OBIT: Jimmy Shand - RIP

Subject: OBIT: Jimmy Shand - RIP
From: Fiolar
Date: 23 Dec 00 - 08:53 AM

Sad to relate the death of the great accordianist Jimmy Shand age 92 in Perth Royal Infirmary.He had been suffering from pneumonia for the past five weeks. He made his first recording in 1933, his first broadcast from the BBC in 1934 and formed the Jimmy Shand Band in 1945. His memory will long stay green in the minds of lovers of Scottish and Irish music. Sleep well old friend.
M

Subject: RE: Jimmy Shand - RIP
From: alison
Date: 23 Dec 00 - 09:43 AM

awwwwww... memories of various hogmanay celebrations on TV.... didn't realise he was 92...

slainte

alison

Subject: RE: Jimmy Shand - RIP
From: The Shambles
Date: 23 Dec 00 - 09:49 AM

Fond memories of that last chord that was always at the end of his records. The one that would finish the dance with a bow.......

Let's hear that last chord and take a bow in his direction.

Subject: RE: Jimmy Shand - RIP
From: bill\sables
Date: 23 Dec 00 - 09:54 AM

About 8 years ago I was in Kirkaldy, Fifeshire, Scotland, with my melodeon and was asked along to the Accordion club gathering in an old church in Kirkaldy. When I got there there were about 100 accordions attached to their players and as the night went on this group grew to about 150. Leading most of the tunes was Jimmy Shand Junior but around 9-30 Jimmy Shand Senior walked in draging his accordion behind him on a shopping type of trolly. He eventually started to play and the whole of the gathering joined in with the Bluebell Polka. It was a magic occasion I will never forget. Jimmy will be sorely missed.
Bill

Subject: RE: Jimmy Shand - RIP
From: Quincy
Date: 23 Dec 00 - 10:42 AM

A sad loss indeed.....my father, from Arbroath often talks of the dances he used to go to where Jimmy and his band played.

As you've mentioned it Bill..... the Bluebell Polka was always my favourite!

May he rest in peace, Yvonne

Subject: RE: Jimmy Shand - RIP
From: Murray MacLeod
Date: 23 Dec 00 - 11:22 AM

Jimmy Shand could never be described as loquacious, but he was possessed of a dry wit.
In the course of one of his tours he had occasion to stay in a bed and breakfasr establishment whose owner was parsimonious even by Scottish standards.
At breakfast JS was served with a plate of porridge and a cup of tea. Having consumed this, he enquired if he might have some toast. The landlady grudgingly fetched a single slice of toast. He enquired tentatively if he might have something to spread on the toast. She returned in ill humour and laid down a plate with a teaspoonful of honey on it.
JS contemplated this for a moment, then said, "Ah, I see you keep a bee".

Murray

Subject: RE: Jimmy Shand - RIP
From: Jimmy C
Date: 23 Dec 00 - 11:33 AM

I remember his shows. very sad to hear of his passing. There will now an accordion among all those harps. God bless him. 92 years old, whoa.

Subject: Lyr Add: DON'T SIT ON MY JIMMY SHANDS (R Thompson)
From: GUEST
Date: 23 Dec 00 - 11:41 AM

DON'T SIT ON MY JIMMY SHANDS
(Richard Thompson)

When the party hit full swing
I saw you come reeling in
You had that six-pack in a stranglehold
Now you stagger, now you sway
Why don't you fall the other way
'Cause I've got something here worth more than gold

I said "Don't sit on my Jimmy Shands
Don't sit on my Jimmy Shands
They don't mend with sticky tape and glue
Don't sit on my Jimmy Shands
Don't sit on my Jimmy Shands
And that's my very best advice to you"

Call me precious, I don't mind
78s are hard to find
You just can't get the shellac since the war
This one's the Beltona brand
Finest label in the land
They don't make them like that anymore

I said "Don't sit on my Jimmy Shands
Don't sit on my Jimmy Shands
Unless you want to wind up black and blue
Don't sit on my Jimmy Shands
Don't sit on my Jimmy Shands
And that's my very best advice to you"

Darling though you're twice my size
I don't mean to patronize
Honey let me lead you by the hand
Find a lap or find a chair
You can park it anywhere
Just don't rest your cheeks against my man

