“Having a son with special needs introduces you to so many everyday heroes” - writer, Ian Rankin
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What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
My next guest has sold more than 35 million books. He's best known for the much-loved Inspector Rebus novels. They've also spawned hugely popular TV shows. He's a pioneer. We hear a lot about the Tartan Army at the moment. He's a pioneer of Tartan noir. But he's also a frustrated rock star, so we're going to talk through his life in five songs today. Ian Rankin, you're very welcome to the show. Thank you very much. Ian, music is very important to you, isn't it? Like it's threaded through your writing. And I think you've dabbled in bands in your day as well, have you?
Oh, I think dabble is just the right word, Brendan. When I was about 18, 19, I was in a punk band. We didn't do any business at all. And then in my 50s, a few friends who dabbled decided they wanted to invite me along as a vocalist. Singer would be putting it too strongly, but certainly vocalist in a band, which was fine, but COVID did for us. That kind of year of not being able to practice or do gigs meant that we went our separate ways.
Okay, so a promising career as a dad band nipped in the blood there. Just another casualty of COVID.
Absolutely.
So, Ian, will we go back to the start? Tell me a bit about your home and your family growing up.
I grew up in a coal mining village, Cardenden, in central Fife, so about 20 to 30 miles north of Edinburgh. um pretty isolated because my parents didn't have a car didn't drive so we were relied on public transport they were working class folk left school at 15. dad became a grocer mum worked in a school canteen and in a factory canteen after that um but i was the kind of the weird one i was the one who liked to sit in his room and read stories and try and write stories and poems.
And your first music choice today is Isaac Hayes, the theme from Shaft. So why this?
Well, I was fascinated by films, but I wasn't old enough to go and see any of the films I was interested in. There was an X certificate at that time, which meant I couldn't see Shaft. I couldn't see Jaws. I couldn't see One Full of the Cuckoo's Nest. There were a lot of films I couldn't see. The Godfather. But nobody stopped me borrowing the books from the library or indeed asking my parents to buy me the books. So although I couldn't see Shaft, I certainly read the novelization. And the record was a big hit. It was the first 45 RPM single I remember buying for myself. And I still got it and I still play it. It's just a fantastic slab of soul music.
Yeah, funny how everyone remembers the first piece of vinyl they went out and bought. Okay, here's Ian Rankin's first music choice today.
This is Isaac Hayes and the theme from Shaft.
Who is the man that would risk his neck for his brother, man?
Can you dig it?
Who's the cat that won't cop out when there's danger all about?
Right on. They say this cat's shaft is a bad mother. I'm talking about shaft.
He's a complicated man, but no one understands him but his woman.
The waka waka guitar there, fantastic. That's Ian Rankin's first choice, Isaac Hayes' theme from Shaft. So was Shaft an early influence on you?
Well, insofar as I think I chose the name of my character in my books, I called him John Rebus, and I think the John comes from John Shaft. Um, that's about as much, that's about as far as it goes. Um, uh, he's never, Rebus has never had to investigate the ghettos. You know what I mean? He's never, uh, never had to pimp his ride or anything like that. Uh, but, but the music was fantastic. Um, uh, and, uh, and you know, I had this little record player. It was a Dan set mono record player that my parents had bought for my big sister, my older sister for her birthday. But I was the one who was more excited, uh, When that arrived in the house.
Yeah. And like music like that must have brought such technicolour to like an isolated small town near Fife. I think your next music choice then brings us to your teenage years. So what kind of a teenager were you? Did you have a tribe or was there that kind of thing in your small town?
It was kind of weird because eventually at the age of 14, I'd gone to the local secondary school and then they said, oh, you're brainy enough to go to the high school, the senior high.
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Chapters
4 chapters
1
What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
0:00–5:20
2
How did Ian Rankin’s childhood in a Fife mining village shape his love of stories and music?
5:20–9:01
3
Why did Isaac Hayes’ Shaft become Ian Rankin’s first memorable record purchase?
9:01–20:34
4
What teenage influences led Rankin from punk dabbling to discovering John Martyn’s May You Never?
20:34–30:59