The Cameron Men: Classic Scots Fiddle Recordings from the Thirties (1977)

The Cameron Men: Classic Scots Fiddle Recordings from the Thirties (1977)

This is glorious music from the era of the 78rpm record. The Cameron Men from Kirriemuir in Angus were brothers William (Bill), James (Jim), George (all fiddles) and Stewart (piano) and were popular musicians throughout the area. They learned fiddle from a celebrated musician from Newtyle (10 miles from Kirrie) called John "Dancie" Reid, so called because of his ability to play fiddle and dance and the same time. It was William who achieved greatest success early on, winning several fiddle contests in the late 1920s and early 1930s. He was the first brother to be recorded, travelling to London in 1931 to Edison Bell Ltd studios. Within a couple of years, the four brothers were recorded together under the name The Cameron Men for Scots label Beltona Records, and in various line-ups, solo, as an ensemble, and as part of Dancie Reid's bands, they compiled a decent recorded output.

James Cameron also recorded solo, but it was as leader of the Jim Cameron Band, who recorded some sixty sides for Beltona in the 1940s and 50s, that he is most well known.

William's son Angus Cameron became a well-known fiddler in his own right in the 1970s and 80s.

01 Cameron Men: Abercairney Highlanders/Ballochmyle/Speed the Plough

02 Cameron Men: Polka

03 James Cameron: John MacFadyen of Melfort/Brig of Perth/Earl of Crawford's Reel

04 William Cameron: Farewell to Gartly/Stirling Castle/Soldier's Joy

05 Cameron Men: Miss Drummond of Perth/Maggie Cameron/The Favourite

06 James Cameron: The Rock and Wee Pickle Tow/Blackthorn Stick/Teviot Brig/Humours of Donnybrook

07 William Cameron: Our Highland Queen/Forth Brig/Forth Brig

08 Cameron Men: Loch Katrine/Miss Lyall/Loch Leven

09 James Cameron: 6-8 March/Smith's a Gallant Fireman/Pretty Peggy

10 James Cameron: Cumberland Reel/father o' Flynn/Auld Brig o' Ayr/Wind That Shakes the Barley

11 Cameron Men: Earl Dalhousie/Lady Mary Ramsay/Soldier's Joy

12 William Cameron: Banks o' Allan/Craigellachie Brig/Lasses o' Stewarton

13 Cameron Men: Dashing White Sergeant/My Love She's But a Lassie Yet/ The Rose Tree

14 James Cameron: Rakes of Kildare/Swallow Tail/Queen's Welcome to Deeside/The Drummer

15 Cameron Men: Circassian Circle/Brechin Brig/Victoria Hornpipe

16 Cameron Men: Bonnie Ann/Bob Johnston/Bob Johnston

Unavailable

James F Dickie: James F Dickie's Delights (1976)

James F Dickie: James F Dickie's Delights (1976)

The only recordings we have of Jim Dickie (1886-1983) are from tapes he recorded for his own amusement in the early 1950s. They were remastered and released on this LP in 1976, and a few more on a cassette which came out in 1980 (The Dickie Style). The quality is not perfect, but it affords us the chance to hear a significant Scottish fiddler of the early 20th century. His style is very much of the James Scott Skinner mode, and therefore doesn't always fit in with how our modern ears perceive fiddle music, but you can hear that Dickie was an extremely accomplished player, even if these recordings were made when he was past his prime (Dickie was performing at the turn of the twentieth century with other fiddlers and his brother John, a champion tin whistler). At the very least, this is a document of a bygone style of North-East fiddling.

01 The Cairdin' O't/Highland Donald

02 Francis Sitwell

03 Hard Is My Fate/Good Wife Admit the Wanderer

04 The Dean Brig o' Edinburgh

05 Glencoe/The Trumpet/Banks

06 The Smith's Waltz

07 Millhill's/Laird o' Drumblair/The Baker

08 Bonnie Lass o' Bon Accord

09 The Peterhead Polka

10 Braes o' Auchtertyre/Leaving the Glen

11 The Miller of Drone/JF Dickie's Reel

12 Bovaglie's Plaid/South of the Grampians/Good Old John

13 MacPherson's Rant

14 Madam Frederick/Earl Grey

15 Whistle O'er the Lave O't/White Cockade

Unavailable

Other albums featuring J F Dickie:

James F Dickie: The Dickie Style (1980)

James F Dickie: The Dickie Style (1980)

James F Dickie: The Dickie Style (1980)

Jim Dickie was born in New Deer, Aberdeenshire in 1886. His father was a concertina player, and his brother John was a champion penny whistle player. By the age of seventeen he had started winning fiddle contestsAs a fiddler his biggest influences were James Scott Skinner, whom he knew, and Bill Duguid of Aberdeen. His style is very much in the Skinner camp, and is very much of its time, not always easily accessible to modern ears, but there's no doubt he was a very accomplished player. His friend J Murdoch Henderson wrote of him, "A player of great taste and polish. In the rendering of slow strathspeys and E flat airs in general his style is inimitable." This recording consists of his own home recordings from the early 1950s, complemented by tracks from his son-in-law James Duncan, and was issued on cassette in 1980.

James F Dickie:

01 Our Highland Queen

02 Smith's a Gallant Fireman

03 North Shore Hornpipe

04 Stirling Castle/Rachel Rae

05 Tulchan Lodge/Gladstone Reel/Glenlivet/The Hurricane

06 Shakins o' the Pocky/Farewell to Gartly/O'er the Hill/Newcastle Hornpipe

07 Master Francis Sitwell/Glories of the Star

08 Princess Beatrice

09 Finlay's Hornpipe

10 Castles In the Air

James Duncan:

11 Laird o' Bernerside/Earl Grey/JF Dickie's Reel

12 Braes o'Auchentyre/Mirth & Melody/Fit & Fervour

13 JF Dickie's Delight/The Baker

14 Peterhead Polka

15 Bonnie Lass of Headlake/Tarland Memories

16 Bob Steele/The Spey In Spate

17 Mar Castle/The Hawk

18 JO Forbes of Corse

19 Haslam's Hornpipe

20 Riches Denied

Unavailable

Other albums featuring J F Dickie:

James F Dickie's Delights (1976)

The Fiddler's Companion (1980)

The Fiddler's Companion (Waverley Records GLN 1023, 1980)

This was released as a companion to a book of fiddle tunes, The Caledonian Companion (there was already an LP of that name, so they had to come up with something else). It's simply a small collection of tracks from some of Scotland's top fiddlers of the time. The LP kicks off with Aly Bain playing a couple of wonderful sets, and continues at a very high standard. Other fiddlers featured include Angus Grant from Fort William, Tom Anderson from Shetland, Hector MacAndrew from Fyvie, Donald Stewart from Edinburgh, Alastair Hardie and Bill Hardie from Aberdeen. Because MacAndrew died just before he was due to record the tracks for this LP, they have used some earlier recordings from the 1960s.

Tracks

01 Aly Bain: The Shakin's o' the Pocky/Princess Beatrice

02 Aly Bain: The Firth House/Mrs Forbes Leith

03 Angus Grant: Well May Charley Wear the Crown/Lady Dorothea Stewart Murray's

04 Angus Grant: Donald MacLean's Farewell to Oban

05 Alastair Hardie: Gin Yell Kiss My Wife I'll Tell the Minister/here's a Helath to Glorious Wellington

06 Alastair Hardie: Robert Innes of Stirling Universirty/Whistle O'er the Lave O't

07 Alastair Hardie: Methlick Style/Madam Neruda

08 Donald Stewart: Merrily Danced the Quaker's Wife/My Wife's a Wanton/Stool of Repentance

09 Donald Stewart: Balmoral Castle/Miller o' Dervil/James Hardie

10 Tom Anderson: Da Sixereen/Willafjord/Da Grocer

11 Bill Hardie: Mr AG Wilken's Fav/Jenny Hardie's Reel

12 Bill Hardie: Earl Haig/Laird o' Drumblair/Speed the Plough

13 Hector MacAndrew: Chapel Keithack

14 Hector MacAndrew: Muir o' Gellan/Gillen's Reel

15 Hector MacAndrew: Gicht Cadstle/Mrs JH Alexander/JH Alexander Esq

Unavailable

Other albums featuring Tom Anderson:

