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William MacArthur "Billy" MacKenzie (27 March 1957 – 22 January 1997) was a Scottish
Scotland

conventional_long_name = ScotlandAlba|common_name= Scotland|image_flag = Flag of Scotland.svg|flag_width = 130px...
 singer, notable for his powerful voice and vast vocal range.

enzie was born and grew up in Dundee
Dundee

Dundee is the fourth-largest City status in the United Kingdom in Scotland and, fully named as Dundee City, one of Scotland's 32 Local government in Scotland Council areas of Scotland....
. As a youngster, he lived in Park Avenue in the Stobswell
Stobswell

Stobswell is an area of Dundee, Scotland with a population of approximately 10,000. It was originally a small hamlet outside the city until the industrial revolution caused the growth of Dundee....
 area and attended St Mary's Forebank Primary School and St Michael's Secondary School. He led a peripatetic
Peripatetic

The Peripatetics were members of a school of philosophy in ancient Greece. Their teachings derived from their founder, the greek philosophy Aristotle and Peripatetic is a name given to his followers....
 lifestyle, which included decamping to New Zealand
New Zealand

New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses , and numerous Islands of New Zealand, most notably Stewart Island/Rakiura and the Chatham Islands....
 at the age of 16, and travelling across America
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
 aged 17.






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William MacArthur "Billy" MacKenzie (27 March 1957 – 22 January 1997) was a Scottish
Scotland

conventional_long_name = ScotlandAlba|common_name= Scotland|image_flag = Flag of Scotland.svg|flag_width = 130px...
 singer, notable for his powerful voice and vast vocal range.

Career

MacKenzie was born and grew up in Dundee
Dundee

Dundee is the fourth-largest City status in the United Kingdom in Scotland and, fully named as Dundee City, one of Scotland's 32 Local government in Scotland Council areas of Scotland....
. As a youngster, he lived in Park Avenue in the Stobswell
Stobswell

Stobswell is an area of Dundee, Scotland with a population of approximately 10,000. It was originally a small hamlet outside the city until the industrial revolution caused the growth of Dundee....
 area and attended St Mary's Forebank Primary School and St Michael's Secondary School. He led a peripatetic
Peripatetic

The Peripatetics were members of a school of philosophy in ancient Greece. Their teachings derived from their founder, the greek philosophy Aristotle and Peripatetic is a name given to his followers....
 lifestyle, which included decamping to New Zealand
New Zealand

New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses , and numerous Islands of New Zealand, most notably Stewart Island/Rakiura and the Chatham Islands....
 at the age of 16, and travelling across America
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
 aged 17. Here, to avoid deportation, he married Chloe Dummar. Her brother, Melvin Dummar
Melvin Dummar

Melvin Earl Dummar is a Utah man who earned national attentionwhen he claimed to have saved reclusive billionaire Howard Hughes in a Nevada desert in 1967, and to have been awarded part of Hughes' vast estate....
, claimed to be the "one sixteenth" beneficiary of the estate of Howard Hughes
Howard Hughes

Howard Robard Hughes, Jr. was an American aviator, industrialist, film producer and director, philanthropist, and one of the wealthiest people in the world....
, until the case was thrown out in 1978.

He returned to Scotland where he met Alan Rankine
Alan Rankine

Alan Rankine played keyboard instrument, and guitars, for the rock band known as The Associates, which he co-founded with Billy Mackenzie in the late 1970s....
 and in 1976 formed the Ascorbic Ones. They changed the name to Associates
Associates

The Associates were a Scotland post-punk and New Wave band of the early 1980s. They were well known for the operatic voice and theatrical antics of peacockian singer Billy Mackenzie who committed suicide in 1997....
 in 1979. The Associates continued until 1990, after which MacKenzie embarked on a solo career. MacKenzie collaborated with more than a few artists during his career, including contributions to seminal Swiss outfit Yello's
Yello