I said "Don't sit on my Jimmy Shands
Don't sit on my Jimmy Shands
They don't mend with sticky tape and glue
Don't sit on my Jimmy Shands
Don't sit on my Jimmy Shands
And that's my very best advice to you"

No shindig is half complete
Without that famous polka beat
That's why they invite me, I suppose
Waltzes, strathspeys, eights, some reels
Now you know how good it feels
Crank that handle babe, away she goes

I said "Don't sit on my Jimmy Shands
Don't sit on my Jimmy Shands
Unless you want to wind up black and blue"
I said "Don't sit on my Jimmy Shands
Don't sit on my Jimmy Shands
That's my very best advice to you"

Subject: RE: Jimmy Shand - RIP
From: Noreen
Date: 23 Dec 00 - 12:01 PM

Thanks, Guest. This song has been responsible for introducing Jimmy Shand's name to a new group of people- in one of RT's fansites there is a piece answering the question "Who is Jimmy Shand?"

(The penultimate verse refers to 'Waltzes, strathspeys, eightsome reels' :being a reel danced by a set of eight people).

Noreen

Subject: RE: Jimmy Shand - RIP
From: Bernard
Date: 23 Dec 00 - 12:05 PM

He will live forever - a legend in his own lifetime.

Subject: RE: Jimmy Shand - RIP
From: zander (inactive)
Date: 23 Dec 00 - 01:20 PM

Of course as well as being well known as an accordian player Jimmy was a brilliant melodian player also, as a traditional musician he was unsurpassed. The founder of the 'Battlefield Band ', Brian McNeil, acknowledged Jimmy's wit with a tune called, 'I see Ye Keep a Bee '.

Cheers, Dave

Subject: RE: Jimmy Shand - RIP
From: Diva
Date: 23 Dec 00 - 01:24 PM

A gentleman in every sense of the word and one of the finest ambassadors for Scottish music.

Subject: RE: Jimmy Shand - RIP
From: john c
Date: 23 Dec 00 - 02:20 PM

I grew up listening to (and hating!) his music. But, getting older, greyer, and a lot more tolerant, Ive really grown to love it. The Bluebell Polka is rightly a classic. I once heard Richard Thompson and Simon Nicol playing it on two acoustic guitars - and that was when the penny dropped.
Kirsty and Jimmy in one week........very, very sad.

Subject: RE: Jimmy Shand - RIP
From: GUEST,John Colville
Date: 23 Dec 00 - 06:35 PM

Dear Jimmy was an inspiration to millions, especially me growing up in Dundee. I went to visit him only 12 months ago, spending 2 hours with him. Long live the accordion.

Subject: JIMMY SHAND, R.i.p.
From: Max Tone
Date: 24 Dec 00 - 04:05 PM

Sir Jimmy Shand, the accordian player credited with bringing Scottish dance music to a worldwide audience, died yesterday, at 92.
Known as "The laird o' 'Muchty", after Auchtermuchty, the village where he lived, (and which hosts a storming festival each August)he was as famed for his dry sense of humour as his box playing.
Phil Cunningham (in today's tribute page in "Scotland on Sunday" - probably reachable via scotsman.com ) relates a story where Jimmy was staying in a prim West-coast B&B. Breakfast consisted of a piece of dry toast. Jimmy asked for something to put on it and was given a tiny pot of honey.

"Ah, I see you keep a bee", replied Jimmy.

Phil also tells how his parents found that the only way to get him to sleep when he was a wean, was to put on a stack of Jimmy Shand discs on the auto-changer.
When Phil was later given an Accordian, he was able to pick it up and play it, with no lessons --- aged only 4!

---

Message transferred from a duplicate thread.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Jimmy Shand - RIP
From: Bluebeard
Date: 24 Dec 00 - 04:13 PM

Sunday afternoons on the radio, Jimmy Shand. When I was growing up, he was a part of life in our house. He had a good crack at the whip. Rest his soul. What is it about Christmas and death ? So sad.

Subject: RE: Jimmy Shand - RIP
From: Max Tone
Date: 24 Dec 00 - 04:25 PM

You'll find more info on Jimmy, and a tribute from Phil Cunningham, with a great story on Phil's musical education -- you gotta read it-- at scotsman.com and go to the "Scotland on Sunday" page, then navigate to page 3, news.