Tom Anderson: Scottish Violin Music (1963)

Other albums featuring Hector MacAndrew:

Hector MacAndrew: Scottish Fiddle Music (1963)

Hector MacAndrew: Scots Fiddle (1975)

Angus Cameron: Strings to the Bow (1977)

Angus Cameron: Strings to the Bow (1977)

This was Cameron's follow-up to his first solo LP, Bow to the Fiddle (1975) and it has him on top form playing the music he obviously loves. Steeped in the fiddle tradition of the county of Angus, Cameron displays an understanding of the genre. Cameron's father Will Cameron had travelled to London in 1931 to record some solo sides for Edison Bell records, and twee years later again, this time with his brothers James and George (fiddles) and Stewart (piano), recorded a number of solo and group efforts. These records have been re-issued in LP format.

01 Harry Scott of Friokheim/Earl of Dalkeith/Tony Reid of Balnakilly

02 JO Forbes of Corse/Glen Grant/Sir Reginald McDonald

03 The Weeping Birches of Kilmorack

04 Mrs HL McDonald/Duke of Edinburgh/Stray Lodge

05 The Flower o' the Quern-Ballochmyle Brig-Angus Campbell

06 Glen Prosen March/Littlejohn's Hame/Spey In a Spate

07 Farewell to Whisky/Beeswing

08 Margaret-Anne Robertson/Earl Grey/hurdle Race

09 March of the Cameron Men/Cameron Highlanders/Mrs McIntosh of Raigmore/Marquis of Huntly

10 Our Highland Queen/Forth Brig/Forth Brig

11 Mr Minchie/Mrs Adie/Mackintosh of Mackintosh

12 Stool of Repentance/Patrick Harper's Jig/Rakes of Kildare

13 Da Tushkar/Mickie Ainsworth/Millbrae/Susan Cooper

14 Sweet Georgia Brown

Doonload

Other albums featuring Angus Cameron:

Angus Cameron: Bow to the Fiddle (1975)

VA: Scottish Fiddlers to the Fore (1970)

The National Fiddle Championship 1977 (1977)

Angus Cameron: Bow to the Fiddle (1975)

Angus Cameron: Bow to the Fiddle (Beltona Sword SBE 180, 1975)

During the 1930s there was a group of three brothers in the county of Angus called The Cameron Men, who performed and recorded Scottish fiddle music. Angus Cameron of Kirriemuir was born into this family, and learned fiddle from an early age from one of the Cameron Men, his father Will Cameron. In 1952 Angus won the Alyth Fiddle Festival at the age of 17, and soon afterwards the Scottish Fiddle Championship, starting an illustrious path through Scottish fiddle circles. As well as playing with his own dance band, he has appeared on numerous television programmes and reformed the Angus Strathspey and Reel Society.

01 Balmoral Castle/Glenlivet/David Adams

02 Flowers o' the Forest

03 Corgarff Castle/Marquis of Huntly/Eugene Stratton

04 Athole Highlanders' Farewell/Brig o' Perth/High Road to Linton

05 Bonnie Lass o' Bon Accord

06 Edgefauld House/Forbes Morrison/The Hurricane

07 The Hen's March/Willafiord Jack/Ollifiord Jack

08 Scott Skinner's Comps/Marchioness of Huntly/Willie Mann of Paddy

09 Mrs Maj Stewart of Java/Bob Johnstone's/Bob Johnstone's

10 Taps of Fechle/Jimmy Blue's/Jimmy Blue's

11 Mrs Scott Skinner/Craigellachie Brig/Lassies o' Stewarton

12 Blackthorn Stick/Connaughtman's Rambles/Tennpenny Bit/Biddy the Bowl Wife

13 Lament for Abercairney/Miss Marianne Oliphant/Cross of Inverness

14 Oh Lady Be Good

Doonload

Other albums featuring Angus Cameron:

Angus Cameron: Strings to the Bow (1977)

Various Artists: Scottish Fiddlers to the Fore (1970)

Various Artists: The National Fiddle Championship 1977 (1977)

Various Artists: Scottish Fiddlers to the Fore (1970)

Various Artists: Scottish Fiddlers to the Fore (1970)

This record is old and not in top condition, so there's a lot of pops and crackles. The reason for posting it, however, is the rarity and the standard of fiddle playing.

