Alan Rankine: 'The Associates' singer dies at age of 64

Alan Rankine died at 64 after spending time with his family for Christmas. His two sons have given deatols about the death of Rankine on Facebook page. Rankine's sons invited his fans and the general public to share their thoughts about the guitarist and keyboard player. They intend to keep his Facebook account live and use it to celebrate his life. They said their father was a beautiful, kind, loving man whom his family and friends would miss.

"The Associates" were known for their truly amazing track "The Party Fears Two", which Rankine and Billy Mackenzie shored up to great heights. Rankine formed the group in Dundee in 1979. Billie died in 1997, but the two had together released three albums. "The Affectionate Punch" helped them gain immense popularity, and the album 'Sulk' gained them the stardom they sought. The latter album featured among the top ten albums in the UK, while the song "Party Fears Two" hit the top twenty singles in the UK charts.

Billy committed suicide in 1997, just after the group reunited in 1993 for a brief time. The songs “Club Country” and “18 Carat Love Affair” paved the way for the group to release their most successful album, 'Sulk'.




Rankine left the band in 1982, just before the band was about to set out on a tour which proved disastrous for the band. With the main musician gone and a disenchanted Billy Mackenzie, Seymour Stein of Sire records lost interest in signing up with the group.

Rankine went on to join Stow College in Glasgow as a lecturer and, during that time, encouraged “Belle and Sebastian” for their first album, “Tigermilk.”

FAQs:

1. Name the various genres "The Associates" created their music for.
   Art Rock, Disco, Glam Minimalism, Balladry and Cabaret.
2. Which artist tried to imitate Billy Mackenzie but said he didn’t succeed?
   Bono-U2