Duke Special
Northern Ireland would appear an unlikely location to give birth to a vaudeville-obsessed bohemian singer/poet, but try telling that to Lisburn (near Belfast) native Peter Wilson, better known by his stage name Duke Special. The self-proclaimed creator of "hobo chic" -- a reference both to his distinctive dress style and his unusually refined spin on traditional music hall and vaudeville forms -- cuts a striking figure on-stage, often performing alone with only his piano and old, squeaky gramophone for accompaniment. When he does choose to perform with a full band, the scene can more closely resemble a lively kitchen than a pop concert, with egg beaters and cheese graters among the less traditional instruments on offer.
Following a number of low-profile stints with local bands in Swindon, England, and Belfast, Wilson began his solo career proper in 2002, taking on the name Duke Special -- "Duke" a particularly popular stage name for male vaudeville performers and "Special" a concession to the "glam" aspect of his character. His first two EPs, 2002's Lucky Me and 2004's My Villain Heart, were combined in 2005 into Adventures in Gramophone, his first full-length release, and a third EP, Your Vandal, followed later that year. Special shot from local hero to nationwide cult favorite following his performance on the fourth season of RTÉ television's Other Voices in 2006. His two-song set was deemed sufficiently impressive to be chosen above the likes of Rufus Wainwright, Trashcan Sinatras, and Bell X1 as the viewers' most requested performance during the end-of-series clip show.
Special released his second album, and his first album proper, Songs from the Deep Forest, in May 2006 as a set of six 7" singles on Izumi Records. The same month, he signed a recording contract with V2 Music. A CD release of Songs from the Deep Forest followed in October, and a deluxe edition, including a ten-track live disc recorded with the Ulster Philharmonic Orchestra, was packaged for release in September 2007. The following year, Special issued his third studio album, I Never Thought This Day Would Come, and in 2010 he released Mother Courage & Her Children and the Steve Albini-produced The Silent World of Hector Mann, the latter a set of songs inspired by the fictional silent film star Hector Mann from author Paul Auster's 2002 novel Book of Illusions, and the former a set of songs composed for a National Theatre production of Berthold Brecht's play of the same name. A suite of songs inspired by the work of photographers Paul Strand, Alfred Stieglitz, and Edward Steichen, Under the Dark Cloth, arrived in 2011, followed by Oh Pioneer (2012) and Look Out Machines! (2015).
© Dave Donnelly /TiVo
Discography
19 album(s) • Sorted by Bestseller
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Blood for Ghosts
Alternative & Indie - Released by Words & Pictures on 3 Nov 2023
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Songs From The Deep Forest
Pop - Released by UMC (Universal Music Catalogue) on 23 Oct 2006
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Oh Pioneer
Pop - Released by Adventures In Gramophone on 9 Jun 2012
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Little Revolutions
Pop - Released by Adventures In Gramophone on 14 Nov 2009
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
1969
Pop - Released by Vision Independent Productions on 9 Aug 2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Under the Dark Cloth
Pop - Released by Adventures In Gramophone on 29 Nov 2011
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
I Never Thought This Day Would Come (Standard UK Version)
Alternative & Indie - Released by Universal Music Ireland Ltd. on 20 Oct 2008
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Three EPs
Alternative & Indie - Released by Adventures In Gramophone on 28 Jan 2010
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Look Out Machines!
Alternative & Indie - Released by Stranger Records on 6 Apr 2015
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
No Cover Up (Single Version)
Pop - Released by V2 Music Ltd. on 1 Jan 2007
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Duke Special Presents the Songs From Mother Courage and Her Children
Alternative & Indie - Released by Adventures In Gramophone on 28 Feb 2010
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Condition
Rock - Released by Adventures In Gramophone on 24 Sep 2012
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Huckleberry Finn
Alternative & Indie - Released by Adventures In Gramophone on 28 Feb 2010
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Nail on the Head
Alternative & Indie - Released by Stranger Records on 10 Feb 2015
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Silent World of Hector Mann
Alternative & Indie - Released by Adventures In Gramophone on 5 Mar 2010
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Why Does Anybody Love (New Version)
Pop - Released by Universal Music Ireland Ltd. on 1 Jan 2009
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Those Proverbs We made In Winter Must End
Pop - Released by Universal Music Ireland Ltd. on 1 Jan 2008
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Sweet Sweet Kisses
Pop - Released by Universal Music Ireland Ltd. on 1 Jan 2008
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Duke Special Sings the Songs of Ruby Murray
Alternative & Indie - Released by Adventures In Gramophone on 6 Feb 2011
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo