PALS REUNITE FOR DEBUT ALBUM LET'S GET THE BAND BACK TOGETHER

Trio jammed 40 years ago but had never played a gig or made a record.. now they're following in the footsteps of local heroes

- BY PAUL ENGLISH

THEY'RE the high school band who formed in the 80s yet never made a record - until now.

Three pals who started a group in their East Kilbride bedrooms at 16 are set to celebrate hitting their retirement decade by finally releasing their debut album.

And it’s down to the help of their Glasgow musical heroes.

Scots rockers James Grant, of Love and Money, and Bobby Bluebell, from The Bluebells, have helped Graeme McFall, Stevie Kane and Stevie Rooney realise their dream, five decades on from when they'd swap C60 cassettes of their music in the classroom.

Bobby - real name Robert Hodgens - and James are pivotal figures in Secret Coast Songwriters classes held in the Argyll village of Tighnabruaich, the songwriting retreat where Graeme and bandmate Stevie Kane finally put their songs to bed after 40 years.

Now the high school band, Only When I Glow, will finally realise their ambitions - having come together from around the globe to cut their debut. The pals met at St Bride's High School in the town and watched in awe as bands like Aztec Camera and The Jesus and Mary Chain went from the streets of East Kilbride onto Top of the Pops, into the charts and performed to huge crowds around the world.

The trio never went further than recording songs on cassette tapes and never performed together live, moving to different countries and settling into their respective careers.

Yet they maintained their long distance friendships and their dreams of playing together on stage.