History Music / TheAssociates

* AuthorAppeal: Billy bred whippets as a hobby, and as such dogs are referenced quite frequently in his lyrics.

Their debut single was a cover of Music/DavidBowie's "Boys Keep Swinging". It attracted a good deal of attention, allegedly including Bowie himself. Two years later, and, after recording their debut album (which had backing vocals by Robert Smith of Music/TheCure), released seven singles, in a quick succession, which was remarkable for that time.

[[caption-width-right:350:Billy Mackenzie and Alan Rankine]]

In 1997, Mackenzie committed suicide at the age of 39, shortly after his mother's death and his struggle with clinical depression. Rankine became a lecturer in music and also collaborated with Music/BelleAndSebastian on ''Tigermilk''.

* BiTheWay: Billy.

* UsefulNotes/{{Roma|ni}}: Billy's father was one, which probably helped explain his erratic behaviour.

* ''Fourth Drawer Down'' (a compilation of seven singles released throughout 1981)

* TheCameo: Billy himself makes one in the music video for "Mint Car" by Music/TheCure.

The Associates were a {{PostPunk}} band formed in Dundee, UsefulNotes/{{Scotland}}, by singer Billy Mackenzie and guitarrist/arranger Alan Rankine. Their songs marked part of the shift from Post-Punk towards its "phase two", New Pop (which comprised names like Music/{{ABC}} and Music/FrankieGoesToHollywood.

Their entry into the top charts came, however, with the album ''Sulk'', a luxurious album which spawned singles like "Club Country" and "Party Fears Two". Billy Mackenzie's campy (but dignified) vocals and Rankine's amazing production and guitar playing skills were what always set The Associates apart from the majority of the Post-Punk bands. Martha from Martha & The Muffins also contributed to the album with keyboards and backing vocals.

Discography:

''Studio Albums''

* ''Fourth Drawer Down'' (the compilation of the seven singles released in 1981)

* ''The Glamour Chase'' (1988) (Unreleased until 2003)

They released two more albums ([[ExecutiveMeddling one was unreleased by the label, who thought it wasn't commercial enough]]), but, while still having some good songs, it didn't had the same impact and the band ended in 1990, after the release of ''Wild And Lonely''. Two years after, Billy's debut solo album, ''Outernational'', got released. Billy and Rankine briefly got together in 1993 to make new material, but constant speculation of a reunion tour caused Billy to get reluctant again and they split for the final time.

!!Tropes associated with the band:
* AnswerSong: "Stephen, You're Really Something" was Billy's response to Music/{{The Smiths}}'s "William, It Was Really Nothing", co-written by Stephen Music/{{Morrissey}}.

In the final years of the group, Billy also collaborated with Yello and Music/ShirleyBassey.

* BiTheWay: Billy

* EverythingIsAnInstrument: Sort of. [[WordOfGod According to Alan]], they used to do a thing called balloon guitar, where they'd fill a balloon with water until it was the size of a fairly small breast, and then, by holding it with a hand, it would be used on the strings in order to control the feedback coming from the amplifier.

* HarsherInHindsight: Coupled with a heavy dose of TearJerker. On ''Sulk'', there is a cover of "Gloomy Sunday", a famous and oft-covered song from the 1930s composed by the Hungarian pianist Rezso Seress, done most famously by Billie Holliday in 1941. It's also infamously known as the "Hungarian Suicide Song", due to an urban legend that it was responsible for a spate of suicides in Hungary in the 1930s after it was released. [[note]] However these suicides were more likely caused by the famine and poverty in Hungary at the time [[/note]][[spoiler: Guess what happened to Billy?]]

In 1995, Mackenzie committed suicide at the age of 39, shortly after his mother's death and his struggle with clinical depression. Rankine became a lecturer in music and also collaborated with Music/BelleAndSebastian on ''Tigermilk''.

* AnswerSong: "Stephen, You're Really Something" was Billy's response to Music/{{The Smiths}}'s "William, It Was Really Nothing", co-written by Stephen Music/{{Morrissey}}.

* SecretRelationship: "18 Carat Love Affair" is about a (possibly gay) love affair and the protagonist (Billy) trying to hide that from everyone else. In real life, he kept his affairs (romantic and sexual) with both men and women in private and seperately (in terms of time and even in terms of geography).

* EverythingIsAnInstrument: Sort of. [[WordOfGod According to Alan]], they used to do a thing called ballon guitar, where they'd fill a balloon with water until it was the size of a fairly small breast, and then, by holding it with a hand, it would be used on the strings in order to control the feedback coming from the amplifier.

In the final years of the group, Billy also collaborated with Yello and Shirley Bassey.

The Associates were a {{PostPunk}} band formed in Dundee, Scotland, by singer Billy Mackenzie and guitarrist/arranger Alan Rankine. Their songs marked part of the shift from Post-Punk towards its "phase two", New Pop (which comprised names like Music/{{ABC}} and Music/FrankieGoesToHollywood.

* ShoutOut: "White Car In Germany" is this to Music/{{Kraftwerk}} and Conny Plank (especially in terms of sound).

In 1995, Mackenzie committed suicide at the age of 39, shortly after his mother's death and his struggle with clinical depression. Rankine became a lecturer in music and also collaborated with BelleAndSebastian on ''Tigermilk''.

* TakeThat: "Club Country" is considered to be this to the New Romantic scene at the Blitz's.

* TakeThat: "Club Country" is considered this to the New Romantic scene at the Blitz's.

* ShoutOut: "White Car In Germany" is this to Music/{{Kraftwerk}} and Conny Plank (specially in terms of sound).

* {{Roma}}: Billy's father was one, which probably helped explain his erratic behaviour.

In 1995, Mackenzie committed suicide at the age of 39, shortly after his mother's death and his struggle with clinical depression. Rankine became a lecturer in music and also collaborated with BelleAndSebastian on ''Tigermilk''

In 1995, Mackenzie committed suicide at the age of 39, shortly after his mother's death and his struggle with clinical depression. Rankine became a lecturer in music and also collaborated with BelleAndSebastian on ''Tigermilk''.