The Proclaimers

The Proclaimers
Craig (left) and Charlie on stage in 2005
Craig (left) and Charlie on stage in 2005
Background information
Born (1962-03-05) 5 March 1962 (age 62)
Leith, Edinburgh, Scotland
OriginAuchtermuchty, Fife, Scotland
Genres
Instruments
  • Vocals
  • acoustic guitar
  • harmonica
  • tin whistle
  • tambourine
Years active1983–present
Labels
MembersCharlie Reid
Craig Reid
Backing band
Steven Christie (keyboard)
Clive Jenner (drums)
Garry John Kane (bass guitar)
Zac Ware (electric guitar)
Websitethe.proclaimers.co.uk

The Proclaimers are a Scottish rock duo formed in 1983 by twin brothers Craig and Charlie Reid (born 5 March 1962).[1] They came to attention with their 1987 single "Letter from America", which reached No. 3 in the United Kingdom, and the 1988 single "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)", which topped charts in Australia,[2][3] Iceland and New Zealand.[4] The duo's biggest album, Sunshine on Leith (1988) has been certified multi-Platinum in Australia and Canada, selling over 2 million copies worldwide, including around 700,000 in the United States.[5] The Proclaimers have sold over 5 million albums worldwide.[6][7]

First active from 1983 as an acoustic duo,[1] the Proclaimers moved toward band-oriented rock in later works. The Proclaimers' style draws from a diversity of influences, including country, folk[8][9] and punk rock.[10] Their playing range has included roots rock,[11] alternative rock[12] and folk rock,[13] and their music is typified by their Scottish accents.[8] The Proclaimers often tour internationally[8] and have released 12 studio albums since 1987, the most recent being 2022's Dentures Out, as well as three compilation albums and a DVD.

  1. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference beginning was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Carew, Anthony (10 May 2019). "The Proclaimers' Craig Reid Wants To Walk 500 Miles Away From Brexit". The Music. Retrieved 22 February 2020.
  3. ^ Australian (ARIA Chart) peaks:
  4. ^ "charts.nz > The Proclaimers in New Zealand Charts". Hung Medien. Retrieved 21 March 2016.
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference Scotsman2009 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Mccormick, Neil (10 May 2001). "The Kings of Uncool reclaim their realm". Telegraph. Archived from the original on 12 January 2022. Retrieved 10 March 2020.
  7. ^ "The Proclaimers: Sing when you're twinning". The Independent. 17 October 2003. Archived from the original on 18 June 2022. Retrieved 10 March 2020.
  8. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference allmusic was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ Cite error: The named reference stuffnz was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  10. ^ Cite error: The named reference esquire was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  11. ^ Cite error: The named reference Monger was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  12. ^ Cite error: The named reference AllMusic2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  13. ^ Cite error: The named reference telegraph was invoked but never defined (see the help page).