Big Country - Heart and Soul (Stuart and Bruce, 1981)

When Stuart Adamson first got together with Bruce Watson and started writing songs in May and June of 1981, a room in the Townhill Community Centre in Dunfermline was used as a makeshift studio. There as just a duo and armed with guitars, drum machine, keyboard and a Tascam 4 track portastudio, they wrote and recorded the first 9 songs that would set the foundation of the new collaboration that would come be known as Big Country.
Harvest Home, Heart and Soul, Angle Park, Wake, Lost Patrol, We Could Laugh, Echoes, The Crossing and Inwards were those first 9 songs written and recorded.
Officially, only Harvest Home, Angle Park and We Could Laugh have been released. (The Crossing 30th Anniversary Deluxe CD)
The full version of We Could Laugh (not on that CD) can be found here: • Big Country - We Could...
Heart and Soul - the original 1981 recording by Stuart Adamson and Bruce Watson. Keys taking the initial place of guitars, more of those would be added with subsequent versions. As with a few of Big Country's very earliest songs, Heart and Soul seems a very natural progression from The Skids and this song was very likely written before Stuart had parted ways with them (as with The Lost Patrol), earmarking them as either a prospective Skids songs or just something to keep up his sleeve for the next project. As Big Country fans, I'm pleased these songs saw it all the way through.
The picture under the logo comes from the same book that many of the illustrations on the liner sleeve of The Crossing was taken from - Film Fun Annual, 1952. It features directly above the lyrics to The Storm on inner sleeves of The Crossing album.
Celebrating 40 years of Big Country - 1981 to 2021.
Stay Alive!

[@lhair02]

40 years of this masterclass Scottish Band! proud to be part Scottish

[@kippen64]

Love this Big Country song. Thanks ever so much for uploading this video. It's keenly appreciated.

[@salihkasap3770]

Great post one of my favourites thanks still loving them

[@dynaflow666]

A rough diamond.

[@kippax67kippax14]

Should have been a single One of the best BC tunes.

[@BC1000Stars]

Originally it was going to be the second single, with a late December 1982 release date. Shelved after the band started working with Steve Lillywhite and Fields of Fire was written.

[@ROOKTABULA]

Tascam 4 track portastudio: That was what I did my band's first EP on 11 years later.

[@porroh869]

Great stuff !

[@luisplata8661]

Esta rola no está actualizada,?? O remasterizada??? A de escucharse a toda madre x siempre big country

[@stevebullman4698]

Ta muchly for the latest 3. I see you have a playlist. Is that the date order you think they were put down? Where in the sequence would the two released ones (Angle & Harvest) go?

[@BC1000Stars]

Hi Steve, I thought those versions were on YT already but it seems they aren’t so I’m going to add them soon. The playlist wasn’t actually in that order but that would be interesting. I do believe Angle Park and Harvest Home were the first two tracks written and put down (with their new project in mind) even though Heart and Soul and Lost Patrol were both written earlier.. I’ll rearrange the playlist when it is complete with a caveat of some of it being a little guesswork.

[@stevebullman4698]

@@BC1000Stars Thanks -I'll stay tuned