blue pie Release

Running Blue brings us two singles on Spotify - Grey Day and Daniel!
2 / 09 / 2021

We have some brand new singles on Spotify from Running Blue! It’ll be a bit of a fresh adventure since the last time we looked at Running Blue and their lovingly restored eponymous album, from all the way back in the day! We have two to look at today – Grey Day, and Daniel!


These two singles were digitally mastered by Gabe Rizza and produced by Damien Reilly, Trevor Nathanial and Peter Nathanial. That would explain why both have a “Nathanial Mix”! And as if the music wasn’t smooth and jamming enough, we have the lyrics to both songs so you can sing along just like back in the day!

Grey Day
Words: Alan Kennedy and Damien Reilly
Music: Damien Reilly
Published by: Blue Pie Publishing (ASCAP)

VERSE 1
It’s a grey day as the rain fell down.
But then a ray of light shone on the sleepy town.
It was time to move away from here.
Escape from the circle of vicious fear.

CHORUS
You say you say you say you say
You’d like to get away from here
You know you know you know
Its not true you’re hiding from fear

VERSE 2
The bell rings out and chimes the second toll
But it’s too dark its way too dark to tell.
It was time to move away from here.
Escape from the circle of vicious fear.

CHORUS
You say you say you say you say
You’d like to get away from here
You know you know you know
Its not true you’re hiding from fear

Guitar Solo 

CHORUS
You say you say you say you say
You’d like to get away from here
You know you know you know
Its not true you’re hiding from fear

Vocal harmonies out 
From Fear
From Fear
From Fear
From Fear

Daniel
Words: Alan Kennedy
Music: Ogrady, Reilly, and Kennedy
Published by: Blue Pie Publishing (ASCAP)

VERSE 1
When I’m with Daniel… ooh I’m feeling fine
She’s the one thing in I can’t reconcile
But when I’m with her I feel so good inside
Things would be better if I could get her from my mindCHORUS
Back to her place to do this, do that
Sometimes I’m just her doormat
She always wants to be in control
She just wants to possess… possess my soul

VERSE 2
Things were running well till I met her
Now my life is in such a stir
Things would be better if I could push her aside
Things would be better when I get her from my mind

CHORUS
Back to her place to do this, do that
Sometimes I’m just her doormat
She always wants to be in control
She just wants to possess… possess my soul

VERSE 3
She’s coming over today, I’m gonna be strong
I’m gonna say goodbye it won’t take long
Bye bye Daniel, I don’t love you no more!
In fact I think that you were a bore, yeah

CHORUS
Back to her place to do this, do that
Sometimes I’m just her doormat
She always wants to be in control
She just wants to possess, possess my soul

Outro
When I’m with Daniel
When I’m with Daniel
When I’m with Daniel
When I’m with Daniel

As ever, Running Blue’s music is a throwback for the golden 80s oldies, forever young through their rebellious and catchy music! Grey Day is a story about hope shining through the darkness, and Daniel is about a spicy femme fatale by the same name and spelling. These tracks are a good look into the style and aesthetic of the band, one that any long-time fan would be all-too familiar with nowadays! But just in case, here’s a refresher.

The genesis of Running Blue emanated from some jamming sessions that Alan Kennedy and Damien Reilly had just after leaving school in 1982. From 1982 to 1984, Alan managed to land a few acoustic gigs at the Briars Inn, Bowral. This historic location was a very popular local pub back in the late 70’s and early 80’s, and even now it still brings in the patrons!

Around a year or so later in heading into 1984, Damien got together to start jamming with Tim Williams, Kenny and David Frew. Rehearsing songs on the weekend gave birth to a few crazy tunes with gems like “Black and Blue” and “Respectable”. The song “Black and Blue” by today’s standards would not be a politically correct song to play, with lyrics about cracking a whip all over town. Tim Williams had a way with words.

But what to call the band? David Frew wrote down a few ideas at early rehearsal sessions, but eventually the name “The Zilths” sounded pretty punk and cool. That became the band’s first name.

From these early jam sessions it was clear that the band needed a singer. The call was put out to Alan Kennedy by Damien, and then things started to happen. It was not too long before Damien and Alan had penned 10 or so songs, and it was then time to get a proper band together.

Alan knew a keyboard player, Michael O’Grady, and through Damien’s connection to Peter Nathanial, he referred two of his friends Sam Kalos and Nando Pettinato for guitars and drums. The band was formed around the original songs that Alan and Damien had been writing, and regular rehearsals at Damien and Gerrard Studios from mid 1985. With the new line-up established, It only took a few rehearsals and the musical fire was well and truly lit, burning brightly!

After a few rehearsals were under the band’s belt, Sam Kalos submitted the band into the Sydney Uni Band Competition. The band’s first gig was as the Zilths. You can see the review from the bands 1st gig in the media section of the band’s official website’s media section. The review is from the Honi Soit mag, a Sydney Uni mag that covered the band competition and social events back then.

“The Zilths”, while a cool punk kind of name, did not really suit the band, so Alan ended up coming up with the new name “Running Blue”. With the band changing its name to Running Blue after the band competition, the boys went full-speed back into rehearsing. In a few short weeks, the band put together a 25+ song set, which comprised of mainly originals and a few cover songs. Running Blue then went on to leave their mark on the world, before drifting apart towards the end of the 80s. But as we can clearly see, that wasn’t quite the final chapter!

The second part of this time warp from 1986 is the band’s fresh website! Complete with bio history, song and visual media, and a whole lot more throwbacks than that, this is everything any self-respecting old school NSW music fan could ever want on Running Blue! www.runningblue.net

As we work our way through to 2022 and with Damien, Alan and Michael back in contact, there are new songs in the works  – the first of these are Grey Day and Daniel. But beyond that, who knows what else will happen? One thing for sure is that the music will be great, original, and have exceptional vocals from Mr Alan Kennedy and some cool synth pop from Michael O’Grady with Damien Reilly at the production helm. We look forward very much to the future, since the past and present are so promising. Whether you knew the group as The Zilths or Running Blue, there’s plenty of them to go around for whatever flavour you prefer! Between the promise of even more new music, the new website, and some revamped classics, we’re getting all we can out of Running Blue, and we’re loving it!
You can check out all the news on Running Blue at www.runningblue.net

Running Blue are a Blue Pie Records USA and Blue Pie Publishing USA ( ASCAP ) artist.

The Band Members:

Venues and Gigs:
The band played throughout 1985 and 1986 at many venues across Sydney including:

  • The Student Prince Hotel
  • The Rose of Australia Hotel
  • The White Horse Hotel
  • The St John’s Formal | Sydney University
  • The St Paul’s Formal | Sydney University
  • The Annandale Hotel
  • Riverview School Reunion Formal | Balmain Town Hall
  • The Band Comp | The Round House | UNSW

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