Biography
The Edinburgh-based group came together in 1986. Though initially regarded as a casual side project whose original members came mostly from Rote Kopelle, the Desperadoes soon emerged as the foremost representatives of the local ‘shambling’ movement, sharing that spotlight with the better-known Shop Assistants. Fran Schoppler handled vocals, Andrew Tully played guitar and sang, Angus McPake took care of bass, and Marquerita Vazquez Ponte sat behind the drums; together they formed the stable core of the band. Their first release, the tuneful single “Splashing Along,” benefited from sympathetic production by former Jesus And Mary Chain bassist Douglas Hart. A sequence of strong 45s—“The Rain Fell Down,” “And If The Sky Should Fall,” and others—showcased the Desperadoes’ skillful mix of charm and melancholia, yet their only long-player, Nixon, adopted a noticeably more direct stance. By the close of the decade the group had disbanded, never quite capitalizing on the considerable promise they had shown at the outset.