And the Hello and welcome to episode 214 of Soda Jaker on songwriting. This is Simon accompanied as

always by Brian, the tubs to Mike Crockett. And joining us today is a

Scottish singer, songwriter and broadcaster best known as lead vocalist, principal songwriter and broadcaster best known as lead vocalist principal songwriter

and founding member of Deacon Blue.

One of Scotland's most successful and beloved bands who scored a string of hit albums

and singles in the late 80s and early 90s

Deacon Blue remain a hugely popular live act to this day

and the studio output is still top-notch too.

This year marks the 30th anniversary of their classic third album, 1991's fellow hoodlums.

There's a recent limited edition reissue on gorgeous yellow vinyl as well,

and their frontman joined us over Zoom for a nice natter about that and much more.

We are chuffed to welcome the excellent Ricky Ross to the show.

Ricky was born in Dundee in 1957. He became obsessed with listening to records as a kid.

When relatives and friends would leave vinyl albums at the family home,

he'd listen to them avidly, and he often spent his school lunchtime in local record shops.

Ricky took piano lessons as a young step, but eventually gave them up when he'd learned enough

to be able to write his own songs, which was around his mid-teens.

He later worked as an English teacher at a secondary school while moonlighting during the evenings

on keyboards in various local bands.

Having got himself a publishing deal he put out his first solo album so long ago in

1984 on the Glasgow Independent label Sticky Records.

On the advice of his publisher he formed Deacon Blue in Glasgow the following year,

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