Deacon Blue have released a new acoustic version of their classic hit, Chocolate Girl, ahead of their career spanning best-of and box set.
This version of the track is taken from the brand new acoustic album, ‘Peace Will Come’, that is included within the forthcoming ‘You Can Have It All’ 14CD box set.
Of the song, Ricky Ross says: “Chocolate Girl was the best ‘flop’ single we ever had. It never made the Top 40 but seemed to be played on the radio as much as anything else we’d released.
“It meant that people kept checking out our debut album, ‘Raintown’, and we’ve always been grateful”.
Listen to Chocolate Girl (Acoustic Version) below.
Thirty-six years since their debut single, Dignity, the group offers the most comprehensive anthology of their work to date across two new projects, with the double-disc best-of set bringing together classics like Wages Day and Real Gone Kid, and more recent cuts such as City of Love and Wonderful.
“We’ve added so many songs, albums and EPs which have become a strong part of Deacon Blue and our live repertoire since ‘The Hipsters’ in 2012,” adds Ricky of the releases, out September 1. “It feels like the right time to celebrate that; to release something that’s a true compilation of our music so far.”
Meanwhile, the box set features all of their studio long-players, along with two well-loved B-sides and rarities compilations and a brand-new, stripped-back compendium of hits, live favourites and cover versions, titled ‘Peace Will Come’.
“We really enjoyed playing our campfire sets on the last tour, when we deconstructed and rearranged songs to fit an acoustic format,” adds Ricky. “Essentially, ‘Peace Will Come’ is an extension of that concept. It’s rough around the edges, but it captures the core of what we do.”
Of the acoustic collection, which includes the brand new title song, plus takes on Bruce Springsteen’s Dancing in the Dark and their long-standing live encore of Bob Dylan’s Forever Young, he smiles: “It ended up being a vital artistic exercise for us. After we’d finished, I did think – ‘Why have we never done this before?’”
The release coincides with Deacon Blue’s return to the live stage across the UK and Ireland later this year, which is billed as “a Greatest Hits show with a difference”.
“Yes, we intend to play all (or nearly all) the old 45s, but we also want the first half of the evening to be an intimate acoustic performance, the band gathered round the piano with acoustic guitars and whatever Dougie decides to hit,” teases the vocalist.
“We’ll play some album tracks and reinterpret a few favourites from the back catalogue. We’ll take a short break then come back and make a lot of noise. We hope you can be part of that noise.”
Tickets for the tour are on sale now.
