Born on 17 May: Alan Rankine (The Associates), the Scottish alchemist of a certain pop romanticism

He was born in 1958 in Bridge of Allan, a small town formerly known for its (spa) baths before following his parents all over Scotland, notably from Dundee to Glasgow.

He wouldn't have refused a career in tennis and achieved encouraging results, but his relatively small stature discouraged him from persevering in that direction. A trained pianist, he became passionate about sometimes harsh sound textures at a very early age. "It was never just the notes, but the way they resonated with each other. I could spend hours adjusting a single chord," he confided in an interview with the regional daily The Scotsman in 2015.

Alan met Billy Mackenzie in 1979. Very quickly, their artistic synergy became evident, and they opted for The Associates, a name that perfectly captured an almost magical collaboration between Mackenzie's soaring vocals and Rankine's flamboyant orchestrations. "Billy wanted to sing like an angel on fire, and I had to build the sound temple around him," joked Rankine in a BBC show. And sometimes the joke was not far from reality!

Rankine's three years with The Associates gave birth to two masterpieces of baroque pop (for lack of a better definition): "The Affectionate Punch" (1980) and especially "Sulk" (1982). The single "Party Fears Two" became an essential link in their repertoire, but artistic tensions quickly arose, and Rankine left the group shortly after the album's release.

"We were two very strong, very passionate temperaments. One of us had to step aside so the other could burn brighter," he explained with a touch of melancholy.

After putting his production talents at the service of artists such as The Pale Fountains, Paul Haig, or The Cocteau Twins, he eventually settled in the centre of Brussels after signing a contract with Les Disques du Crépuscule. Despite a handful of magnificent songs like "The Sandman", "Last Bullet", or a "Rumours Of War" with premonitory undertones, his three solo albums achieved only critical acclaim. If you get your hands on "The World Begins To Look Her Age" (1986), listening to it will surely convince you of the man's talent.

Back in Glasgow, he taught music at Stowe College. He helped a new generation to blossom by setting up the Electric Honey label with his students. Belle And Sebastian and Snow Patrol were among the first to benefit from it. Until his unexpected death on 2 January 2023, Alan Rankine remained a craftsman of the shadows, celebrated by connoisseurs but largely ignored by the general public. There's no doubt, however, that his legacy, from The Associates to his solo ventures, will endure for many more years.

(MH with Stéphane Soupart - Photo: © Etienne Tordoir)

Photo: Alan Rankine in his apartment in central Brussels (Belgium) on 23 January 1987