The Big Dish
Formed in Airdrie, Lanarkshire, Scotland in 1983, the Big Dish, comprising Steven Lindsay (vocals/guitar/keyboards), Brian McFie (guitar), Raymond Docherty (bass) and Ian Ritchie (saxophone/programming) rose to prominence in 1986 with the release of their debut album, SWIMMER, which garnered a succession of positive reviews. Commentators compared their crafted pop with Prefab Sprout, Aztec Camera and Danny Wilson, but a series of excellent singles, including Prospect Street and Big New Beginning, failed to chart. The trio of Lindsay, McFie and Docherty then completed CREEPING UP ON JESUS. This second effort betrayed a greater debt to American music, yet despite a more commercial sound, also proved unsuccessful, and the group was dropped from its record label when Lindsay refused to countenance recording a 'cover' version. In 1991 the Big Dish re-emerged with a new contract, an official line-up of Lindsay and McFie and a minor hit single in Miss America. The attendant release, SATELLITES, maintained the unit's quest for excellence, yet lacked the depth and purpose of their initial work.