Alan Rankine Obituary

Alan Rankine was a Scottish musician and record producer. Alan Rankine passed away on 3 January 2023, at the age of 64. The cause of death has not been disclosed.

Alan Rankine is best known as the keyboardist and guitarist for the rock band the Associates, which he co-founded in the late 1970s with lead vocalist Billy Mackenzie.

The band collaborated on three albums: The Affectionate Punch (1980), the singles compilation Fourth Drawer Down (1981), and Sulk.

Rankine left the band in 1982 to become a producer, working with artists such as the Cocteau Twins. He also had a solo career, releasing three albums.

In 1986, he signed a recording contract with the Belgian label Les Disques du Crépuscule and began a solo career. He released three solo studio albums: The World Begins to Look Her Age (1986), She Loves Me Not (1987), and The Big Picture Sucks.

Later in his career, he lectured at Stow College and assisted emerging artists in establishing the Electric Honey label, which launched the careers of acts such as Snow Patrol and Belle and Sebastian.