The Boys Are Back in Town - rockers make comeback

They can no longer fit into their flares and leather trousers are completely out of the question, but a group of ageing Scottish rockers are hitting the road again after enjoying an unexpected comeback.

Picture: TSPL

White Light, a hard rock band from the 70s, whose line-up consists of a retired Church of Scotland minister, a computer programmer, a property valuer and a mortgage advisor of pensionable age, are in demand after an album they made in 1974 became a collector’s item, listed alongside some of rock’s greatest legends such as The Rolling Stones and The Who.

The album ‘Parable’, recorded in Paisley and issued on the Scotia Records label, caught the attention of Guerssen record company after music blogger Hans Pakora listed it an ultra-rare collector’s item and a vinyl LP exchanged hands in the US for $950.

Rev Doug McRoberts, 66, who played lead guitar in the young Christian rock group, said: “We’re all retired, or close to it, and now we find ourselves on a record label’s listings right beside The Who, The Stones and Nirvana.

“We were finalists in Melody Maker’s national rock contest in 1972, no less - and we issued a vinyl LP ‘Parable’ before becoming adults and going off to more conventional careers.”

Drummer Alex Smith, 65, from Glasgow, said: “We’re still smiling. Totally weird. But in a good way.”

Just 2,000 copies of the LP went on the market.

The liner notes for the remastered album says: “White Light was a band that broke new ground. Uncompromising. Committed. Complete rock. And with a vision to be the best.

“Their musical influences range from The Who and John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers to Deep Purple and even Black Sabbath – this is no ordinary Christian band.

“Their live performances across the country featured heavy metal sounds, feedback howling, phased lighting effects and commitment to the real enjoyment of Rock – but also to something deeper. Each performance tells a story – or rediscovery, of faith, of resurrection.”