The Associates (band)

The Associates

Company type	Band
Industry	Music
Founded	1979 in Dundee, Scotland
Founder	Billy Mackenzie, Alan Rankine
Headquarters	Dundee , Scotland, United Kingdom
Products	Music albums, singles

The Associates—often simply called Associates—originated as a Scottish band blending post-punk and pop genres. Formed in Dundee in 1979 by vocalist Billy Mackenzie and guitarist Alan Rankine, they initially gained attention with an unauthorized rendition of David Bowie's "Boys Keep Swinging" (1979). This bold move earned them a deal with Fiction Records. Their first full-length album, The Affectionate Punch, was released in 1980, followed by the compilation Fourth Drawer Down in 1981; both works received critical praise.

In 1982, the band reached commercial prominence with the UK Top 10 album Sulk and two singles, "Party Fears Two" and "Club Country," which made it into the UK Top 20, coinciding with the rise of the new pop genre. After Rankine left that same year, Mackenzie continued producing music under the Associates name until 1990. The duo briefly reunited in 1993, but the group dissolved following Mackenzie's death by suicide in 1997. Rankine passed away in 2023.

1979–1982: Formation and early independent achievements

Billy Mackenzie and guitarist Alan Rankine first crossed paths in Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1976 and initially formed a duo known as the Ascorbic Ones, though Rankine later described it as "a fantasy band that Bill and I dreamt up to give ourselves a past". In 1978, they recorded under the name Mental Torture before settling on the Associates.

After facing numerous rejections, Mackenzie orchestrated a provocative move by releasing an unauthorized cover of David Bowie's "Boys Keep Swinging" just six weeks following Bowie's own UK Top 10 success. The single, released in June 1979, climbed to No. 15 on Record Mirror’s Scottish chart and received airplay on John Peel’s Radio One. Mackenzie described this Bowie cover as "a strange way of proving it, but it worked," attracting both critique and attention. This exposure led to a recording contract with Fiction Records, culminating in their debut album, The Affectionate Punch, which was released on August 1, 1980. By this time, bassist Michael Dempsey and drummer John Murphy had joined the lineup, although promotional efforts continued to highlight Mackenzie and Rankine as a duo.

October 1981 saw the release of Fourth Drawer Down, a compilation of non-album singles issued through Situation Two. These tracks featured inventive instrumentation and experimental recording methods, such as amplifying sounds via a vacuum cleaner tube on "Kitchen Person." Also during 1981, Rankine and Mackenzie put out the single "Kites" under the alias 39 Lyon Street, with Christine Beveridge providing lead vocals. The accompanying B-side, "A Girl Named Property," was credited to the Associates.

1982–1988: WEA/Warner period

As the parent company of Situation Two, Beggars Banquet maintained a contract with WEA International—mainly associated with Gary Numan—while the Associates were signed directly to Warner, releasing music on their own Associates imprint. Their significant breakthrough occurred in 1982 with the track "Party Fears Two", which climbed to No. 9 on the UK singles chart, establishing the group as prominent figures within the new pop genre. Other notable singles included "Club Country" and "18 Carat Love Affair". On 14 May 1982, their most commercially successful album, Sulk, was issued, featuring guest performances from Martha Ladly of Martha and the Muffins.

Nonetheless, Mackenzie’s last-minute decision to cancel touring plans for Sulk hindered the band's progress and caused a loss of enthusiasm from Seymour Stein at Sire Records. Following this setback, Rankine departed, while Mackenzie continued performing under the Associates name until 1990.

Their third album, Perhaps, released on 9 February 1985, did not meet commercial expectations, reaching only No. 23 on the UK Albums Chart and selling approximately 40,000 copies, which resulted in significant financial strain for Mackenzie with Warner. It was their sole album to chart in the Netherlands, peaking at No. 29. Singles from this album included "Those First Impressions" (No. 43 UK), "Waiting for the Loveboat" (No. 53 UK), and "Breakfast" (No. 49 UK; No. 36 Dutch Single Top 100).

The standalone single "Take Me to the Girl" attained No. 95 on the UK charts.

In 1988, WEA/Warner declined to release their fourth album, The Glamour Chase, citing concerns over its commercial viability; it eventually saw release alongside Perhaps. However, Warner did issue Mackenzie's synth-pop rendition of Blondie's "Heart of Glass" as a single and included it on their compilation Vaultage from the Electric Lighting Station. This marked Mackenzie’s final UK release under WEA before he signed with Circa Records, a subsidiary of AVL/Virgin. The single was launched in September 1988 in various formats—including a twelve-inch edition featuring a three-dimensional cover—and peaked at No. 56 in the UK. It also appeared on WEA’s 1990 compilation Popera: The Singles Collection, alongside previously withdrawn follow-up tracks "Country Boy" and "The Rhythm Divine".

From 1987 to 1992, Mackenzie collaborated extensively with Boris Blank and Dieter Meier of Swiss electronic ensemble Yello. He penned lyrics for "The Rhythm Divine" on Yello's album One Second, which featured Shirley Bassey as lead vocalist and Mackenzie providing backing vocals. He contributed to three Yello albums: One Second (1987), Flag (1988), and Baby (1991). Recordings for both The Glamour Chase and Outernational (1992) were completed with Blank at Yello’s studio.

