The Blue Nile is a river originating at Lake Tana in Ethiopia. It joins the White Nile at Khartoum, Sudan and, as the Nile, flows through Egypt to the Mediterranean Sea. The distance from its source to its confluence is variously reported as 1460 and 1600 km. The uncertainty over its length might partially result from the fact that it flows through virtually impenetrable gorges cut in the Ethiopian highlands to a depth of some 1500 m. The band was formed, in 1981, when Paul Buchanan (born April 16 1956, Edinburgh) and his friend, Robert Bell, met Paul Joseph Moore after graduating from the University of Glasgow in the late 1970s. Although their individual degrees didn't reflect their future career wishes (English Literature, Electronics and Mathematics, respectively), their mutual friendship grew out of their shared interest in music, and they began writing and recording together. Bell and Buchanan were previously the key members of the band Night by Night, who had a small but enthusiastic following in the Glasgow area; they had made demos of songs like "Rio" and "Stay", but were not commercial enough at the time to secure a record contract. They formed their own label, Peppermint Records, and released their first single, "I Love This Life", which was later picked up and issued by RSO Records. Soon afterwards, RSO was absorbed into Polygram, and The Blue Nile's first single disappeared from view. The trio kept writing and recording over the next couple of years, including a couple of tracks that would later surface on their debut album. After a prolonged delay in which an entire album's worth of work was scrapped, The Blue Nile released Hats in 1989 to rave reviews, including a rare five-star rating from Q magazine. The album was recorded in the same studio as much of their previous work, Castlesound in Pencaitland, East Lothian. This album, which explores the highs and lows of romantic love, is considered by most critics and listeners to be the band's most enduring work. At the time, Hats reached #12 on the UK album charts and even slipped into the Billboard 200 in the United States. Rickie Lee Jones, a huge fan of the band, personally selected The Blue Nile as her opening act for her 1990 tour. She would later record a duet with them, a cover of the band's own "Easter Parade", which was featured as a B-side to the single "Headlights on the Parade".In 1993, the band worked on Annie Lennox's debut album, Diva; she in turn covered "The Downtown Lights", from Hats, for her album Medusa, released in 1995.
The Blue Nile, a tributary of the River Nile, begins in the mountains of Ethiopia. The Blue Nile of Ethiopia and the White Nile of Uganda become one at Khartum, which means “the place where two rivers meet”. The two rivers, in their brotherly embrace, continue on as the great River Nile. The River Nile carries precious water and nutrients which produce rich soil and lush crops throughout Africa and Egypt. Like the Blue Nile River, we the proprietors, have come from Ethiopia, and bring with us on our journey the flavorful bounty of Africa. Our families have made Minneapolis our Khartum – the place where we meet. We welcome you to join us and enjoy the cuisine of Ethiopia, which we make and serve in the traditional Ethiopian way. Feel free to use your fingers, as this is our customary way of eating. The Blue Nile Ethiopian Restaurant opened in 1989 near the corner of Lake Street and Lyndale Avenue in Minneapolis, and was the first Ethiopian restaurant in the Twin Cities. Today, we are the longest running African restaurant in Minnesota and the only one to represent the Oromo people, and we have remained an independent, family-owned establishment.When local Hi-Fi manufacturer Linn Electronics heard their music, the company offered the band money to record a track that would showcase the sonic range of the company's high-end audio equipment. Linn was so pleased with the result, they formed their own record label in order to release The Blue Nile's debut, A Walk Across the Rooftops, in 1983. sample (help·info) Buchanan later commented that during that time Linn was not really a record company, and The Blue Nile was not really a band.[1] Although it received positive reviews, it sold modestly.
1984 saw a greater exposure for the band throughout Europe with the videos for their two singles "Stay" sample (help·info) and "Tinseltown in the Rain" often shown on the video channel Music Box.
Ethiopian culture is perhaps the most gracious in the world. Ethiopians are warm, inviting, and above all respectful. From shaking hands to endearing embraces, the people of Ethiopia receive each other warmly. There is great emphasis placed on formal, but very courteous greetings, to both friends and strangers. To Ethiopians, sharing food is a hallmark for creating and maintaining good relationships. According to Ethiopian culture, it is a belief that those who share and eat food from the same plate do not cheat one another and hence it is considered a way of promoting friendship and loyalty. Many travelers make their way to Ethiopia to experience one of the oldest cultures in the world-dating back over 3,000 years! With the discovery of 'Lucy' aka 'Dinkenesh' the oldest human ancestor, Ethiopia's history extends back even farther. It has even been speculated that it is the true site of the Garden of Eden. So many of Ethiopia's ancient historical traditions have been preserved and travelers can witness and participate in these treasured rituals. Ethiopia's geographic diversity is unparalleled: it boasts some of the highest points on the African continent, the Simien Mountains (a UNESCO world heritage site) and some of the lowest the hot lunar-like climate of the Danakil depression. Its largest lake the T'ana is the source of the famous Blue Nile River The Blue Nile now have a workroom in Glasgow, which they try to use every day Paul Buchanan and Robert Bell toured England and Scotland in May and June 2006, followed by Scotland and Ireland in November 2006, billed as "Paul Buchanan sings the songs of The Blue Nile". The band consisted of Paul Buchanan on vocals and guitar; Robert Bell on bass guitar and keyboards; Alan Cuthbertson and Brendan Smith on keyboards; Stuart McCredie on guitar; and Liam Bradley on drums. Paul Buchanan stated that this billing was done as an 'act of grace' as one member (PJ) 'didn't feel like doing it this time'. Paul Buchanan collaborated with Shirley Manson (lead singer of Garbage) on her as yet unreleased solo album. On July 14 2007 Paul Buchanan and Robert Bell played Manchester's Bridgewater Hall as part of the Manchester International Festival. Bridgewater Hall's website previewed the night as "One of the jewels of British music, The Blue Nile have infrequently yet consistently created music of rare truth and beauty. For their first appearance in more than seven years they perform their only UK show at Manchester International Festival. The perfect Saturday night". Saturday Night. (help·info) In 2008, the band played shows at the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall (July 9, 10th and 11th), London Somerset House (July 13) and Galway Radisson Hotel (July 15).