Yello is a Switzerland electronica band consisting of Dieter Meier and Boris Blank . They are probably best known for their singles "The Race " and "Oh Yeah ", which feature a mix of electronic music and manipulated vocals....
 One Second
One Second

One Second is Yello's fifth original album, having been preceded by a 'new mix' compilation the year previously. Released in 1987, the album is noteworthy for featuring both Billy MacKenzie and Shirley Bassey, the latter singing vocals on "The Rhythm Divine"....
 album in 1987. MacKenzie provided vocals and wrote lyrics for two tracks on that release, and one of them, "The Rhythm Divine", became a hit European single when legendary diva Shirley Bassey
Shirley Bassey

Dame Shirley Veronica Bassey Order of the British Empire is a United Kingdom singer. She performed the theme music to the James Bond films Goldfinger , Diamonds Are Forever , and Moonraker ....
 was recruited for vocals (Billy's original vocal track was no less powerful and saw release on the CD version of the Associates Popera compilation). On 22 January 1997, depression
Depression (mood)

In the fields of psychology and psychiatry, the terms depression or depressed refer to sadness and other related emotions and behaviours. It can be thought of as either a disease or a syndrome....
 and the death of his mother are believed to have contributed to MacKenzie's suicide
Suicide

Suicide is the intentional taking of one's own life. Many dictionaries also note the metaphorical sense of "willful destruction of one's self-interest"....
. He overdosed on a combination of the anti-depressant amitriptyline
Amitriptyline

Amitriptyline hydrochloride is a tricyclic antidepressant Medication. It is a white, odorless, crystalline compound which is freely soluble in water; it is usually dispensed in tablet form....
, paracetamol
Paracetamol

Paracetamol or acetaminophen is a widely used over-the-counter drug analgesic and antipyretic . It is commonly used for the relief of fever, headaches, and other minor aches and pains, and is a major ingredient in numerous common cold and Influenza remedies....
, and other prescribed medication in the garden shed of his father's house in Auchterhouse
Auchterhouse

Auchterhouse is the name of a village, community, and parish in Angus, situated in Angus northwest of Dundee in Scotland.The village of Auchterhouse straddles the B954 Muirhead - Newtyle road, approximately 5 miles from Dundee....
, Dundee. He was 39 years old. Now a significant cult
Cult

This article does not discuss "cult" in the original sense of "veneration" or "religious practice"; for that usage see Cult . See Cult for more meanings of the term "cult"....
 figure, much of his musical legacy has been released in the past few years. He was the subject of a biography by Tom Doyle, The Glamour Chase, in 1998.

The Cure
The Cure

The Cure are an English Rock music band formed in Crawley, West Sussex in 1976. The band has experienced several lineup changes, with frontman, vocalist, guitarist and principal songwriter Robert Smith being the only constant member....
 song "Cut Here
Cut Here

Cut Here is the name of a single released by the United Kingdom group The Cure in 2001 on Fiction Records / Elektra Records. The song was initially released on the album Greatest Hits ....
" written by Robert Smith
Robert Smith (musician)

Robert James Smith is an England guitarist, vocalist and songwriter. He is the lead singer and principal songwriter of the Rock music band The Cure, and its only constant member since its founding in 1976....
, a friend of MacKenzie, is about his suicide. Siouxsie Sioux
Siouxsie Sioux

Susan Janet Ballion , better known by her stage name, Siouxsie Sioux , is a singer, best known as the vocalist of Siouxsie & the Banshees between 1976 and 1996, and of its splinter group The Creatures....
 wrote the song "Say
Say

Say is to communicate orally. It can also refer to:*Say, Niger*Jean-Baptiste Say , French economist*Thomas Say , American naturalist and entomologist...
" about his suicide, revealing in the lyrics that they were going to meet just before his suicide. The song was released as a single in 1999 and charted in the UK Top 75. For her Medúlla
Medulla

Medulla refers to the middle of something, and derives from the Latin word for 'marrow' .In medicine it refers to either bone marrow, the spinal cord, or more generally, the middle part of a structure ....
 album, Björk
Björk

Bj?rk Gu?mundsd?ttir is an Icelandic singer-songwriter, composer, actor and record producer, whose work includes seven solo albums and two film soundtracks....
 considered singing a beyond the grave duet with Mackenzie using recordings given to her by his father, but eventually decided against it. Also, The Smiths
The Smiths

The Smiths were an English Rock music band formed in Manchester in 1982. Based on the songwriting partnership of Morrissey and Johnny Marr , the band also included Andy Rourke and Mike Joyce ....
 song "William, It Was Really Nothing" was written with Billy in mind .

