Tom McRae
Encyclopedia
Tom McRae is an English
singer-songwriter
.
experimented with his mother's guitar. Initially trying to emulate his heroes, Billy Bragg
, Bob Dylan
, Paul Simon
, Neil Young
, Kate Bush
, U2
, he began to write his own songs and develop his own style. Age 18, he went to City of London Polytechnic achieving a degree in politics and government,
and forming his first band, "The Ministers of Orgasm". Subsequently, McRae was involved in bands "Raising Cain" and "Orchid Lounge". A chance meeting with recording engineer and record producer Roger Bechirian
, (Elvis Costello
, Squeeze, Carlene Carter
, The Undertones
), led to a working relationship. Bechirian helped to shape McRae's soft-spoken sound, which later gained McRae a deal with Dave Bates's db Records, (db/BMG records). In 2000, director Scott Walker chose McRae to perform at the Meltdown Festival
in the Royal Festival Hall
. McRae's confessional, self-titled debut appeared in autumn 2001, during the height of the new acoustic movement and earned him comparisons to Nick Drake
and Bob Dylan
. Critics raved and McRae gained nominations for the Mercury Prize
, a Q
magazine award and the BRIT Award for Best Newcomer. By then, McRae was working with Oliver ("Oli") Kraus
, cellist, and in 2003 was joined by Olli Cunningham on keyboards. McRae's second album, Just Like Blood, was released in the UK in February 2003 produced by Ben Hillier
, whose credits include Elbow
, Martha Wainwright
and Blur
. McRae then moved to California
, where he wrote and recorded his next album, All Maps Welcome
, which was released in May 2005.
In 2005, McRae supported Tori Amos
on the UK/Ireland leg of her Original Sinsuality tour. Having played many times in the Hotel Café
in Los Angeles and having been one of the artists on the first U.S Hotel Cafe Tour
, McRae brought the Tour to the UK in 2006, introducing his fans to many other singer-songwriters which most notably included Steve Reynolds, Joe Purdy
, Cary Brothers
, and Jim Bianco
. The Hotel Cafe Tour saw the artists participating in each others' songs. The tour also featured a variety of special guests, including Kathryn Williams
, Justin Currie
, Colin MacIntyre
and Aqualung
.
McRae's fourth album, King of Cards
, was recorded in Suffolk
and released in May 2007.
In spring 2008, McRae once again brought the Hotel Cafe Tour to the UK, and for the first time, also took it to continental Europe. This time he was accompanied by Cary Brothers
, Brian Wright, Catherine Feeny
, Greg Laswell
, Jim Bianco and Jason (or Dr.) Kanakis. Again, there were special guests at each location, including Eddi Reader
and Turin Brakes
.
McRae was a guest vocalist for the band "Wills and the Willing" at a number of festivals in the UK in summer 2008, and had a headline slot at the Offset festival in August. In autumn 2008, he toured the North Eastern states of America and Canada.
McRae's fifth studio album, The Alphabet of Hurricanes
, was produced in his own recording studio
, Gunpoint, in East London. The album was recorded over three years in varied settings, and, thanks to a deal with Cooking Vinyl
was released in February 2010. The "Alphabet of Hurricanes" Tours, which sold-out at a number of venues, were rescheduled to fit in with the album release. A hoped-for 'Part 2' of the album has not emerged possibly due to the fact that McRae is once again unsigned. Towards the end of 2010, McRae was involved in the Crossing Border festival in the Netherlands, playing with the Matangi Quartet who are based in that country. McRae has recently announced UK and European tours for the spring of 2011, when he will be joined by a UK string quartet, and a solo tour in Germany. He has recently released a second live album, Tom at Tut's
with songs and banter garnered from 2 full band gigs at King Tut's Wah Wah Hut
in Glasgow in 2004.
He also contributed a cover version
of "Wonderful Christmastime
" to a Christmas compilation album
: Maybe This Christmas Tree released in 2004.
In August 2005, McRae visited the country of Niger
in Africa
at the request of The Observer
and wrote an article about the famine titled, "This is not just another act of God - this is ingrained poverty".
McRae provided some of the vocals on "Lipstick", a 2008 single by "Wills and the Willing" having written parts of the song after listening to the original material. The song was written in response to the London bombings.
