Letter from America (song)
Encyclopedia
"Letter From America" is a pop
song written and performed by Scottish
band The Proclaimers
that appears on their debut album This Is the Story
.
Lyrically the song reflects Scotland
's long history of emigration with Scots leaving behind economic depression in their own nation to start new lives in America and Canada. There is also an allusion to the enforced emigrations of the Highland Clearances
when wealthy landowners forcibly evicted whole communities in order to turn their land over to the more profitable enterprise of raising sheep.
The song was later recorded in a fuller arrangement with producer Gerry Rafferty
and became a hit in December 1987 reaching #3 on the UK singles chart. The 12" vinyl single of the song featured an unusual pressing, with the two versions - acoustic and orchestral - interwoven on the same side of the disc, so that placing the needle on the record would result in a random playing of one or the other version.
The song is featured in the 1991
film The Commitments
playing in the background at a wedding; it is cited as something approximating music after the music played by the trio performing at the wedding is criticised as "shite" by Jimmy Rabbitte.
In June 2008 the Reid brothers performed an acoustic rendition of the song as part of The-Fly.co.uk's ongoing 'In The Courtyard' sessions. http://www.muzu.tv/thefly/the-proclaimers-the-proclaimers-letter-from-america-flytv-in-the-courtyard-music-video/236901
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
song written and performed by Scottish
Scottish people
The Scottish people , or Scots, are a nation and ethnic group native to Scotland. Historically they emerged from an amalgamation of the Picts and Gaels, incorporating neighbouring Britons to the south as well as invading Germanic peoples such as the Anglo-Saxons and the Norse.In modern use,...
band The Proclaimers
The Proclaimers
The Proclaimers are a Scottish band composed of identical twin brothers, Charlie and Craig Reid . They are probably best known for the songs "Letter from America", "I'm On My Way" and "I'm Gonna Be ". The band tours extensively throughout Europe and other continents...
that appears on their debut album This Is the Story
This Is the Story
-Personnel:The Proclaimers* Craig Reid — Vocals, Tambourine, Bongos and Marraccas* Charlie Reid — Acoustic Six-String, Twelve-String, Acoustic Bass and VocalsProduction* Produced by John Williams* Track 13 produced by Gerry Rafferty & Hugh Murphy...
.
Lyrically the song reflects Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
's long history of emigration with Scots leaving behind economic depression in their own nation to start new lives in America and Canada. There is also an allusion to the enforced emigrations of the Highland Clearances
Highland Clearances
The Highland Clearances were forced displacements of the population of the Scottish Highlands during the 18th and 19th centuries. They led to mass emigration to the sea coast, the Scottish Lowlands, and the North American colonies...
when wealthy landowners forcibly evicted whole communities in order to turn their land over to the more profitable enterprise of raising sheep.
The song was later recorded in a fuller arrangement with producer Gerry Rafferty
Gerry Rafferty
Gerald "Gerry" Rafferty was a Scottish singer songwriter best known for his solo hits "Baker Street", "Right Down the Line", "Days Gone Down", "Night Owl", "Get It Right Next Time", and with the band Stealers Wheel, "Stuck in the Middle with You". Rafferty was born into a working-class family in...
and became a hit in December 1987 reaching #3 on the UK singles chart. The 12" vinyl single of the song featured an unusual pressing, with the two versions - acoustic and orchestral - interwoven on the same side of the disc, so that placing the needle on the record would result in a random playing of one or the other version.
The song is featured in the 1991
1991 in film
The year 1991 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*April 28 - Bonnie Raitt marries actor Michael O'Keefe in New York* Terminator 2: Judgment Day, became one of the landmarks for science fiction action films with its groundbreaking visual effects from Industrial Light & Magic.*November...
film The Commitments
The Commitments (film)
The Commitments , the soundtrack for the film, was released on 13 Aug 1991. "Mustang Sally" was released as a single. Most of the songs on the album are performed by the cast band, but two are by Irish singer Niamh Kavanagh.-Track listing:-Chart positions:-The Commitments, Vol...
playing in the background at a wedding; it is cited as something approximating music after the music played by the trio performing at the wedding is criticised as "shite" by Jimmy Rabbitte.
In June 2008 the Reid brothers performed an acoustic rendition of the song as part of The-Fly.co.uk's ongoing 'In The Courtyard' sessions. http://www.muzu.tv/thefly/the-proclaimers-the-proclaimers-letter-from-america-flytv-in-the-courtyard-music-video/236901