Associates releases


Singles
  • Boys Keep Swinging (1979) unauthorised cover of Bowie song
  • The Affectionate Punch (1980)
  • Tell Me Easter's On Friday (1981)
  • Q Quarters (1981)
  • Kitchen Person (1981)
  • A (1981)
  • Message Oblique Speech (1981)
  • White Car In Germany (1981)
  • Kites (1981) A-side credited to 39 Lyon Street / B-side to Associates
  • Party Fears Two (1982)
  • Club Country (1982)
  • 18 Carat Love Affair (1982)
  • A Matter Of Gender (1982)
  • Those First Impressions (1984)
  • Waiting For The Loveboat (1984)
  • Breakfast (1985)
  • Take Me To The Girl (1985)
  • Heart Of Glass (1988)
  • Country Boy (1988) unreleased
  • The Peel Sessions (1989)
  • Fever (1990)
  • Fire To Ice (1990)
  • Poperetta EP (1990)
  • Just Can't Say Goodbye (1991)
  • untitled 4-track V2 Records promo EP (2000) Party Fears Two/Club Country/Love Hangover/The Associate


Albums
  • The Affectionate Punch
    The Affectionate Punch

    The Affectionate Punch is the first album by Scottish Post-Punk group, Associates. It was released in August 1980....
     (1980 Fiction) reissued by Universal in 2005 with 4 extra tracks
  • Fourth Drawer Down
    Fourth Drawer Down

    Fourth Drawer Down is the second album by Scottish Post-Punk/New Wave music group Associates released in 1981. It is a singles and b-sides compilation from all 6 singles they released that year on Situation 2 records....
     (1981 Situation 2) reissued by V2 in 2000 with 5 extra tracks
  • Sulk
    Sulk (album)

    Sulk is the third album by Scottish New Wave music band Associates. It was released in May 1982, and reissued as a CD in 2000 with extra tracks....
     (1982 WEA Records) reissued by V2 Records
    V2 Records

    V2 Records is a record label that is owned by Universal Music Group as of October 2007. The label was founded in 1996 in music by Richard Branson, five years after he sold Virgin Records to EMI....
     in 2000 with 7 extra tracks
  • The Affectionate Punch (1982 Fiction) remixed version of 1980 album with different sleeve, reissued on CD by Fiction in 1997
  • Perhaps
    Perhaps (Associates album)

    Perhaps is the fourth album released by the Scottish New Wave music band, Associates. It is the first album without founding multi-instrumentalist Alan Rankine....
     (1985 WEA Records)
  • The Glamour Chase recorded 1988, unreleased until 2002, then as a double CD album, packaged with (the first CD release of) Perhaps (WEA Records)
  • Wild & Lonely (1990 Circa Records) reissued in 2006 with 4 extra tracks
(Last three are effectively Billy MacKenzie solo albums)
  • Popera - The Singles Collection (1990 WEA)
  • The Radio 1 Sessions (1994 BBC Nighttracks)
  • Double Hipness (2000 V2 Records) double CD album of early demo's and the six 1993 reunion tracks with Alan Rankine
  • The Radio 1 Sessions Vol. 1 1981-1983 (2003 BBC Strange Fruit)
  • The Radio 1 Sessions Vol. 2 1984-1985 (2003 BBC Strange Fruit)
  • Singles (WSM 2004) double CD


