Texas is an alternative rock band which formed in Glasgow, Scotland in 1986 and fronted by singer Sharleen Spiteri. The band was founded by Johnny McElhone (of Altered Images), taking the name from the 1984 Wim Wenders movie Paris, Texas. Their musical sound went from blues rock from debut album Southside (1989), via blue eyed soul of White on Blonde (1997) to the disco pop of Red Book (2005). Their first album for eight years, The Conversation, is released on 20th May 2013.
Sharleen Spiteri (vocals, guitar), Ally McErlaine (guitar) and Johnny McElhone (bass) have survived all line ups.
In 1994, Ellen DeGeneres requested the use of the Texas track "So Called Friend" as the theme tune for her self-titled ABC Comedy Show. Sharleen and Ally flew to the US to re-record the song to fit the theme song to the sitcom.
Sharleen Spiteri was asked to play the main role in movie "Moulin Rouge" but declined as she did not want to spend 12 months in Australia. Spiteri announced soon after declining that she was pregnant with her first child. In 2008 Sharleen released her first solo album Melody
Guitarist Ally McErlaine is married to Shelly Poole of 90s pop group Alisha's Attic.
Texas have had 8 studio albums and 1 greatest hits package, and 1 further compilation album:
Southside (Number 3 in UK chart - March 1989)
Mothers Heaven (Number 32 in UK chart - October 1991)
Ricks Road (Number 18 in UK chart - November 1993)
White On Blonde (Number 1 in UK chart - February 1997)
The Hush (Number 1 in UK chart - May 1999)
The Greatest Hits (Number 1 in UK chart - November 2000)
Careful What You Wish For (Number 5 in UK chart - November 2003)
Red Book (Number 16 in UK chart - November 2005)
The BBC Sessions ( 24 September 2007)
The Conversation ( - May 2013)
On 8 September 2009, bandmember Ally McErlaine was hospitalized after he collapsed with a massive brain aneurysm at the age of 40. By February 2010, he was recovering well as reported by bandmate Sharleen Spiteri in The Sunday Mail: "Ally is the most stubborn person I have ever come across, and I think his sheer pigheadedness is the reason he's still here! When he asked what was happening with Texas, I said it was up to him. He told me he wanted to get back into the studio."
Spiteri, the cousin of ex-Gun front man, Mark Rankin, recorded some of the vocals on Gun's first album "Taking on the World". Her second solo studio album The Movie Songbook was released on 1 March 2010, and peaked at No. 13 in the UK. Later in 2010 she was also a judge on the British talent contest Must Be the Music shown on Sky 1, and performed a number of Texas songs during the series.
After McErlaine survived his collapse - which kills in 80% of cases - Texas reunited for the first time since 2005. The band embarked on a tour in Summer 2011 and lead singer Spiteri appeared on Popstar to Operastar on 12 June 2011 singing a version of the band's hit "Say What You Want". Prior to this, Texas had played at the Den Fynskye Landsby Festival in Denmark. At the festival, they debuted a new track "The Conversation" which marked the first time the track has been played outside their native Glasgow.
Spiteri was also invited to make a series of cameo appearances at different events, all of which involved film scores. She sang Yvonne Elliman's "If I Can't Have You" for a Saturday Night Fever tribute concert and duetted with Italian singer Mauro Gioia on the "Love Theme from The Godfather". Spiteri said "That led to this [forthcoming Texas] album... But I don't see it as a covers album – I didn't want it to sound like karaoke."
The new Texas album was initially planned for release in November 2011, however in February 2013, Music week announced the band had signed to Pias Recordings and will release their album The Conversation in May 2013. The title track from the album was released in April 2013.
‘The Conversation’ tracklisting:
The Conversation
Dry Your Eyes
If This Isn’t Real
Detroit City
I Will Always
Talk About Love
Hid From The Light
Be True
Maybe I
Hearts Are Made To Stray
Big World
I Need Time
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