Along with Bob Harris
, Guy Clark
and others, McRae is one of the commentators on the film We Dreamed America
, released as a DVD in 2008. This documentary examines the connections between British and American roots music.
.
"São Paulo Rain" was featured in a sixth season episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The episode is entitled "Entropy."
"Set the Story Straight" was featured in a second season episode of Kyle XY
. "Still Lost" was featured in the third season episode "Electric Kiss" of Kyle XY.
"I Ain't Scared of Lightning" was featured in the second season of British drama Skins
.
"Karaoke Soul" and "Stronger Than Dirt" appear in the American television series Rescue Me
and "Karaoke Soul" is featured in its soundtrack
.
"2nd Law" and "You Cut Her Hair" were part of the soundtrack for the film Jekyll + Hyde.
"Walking 2 Hawaii" was used in Hollyoaks
"You Only Disappear" was featured in an episode of the American drama Without a Trace
.
"For The Restless" was used in one episode of the German television series Alles was Zählt.
"You Only Disappear" was used for a contemporary routine choreographed by Dee Caspary on Season 7 of So You Think You Can Dance
.
"Overthrown" was used in the third season episode "Everyone Leaves" of Six Feet Under.
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
.
Career
The son of two Church of England vicars, McRae sang in the church choir and as a teenAdolescence
Adolescence is a transitional stage of physical and mental human development generally occurring between puberty and legal adulthood , but largely characterized as beginning and ending with the teenage stage...
experimented with his mother's guitar. Initially trying to emulate his heroes, Billy Bragg
Billy Bragg
Stephen William Bragg , better known as Billy Bragg, is an English alternative rock musician and left-wing activist. His music blends elements of folk music, punk rock and protest songs, and his lyrics mostly deal with political or romantic themes...
, Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
, Paul Simon
Paul Simon
Paul Frederic Simon is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist.Simon is best known for his success, beginning in 1965, as part of the duo Simon & Garfunkel, with musical partner Art Garfunkel. Simon wrote most of the pair's songs, including three that reached number one on the US singles...
, Neil Young
Neil Young
Neil Percival Young, OC, OM is a Canadian singer-songwriter who is widely regarded as one of the most influential musicians of his generation...
, Kate Bush
Kate Bush
Kate Bush is an English singer-songwriter, musician and record producer. Her eclectic musical style and idiosyncratic vocal style have made her one of the United Kingdom's most successful solo female performers of the past 30 years.In 1978, at the age of 19, Bush topped the UK Singles Chart...
, U2
U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
, he began to write his own songs and develop his own style. Age 18, he went to City of London Polytechnic achieving a degree in politics and government,
and forming his first band, "The Ministers of Orgasm". Subsequently, McRae was involved in bands "Raising Cain" and "Orchid Lounge". A chance meeting with recording engineer and record producer Roger Bechirian
Roger Bechirian
Roger Béchirian is a noted engineer and record producer, a key player in the 70’s new wave scene best known for his work with Nick Lowe, Paul Carrack, Elvis Costello, The Undertones, Dave Edmunds, Squeeze, Trashcan Sinatras and more recently Bell X1....
, (Elvis Costello
Elvis Costello
Elvis Costello , born Declan Patrick MacManus, is an English singer-songwriter. He came to prominence as an early participant in London's pub rock scene in the mid-1970s and later became associated with the punk/New Wave genre. Steeped in word play, the vocabulary of Costello's lyrics is broader...
, Squeeze, Carlene Carter
Carlene Carter
Carlene Carter is an American country singer and songwriter. She is the daughter of June Carter and her first husband, Carl Smith....
, The Undertones
The Undertones
The Undertones are a punk rock/new wave band formed in Derry, Northern Ireland, in 1975.The original line-up of the Undertones released thirteen singles and four studio albums — The Undertones , Hypnotised , Positive Touch and The Sin of Pride — before disbanding in July 1983.Music guide Allmusic...
), led to a working relationship. Bechirian helped to shape McRae's soft-spoken sound, which later gained McRae a deal with Dave Bates's db Records, (db/BMG records). In 2000, director Scott Walker chose McRae to perform at the Meltdown Festival
Meltdown (festival)
Meltdown is an annual, English festival, held in London, featuring a mix of music, art, performance and film. Meltdown is held in June at Southbank Centre, the arts complex covering and including the Royal Festival Hall, the Queen Elizabeth Hall and The Hayward...
in the Royal Festival Hall
Royal Festival Hall
The Royal Festival Hall is a 2,900-seat concert, dance and talks venue within Southbank Centre in London. It is situated on the South Bank of the River Thames, not far from Hungerford Bridge. It is a Grade I listed building - the first post-war building to become so protected...