MacKenzie solo releases


Singles
  • Ice Cream Factory (1982 WEA) credited to MacKenzie Sings Orbidöig
  • Baby (1992 Circa)
  • Colours Will Come (1992 Circa)
  • Pastime Paradise (1992 Circa) unreleased
  • Wild Is The Wind EP (2001 Rhythm Of Life)


Albums
  • Outernational (1992 Circa Records) reissued in 2006 with 3 extra tracks
  • Beyond The Sun (1997 Nude Records
    Nude Records

    Nude Records was a London based record label, set up in 1992 by Saul Galpern who had previously been involved in the success of artists such as Simply Red, the Fall, Julian Cope,The Triffids, The Slits and The Au pairs, amongst others....
    )
  • Memory Palace (credited with Paul Haig) (1999 Rhythm Of Life) reissued in 2005 by One Little Indian with 4 extra tracks
  • Eurocentric (credited with Steve Aungle) (2001 Rhythm Of Life)
  • Auchtermatic (2005 One Little Indian
    One Little Indian Records

    One Little Indian Records is a London-based independent record label that rose from the ashes of punk rock record company Spiderleg Records. It was set up by members of various anarchist punk bands....
    )
  • Transmission Impossible (2005 One Little Indian)


Haig/MacKenzie

Tracks recorded by Paul Haig
Paul Haig

Paul Haig is a Scottish Independent music composer, musician and singer. He was originally a member of a 1980s post-punk band called Josef K who were assigned to the Postcard Records record label....
 and Billy MacKenzie in the period 1993 to 1995, appeared on the album release Memory Palace on One Little Indian, in 2005.

Track Listing
  • Track 1: Thunderstorm
  • Track 2: Stone The Memory Palace
  • Track 3: Beyond Love
  • Track 4: Transobsession
  • Track 5: Trash 3
  • Track 6: Listen To Me
  • Track 7: Listen Again
  • Track 8: Take A Chance
  • Track 9: Give Me Time
  • Track 10: Give Me Time (Dennis Wheatley Mix)
  • Track 11: Beyond Love (Remix)
  • Track 12: Stone The Memory Palace (Remix)
  • Track 13: Thunderstorm (Instrumental Mix)


Other collaborations


Lead vocals
  • BEF's Music Of Quality & Distinction Volume 1 album: Secret Life Of Arabia and It's Over (1982)
  • Stephen Emmer's Vogue Estate album: duet with Martha Ladly
    Martha Ladly

    Professor Martha Ladly, AOCA RGD MCSD is a Canadian academic, designer and musician. She is currently an associate professor of design at the Ontario College of Art and Design....
     on Wish On (1982)
  • Annie Lennox
    Annie Lennox

    Annie Lennox is a British musician, vocalist and Academy Award-winning songwriter. She is both a solo artist and the lead singer of the musical duo Eurythmics, hailed as "The Greatest White Soul Singer Alive" by members of the rock industry on the VH1 show 100 Greatest Women of Rock and Roll in 1999....
    : duet on The Best Of You; the original Perhaps sessions version, the re-recorded album featured Eddi Reader
    Eddi Reader

    Eddi Reader Order of the British Empire is a Scotland singer, known both for her work with Fairground Attraction and for an enduring solo career, which in 2003 saw her showcase the works of Scotland's national poet, Robert Burns....
     (1985) †
  • Sweden Through The Ages EP: It Helps To Cry (1986)
  • Yello
    Yello

    Yello is a Switzerland electronica band consisting of Dieter Meier and Boris Blank . They are probably best known for their singles "The Race " and "Oh Yeah ", which feature a mix of electronic music and manipulated vocals....
    's Snowball And The Sound Of Yello: Life Is A Snowball (1987); unreleased promo CD
  • Yello's One Second
    One Second

