The Calton Songs Gun

• 1Backstreet Brothers03:17
• 2Better Days 202103:38
• 3Word Up 2022 (feat. The Sisterhood)03:53
• 4Coming Home 202203:59
• 5Crazy You 202203:50
• 6Don't Say It's Over 202203:54
• 7Frantic 202203:57
• 8Higher Ground 2022 (feat. The Sisterhood)04:55
• 9Inside Out 202204:16
• 10Money 202204:01
• 11Shame On You 202205:01
• 12Steal Your Fire 202204:59
• 13Taking On The World 202205:20
• 14Watching The World Go By 202205:06
• Total Runtime01:00:06

Info for The Calton Songs

"Calton Songs" is a full-blooded celebration of the band’s career so far with enthusiastic and brand new acoustic reinterpretations of the songs that made their name and took GUN to the four corners of the world. These retooled classics are bolstered by the addition of the single ‘Backstreet Brothers’ which is released 18 May. This is a new and fully electric track that basks in the simple joys of both lives and good times shared, but also brings the GUN story up to date.

"Calton Songs" is an album that takes its name from the area of Glasgow where the band grew up, and where they still write their music. This record is about celebrating the road that GUN have taken to reach this point, these new versions of great songs are cut through with un-ironic nostalgia but this is a band with an eye on the horizon for what’s to come, not what’s over their shoulder in the past. ‘Taking On The World’ announced the band to a global audience in 1989 and their next album ‘Gallus’ just marked its 30th anniversary. ‘Calton Songs’ is the latest milestone on this journey and follows-up ‘Favourite Pleasures’ from 2017 which made the top 15, making it their biggest album in almost a quarter of a century, since 1994’s ‘Swagger’.

As Jools Gizzi says, “When the pandemic hit we realised that it was the perfect time to try and counteract the bleakness that was all around. It felt like we couldn’t write anything, or of course tour. Out of that darkness came a desire to completely rework these songs that we know the fans love, and bring a different, stripped down vibe. ‘Better Days’ was the first one to get the treatment, and that really brought all our enthusiasm back and relit the creative fires”. Dante Gizzi added, “It’s ironic that those feelings of negativity led to something so positive, a celebration of our career up to now. It turned into something great, and ‘Backstreet Brothers’ really sums up that unalloyed enthusiasm that has been brought back into the heart of the band”.

GUN

GUN
Originally called Blind Allez then for a short time, 'Phobia', GUN were formed in 1987 by Giuliano Gizzi (guitar), Cami Morlotti (bass), Mark Rankin (vocals), Al Thornton (drums) and David Aitken (guitar). Signed in 1989 by A&M Records, they worked on new material until the departure of Al, Cami and David. The band then recruited Giuliano's brother Dante (bass), Scott Shields (drums) and Baby Stafford (guitar) and worked towards recording their first album, Taking On The World. Mark Rankin's cousin Sharleen Spiteri, of fellow Scottish band Texas, along with former member Al Thornton, contributed backing vocals to several songs on the album. The single "Better Days" from the album made the top 40 in the UK. Gun toured the US and supported The Rolling Stones on their European Urban Jungle Tour of 1990.

Alex Dickson replaced Baby Stafford before the release of their second album, Gallus, from which the single "Steal Your Fire" was a minor hit. Spiteri and Thornton again contributed backing vocals to the album.

Both Alex and Scott left before the release of Swagger, Giuliano taking over all guitar duties, and Mark Kerr (brother of Simple Minds singer Jim Kerr) replacing Scott. Swagger was easily their most successful album, propelled by the success of their version of Word Up!, the single of which was a top 10 UK hit and charted well in many other territories as well.

The band took a break and returned three years later with yet another new drummer, Stuart Kerr (formerly of Texas), a keyboard player, Irvin Duguid, a new name (G.U.N.), and a new album 0141 632 6326 produced by INXS keyboard player Andrew Farriss, which was characterised by a much lighter, poppier sound than the more rock-driven sound of their earlier works. However, the album managed to simultaneously alienate existing fans of the band and fail to gain a new audience, and sold poorly in comparison to Swagger.

The band split in 1997 and aside from a few one-off reunion gigs in 1998 and 1999, had not been active as a unit before reforming, with Toby Jepson as guest vocalist, for a Rockradio charity gig in January 2008. Two new Gun CDs were released (The Collection and The River Sessions - a double live CD) during their hiatus, and all the previous individual members went on to other projects within the music industry. A fan site was set up with previous and current members of the band participating in live web chats and contributing to the forums from time to time.

The Story So Far.... January 2008 saw original GUN members, Giuliano and Dante Gizzi collaborating with former Little Angels singer, Toby Jepson, to perform as GUN for the first time in ten years. This one-off live show in aid of Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy, was organised by Glasgow's 96.3 Rock Radio, and was held at the infamous Garage venue, the scene of GUN's first ever headlining show back in 1989. The response to this momentous occasion was so intense that a decision was quickly made to re-invent GUN for the new millennium, and to make a permanent return to the music business with a new outlook and new material. The band announced their reformation, with Jepson on board permanently as the new singer (replacing Mark Rankin, who had given his blessing to the reformation, and new line-up), live on the Tom Russell Radio Show early April, and immediately announced that they had been confirmed for a main-stage appearance at the Legendary T-In-The-Park Festival that year, alongside Rage Against The Machine amongst others. The end of 2008 saw GUN play two high profile shows in London and Glasgow, sponsored by Classic Rock Magazine. Entitled "One Night Only", GUN celebrated the release of their debut album, "Taking On The World" by performing the album in its entirety for the first time ever.

2009 was dedicated to re-establishing GUN in the live arena, and so the band played a combination of club shows and festivals across the UK and Europe. A total of 35 shows took the band back across the UK and to previous European hot-spots such as Spain and Portugal, as well as new territories, such as France and Austria, finishing 2009 with a 19 date UK Tour, and a main stage appearance at Hard Rock Hell III in Prestatyn, North Wales.

Realising that the future success of GUN lay in the creation of brand new, contemporary music, the band entered Chapel studios in Lincoln to record a brand new mini-album, entitled "PopKiller". Produced by GUN, recorded by Euan Davis (Kaiser Chiefs, Arctic Monkeys), mixed by Stephen Harris, (U2, Santana, Kaiser Chiefs) and Mastered at Abbey Road Studios in London, PopKiller contains five outstanding, hook-laden songs that showcase GUN at their best. Stretching the boundaries of traditional rock, but remaining true to their foundations, PopKiller is the natural successor to 1995's Swagger. The lead song from PopKiller, entitled "Let Your Hair Down", was released exclusively to Rock Radio across the UK, with the track available for download only via www.rockradio.co.uk, and quickly achieved A-level playlist. Already a firm live favourite, this was enthusiastically received by the ever increasing fan-base, leading to demands from other stations for the song, as word of GUN's new lease of life quickly reached the ears of the media.

2010 will see GUN tour "PopKiller" extensively across the UK and Europe, playing to existing fans, and making new ones along the way. With Club, and Festival, shows already confirmed, and www.gunofficial.co.uk continuing to champion all recording and touring aspects of this exciting new phase in the band's career, it only remains to be seen what the future holds. One thing is for sure, GUN are back to stay!

This album contains no booklet.