Alan Rankine, the keyboardist and guitarist of the Scottish band The Associates, has died on the age of 64, his sons Callum and Hamish have confirmed.
Callum and Hamish mentioned in an announcement posted to Fb that Rankine had died ‘peacefully at residence shortly after spending Christmas together with his household.’
They continued: ‘He was a fantastic, type and loving man who can be sorely missed.’
Rankine fashioned The Associates in 1979 with singer Billy Mackenzie and left the group in 1982 earlier than they reunited in 1993.
Mackenzie died on the age of 39 in January 1997.
Throughout Rankine’s time within the group, the band launched albums The Affectionate Punch and Sulk.
Their observe Get together Fears Two reached quantity 9 on the UK singles chart in 1982.
Following his success with The Associates, Rankine turned his hand to producing, engaged on albums by Paul Haig, Cocteau Twins and The Pale Fountains.
Within the late Eighties, he began a solo profession and launched three albums, The World Begins to Look Her Age in 1986, She Loves Me Not in 1987, and The Large Image Sucks in 1989.
Rankine went on to change into a lecturer at Stow School in Glasgow till 2010, when he left to retire.
Throughout his time at Stow School, he held arrange the in-house file label Electrical Honey, which helped the likes of Snow Patrol and Biffy Clyro break into the trade.
Simon Raymonde of Cocteau Twins was amongst the primary to pay tribute to Rankine, posting on social media: ‘Devastated RIP Alan you left us with such majesty, such magnificence, and we're solely enriched massively by what you and Billy created +nonetheless such an enormous a part of my life & I do not know how you probably did half of it! Horrible begin to the yr. Deepest condolences to household.’
MP and former Runrig member Pete Wishart posted: ‘So unhappy. Will always remember listening to the Affectionate Punch for the primary time. A really distinctive and extraordinary musician. RIP.’
Radio DJ Vic Galloway mentioned Rankine’s dying was ‘unbelievably unhappy information’ whereas Movie star Large Brother star India Willoughby wrote: ‘Very unhappy to listen to of the dying of Alan Rankine, who together with Billy Mackenzie, made up The Associates.’
Followers additionally flocked to social media to pay tribute, with one writing: ‘RIP Alan Rankine. The music that you just created with Billy MacKenzie was, and stays to this present day, like no different. It delighted and mesmerised this younger music fan and opened doorways to a lot extra. Thanks, so a lot.’
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