1989–1997: Circa era and solo career

Following the rejection of his fourth studio album and cancellation of the single "Country Boy", Mackenzie signed with Circa Records—an AVL/Virgin subsidiary—to release what became the fifth Associates album, Wild and Lonely, which was his fourth released during his lifetime. Issued on 24 March 1990 and produced by Julian Mendelsohn, it reached No. 71 on the UK Albums Chart. The record featured three singles: "Fever", "Fire to Ice", and "Just Can't Say Goodbye", which charted modestly at positions 81, 92, and 79 respectively. Wild and Lonely was Mackenzie's final release under the Associates moniker; subsequent works were issued under his own name but had sporadic distribution with lower sales figures and no UK chart placements.

In 1992, Mackenzie unveiled his electronica-tinged solo album Outernational via Circa Records; however, it garnered limited commercial success.

In 1993, Mackenzie reunited briefly with Alan Rankine in an attempt to revive the Associates name, generating interest within the music industry through promising demo material. Nevertheless, Mackenzie's hesitation to fully commit—especially regarding touring obligations—led to a definitive split. Afterwards, he pursued solo projects through Nude Records and collaborated with Steve Aungle.

Meanwhile, Rankine shifted focus toward academia by becoming a music instructor at Stow College in Glasgow, also contributing to Scottish indie pop group Belle and Sebastian’s debut album Tigermilk (1996).

1997–present: Posthumous releases

Following Mackenzie's suicide in 1997 at the age of 39, shortly after losing his mother, the music community mourned the loss of a talented artist. He had been battling clinical depression and was preparing to re-emerge with new material co-authored alongside Aungle. After his passing, the albums Beyond the Sun (1997) and Eurocentric (2000) were issued, later expanded into the collections Auchtermatic and Transmission Impossible (2005), which included previously unreleased tracks.

Prior to Mackenzie’s death, many Associates records had been removed from circulation. To safeguard the band's heritage, former member Michael Dempsey and the Mackenzie estate launched a comprehensive reissue initiative, bringing nearly all Associates albums back into availability. This effort included a special 25th anniversary edition of The Affectionate Punch released in 2005. Two compilation albums followed: Double Hipness (2000), featuring early recordings and demos from their 1993 reunion, and Singles (2004), an expanded version of Popera – The Singles Collection that incorporated material from after 1990 as well as a rendition of Bowie's "Boys Keep Swinging." The album The Glamour Chase & Perhaps, recorded between 1985 and 1987, was finally made public in 2002. Additionally, the albums Wild and Lonely and Mackenzie’s solo work Outernational were reissued in 2006 with added bonus content.

Tom Doyle’s biography, The Glamour Chase: The Maverick Life of Billy MacKenzie, initially published in 1998 and reprinted in 2011, offers an in-depth account of both the band’s trajectory and Mackenzie’s personal journey.

Alan Rankine passed away on January 3, 2023, at the age of 64.

Legacy and influence

The Associates incorporated a wide array of musical styles such as art rock, disco, glam, minimalism, balladry, and cabaret into their sound. Their work is often classified within genres like post-punk, synth-pop, new wave, and experimental pop. Esteemed musicians including Björk and U2's frontman Bono have commended their artistry. Björk highlighted the album Sulk as particularly influential, praising Billy MacKenzie's innovative vocal techniques. Bono admitted, "We ripped them off. Billy was a great singer: I couldn't rip him off." The song "Party Fears Two" has been covered by artists such as the Divine Comedy, Dan Bryk, King Creosote, and Heaven 17. Music journalist Simon Reynolds described them as "great should-have-beens of British pop," while Chris Tighe acknowledged their status as one of the most inspired pop acts of the 1980s.

Scottish crime novelist and philanthropist Ian Rankin titled his twentieth Inspector Rebus book, Even Dogs in the Wild (2015), after a track from The Affectionate Punch, which also features within the narrative.

In tribute to Alan Rankine's death, English electronic group Ladytron recognized The Associates as a major source of inspiration, referring to him as the architect behind "some of the most joyous magnificent pop music ever created."

Band members

• Billy Mackenzie – lead vocals (1979–1990, 1993) (deceased 1997)
• Alan Rankine – guitars, keyboards (1979–1982, 1993) (deceased 2023)
• John Sweeney – drums (1979–1980)
• John Murphy – drums (1980–1981) (deceased 2015)
• Michael Dempsey – bass guitar (1980–1982)
• Steve Goulding – drums (1982–1983)
• Martha Ladly – keyboards, backing vocals (1982–1986)
• Miffy Smith – keyboards, saxophone (1983–1984)
• Martin Lowe – live guitar (1982)
• Ian McIntosh – live and radio session guitar (1982–1985)
• Steve Reid – guitar (1982–1984)
• Roberto Soave – bass guitar (1983–1985)
• Jim Russell – drums (1984)
• L. Howard Hughes – keyboards (1982–1990)
• Moritz von Oswald – drums, percussion (1985–1990)

Discography

Studio Albums

• The Affectionate Punch (1980)
• Sulk (1982)
• Perhaps (1985)
• Wild and Lonely (1990)

External links

• Profile on AllMusic
• Artist page on Discogs
• Entry on IMDb