. McRae's confessional, self-titled debut appeared in autumn 2001, during the height of the new acoustic movement and earned him comparisons to Nick Drake
Nick Drake
Nicholas Rodney "Nick" Drake was an English singer-songwriter and musician. Though he is best known for his sombre guitar based songs, Drake was also proficient at piano, clarinet and saxophone...
and Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
. Critics raved and McRae gained nominations for the Mercury Prize
Mercury Prize
The Mercury Prize, formerly called the Mercury Music Prize and currently known as the Barclaycard Mercury Prize for sponsorship reasons, is an annual music prize awarded for the best album from the United Kingdom and Ireland. It was established by the British Phonographic Industry and British...
, a Q
Q (magazine)
Q is a popular music magazine published monthly in the United Kingdom.Founders Mark Ellen and David Hepworth were dismayed by the music press of the time, which they felt was ignoring a generation of older music buyers who were buying CDs — then still a new technology...
magazine award and the BRIT Award for Best Newcomer. By then, McRae was working with Oliver ("Oli") Kraus
Oliver Kraus
Oliver Kraus born 1970 in Shepherd's Bush, London, is an English musician best known for his work as a cellist and string arranger/ producer and composer for film and television.-String Arrangements & Performance:...
, cellist, and in 2003 was joined by Olli Cunningham on keyboards. McRae's second album, Just Like Blood, was released in the UK in February 2003 produced by Ben Hillier
Ben Hillier
Ben Hillier is a British songwriter and pop-rock music producer who is part of the creative team 140dB. He has produced such popular and critically acclaimed albums as Playing the Angel and Sounds of the Universe by Depeche Mode, Think Tank by Blur, Some Cities by Doves and Cast of Thousands by...
, whose credits include Elbow
Elbow (band)
Elbow are an English rock band. They have played together since 1990 and recorded five studio albums, the most recent of which is Build a Rocket Boys!, released in March 2011...
, Martha Wainwright
Martha Wainwright
Martha Wainwright is a Canadian-American folk-rock singer-songwriter. She is the daughter of American folk singer and actor Loudon Wainwright III and Canadian folk singer-songwriter Kate McGarrigle...
and Blur
Blur (band)
Blur is an English alternative rock band. Formed in London in 1989 as Seymour, the group consists of singer Damon Albarn, guitarist Graham Coxon, bassist Alex James and drummer Dave Rowntree. Blur's debut album Leisure incorporated the sounds of Madchester and shoegazing...
. McRae then moved to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, where he wrote and recorded his next album, All Maps Welcome
All Maps Welcome
All Maps Welcome is the third studio album from British singer-songwriter Tom McRae.-Track listing:# "For the Restless" – 4:06# "Hummingbird Song" – 4:45# "The Girl Who Falls Down Stairs" – 5:03# "How the West Was Won" – 6:16...
, which was released in May 2005.
In 2005, McRae supported Tori Amos
Tori Amos
Tori Amos is an American pianist, singer-songwriter and composer. She was at the forefront of a number of female singer-songwriters in the early 1990s and was noteworthy early in her career as one of the few alternative rock performers to use a piano as her primary instrument...
on the UK/Ireland leg of her Original Sinsuality tour. Having played many times in the Hotel Café
Hotel Café
The Hotel Café is a live music venue located off an alley on the Cahuenga Boulevard strip in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California that has become known for helping to establish the careers of new singer-songwriters in the 2000s...
in Los Angeles and having been one of the artists on the first U.S Hotel Cafe Tour
Hotel Cafe Tour
The Hotel Cafe Tour is the brainchild of Cary Brothers , a North American singer-songwriter,who has been a regular performer at the Hotel Café venue in Hollywood.Having played in the Hotel Cafe for many years, and enjoyed its...
, McRae brought the Tour to the UK in 2006, introducing his fans to many other singer-songwriters which most notably included Steve Reynolds, Joe Purdy
Joe Purdy
Joe Purdy is an American folk singer-songwriter who has recorded and released ten albums in eight years.- The band :Joe Purdy's band members have included: Chris Seefried, Brian Wright, Willy C. Golden, , and .- Career :...
