How a Scottish songwriter turned personal grief into a global number one hit
In short: In the late 1970s, Brian Alexander Robertson was finding his footing in the UK charts. But it was a profound personal tragedy that eventually led to one of the most iconic, Grammy-nominated anthems in pop history, fundamentally changing the trajectory of his career and his collaborations.
Born in Glasgow and educated at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, Robertson first released his debut album, Wringing Applause, in 1973. While his early work was recorded with Terry Manning on the Ardent Records label, it took another six years for him to achieve significant chart success in the United Kingdom.
His breakthrough period arrived between 1979 and 1981. During this time, he secured several hits from his third album, Initial Success, including 'Bang Bang', which reached number 2 in September 1979, and 'Kool in the Kaftan', which hit number 17. He also contributed heavily to the success of artists like Cliff Richard, co-writing hits such as 'Carrie' and 'Wired for Sound'.
The most significant chapter of his career began in 1985 through his collaboration with Mike Rutherford of Genesis. Together, they wrote 'The Living Years', a song deeply rooted in Robertson's personal life. The track was written following the death of Robertson's father, which occurred just twelve weeks before the birth of Robertson's own son. The song became a massive international success, reaching number one in the US, Canada, Australia, and Ireland, and hitting number two in the UK.
The emotional resonance of 'The Living Years' earned a Grammy nomination for Song of the Year in 1990 and an Ivor Novello Award. This partnership with Rutherford continued through the original configuration of the band Mike + The Mechanics, contributing to hits like 'Silent Running'.
Opens the Intellect+ feed with this card first. Swipe up for the next one.
Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: BA Robertson
To cite this card, link to https://intellectplus.co.uk/app/history-ba-robertson.
How we source, check and correct cards: Editorial standards.
General information, not professional advice. Spotted an error? Flag the card or see corrections and complaints.
Intellect Plus is a visual educational discovery platform for exploring fascinating facts and ideas. Brain Food, Not Brain Rot. What is Intellect Plus?
Related
More in Born on this day · More in History · Latest · A–Z · All topics
