up For Air').  Although based in Scotland Horse tours extensively and has  contributed to Women on Waves over many years – building to a strong fan base in Australia. She performed in Melbourne on April 5. 2011 and is following up with a longer visit in early 2012! 

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