Analog Alliance ‘Scotland The Rave’

Catalogue Number: CSRT005
I can’t find any production credits for this but it was added to streaming platforms by Clubscene in 2014 and is widely available so someone somewhere presumably knows something about who was involved. The original 12″ vinyl came out in 1992 and the main hook is almost a cartoon rave version of the famous ‘Scotland The Brave’ sometime national anthem.

But there’s much more going on with a variety of interesting sounds. Some groaning ‘oohing’ and ‘woahing’ female vocals which sound quite seductive. A repeating ‘which way is up’ vocal through the chorus and a familiar ‘oh yeah’ post chorus. It’s a genre all of its own – Italian piano house meets perhaps the first example of what would later become known as ‘tartan techno’.

As ever with Clubscene, this is a well thought out, well put together dance record. The addition of the ‘Scotland The Rave’ hook is interesting because I think the track would have survived without it. It might even have been more highly regarded. It feels as though the producers have been caught between making a credible dance track and trying for something more commercial. By this point, they’ll have seen the likes of ‘Charly’ by The Prodigy, ‘Get Ready For This’ by 2 Unlimited, ‘Sesame’s Treet’, ‘A Trip To Trumpton’ etc. ‘Raving Up’ such a well known Scottish tune made sense and with the upcoming Hogmanay celebrations perhaps in mind aiming for a ‘Scottish rave’ tune to be played on the big night at the large events that were being organised by this point might just have been irresistible. As a title alone it’s something that surely must have crossed the mind of every dance producer in Scotland. It certainly featured in plenty tabloid newspaper headlines.

Part of my reason for starting this website was to document and give some attention to tracks like this. Give it a listen – it’s a nice one. The ‘A side’ version is backed by trance mix and the 9 and a half minute ‘Burning The Heather Mix’ which includes touches of Auld Lang Syne and even a ‘go on yourself Jimmy’ male vocal.


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