Best known as the other half of Associates, Alan Rankine's musical career actually began in the mid-'70s as guitarist for Caspian, a cabaret band based in Scotland. During 1976, his band was looking for a new singer; during a performance by a band called Stan & Deliver, singer Billy Mackenzie's talents were brought to his attention. Rankine nabbed Mackenzie for Caspian, but the two eventually chucked the cabaret circuit to assault the U.K. pop charts as Associates.
After internal tensions busted the duo up in late 1982, Rankine traveled around the world and started lending h...