, Cary Brothers
Cary Brothers
Cary Brothers is an American indie rock singer-songwriter originally from Nashville, Tennessee. After moving to Los Angeles and becoming a regular performer at the influential Hotel Cafe venue, Brothers first gained national attention with his song "Blue Eyes" on the Platinum-selling,...
, and Jim Bianco
Jim Bianco
Jim Bianco is a critically acclaimed independent musician, singer, songwriter and producer based in Los Angeles, California.-Early life:...
. The Hotel Cafe Tour saw the artists participating in each others' songs. The tour also featured a variety of special guests, including Kathryn Williams
Kathryn Williams
Kathryn Williams is an English singer-songwriter.-Background:Williams was born in Liverpool, and now lives in Newcastle upon Tyne after earning an art degree in the city. Williams released her first album, Dog Leap Stairs on her own Caw Records label in 1999 with a budget of £80...
, Justin Currie
Justin Currie
Justin Robert Currie is a Scottish singer and songwriter, best known as the founding member of the band Del Amitri and, along with Iain Harvie, is one of only two members of the group to be present throughout its entire existence.-Del Amitri:Justin Currie established the band Del Amitri while...
, Colin MacIntyre
Colin MacIntyre
Colin MacIntyre is a Scottish singer, song-writer, multi-instrumentalist and producer. MacIntyre, with the group Mull Historical Society, has released and toured worldwide three albums: Loss , Us and This Is Hope , and has achieved four UK Top 40 Chart hits and two UK Top 20 Chart albums...
and Aqualung
Aqualung (musician)
Matthew "Matt" Hales , better known as Aqualung, is an English singer and songwriter best known in the UK for his song "Strange and Beautiful", which was featured on a television advertisement for the new Volkswagen New Beetle during the summer of 2002 and went on to become a Top 10 hit in the UK...
.
McRae's fourth album, King of Cards
King of Cards
King of Cards is the fourth studio album from British singer-songwriter Tom McRae. It was released on May 14, 2007.On February 16, 2007, all the tracks on King of Cards were made available for streaming on McRae's official website.-Track listing:...
, was recorded in Suffolk
Suffolk
Suffolk is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in East Anglia, England. It has borders with Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south. The North Sea lies to the east...
and released in May 2007.
In spring 2008, McRae once again brought the Hotel Cafe Tour to the UK, and for the first time, also took it to continental Europe. This time he was accompanied by Cary Brothers
Cary Brothers
Cary Brothers is an American indie rock singer-songwriter originally from Nashville, Tennessee. After moving to Los Angeles and becoming a regular performer at the influential Hotel Cafe venue, Brothers first gained national attention with his song "Blue Eyes" on the Platinum-selling,...
, Brian Wright, Catherine Feeny
Catherine Feeny
Catherine Feeny is an American singer/songwriter based in Portland, Oregon.She grew up in Norristown, Pennsylvania, studied in Washington, D.C., and finally relocated to Los Angeles, where she started seriously writing her own songs. Her first album Catherine Feeny was produced by fellow...
, Greg Laswell
Greg Laswell
Greg Laswell is a musician, recording engineer, and producer from San Diego, California. He has released four studio albums: Good Movie in 2003, Through Toledo in 2006, and Three Flights from Alto Nido in 2008, and Take a Bow in 2010, as well as several EPs and special singles...
, Jim Bianco and Jason (or Dr.) Kanakis. Again, there were special guests at each location, including Eddi Reader
Eddi Reader
Eddi Reader MBE is a Scottish singer-songwriter, known both for her work with Fairground Attraction and for an enduring solo career. She is the recipient of three BRIT Awards and has topped both the album and singles charts...
and Turin Brakes
Turin Brakes
Turin Brakes are a modern folk duo, comprising Olly Knights and Gale Paridjanian, hailing from Balham, London. They had a UK top 5 hit with their song "Painkiller ".-1999–2003:...
.
McRae was a guest vocalist for the band "Wills and the Willing" at a number of festivals in the UK in summer 2008, and had a headline slot at the Offset festival in August. In autumn 2008, he toured the North Eastern states of America and Canada.
