THEY have been in the music business for over five decades but The Osmonds are showing no signs of slowing down quite yet.

Brothers Merrill and Jay are back in Scotland next month with a new Rockin' Christmas show and the pair are determined that the Osmonds are not retiring any time soon.

"I have tried to retire but I just can't. I don't want to," Jay laughed.

He continued: "The way Merrill and I have grown up, we love to go out and perform our music. It is our lifestyle.

"I don't see us retiring I just don't see it. Merrill will say I think I am ready to retire then he will be like, 'OK I am ready to hit the road again'. He is just all talk with that one."

The band started out as quartet The Osmond Brothers with Alan and Wayne featured on their first album which was recorded in 1963.

Since then, The Osmonds - as they later became known - welcomed siblings Donny, Marie and Jimmy into the musical group and went on to release collectively around 200 albums.

"I never thought it would go on this long," Jay beamed.

He continued: "It has been an amazing journey. I mean from the first day we stepped out into Heathrow airport in 1972, we didn't expect that kind of response.

"Now we have got families of all ages (listening to our music), not just those who were with us as teenagers."

Fans will get a chance to see Merrill and Jay on stage at Glasgow's Royal Concert Hall next month when they bring their tour to the city on Thursday, December 6.

Although The Osmonds are known for hits Love Me For A Reason, Crazy Horses and One Bad Apple, the new show will have a more festive feel.

Jay, 63, said: "Merrill and I were on our own in this last tour and we were having so much fun, everybody said, 'well you two ought to do a Christmas show'. We said great idea – that is what we were thinking too.

"We have this brand new album that we have put out and it really has turned out so well.

"We are going to do the Christmas album plus the hits of course.

"We are going to have some singers and dancers with us, and their band.

"It is going to be fun. There is something about a Christmas show that is really fun."

Jay also admits he can't wait for the tour to stop in Scotland as the fans have an energy like no where else.

He said: "I don’t know what it is about Scotland, there is an energy up there.

"There is an energy with Scottish fans in particular which is different. It goes way back to the early 70s and there is some kind of loyalty there with us."

He laughed: "I remember when we were taking our kids to a show one time and one of my sons said, 'Dad I can't believe the energy these fans have up here'. He wanted to stay in Scotland he didn’t want to leave. I said no you gotta come home."

The Osmonds fans have stayed loyal and followed the band over a lifetime of music - and that is something Jay is extremely grateful for.

He said: "Our fans love that we are who we are without trying to pretend who we are not. We have been through all kinds of situations but we remain the same."

He added: "The key to longevity is to know who your market is, who you are appealing to and as you do that you acquire new fans along the way. More people get interested in you.

"The secret to our family's longevity is that we have diversified. A lot of people have tried to pigeon hole us, they tried to put us in a category but they can't do it.

"Our family got to be known as a big variety act. But with Merrill and I, this Rockin' Christmas show is who we really are."

The new UK tour will stop off in City Hall, Newcastle on November 17; Concert Hall, Perth on November 20; G Live, Guildford on November 30; Royal Concert Hall, Glasgow on December 6 and Usher Hall, Edinburgh on December 7.

For Glasgow tickets, visit https://www.seetickets.com/event/the-osmonds-rockin-christmas/glasgow-royal-concert-hall/1199747