Subject: RE: OBIT: Jimmy Shand - RIP
From: Fiolar
Date: 08 Jan 04 - 08:25 AM

Possible connection. In today's Guardian newspaper (January 8th) there is a death notice for (and I quote) - "Shand, Mrs Lucilla Daphne, wife of the late James Shand died peacefully on 3rd January 2004 aged 78, in the presence of her family."
I am not definite but it is possible that the above named was the widow of the late Jimmy. In any case condolences and prayers for the family.

Subject: RE: OBIT: Jimmy Shand - RIP
From: Steve Parkes
Date: 08 Jan 04 - 08:35 AM

Ah! The Bluebell Polka! The White Heather Club! I've actually got a couple of his records -- 78s -- somewhere ... don't think BP is one of them, but I'll have to dig them out now.

An accordion among the harps -- what a delighful thought. Jimyis one of the few who could carry it off.

Steve

Subject: RE: OBIT: Jimmy Shand - RIP
From: Scabby Douglas
Date: 08 Jan 04 - 08:50 AM

Apparently Sir Jimmy's widow's name is Anne, and at the time of his death she was 90 years old.

So I guess this lady was someone else.

Subject: RE: OBIT: Jimmy Shand - RIP
From: ard mhacha
Date: 08 Jan 04 - 01:01 PM

Jimmy Shand was a fixture in the late 1940s and 50s on Radio Eireann, he was always featured on one or other sponsered programmes, the angels will be tapping in time, an old rememberance from the past, God rest his Soul.

Subject: RE: OBIT: Jimmy Shand - RIP
From: stevethesqueeze
Date: 09 Jan 04 - 08:50 AM

as a squeezebox player two figures stand out to me as heroes. One is John Kirkpatrick and of course the great Jimmy Shand.

Back home in manchester they used to say the best way to torture a Scotsman was to nail his feet to the floor and play a Jimmy Shand record!

Jimmy I beileve helped save the Melodeon from extinction and has really contributed to music in these islands and beyond. I have amongst my small collection of melodeons and have one big Hohner Club4 which I always say reminds me of himself. Jimmy was also a very keen motorcyclist and had many british classics and I have a photo of him on a Norton.

He will be organising a dance up in heaven "come on St Peter pick yer feet up!!".

Subject: RE: OBIT: Jimmy Shand - RIP
From: Metchosin
Date: 09 Jan 04 - 12:08 PM

I bow to you Mr. Shand. A number of years ago I was left a large box of records after the death of an old family friend. To my delight, most of them turned out to be Jimmy Shand. Eat you heart out Richard Thompson.

Subject: RE: OBIT: Jimmy Shand - RIP
From: Jeri
Date: 09 Jan 04 - 12:12 PM

Since the thread was started after his death three years ago, I'd guess Jimmy Shand probably has a pretty well-established band up there by now!

Subject: RE: OBIT: Jimmy Shand - RIP
From: Jim McLean
Date: 09 Jan 04 - 06:21 PM

A friend of mine was on tour with Jimmy in Australia, a long time ago. Jimmy was sitting at the dining table, very quiet, and then he went off to make a telephone call back home. When he returned he sat silently for a long while then said 'D'ye ken it's raining in Auchtermurchty?'
Home sickness!

Subject: RE: OBIT: Jimmy Shand - RIP
From: cobber
Date: 10 Jan 04 - 01:30 AM

My father was a Scot and you can take Scotsmen out of their country but you can't take Scotland out of Scotsmen to parody a phrase. When we migrated to Australia in 1962, my father was terribly homesick even though he'd lived in England since the war. He went out one day and bought a record player with a detachable speaker. We lived in a country area with few neighbours (it's now a suburb of Melbourne)and he set it up with the extension speaker out on the road. He then put on his kilt (always his formal attire), put Jimmy Shand on the player and danced up and down the road for about an hour with the music full bore and frightening all the cows. We thought he'd gone mad but he seemed to cope much better after that. Thanks Jimmy! I know it's an old thrtead but it still brings back lots of memories. When we were little kids we danced at home to the old 78s but when he hit that last chord, we all would fall down on the floor and not move until the starting chord of the next tune.