This album is a live recording of the winners of a one-off fiddle competition held in Perth in November 30th 1969. The judges there were Yehudi Menuhin, Hector MacAndrew, Watson Forbes and James Hunter (Hunter later notated some of the pieces on this record for his book The Fiddle Music of Scotland).

First prize was given to Arthur Scott Robertson of Shetland, who went on to record two LPs using his title: Champion's Choice and Scotland's Champion Fiddler. Second was William MacPherson of Elgin giving an incredible performance of Scott Skinner's Valley of Silence. Third equal went to Angus Cameron of Kirriemuir, who is a descendant of the Cameron Men who were fiddle recording artists in the 1930s, and Florence Burns from Aberdeen.

The second side of the LP features a small selection of fiddle orchestras; I have not included these in this download.

01 Arthur Scott Robertson: Maclean of Pennycross/Maggie Cameron/Duntroon

02 Arthur Scott Robertson: Countess of Crawford/Marquis of Huntly's

03 Arthur Scott Robertson: Greig's Strathspey/Beeswing Hornpipe

04 William MacPherson: Valley of Silence

05 William MacPherson: Mackworth/Mary Walker

06 Angus Cameron: Scott Skinner's Comps to Dr MacDonald/South of the Grampians/John McNeill's Reel

07 Angus Cameron: Beauty of the North/Geordie Affleck

08 Florence Burns: Dargai/Miss Laura Andrew/The Hawk Hornpipe

Unavailable

Other albums featuring Arthur Scott Robertson:

Arthur Scott Robertson: Scotland's Champion Fiddler

Arthur Scott Robertson: Champion's Choice

Other albums featuring Angus Cameron:

Angus Cameron: Bow to the Fiddle (1975)

Angus Cameron: Strings to the Bow (1977)

National Fiddle Championship 1977 (1977)

Bill Brian: A Fiddler's Tribute to Scott Skinner (1982)

Bill Brian: A Fiddler's Tribute to Scott Skinner (1982)

Bill Brian is from Elgin and has been involved with the Scots fiddle scene for many years as a performer, teacher and organiser. He is currently leader of The Elgin Strathspey and Reel Society, a post he took over from the great fiddler Willie MacPherson, also of Elgin. Brian is also a member of the Colin Donaldson Scottish Dance Band. On this album he is accompanied by Ena Anderson (later Ena Brian) on piano and organ, Frank Henery on guitar, and Brian Payne on bass. All the tunes on the LP were composed by James Scott Skinner.

Tracks:

01 Dumbarton Castle/Kirrie Kebbuck/Thrums Cairn

02 Rosacre

03 Mrs Christie/Laird o' Haughs/Eugene Stratton

04 Dr Morrison's/Professor Blackie/Farewell to Huntly

05 Sarona

06 Shakin's o' the Pocky/Miss Mary Walker

07 Lord Huntly's Cave/Dr McHardy/Dan Stewart

08 Dargai

09 Dr Keith/Ben Alligen

10 Bride's/Baker/Peter Gray/Scott Skinner

11 The Fallen Chief

12 Herr Roloff's Farewell/Mrs Chree/Carnie's Canter

Unavailable

Jack Beck: O Lassie, Lassie (1989)

Jack Beck: O Lassie, Lassie

When Jack Beck was asked to record a solo album im the late 1980s, he got the rest of the current line-up of Heritage to play on the album with him. The result is a splendid collection of songs with tasteful accompaniment, and anyone interested in Scots folksinging will be delighted with this.