McRae's fifth studio album, The Alphabet of Hurricanes
The Alphabet of Hurricanes
The Alphabet of Hurricanes is the fifth studio album from British singer-songwriter Tom McRae. It was released on February 22, 2010.-Track listing:# Still Love You# A Is For...# Won't Lie# Summer Of John Wayne# Told My Troubles To The River...
, was produced in his own recording studio
Recording studio
A recording studio is a facility for sound recording and mixing. Ideally both the recording and monitoring spaces are specially designed by an acoustician to achieve optimum acoustic properties...
, Gunpoint, in East London. The album was recorded over three years in varied settings, and, thanks to a deal with Cooking Vinyl
Cooking Vinyl
Cooking Vinyl is a UK-based independent record company, founded in 1986. Its original orientation was toward contemporary folk music—notably Billy Bragg, and Michelle Shocked's Texas Campfire Tapes, recorded on a Sony Walkman, one of its first releases...
was released in February 2010. The "Alphabet of Hurricanes" Tours, which sold-out at a number of venues, were rescheduled to fit in with the album release. A hoped-for 'Part 2' of the album has not emerged possibly due to the fact that McRae is once again unsigned. Towards the end of 2010, McRae was involved in the Crossing Border festival in the Netherlands, playing with the Matangi Quartet who are based in that country. McRae has recently announced UK and European tours for the spring of 2011, when he will be joined by a UK string quartet, and a solo tour in Germany. He has recently released a second live album, Tom at Tut's
Tom at Tut's
Tom at Tut's is the third live album from British singer-songwriter Tom McRae. It was released in 2011 and includes songs and banter from two gigs on consecutive nights - 25th and 26th November 2004 - at King Tut's Wah Wah Hut in Glasgow where McRae performed with a full band. Recorded by Johnny...
with songs and banter garnered from 2 full band gigs at King Tut's Wah Wah Hut
King Tut's Wah Wah Hut
King Tut's Wah Wah Hut, also known as King Tut's, is a live music venue and bar in on St. Vincent Street, Glasgow, Scotland. It is owned and managed by Glasgow-based gig promoters DF Concerts...
in Glasgow in 2004.
Singles and EPs
- "Sampler 2 Titres (French Magazine Magic! Promo)" 2000
- "The End of the World News" 2000
- "You Cut Her Hair" 2000
- "Fortress Radio Session (Live Promo)" 2000
- "A&B Song" / "Street Light" 2001
- "Turn On A Friend - Give Them This Disc (Promo)" 2001
- Cover Me. (3-track Promo EP) 2002
- "Sadly Beautiful"
- "Pale Blue Eyes"
- "Oh Yeah (On the Radio)"
- Four Songs from 'The Obscure' Nominee Brits (4-track Sampler) 2002
- "Just Like..." (Promo) 2002
- "A Day Like Today"
- "Sad Song For The Left Hand Alone"
- "You Cut Her Hair"
- "Karaoke Soul" 2002 - UKUK Singles ChartThe UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
#48 - "A Day Like Today" (Promo) 2003
- "The Girl Who Falls Downstairs" 2005
- "The Girl Who Falls Down Stairs (Radio Edit)"
- "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds"
- "Bright Lights" (Promo) 2007
- "Set the Story Straight" (Promo) 2007
- "Lipstick" (featuring Wills & The Willing) (Promo) 2008
- "Please" (Promo) 2010
- "Out Of The Walls" (Download Promo) 2010
- "Still Love You" (Promo) 2010
Albums
- Tom McRaeTom McRae (album)Tom McRae is the self-titled debut album from British singer-songwriter Tom McRae. The album was nominated for the Mercury Music Prize in the same year.-Track listing:All tracks by Tom McRae# "You Cut Her Hair" - 2:46...
2 October 2000 (AristaArista RecordsArista was an American record label. It was a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment and operated under the RCA Music Group. The label was founded in 1974 by Clive Davis, who formerly worked for CBS Records...
) - Tom McRae (Bonus CD Live At Bikini In Toulouse, France On 29th March 2001)Tom McRae (album)Tom McRae is the self-titled debut album from British singer-songwriter Tom McRae. The album was nominated for the Mercury Music Prize in the same year.-Track listing:All tracks by Tom McRae# "You Cut Her Hair" - 2:46...
2001 (AristaArista RecordsArista was an American record label. It was a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment and operated under the RCA Music Group. The label was founded in 1974 by Clive Davis, who formerly worked for CBS Records...
