Orange Juice (band)

Orange Juice were a Scottish jangle pop band founded in the Glasgow suburb of Bearsden as the Nu-Sonics in 1976. They became Orange Juice in 1979, and took inspiration from contemporary punk bands including Subway Sect, Television, and Buzzcocks but also 1960s acts, most notably the Byrds and the Velvet Underground. Musically, the band brought together styles and genres that often appeared incongruous, for example, country, disco and punk. Though their line-up changed several times, lead singer and guitarist Edwyn Collins was a constant presence and the 'face' of the band.

The band released their first singles during 1980 and 1981 on the independent Postcard Records label founded by Alan Horne and Edwyn Collins. Along with labelmates Josef K and Aztec Camera. Orange Juice's 'neo acoustic', jangly guitar sound – as evident in singles including "Blue Boy" and "Simply Thrilled Honey" – came to define 'The Postcard Sound' that directly influenced acts as diverse as the Bluebells, Haircut One Hundred and the Smiths.

Despite their association with the independent scene, the band signed to the major label Polydor Records in 1981. This label released their first album, You Can't Hide Your Love Forever in early 1982. Their second album, recorded by a different line-up, was released in late 1982, showing more pop sensibilities and combining their guitar-based sound with disco influences. The band's only top 40 hit, "Rip It Up" was achieved with the aid of the synthesizer – it was the first hit to use the Roland TB-303. "Rip It Up" reached number 8 on the UK Singles Chart in February 1983. The 1984 EP Texas Fever and LP The Orange Juice (aka The Third Album) were well reviewed but the lead singles from these failed to chart in the Top 40, with Polydor Records losing faith in the band, who finally called it a day in January 1985 after a gig for the UK miners' strike. Their three albums have been subsequently reissued and remastered on several occasions, with a major career-spanning box set Coals to Newcastle released in 2010.

Edwyn Collins pursued a successful solo career following the band's split, whilst other members James Kirk, David McClymont, Malcolm Ross and Zeke Manyika have had lower-profile solo releases. The original line-up of the band reunited once in 2008 to be honoured for their influence on Scottish music, but the band has never reformed.