Texas

Brought together by bass player Johnny McElhone, who had previously enjoyed success with his band Altered Images, Texas formed in Glasgow, Scotland in 1986 and performed their first live gig in 1988 at Dundee University. With lead singer Sharleen Spiteri, they had a potential star in their line-up, and they were soon signed to Mercury Records. Texas released their first single “I Don't Want a Lover” in 1989, which was followed by their debut album, Southside, the first of many successful releases. The core of the band at this time was Johnny McElhone, Sharleen Spiteri, and guitarist Ally McErlaine, who co-wrote many of the band’s songs. While they had reached a certain level of success and continued to release singles and albums, massive commercial success still seemed to be out of reach. However, after a period of relative quiet, “Say What You Want” burst onto the airwaves, becoming their biggest hit to date and supported by the release of 1997's popular album White On Blonde. Further personnel changes ensued but with Sharleen Spiteri, Johnny McElhone, and Ally McErlaine at the helm, the group were set on a course for success and three more studio albums followed, as well as two compilations. Sharleen Spiteri released two solo albums—Melody (2008) and The Movie Songbook (2010)—which prompted a hiatus for the band. Their first release after reuniting came in 2013 in the shape of The Conversation. In 2015, the band announced a UK tour celebrating the music from throughout their career. That same year, they also released the album Texas 25, which featured a disc of re-recordings and new songs as well as a bonus disc of original hits. The group returned in 2017 with their ninth studio album, Jump On Board, which reached number 6 on the UK Albums chart. Their 2021 album, Hi, was even more successful, climbing to number 3. One of Scotland’s most popular ‘modern rock’ bands, Texas returned to the charts in 2023 with the two-CD collection The Very Best of 1989 – 2023, which featured two new studio tracks. With all eyes back on the band, they drafted in songwriter and pianist Spooner Oldham to help cast a new light on their decades-long back catalogue via The Muscle Shoals Sessions. Recorded at the iconic titular recording studios in the summer of 2022 and released in March 2024, the LP features stripped-back versions of twelve Texas hits plus and two covers: "Would I Lie to You?" by Charles and Eddie and «"Save the Last Dance" by The Drifters.

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