Robin Brock – (Miss) Linda MacFarlane

Subject: Robin Brock – (Miss) Linda MacFarlane
From: GUEST,Peter McLaren
Date: 13 Jun 13 - 04:53 AM

I am interested in gleaning any information I can about Robin Brock, the composer of the tune 'Miss Linda MacFarlane', sometimes simply titled 'Linda MacFarlane'. The tune is often listed as a march but I am more familiar with it as an air. I understand that Robin Brock played bass with The Corries in their early days (mid '60's?). Is he still around, and if so, does anyone have any suggestions as to how he might be contacted? Does anyone know anything about the Linda MacFarlane the tune was named after or the circumstances under which the piece was composed?

Subject: RE: Robin Brock – (Miss) Linda MacFarlane
From: GUEST,Guest TF
Date: 13 Jun 13 - 05:46 AM

HI Peter. Robin was a well known figure on the Scottish country dance scene in the 60/70s. An accomplished bass and accordion player he worked with many respected bands of the time and many of his tunes are still played regularly at accordion and fiddle clubs. He lived most of his life near Penicuik, Midlothian. Sadly he joined the great ceilidh in the sky quite a few years ago.

Subject: RE: Robin Brock – (Miss) Linda MacFarlane
From: GUEST,Edith Bowman, nee McKeating
Date: 26 Jul 13 - 04:56 AM

Hi, Linda married Robin in the 60s - she and I were both medical secretaries in Edinburgh and colleagues for many years before she married (at Clermiston Church in Edinburgh and it was a great wedding - I was there!). They lived and raised their family at Glencorse, near Penicuik thereafter.

Subject: RE: Robin Brock – (Miss) Linda MacFarlane
From: GUEST,Linda (nee Macfarlane) Soutar (ex-Brock)
Date: 03 Mar 14 - 06:58 PM

Robin was my husband (1966 - 2011). Contrary to the above, he is not deceased and lives near Peebles in the Scottish Borders.
It is correct that he played with the Corrie Folk Trio and Paddy Bell (later the Corries - after Bill and Paddy left). Prior to that, he played in the Glenesk Band, Jim Johnstone's Scottish Country Dance Band, and afterwards with Jim Macleod's Band, Jimmy Shand's band, his own band of course - just put together from a group of friends for radio broadcasts.   
Due to business demands (he and I built up a landscaping/nursery business from 1968 - 96), he stopped playing on a regular basis, in favour of one night a week on Radio Forth - the local Edinburgh station, playing requests for traditional scottish country dance music and related music. For a couple of years he also did another programme called The Folks around Robin where he invited a dance band or Scottish entertainer into the studio, interviewed them and played some of their favourite tracks.
In the early days he played the double bass, but later swapped to accordion - which he only learned to play properly after we were married. He played entirely by ear, only taking half a dozen lessons (on bass) in order that he could read music - really essential when he was doing television session work on the bass in the sixties.
He doesn't play in public any more but still has a tune at home I believe.

Subject: RE: Robin Brock – (Miss) Linda MacFarlane
From: Johnny J
Date: 03 Mar 14 - 07:19 PM

Hi Linda,

Thanks for that.

I remember Robin's programme on Radio Forth very well.

It's very interesting to learn that he was mainly an "ear player" and I recall one interview he had with an older musician who said that that, in the old days, many of the great players couldn't even read the (news)paper let alone music. As I recall, Robin found this very amusing and so did I, especially as I couldn't read music either at the time although I've taught myself since.

I'm glad to hear that he still "has a tune" as that's what it's really all about. Songs as well for singers, of course.

Subject: RE: Robin Brock – (Miss) Linda MacFarlane
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 04 Mar 14 - 10:21 AM

Thank you for the information, Linda.

The tune 'Miss Linda MacFarlane' can be found on JC's tune finder. After all this talk, it only seems right that we should try playing it.

Subject: RE: Robin Brock – (Miss) Linda MacFarlane
From: GUEST,B&F
Date: 29 Jan 21 - 05:45 AM

Sadly Robin died yesterday, 28th January 2021. We have a fairly comprehensive aricle on the Box and Fiddle Website - Archive - Musician Biographies - from March 2014.

Subject: RE: Robin Brock – (Miss) Linda MacFarlane
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 30 Jan 21 - 05:11 AM

Sorry to hear that. We play Miss Linda Macfarlane in our ceilidh band as part of a Gay Gordons set , so would be playing it as a March. It’s a great tune!

Subject: RE: Robin Brock – (Miss) Linda MacFarlane
From: GUEST,Ian Macmillan
Date: 30 Oct 25 - 08:08 AM

I've found this site by accident. Might I ask if this is the same Robin Brock from the Penicuik area who was the rhythm guitarist with Andy and the Boppers (Later the Andy Russell Seven) around 1961/2?

Subject: RE: Robin Brock – (Miss) Linda MacFarlane
From: GUEST,Ian Macmillan
Date: 30 Oct 25 - 08:32 AM

I should have carried out more research before asking the question, above. I now see from the Box and Fiddle site that this was, indeed, the same Robin Brock that I asked about. I knew him for a couple of years or so when I was playing with the groups I mentioned and I'm sorry to read of his death in 2021. RIP.