Love and Money (band)
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1985 in Glasgow, Scotland |
| Founder | James Grant, Stuart Kerr, Paul McGeechan, Bobby Paterson |
| Headquarters | Glasgow , Scotland |
| Products | Music albums and singles |
Love and Money is a Scottish ensemble blending rock, soul, and funk, established in 1985 in Glasgow, Scotland. The band originated from former members of Friends Again—vocalist, songwriter, and guitarist James Grant, drummer Stuart Kerr, and keyboardist Paul McGeechan—joined by bassist Bobby Paterson, previously with Set the Tone, who had been signed to Island Records in 1983.
Over their first nine years, Love and Money produced four albums that achieved moderate success, with three released in the United States, and secured six charting singles within the United Kingdom.
All You Need Is... Love And Money
Under the UK label Phonogram's Mercury Records, they recorded their initial hit single "Candybar Express", which was produced by Andy Taylor of Duran Duran. This track reached number 56 on the UK Singles Chart during spring 1986 and received radio play in the U.S. Their debut album, All You Need Is..., produced by Tom Dowd, did not enter the charts. Follow-up singles such as "Dear John", "River of People", and "Love and Money" attained moderate chart positions. In September 1986, they appeared at an Artists Against Apartheid event at Glasgow's Barrowland Ballroom alongside groups including The Big Dish and Lloyd Cole, and also opened for U2 at Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh.
Strange Kind of Love
The 1988 release Strange Kind of Love featured drummer Jeff Porcaro from Toto following Stuart Kerr’s departure, with additional contributions from Rick Derringer and an uncredited appearance by Donald Fagen. The album was produced by Gary Katz of Steely Dan. It included the single "Halleluiah Man", which cultivated a dedicated fanbase. Although it peaked at No. 63 in the UK, it fared better across Continental Europe and Oceania, entering the Top 50 generally and nearly breaking into Italy’s Top 20. Other singles like "Strange Kind of Love" and "Jocelyn Square" also charted in the UK but did not reach the Top 40.
To support the album, the band toured in the United States and Japan, sharing stages with artists such as Tina Turner, Simply Red, and B. B. King. Their show at Inverness’s Eden Court Theatre was recorded for BBC Scotland’s Sounds of Eden, complemented by appearances on Night Network and Wogan.
Having sold over 250,000 copies globally, Strange Kind of Love was reissued in April 2010 with demo tracks and new sleeve notes penned by James Grant, Paul McGeechan, and producer Gary Katz.
The Mother's Boy
With permanent additions Gordon Wilson on drums and Douglas MacIntyre on rhythm guitar, the band worked on The Mother's Boy. However, Phonogram declined to release this album, resulting in its shelving. Some tracks such as "Hubcap to Blue Town", "Blue Eyed World", and "True Believer" were later utilized as B-sides for singles from Dogs in the Traffic. Other songs including "Pappa Death" and "Winter" were incorporated into that album, while "No Chicane" appeared on Grant’s solo debut Sawdust in My Veins. Additionally, "Amaranth" was featured on the 2012 collection titled The Devil's Debt.
Dogs in the Traffic
The album Dogs in the Traffic was placed at number 30 on The Scotsman's list of the All Time Top 100 Scottish Pop and Rock albums. Prior to its release, the band showcased the record at Glasgow's City Halls, concluding the performance with encores of Tom Waits' "Clap Hands" and Bob Dylan's "You Ain't Goin' Nowhere". The album was promoted through three singles: "My Love Lives in a Dead House", the Wishing Waters EP which highlighted "Looking for Angeline", and "Winter".
Littledeath and disbandment
Love and Money’s fourth studio effort, Littledeath (1993), was independently released via Iona Gold Records, featuring the single "The Last Ship on the River". This album sold approximately 25,000 copies—roughly a tenth of the sales achieved by Strange Kind of Love—which resulted in the band parting ways with Mercury Records. Bassist Bobby Paterson had departed to focus on bar management and did not contribute to this album; instead, guitarist Douglas MacIntyre took over bass duties. The group dissolved in 1994 but reunited for a farewell performance titled 'Love and Money: RIP' at Glasgow Barrowland on 23 December 1994.
Reunion and The Devil's Debt
In 2011, Love and Money reunited for a sold-out concert at Glasgow Royal Concert Hall during Celtic Connections, delivering full performances of both Strange Kind of Love and Dogs in the Traffic. They paid tribute to their late bassist Bobby Paterson (who passed away in 2006) by dedicating "Walk The Last Mile" to him. The live rendition of Strange Kind of Love was subsequently released under L&M recordings. In March 2011, they confirmed plans to continue their reunion with another show scheduled for 4 December at Glasgow's Clyde Auditorium.