    One Second is Yello's fifth original album, having been preceded by a 'new mix' compilation the year previously. Released in 1987, the album is noteworthy for featuring both Billy MacKenzie and Shirley Bassey, the latter singing vocals on "The Rhythm Divine"....
     album: Moon On Ice (1987) †
  • Yello The Rhythm Divine (version 2): special limited edition 12" single (MERXR253) featuring MacKenzie's lead vocals in place of Shirley Bassey's (1987); the same recording later appeared on the Popera album (1990) †
  • Uno's self-titled album: Cinemas Of The World single (1987)
  • Holger Hiller
    Holger Hiller

    Holger Hiller is a German musician.Holger Hiller studied art at the art school in Hamburg, where he met Walter Thielsch and Thomas Fehlmann and recorded first works with them....
    's Oben Im Eck album: title track and version, We Don't Write Anything On Paper Or So, and Whippets single (1987)
  • Yello's Baby album: Capri Calling (1991)
  • BEF's Music Of Quality & Distinction Volume 2 album: Free. (1991) Free also appears on the 1998 BEF 'Best Of' album, later reissued by Disky in 2001
  • Loom
    Loom

    A loom is a machine or device for weaving thread or yarn into textiles. Looms can range from very small hand-held frames, to large free-standing hand looms, to huge automatic mechanical devices....
    's Anacostia Bay (At The Edge Of The World) single (1996) † ‡
  • Barry Adamson
    Barry Adamson

    Barry Adamson is an English people rock musician who has worked with rock music band such as Magazine , Visage, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, and the electronic musicians Pan sonic....
    's Oedipus Schmoedipus album: Achieved In The Valley Of The Dolls (1996) ‡
  • Apollo Four Forty's Electro Glide in Blue
    Electro Glide in Blue

    Electro Glide in Blue is a 1997 album by the United Kingdom band Apollo 440. The album features Charles Bukowski, Billy Mackenzie and a tribute to Gene Krupa: all three of whom had become deceased by the time of the album's release....
     album: Pain In Any Language (1997) † ‡
† lyrics by MacKenzie
‡ also appear on Auchtermatic
  • Unreleased tracks Sinking Deeper and The Hungry Look recorded 1980 under name Strange News. Billy, Steve Reid and rhythm section Andy and Gavin. Only copies of tracks exist.


Backing vocals
  • The Skids 'Joy' album: 'Fields' single (1982) also released on the Skids 'Dunfermline' CD (1987)
  • Yello's One Second album: the singles 'Call It Love', 'The Rhythm Divine' > and 'Goldrush' (1987)
  • Yello's 'Flag' album:, the single 'Of Course I'm Lying', and 'Otto Di Catania' (1988)
  • Jih's 'Take Me To The Girl' single >, title track plus 'Come Summer Come Winter' and 'Wake Up' (1988)
  • Boris Grebenshikov's 'Radio Silence
    Radio Silence

    Radio Silence is an album by Boris Grebenshchikov, leader of the Russian group Aquarium . The album was recorded in 1989 in studios in the U.S., UK, and Canada, mostly with Western musicians, and produced by David A....
    ' album/single: 'That Voice Again' (1989)
  • Yello's 'Baby' album: 'Drive/Driven' and the single 'Rubberbandman' (1991)
(6 of Billy's Yello tracks later released on the 'Essential Yello' album) (1992)
  • Siobhan Fahey: 'Do I Scare You' (1996) unreleased until 2004 when it first appeared on Shakespear's Sister's 'Best Of' double CD, and then on the "3" album in 2005
  • Peach Union
    Peach Union

    Peach Union were a pop music/dance music/electronica trio who formed in London, England and had several UK and US pop and dance chart hits in the late 1990s....
     - 'AudioPeach' album: 'Deep Down Together' and 'Give Me Tomorrow'     credited as The MacArthurettes with Caragh McKay (1998)
  • Paul Haig's 'Listen To Me' single (1997)
    > = lyrics by MacKenzie


Other credits
  • Orbidöig's 'Nocturnal Operations' single: Billy played tubular bells (1981) this single reissued in 1984, credited as The Sensational Creed
  • Paul Haig's 'Chain' album: 'Chained', lyrics by MacKenzie, performed by Haig (1989)


External links