) - Just Like BloodJust Like BloodJust Like Blood is the second studio album from British singer-songwriter Tom McRae.-Track listing:# "A Day Like Today"# "You Only Disappear"# "Ghost of a Shark"# "Stronger Than Dirt"# "Overthrown"# "Walking 2 Hawaii"# "Mermaid Blues"...
UK: 18 February 2003, UKUK Albums ChartThe UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
#26; US: 21 September 2004 (NettwerkNettwerkThe Nettwerk Music Group is the umbrella company for Nettwerk Management, Nettwerk Records, Nettwerk One Publishing, Nutone Records, and Artwerk. With over 150 employees, the Vancouver-based company has offices in New York, Los Angeles, London, Boston, Nashville, and Hamburg...
) - All Maps WelcomeAll Maps WelcomeAll Maps Welcome is the third studio album from British singer-songwriter Tom McRae.-Track listing:# "For the Restless" – 4:06# "Hummingbird Song" – 4:45# "The Girl Who Falls Down Stairs" – 5:03# "How the West Was Won" – 6:16...
UK: 2 May 2005, UK #47; US: 31 May 2005 (RCARCA RecordsRCA Records is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment. The RCA initials stand for Radio Corporation of America , which was the parent corporation from 1929 to 1985 and a partner from 1985 to 1986.RCA's Canadian unit is Sony's oldest label...
) - King of CardsKing of CardsKing of Cards is the fourth studio album from British singer-songwriter Tom McRae. It was released on May 14, 2007.On February 16, 2007, all the tracks on King of Cards were made available for streaming on McRae's official website.-Track listing:...
14 May 2007 (V2V2 RecordsV2 Records is a record label that is owned by Universal Music Group as of October 2007. The label was founded in 1996 by Richard Branson, five years after he sold Virgin Records to EMI....
) - The Alphabet of HurricanesThe Alphabet of HurricanesThe Alphabet of Hurricanes is the fifth studio album from British singer-songwriter Tom McRae. It was released on February 22, 2010.-Track listing:# Still Love You# A Is For...# Won't Lie# Summer Of John Wayne# Told My Troubles To The River...
22 February 2010 (Cooking VinylCooking VinylCooking Vinyl is a UK-based independent record company, founded in 1986. Its original orientation was toward contemporary folk music—notably Billy Bragg, and Michelle Shocked's Texas Campfire Tapes, recorded on a Sony Walkman, one of its first releases...
)
Live EPs and Albums
- Black Session (Live, 25th March, 2003) 2005
- Tom McRae (Live 2007) 2007
- The Strongroom Sessions (EP Promo) (Live 28th February, 2007) 2007 (V2V2 RecordsV2 Records is a record label that is owned by Universal Music Group as of October 2007. The label was founded in 1996 by Richard Branson, five years after he sold Virgin Records to EMI....
) - Recorded At Gunpoint (EP Promo) 2010
- The Streetlight Collection (B-Sides & Rarities) 2010
- The Prospect Tapes (Original Demos Recorded in LA, 2004) 2010
- Tom At Tut's (Extended Live Album 2004 Full Band Tour) 2011
Other projects
McRae was once cast in an independent film as Gram Parson's ghost. Funding for the film fell through and all that remains is his screen test.He also contributed a cover version
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of "Wonderful Christmastime
Wonderful Christmastime
"Wonderful Christmastime" is a 1979 Christmas song by Paul McCartney. It enjoys significant Christmas time popularity around the world. The notable synthesiser riff was played on a Sequential Circuits Prophet-5. The song was later added as a bonus track on the CD reissue of Wings' Back to the Egg...
" to a Christmas compilation album
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
: Maybe This Christmas Tree released in 2004.
In August 2005, McRae visited the country of Niger
Niger
Niger , officially named the Republic of Niger, is a landlocked country in Western Africa, named after the Niger River. It borders Nigeria and Benin to the south, Burkina Faso and Mali to the west, Algeria and Libya to the north and Chad to the east...
in Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
at the request of The Observer
The Observer
The Observer is a British newspaper, published on Sundays. In the same place on the political spectrum as its daily sister paper The Guardian, which acquired it in 1993, it takes a liberal or social democratic line on most issues. It is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper.-Origins:The first issue,...
and wrote an article about the famine titled, "This is not just another act of God - this is ingrained poverty".