On 5 May 2012, the band previewed their fifth studio album, The Devil's Debt, at a sold-out event held at King Tuts Wah Wah Hut in Glasgow. The album was officially released through Vertical Records in October 2012 and garnered favorable critical reception.
Later that year, Douglas MacIntyre appeared in an episode titled 'Pop Band' from the CBeebies series My Story.
Personnel
Bobby Paterson
Robert Armstrong Paterson (born 1956 in Carntyne, Glasgow) recorded during the 1970s with Sandy McClelland and the Backline, and later in the 1980s with Set the Tone, releasing singles and an album under Island Records. His notable club tracks included "Rap Your Love" and "Dance Sucker," both remixed by Francois Kevorkian.
Following early involvement with Primal Scream, Paterson joined Love and Money for nine years before exiting prior to the recording of Littledeath. He shifted his career toward bar and club management in Glasgow, overseeing venues such as Expo and The Tunnel Club, eventually establishing the boutique hotel Saint Jude's. Subsequently, he formed the band the Poems alongside Adrian Barry and Bobby Bluebell from The Bluebells, releasing the CD Young America.
Paterson died in Glasgow on 23 July 2006.
James Grant
James Grant launched his solo career with Sawdust in My Veins in 1998, followed by four additional albums: My Thrawn Glory, I Shot the Albatross (a collection setting poetry to music), Holy Love, and Strange Flowers, which premiered at Glasgow ABC during Celtic Connections in 2009.
Grant composed the score for the film The Near Room and collaborated with Capercaillie's Karen Matheson, contributing to her solo albums. In 2016, he released a live recording titled James Grant & The Hallelujah Strings on Vertical Records featuring both Love and Money tracks as well as his solo material. He partnered with producer Gordy Goudie for his 2017 album Korvids, released on Nang Records. In 2025, Grant issued a collaborative project named Butler, Blake & Grant alongside Norman Blake (Teenage Fanclub) and Bernard Butler (Suede).
Paul McGeechan
Paul McGeechan has produced work for a variety of notable artists and unveiled an orchestrated album titled Starless in 2016. This project featured guest vocalists including Paul Buchanan (The Blue Nile), Karen Matheson, Julie Fowlis, and Chris Thomson (The Bathers), recorded with the Prague Philharmonic Orchestra. He followed up this release with Starless 2 in 2024.
Discography
Studio albums
| Year | Album | Highest chart positions | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK | AUS | US | |||||
| 1986 | All You Need Is... | — | — | — | |||
| 1988 | Strange Kind of Love | 71 | 71 | 175 | |||
| 1991 | Dogs in the Traffic | 41 | — | — | |||
| 1993 | Littledeath | — | — | — | |||
| 2012 | The Devil's Debt | — | — | — | |||
| "—" indicates albums that did not chart or were not released. | |||||||
Compilations
Live albums
- Strange Kind of Love – Live in Glasgow (2011)
Reissues
- Strange Kind of Love (2010 Remaster)
Issued by Cherry Red Records on 19 April 2010; remastered by Paul McGeechan from original tapes including six previously unreleased demos along with liner notes from Grant, McGeechan, and producer Gary Katz.
- Dogs In The Traffic (2022)
30th Anniversary edition available on vinyl and CD; CD version contains six bonus tracks on an additional disc.
Singles
| Year | Single | Highest chart rankings | Album | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK | AUS | AUT | FRA | NZ | US Hot 100 | US Adult | US Dance | |||
| 1986 | "Candybar Express" | 56 | 96 | — | — | — | — | — | 10 | All You Need Is...Love and Money |
| "Dear John" | 103 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1987 | "River of People" | 82 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "Love and Money" | 68 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1988 | "Halleluiah Man" | 63 | 47 | 27 | 41 | 39 | 75 | 44 | — | Strange Kind of Love |
| 1989 | "Strange Kind of Love" | 45 | 76 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "Jocelyn Square" | 51 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Up Escalator" | 79 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1991 | "My Love Lives in a Dead House" | 83 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "Looking for Angeline" (from the Wishing Waters EP) |
109 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Winter" | 52 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1994 | "The Last Ship on the River" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1991 | "This Is the Last Time" | |||||||||
|- ! colspan ="12" style ="text-align:center; font-size:85%"| Note: “—” indicates singles that did not chart or were not released. |- }
External links
- Comprehensive news, chords, and lyrics for James Grant and Love & Money
- Official Jocelyn Square Website
(En español)