WITH THE ONCOMING FESTIVITIES, the band wanted to celebrate and recognise this momentous summer with a significant compilation CD release. This was given much thought, as compilation albums are often featureless collections of songs – tracks that are already available in various guises, and perhaps made more redundant now in the digital streaming age. Crucial to the album was to record, or re-record, a track by way of ‘swansong’ – a new recording that would act as the lead track, and as a specific single release. Somewhere from The Story was identified as the song that spoke to that, and the band set about completely re-recording it, this time bringing out a different character to the song, as a duet featuring Bruce and Julie Fowlis. They got Calum Malcolm ('Big Wheel', 'Amazing Things' etc) in to produce it and we are really excited at the results!
The idea behind The Ones That Got Away was to try and put together a collection of songs, some better known than others, but ones that showed a side of the band, often overlooked. There are so many recordings featuring the Celtic, Gaelic, tribal sound of the band, but there was a desire to put together a collection of songs with more of a crossover/ mainstream appeal. Even thinking, at this late stage, towards pitching to a new potential audience. (It’s amazing how many people come late to the party, and with all the profile that Runrig will enjoy this summer, there will inevitably be a significant tranche of newcomers.)
Some songs came from below the radar, released previously as ‘B’ sides – some that had under-achieved with that old bugbear, National Radio. Others are just popular songs that might have gone a bit unnoticed and deserved another day in the sun. But generally, it’s a collection of Runrig’s more accessible songs, ones that aspire to that clichèd industry phrase, ‘radio friendly’. We hope some of you can welcome them as friends, old and new, as well. So many of you appreciated the book style format that we had for The Story album, so this follows in a similar vein. Who knows – in time it might even become a collector’s item.
• The Ones That Got Away, CD Book Format, is released in the UK on 8 June.
• It appears in wallet format within a Sony Germany Box Set called Rarities, released 4 June.
• Somewhere (2018) is released as a Sony Germany single (download only) on 25 May
• Finally, a re-mixed version of Somewhere is being released in the UK (download only) on 2 July together with an accompanying video.