01 Birnie Bouzle

02 Matt Hyland

03 Twa Corbies

04 Kilbowie Hill

05 The Bleacher Lass o' Kelvinhaugh

06 Bound to Be a Row

07 Ned of the Hill

08 The Jolly Beggar

09 Love Is Teasing

10 The Merchant's Son

Jack Beck: vocals, guitar

Gary Coupland: accordion

Pete Clark: fiddle

Mike Ward: whistle, keyboards, Northumbrian pipes

Alistair Marshall: Highland bagpipes, flute

George Haig: banjo, mandola, Autoharp

Davy Lockhart: fiddle

Lindsay Porteous: jew's harp

Chris Miles: backing vocals

Andy Hunter: backing vocals

Colin Stuart: backing vocals

Unavailable

Other albums featuring Jack Beck:

Heritage: Some Rantin' Rovin' Fun (1980)

Heritage: When the Dancin' It's A' Done (1981)

Heritage: When the Dancin' It's A' Done (1981)

Heritage: When the Dancin' It's A' Done (No Bad Records NBLP-2, 1981)

This, the second Heritage album, is a marked difference to the first. By this time the group was down to a six piece: Jack Beck (guitar, vocals), Davy Lockhart (fiddle), Jim Dunn (accordion), George Haig (banjo, guitar) and Lindsay Porteous (jaw harp, bodhran, pan-pipes, mouth organ, bones) were joined by Mike Ward (whistles and harmonium).

01 Over the Water wi' Charlie/Key of the Cellar/Bonnie Prince Charlie

02 Tattie Time

03 Niel Gow's Lament for his Second Wife

04 Lochiel's Welcome to Glasgow/Jig of Slurs

05 Bogie's Bonnie Belle

06 Boulavogue/The Minster Cloak

07 Farewell to Tarwathie

08 Hills of Glenorchy/Hare In the Corn/Hartigan's Fancy/Athole Highlanders

09 Fordell Ball

10 Salmon Tails Up the Water/The Rose Tree

11 The Rock and the Week Pickle Tow

12 Haste to the Wedding/Charlie Hunter/Drops of Brandy

13 The Plaidie Awa'/Maggie's Foot

14 Ae Fond Kiss/I'll Ay Ca' In By Yon Toon/My Love She's But a Lassie Yet

Unavailable

Other albums featuring Heritage:

Heritage: Some Rantin' Rovin' Fun (1980)

Jack Beck: O Lassie, Lassie (1989)

Heritage: Some Rantin' Rovin' Fun (1980)

Heritage: Some Rantin' Rovin' Fun (1980)

Heritage were a band regarded with some affection within the Scottish folk scene. They were born out of folk clubs and pub sessions in the mid-1970s and centred around Dunfermline in Fife. Founder member Jack Beck had been singing for years, solo and with fellow Fifer Barbara Dickson (1964-66). Other participants of the club scene who became part of the earliest Heritage were Jim Dunn (accordion), Davie Lockhart (fiddle), Mike o' Connor (fiddle), Mike Mustard (fiddle), Lindsay Porteous (jews harp, mouth organ, bodhran), George Haig (banjo) and Mark Milligan (bodhran). This line-up recorded this first Heritage LP, and unfortunately the recording quality is terrible; it was recorded quite primitively in a Fife village hall. I believe it was never meant to have been released, but served as a cassette souvenir for band members. However, it was 'remastered' and published in 1980 on No Bad Records. If you can get past the recording, the music is worthwhile, albeit a little like listening in to the local pub session.

01) The Blackthorn Stick/The Rakes of Kildare/Drowsie Maggie

02) Sleepytoon/The haughs o' Cromdale

03) The Reverend Archie Beaton

04) Cherish the Ladies/The Tenpenny Bit/The Frost is All Over

05) The Band o' Shearers

06) The Reel of Tulloch/The Athol Highlanders

07) Gordon's Favourite/Viellafjord/The Peerie Hoose A'hint the Burn

08) Dunfermline Feein' Mercat

09) Fanny Power

10) Lindsay's Reel/Flogging Reel

11) The Jig o' Slurs/The Hare in the Corn/Hartigan's Fancy

12) Hishie Ba'

