B. A. Robertson

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B. A. Robertson (born Brian Alexander Robertson, 12 September 1956, Glasgow^[1]) is a Scottish musician, actor, composer and songwriter. He was educated at the former Allan Glen's School, Glasgow and what is now the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama.

Contents 1 Career 2 Discography (incomplete) 2.1 Albums 2.2 Singles 3 Filmography 4 Favourite music 5 See also 6 References 7 External links

[edit] Career

He released his debut album in 1973, but it was to be a further six years until he found success in the UK charts.

Robertson had hits between 1979 and 1981 in the UK Singles Chart, the first of which - "Bang Bang" - reached number 2 in August 1979.^[2] Following singles "Knocked It Off", "Kool In The Kaftan" and "To Be Or Not To Be" reached chart positions 8, 17 and 9 respectively.^[2] All the singles came from his third album Initial Success, which reached number 32 in the UK Albums Chart.^[2] In 1981 he had his last Top 40 hit performing a duet with Maggie Bell, of a cover version of "Hold Me" which reached number 11.^[2]

He wrote or co-wrote "Carrie", "Hot Shot" and "Wired for Sound" for Cliff Richard and wrote "Language of Love" which Richard released as a B-side. Robertson also penned and sung the theme tune to the television series, Maggie and Multi-Coloured Swap Shop ("Hello, Hello"), and wrote and sang backing vocals for the Swap-Shop spin-off group, Brown Sauce's UK Top 20 hit, "I Wanna Be a Winner".

In October 1980, Robertson appeared as a guest on the BBC Television chat show, Friday Night, Saturday Morning. In the sixth and final series of the same show, Robertson appeared on one programme (January 1982) as the show's host. In February 1981 Robertson appeared playing live in concert, on the BBC joint television and radio programme, Rock Goes To College. He appeared at the then Preston Polytechnic, Lancashire.

Robertson has regularly written songs with Mike Rutherford for Rutherford's band Mike + The Mechanics, including their hits "Silent Running" and "The Living Years". The latter was written after Robertson's father died twelve weeks before the birth of his Robertson's own son, and was nominated for a Grammy Award for Song of the Year in 1990.

Robertson also wrote "We Have A Dream" for the 1982 FIFA World Cup Scotland national football team.

In 1983 Robertson, along with co-songwriters Terry Britten and Sue Shifrin won a Razzie Award for the Worst 'Original' Song for "Pumpin' and Blowin'" as featured in the 1982 film, The Pirate Movie.^[1]

Robertson also presented a short-lived TV programme B. A. in Music which featured contributions from musician guests. The show made Channel 4's 2000 list 100 Greatest TV Moments from Hell after Robertson had a confrontation with Bow Wow Wow singer Annabella Lwin during which she called the programme a 'pretty shit show' and stormed off.^[3]

In 1991 Robertson was billed as the co-producer and executive musical producer for Simply Mad About the Mouse: A Musical Celebration of Imagination (ISBN 1-55890-217-1), a 1991 direct-to-video release featuring top contemporary singers performing "classic Disney songs".^[4]

Robertson's stage name was often mentioned in the BBC Two, satiricial sketch comedy programme, The Fast Show, during the recurring sketch "Chanel 9", a parody of Mediterranean TV channels. The joke was based on occasionally intelligible (to English speaking audiences) names appearing in foreign broadcast speech.

[edit] Discography (incomplete)

[edit] Albums

Wringing Applause, 1973, Ardent ADS2804. Released as by "Brian Alexander Robertson"

1. "Moira's Hand" - 3:30
2. "In the Limelight" - 3:59
3. "These Fantasies" - 3:51
4. "After the Theatre" - 4:57
5. "Carnival" - 5:05
6. "Cowboys" - 4:22
7. "To My Star" - 5:29
8. "Coatails" - 4:14
9. "Baby Nuts" - 4:12
10. "Myths and Illusions" - 4:23

Shadow of a Thin Man, 1976, Arista / Sparty 1000. Released as by "Alexander Robertson"

1. "Entrance" - 1:50
2. "No Strength in Numbers" - 2:40
3. "Tricky and Tough" - 3:19
4. "Sugar" - 2:55
5. "Tap! Tap! Tap!" - 3:12
6. "Trans Siberian Express" - 3:46
7. "Mighty England" - 4:43
8. "Hail Mary" - 3:34
9. "All the Thin Men" - 3:56
10. "Roxanna" - 3:04
11. "School Report" - 3:57