McRae provided some of the vocals on "Lipstick", a 2008 single by "Wills and the Willing" having written parts of the song after listening to the original material. The song was written in response to the London bombings.
Along with Bob Harris
Bob Harris (radio)
Robert Brinley Joseph "Bob" Harris, OBE , known as "Whispering" Bob Harris, is British radio host who currently works for BBC Radio 2, presenting music two nights a week...
, Guy Clark
Guy Clark
Guy Clark is an American Texas Country artist. In his career, he has released more than twenty albums, primarily on major labels. He has also written singles for other artists, including Ricky Skaggs, Steve Wariner and Rodney Crowell....
and others, McRae is one of the commentators on the film We Dreamed America
We Dreamed America
We Dreamed America is a documentary film, directed by Alex Walker, that delves deep into the dark recesses of the British music scene. Examining the relationship and ongoing exchange between British and American roots music, the film looks at the British fascination with the most American of...
, released as a DVD in 2008. This documentary examines the connections between British and American roots music.
Use of McRae's songs in film and television
McRae contributed music to the soundtracks of the movies Uno (2004) and Unsuitable (2005). His music also featured in the film The BubbleThe Bubble
The Bubble may refer to:* The Bubble , an American science fiction film by Arch Oboler* The Bubble , an Israeli film by Eytan Fox* "The Bubble" , episode 15 of season 3 of American television comedy 30 Rock...
.
"São Paulo Rain" was featured in a sixth season episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The episode is entitled "Entropy."
"Set the Story Straight" was featured in a second season episode of Kyle XY
Kyle XY
Kyle XY is an American television series with a science fiction premise and mystery-drama style. The central character is a teenage boy who awakens naked in a forest outside Seattle, Washington, with no more knowledge or abilities than a newborn. He is taken in by a family and given the name Kyle...
. "Still Lost" was featured in the third season episode "Electric Kiss" of Kyle XY.
"I Ain't Scared of Lightning" was featured in the second season of British drama Skins
Skins (TV series)
Skins is a BAFTA award-winning British teen drama that follows a group of teenagers in Bristol, South West England, through the two years of college. The controversial plot line explores issues such as dysfunctional families, mental illness , adolescent sexuality, substance abuse and death...
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"Karaoke Soul" and "Stronger Than Dirt" appear in the American television series Rescue Me
Rescue Me (TV series)
Rescue Me is an American television drama series that premiered on the FX Network on July 21, 2004, and concluded on September 7, 2011. The series focuses on the professional and personal lives of a group of New York City firefighters in the fictitious Ladder 62 / Engine 99 firehouse.The show...
and "Karaoke Soul" is featured in its soundtrack
Rescue Me (soundtrack)
Rescue Me is the official soundtrack to the American dark comedy TV show by the same name. The official soundtrack was released on May 8, 2006 on Nettwerk records.-Track listing:#"C'mon C'mon" - The Von Bondies – 2:14#"Devil" - Stereophonics – 4:41...
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"2nd Law" and "You Cut Her Hair" were part of the soundtrack for the film Jekyll + Hyde.
"Walking 2 Hawaii" was used in Hollyoaks
Hollyoaks
Hollyoaks is a long-running British television soap opera, first broadcast on Channel 4 on 23 October 1995. It was originally devised by Phil Redmond, who has also devised shows including Brookside and Grange Hill...
"You Only Disappear" was featured in an episode of the American drama Without a Trace
Without a Trace
Without a Trace is an American television drama which originally ran on CBS from September 26, 2002 to May 19, 2009. The series was set in New York City and concerned a fictitious FBI Missing Persons Unit.-Premise:...
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"For The Restless" was used in one episode of the German television series Alles was Zählt.
"You Only Disappear" was used for a contemporary routine choreographed by Dee Caspary on Season 7 of So You Think You Can Dance
So You Think You Can Dance (U.S. TV series)
So You Think You Can Dance is an American dance competition and reality show that airs on Fox in the United States.The series first premiered on July 20, 2005, and was created by American Idol producers Simon Fuller and Nigel Lythgoe and is produced by 19 Entertainment and Dick Clark Productions...
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"Overthrown" was used in the third season episode "Everyone Leaves" of Six Feet Under.