13) Julia Delaney/The Foxhunter Jig

Unavailable

Other albums featuring Heritage:

Heritage: When the Dancin' It's A' Done (1981)

Jack Beck: O Lassie, Lassie (1989)

Tom Anderson: Shetland Fiddle Music (c 1970)

Tom Anderson: Shetland Fiddle Music (Thule Records SNI 214, c.1970)

This is an EP (extended play 45rpm record) published in about 1970 by a small Shetland label called Thule Records. Being an old record, it's a little scratchy, but the sheer magnificence of Anderson's playing obscures any background noise. As usual, the tracks are a mixture of traditional Shetland tunes and pieces from the Scottish repertoire. Anderson performs both with, in my opinion, brilliance. This is an absolute treasure of a recording - enjoy!

01 Sail Her Ower the Raftress/Deil Stick da Minister/Taste da Green

02 Second Star Hornpipe/Madam Vanoni

03 Da Forefit o' da Ship/Sleep Soond ida Mornin'/Lasses Trust in Providence

04 Soo's Lament for Tatties

05 The Hens March O'er da Midden

Tom Anderson fiddle

with

Marjory Smith piano

Unavailable

Other albums featuring Tom Anderson:

Tom Anderson: Scottish Violin Music (1963)

Ron Gonnella: Scottish Violin Music (1966)

Ron Gonnella: Scottish Violin Music (Scots Disc SDL-001, 1966)

I don't know as much as I'd like about the late Ron Gonnella. He taught at Morrison's Academy in Crieff, Perthshire, but I haven't met anyone who knew him. What little I know is here is gleaned from record sleeves.

Ron Gonnella's great grandfather was a Robert Dewar from Perthshire, who was a shepherd near Tulliemet in Perthshire. Gonnella was from Dundee originally, and played in the Scottish Dance Band circuit with the bands of Jim Johnstone and Anrew Rankine. He had his own band for a while - featuring Iain MacPhail on accordion - but it was as a solo artist that he toured all over the world promoting Scots fiddle music. He recorded many albums (I have twelve different records) and I think this one was his first solo recording.

The instrument Gonella played was a 1722 Italian violin made by Carlo Antonio Tanegia. I have been told that after his death there were a number of fiddlers desperate to try it to achieve the same wonderful tone that Gonella produced; in the end it turned out to be a mediocre fiddle, and it was the musician who was special, not the instrument.

01) The Braes o' Auchtertyre (Crockat)/The Miller o' Dervil (Barnett)/Jamie Shearer (Duncan)

02) Hard Is My Fate/Mrs Greig's Strathspey/The Perth Assembly (Duncan)

03) Miss Graham of Inchbrakie (Nath Gow)/Glen Rinnes (D Grant)/Loch Leven Castle

04) The Fallen Chief (J Scott Skinner)

05) Scott Skinner's Compliments to Dr MacDonald (J Scott Skinner)/J F MacKenzie, Stornoway (Ross)/Bleaton Gardens

06) Cluny Castle (Troup)/The Duke of Montrose/The Duke of Montrose

07) The House of Skene (Davie)/Kilwinning Archers/Pretty Peggy

08) Niel Gow's Lament for James Moray of Abercairney (Niel Gow)/The Weavers of Newly/The Flowers of Edinburgh

09) The Rover (J Scott Skinner)

10) The Highland Society of Scotland/Lady Madeline Sinclair/The High Road to Linton

11) Coilsfield House (Nath Gow)

12) The Fallen Hero (Nath Gow)

13) The 'Bonnie Ann' (J Scott Skinner)/Mrs Reid of Kilcalmkill (D Grant)/ The Earl of Seafield (D Grant)

Ron Gonnella (fiddle),

with

Robert Campbell (piano)

Doonload

Other posts featuring Ron Gonnella:
Ron Gonnella: The Gow Collections (1973)
Ron Gonnella: Fiddler's Fancy (1975)
Ron Gonnella: Fiddle Gems (1976)
Various Artists: Fiddle Miscellany 3 (2010)