Initial Success, 1980, Asylum K52216

1. "Gonzo for my Girlfriend" - 2:34
2. "Man or a Mouse" - 2:25
3. "Goosebumps" - 2:26
4. "Fallin in Luv" - 2:51
5. "Kool in the Kaftan" - 3:52
6. "Bang Bang" - 3:16
7. "Eat Your Heart Out Sandy Nelson" - 1:57
8. "The B Side" - 2:37
9. "To Be or Not To Be" - 3:15
10. "She's a Beezer" - 2:42
11. "England's Green & Pheasant Land" - 3:07
12. "Walking Rover" - 3:23
13. "Knocked it Off" - 3:35
14. "Here I Sit..." - 1:26

Bully for You, 1981, Asylum, K52275

1. "Saint Saens" - 2:46 listen (help·info)
2. "Bully for You" - 2:45
3. "Maggie" - 2:33
4. "Growing Old's Unhealthy" - 3:15
5. "Please Miss" - 3:35
6. "In the Bar at the Munich Hilton" - 3:39
7. "Dart Vader" - 3:33
8. "Hey Presto" - 3:12
9. "Flight 19" - 3:33
10. "Only One" - 3:41
11. "Turn the Volume Down" - 2:49
12. "Home Sweet Home" - 2:52

R&BA, Asylum, K52383

1. "Dot Dot Dot"
2. "Ready or Not"
3. "Moscow Rules"
4. "Nothing Like a Great Romance"
5. "Four Minutes to Midnight"
6. "Hold Me"
7. "Legislate for Love"
8. "Son of a Gunn"
9. "One Plus One"
10. "Asleep With a Stranger"
11. "Just Like a Rash"

[edit] Singles

"Moira's Hand", Ardent ADA 2907. Released as by "Brian Alexander Robertson"

1. "Moira's Hand"
2. "To My Star"

"All the Thin Men", 1976, Arista 64. Released as by "Alexander Robertson"

1. "All the Thin Men"
2. "School Report"

"Goosebumps", ASY 6443

1. "Goosebumps"
2. "The B-Side"

"Bang Bang", 1979, Asylum Records, K13152

1. "Bang Bang"
2. "2(b) B Side the C Side"

"Knocked it Off", 1979, Asylum Records, K12396

1. "Knocked it Off"
2. "Sci-Fi"

"Kool in the Kaftan", 1980, Asylum Records K12427. Released as an ordinary single and as a gatefold

1. " Kool in the Kaftan"
2. "Baby I'm a Bat"

"To Be or Not to Be", 1980, Asylum Records K12449

1. "To Be or Not To Be"
2. "Language of Love" (live)
3. "Hot Shot" (live)

"Flight 19", 1980, Asylum Records K12482

1. "Flight 19"
2. "Alright on the Night"

"Sucker for Your Love", 1981, Asylum Records SAM 131. Promotional release: "A Free B.A. from Middlesex Poly". Also with "Bully for You" (without picture sleeve).

1. "Sucker for Your Love"
2. "Man or a Mouse"

"Hold Me", 1981, Swan Song, BAM 1. Duet with Maggie Bell

1. "Hold Me"
2. "Spring Greens"

"We Have a Dream", 1982 Scotland World Cup Squad

1. "We Have a Dream"
2. "Wrap up the Cup"

"Ready or Not", 1983

1. "Ready or Not"
2. "Les Beans"

"Dot Dot Dot", 1983

1. "Dot Dot Dot"
2. "Keep off the Grass"

"Now & Then", from the movie Living Apart Together

1. "Now & Then"
2. "Scene 4"

"Time", 1984, RCA 104217. With Frida - ABBA's instrumental track "Arrival", with added lyrics

1. "Time"
2. "(I Am) The Seeker"

^[5]

[edit] Filmography

• The Monster Club - 1980
• Living Apart Together - 1982^[1]

[edit] Favourite music

Robertson's favourtite songs are "Diana" by Paul Anka, "Ordinary People" by John Legend, "If You're Ready (Come Go With Me)" by The Staple Singers, "Tempted" by Squeeze, "The Island" by Paul Brady, "A Man Alone" by John Barry, "The Letter" by the Box Tops, "What Kind Of Fool Am I" by Anthony Newley, "When You Wish upon a Star" by Billy Joel and "Trains and Boats and Planes" by Burt Bacharach. (Source: BBC Radio 2 Tracks of My Years)^[1]

[edit] See also

• Allan Glen's School
• List of songs that retell a work of literature
• List of performers on Top of the Pops
• List of performances on Top of the Pops

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• B. A. Robertson - official website