Wednesday 21 October 2009

New Voices from Scotland (1965)




New Voices from Scotland (Topic 12T133, 1965)

Another first class album from Topic, New Voices from Scotland featured the talents of one group and two solo singers.

Gordeanna McCulloch was one of the lucky students of Rutherglen Academy, and a member of the Ballads club there, run by folksong enthusiast, collector and late MP Norman Buchan. Other members included Ray and Archie Fisher, Fraser Bruce, Ewan McVicar, Bobby Campbell, Josh McRae and so on. Later she joined a class of young singers under Ewan MacColl in London. Gordeanna also had an early spell singing with The Clydesiders, and more recently she has been involved with Palaver and Glasgow's Euridice Choir. Other than her solo career, she is celebrated for being part of the Glasgow group The Clutha, who recorded four albums over the years.

The Exiles were also from Glasgow, and consisted of Bobby Campbell, Gordon McCulloch and Enoch Kent. Campbell was another of the young singers influenced by Norman Buchan's Ballads Club, and like Gordeanna, he attended Ewan MacColl's singing group in London. All three founded The Glasgow Folk-song Club. They released an LP in 1966 on Topic, Freedom Come All Ye (Topic 12T143).

Norman Kennedy, from Aberdeen, hasn't recorded an awful lot over time, but what we have is first class. Two of his early influences were the great Jeannie Robertson - who lived across the road from him in Aberdeen - and Davy Stewart. One of his highlights, in my opinion, is the 1968 LP Scots Songs and Ballads (Topic 12T 178). He moved to the United States in the mid-1960s

01 The Exiles-Soldier's Joy
02 Gordeanna McCulloch-Birnie Bouzle
03 Gordeanna McCulloch- h-Dowie Dens o' Yarrow
04 The Exiles-Tae the Beggin'
05 Norman Kennedy-Sleepytoon
06 Norman Kennedy-Peurt a Beul
07 Norman Kennedy-The Haughs o'Cromdale
08 Gordeanna McCulloch-The Lichtbob's Lassie
09 Gordeanna McCulloch--Will Ye Gang, Love
10 Norman Kennedy-My Son David
11 The Exiles-The Toon o' Kelso
12 The Exiles-Fiddle Tunes

Unavailable

1 comment:

  1. Ah....1965...that was the year of THE MUSIC....even The Beatles were getting in on the act with their Norwegian Wood.....I'm really looking forward to hearing this one....
    Thanks for all you are doing keeping the music alive....

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