The River Detectives
| Company type | Musical duo |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1985 |
| Founder | Sam Corry, Dan O'Neill |
| Headquarters | Craigneuk, Wishaw , Scotland, United Kingdom |
| Products | Albums, singles |
The River Detectives were a Scottish folk rock pair originating from Craigneuk, Wishaw, established in 1985 by Sam Corry (vocals, guitar, harmonica) alongside Dan O'Neill (vocals, guitar, drums). Their discography includes three albums, and they secured a UK top 75 single with "Chains".
History
Their inaugural performance occurred at Jack Daniel's Pub in Motherwell on 18 August 1986. Following extensive touring across Scotland, they signed with Warner Bros. Records in 1988, marking the first Scottish act to do so in over ten years. The duo moved to Glasgow to compose their first album, Saturday Night Sunday Morning, which featured the successful track "Chains".
For their sophomore release in 1992, Elvis Has Left the Building, they worked alongside the backing musicians of Van Morrison. The album's name symbolized the period's transition toward digital technology and DJ culture, which diminished the prominence of live artists. After this release, the band relocated to Ireland, where they engaged in songwriting, extensive touring, and contributed to various projects. In 1996, following their appearance at the Splashy Fen festival in Natal Province, they spent a year based in Durban before returning to the UK in 2000 to take a break.
The partnership was revived when Corry enlisted O'Neill’s assistance to complete "Capetown to Glasgow," a track on their third album, King of the Ghost Train Ride (2005), distributed by Neontetra Records.
Their final live show was held at Glasgow’s O2 ABC on 28 September 2009.
Albums
| Year | Album | UK |
|---|---|---|
| 1989 | Saturday Night Sunday Morning | 51 |
| 1992 | Elvis Has Left the Building | — |
| 2005 | King of the Ghost Train Ride | — |
| "—" indicates releases that did not enter the charts. | ||
Singles
| Year | Song | UK |
|---|---|---|
| 1989 | "Chains" | 51 |
| "You Don't Know a Thing About Her" | 86 | |
| "Saturday Night, Sunday Morning" | — | |
| 1990 | "Will You Spin Me Round" | — |
| 2006 | "Blue Collar Love Song" (download only single) |
— |
| "—" indicates releases that did not chart. | ||