Formation

Stuart Adamson assembled Big Country in 1981 after his departure from The Skids, a Dunfermline post-punk band that cut multiple singles and the 1979–80 Virgin albums Scared to Dance, Days in Europa, and The Absolute Game.

For his new band, Adamson first recruited multi-string player Bruce Watson and Spizzenergi drummer Clive Parker. He invited Gang of Four bassist Dave Allen, who declined. With bassist Alan Wishart and his keyboardist brother Peter (future Runrig), Big Country rehearsed in a Ladbroke Grove space owned by the Skids’ Virgin label-mates The Members. The core lineup of Adamson, Parker, and Watson demoed material for CBS Records.

1982

Big Country opened two February 1982 dates in Brighton and Birmingham for Alice Cooper‘s Special Forces. In June, Adamson and Parker cut their first single with bassist Tony Butler and drummer Mark Brzezicki: the rhythm section on the 1980 WEA pomp-rock single “Ready for Action” by On The Air, which also featured (future Roman Holliday) keyboardist Adrian York and singer Simon Townshend, the younger brother of Pete Townshend.

The Big Country lineup of Adamson, Watson, Butler, and Brzezicki lasted seven years and four studio albums.

“Harvest Home” / “Balcony” / 12″ “Flag Of Nations (Swimming)”
Released: 24 September 1982

B1. “Balcony” ()
B2. “Flag of Nations (Swimming)” ()

1983

“Fields of Fire” backed with the non-album “Angle Park”
Released: 18 February 1983

B. “Angle Park” (4:08)

“In a Big Country” / “All of Us”
Released: 19 May 1983

B. “All of Us” (4:09)

The Crossing

Big Country released their debut album, The Crossing, on July 15, 1983, on Mercury.

1. “In a Big Country” (4:44)
2. “Inwards” (4:36)
3. “Chance” (4:26)
4. “1000 Stars” (3:50)
5. “The Storm” (6:19)

6. “Harvest Home” (4:19)
7. “Lost Patrol” (4:52)
8. “Close Action” (4:15)
9. “Fields of Fire (400 Miles)” (3:31)
10. “Porrohman” (7:52)

Recorded May 1983
Studio The Manor (Oxfordshire), RAK (London)
Producer Steve Lillywhite

re-recorded “Chance” (4:37) / “Tracks of My Tears (Live)” / 12″ “The Crossing”
Released: 26 August 1983

B. “The Crossing” (7:09)

UK Albums Chart 3
Canadian Albums Chart 4
New Zealand Albums Chart 8
Dutch Albums Chart 11
Swedish Albums Chart 17
U.S. Billboard 200 18

1984

On January 13, 1984, Big Country released the standalone single “Wonderland.”

A. “Wonderland”
B: “Giant”
B2: “Lost Patrol” (Live)

Steeltown

Big Country released their second album, Steeltown, on October 1, 1984, on Mercury.

1. “Flame of the West” (5:01)
2. “East of Eden” (4:29)
3. “Steeltown” (4:39)
4. “Where the Rose Is Sown” (4:58)
5. “Come Back to Me” (4:35)

6. “Tall Ships Go” (4:38)
7. “Girl with Grey Eyes” (4:47)
8. “Rain Dance” (4:19)
9. “The Great Divide” (4:50)
10. “Just a Shadow” (5:38)

Studio Polar Studios (Stockholm), RAK Studios (London)
Producer Steve Lillywhite
Will Gosling – engineer

Jeremy Bird – sleeve design
Brian Aris – photography

“East of Eden” backed with the Roxy Music cover “Prairie Rose”
Released: 21 September 1984

“Where the Rose Is Sown” / “Belief In the Small Man”
Released: 23 November 1984

B. “Belief In the Small Man” ()

“Just a Shadow” / “Winter Sky”
Released: 19 January 1985

B. “Winter Sky” ()

The Seer

Big Country released their third album, The Seer, on July 14, 1986, on Mercury.

1. “Look Away” – 4:23
2. “The Seer” (featuring Kate Bush) (Adamson, Bruce Watson) – 5:26
3. “The Teacher” – 4:05
4. “I Walk the Hill” (Adamson, Mark Brzezicki, Tony Butler) – 3:30
5. “Eiledon” – 5:35
6. “One Great Thing” (Adamson, Butler) – 4:00
7. “Hold the Heart” – 6:04
8. “Remembrance Day” (Adamson, Butler, Watson) – 4:28
9. “Red Fox” – 4:09
10. “Sailor” (Adamson, Brzezicki) – 4:52

Recorded November 1985 – February 1986
Studio Power Plant (London), RAK Studios (London)
Robin Millar – original production
Walter Turbitt – additional production, mixing
Will Gosling – engineer
Dave Anderson – assistant engineer
Phil Legg – assistant engineer
Nick Lacey – assistant engineer
Russell Leahy – assistant engineer

Kate Bush – additional vocals on “The Seer”
June Miles-Kingston – backing vocals on “Eiledon” and “Remembrance Day”
Davie Duncan – bodhran

Julian Balme – sleeve
David Da Silva – illustration

“Look Away” / “Restless Natives” also released as a double-7″
Released: 4 April 1986

B. “Restless Natives” (4:00)
C. “Margo’s Theme” (3:42)
D. “Highland Scenery” (4:06)

“The Teacher” / “Home Came the Angels”
Released: 6 June 1986

B. “Home Came the Angels” (2:07)

“One Great Thing” / “Song of the South”
Released: September 1986

B. “Song of the South” (3:49)

“Hold the Heart” / “Honky Tonk Woman (Live)”
Released: November 1986

UK Albums (OCC) 2
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ) 7
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) 8
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista) 14
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) 15
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) 16
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan) 16
US Billboard 200 59

Peace in Our Time

Big Country released their fourth album, Peace in Our Time, on September 23, 1988, on Mercury.

1. “King of Emotion” (4:50)
2. “Broken Heart (Thirteen Valleys)” (5:10)
3. “Thousand Yard Stare” Adamson, Bruce Watson (3:57)
4. “From Here to Eternity” (4:54)
5. “Everything I Need” (4:39)
6. “Peace in Our Time” (4:34)
7. “Time for Leaving” Adamson, Mark Brzezicki, Tony Butler, Watson (5:01)
8. “River of Hope” (4:29)
9. “In This Place” (4:21)
10. “I Could Be Happy Here” Adamson, Watson (4:28)
Length 65:38

Peter Wolf – keyboards, production
Maxine Anderson – backing vocals
Merry Clayton – backing vocals
Donna Davidson – backing vocals
Josh Phillips – keyboards

“King of Emotion” / “The Travellers”
Released: August 1988

B. “The Travellers” (3:13)

“Broken Heart (Thirteen Valleys)” / “Soapy Soutar Strikes Back” / 12″ “When a Drum Beats”
Released: 1988

B. “Soapy Soutar Strikes Back” ()
B1: “When a Drum Beats” (5:01)
B2: “On the Shore” ()

“Peace in Our Time” / “Promised Land (The R.E.L. Tapes)” / 12″
Released: January 1989

B. “Promised Land (The R.E.L. Tapes)” ()
B1: “Over the Border” ()
B2: “The Longest Day” (6:36)

Discography:

• The Crossing (1983)
  
• Steeltown (1984)
  
• The Seer (1986)
  
• Peace in Our Time (1988)
  
• No Place Like Home (1991)
  
• The Buffalo Skinners (1993)
  
• Why the Long Face (1995)
  
• Driving to Damascus (1999)
  
• The Journey (2013)

Sources:

• Discogs: Big Country
  
• 45cat: Big Country