Jimmie Macgregor - 80 years young

Subject: RE: Jimmie Macgregor - 80 years young
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 04 Dec 10 - 09:34 AM

My favourite Michael Marra song Schenectady Calling Peerie Willie Johnson

Subject: RE: Jimmie Macgregor - 80 years young
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 04 Dec 10 - 09:28 AM

Michael Marra was the man, heard here sans beard.

Subject: RE: Jimmie Macgregor - 80 years young
From: GUEST
Date: 04 Dec 10 - 09:23 AM

That was a brilliant programme! Who was the guy with a very deep voice and a beard?

Amazing voice just when he talks!

Subject: RE: Jimmie Macgregor - 80 years young
From: Ed Jones
Date: 04 Dec 10 - 06:09 AM

Here's the original Fitba Crazy: Fitba Crazy

Subject: RE: Jimmie Macgregor - 80 years young
From: GUEST,padgett
Date: 04 Dec 10 - 04:03 AM

Thanks Derek

Ray

Subject: RE: Jimmie Macgregor - 80 years young
From: GUEST,Derek Schofield
Date: 03 Dec 10 - 06:09 PM

Robin Hall sadly died on 18 November 1998.
Derek

Subject: RE: Jimmie Macgregor - 80 years young
From: GUEST,padgett
Date: 03 Dec 10 - 04:35 PM

I have tonight seen this excellent programme on BBC i player, it isnt on Catch up on cable, he certainly does not look 80 years of age!

So what did happen to his singing partner? Robin Hall was it?
Ray

Subject: RE: Jimmie Macgregor - 80 years young
From: Ed Jones
Date: 03 Dec 10 - 01:19 PM

I was told by my mother not to speak ill of the dead, so I'm saying nothing.

Subject: RE: Jimmie Macgregor - 80 years young
From: GUEST,Hootenanny
Date: 02 Dec 10 - 05:43 PM

I feel pretty sure that it was just co-incidence. I believe Russel Quaye's skiffle group preceded the NLCR but doubt very much that John, Tom or Mike had even heaard of them. Also I seem to remember John Cohen I believe explaining where the name cam from. You could always ask Tom Paley or John of course if you really think it's that important.

Re the subject of this thread I have to say that BBC Scotland seem to do a pretty good job on programmes of this type. I worked with Jimmie for several years, it's been some time since I have seen him but it seems to me that they let him come over as his real self, no hype, no bullshit, just as I remember him. Hopefully it will get a showing down south of the border.

Hoot.

Subject: RE: Jimmie Macgregor - 80 years young
From: GUEST,BanjoRay
Date: 02 Dec 10 - 08:44 AM

Great to see the Soviet clip of the City Ramblers - a fine band for the time. Did they get their name from the New Lost City Ramblers, or vice versa?
Ray

Subject: RE: Jimmie Macgregor - 80 years young
From: Nick
Date: 01 Dec 10 - 07:43 PM

I briefly went out with his ex wife Shirley when she lived in Chalk Farm in the 1970s; very attractive lady and they had a lovely daughter

Subject: RE: Jimmie Macgregor - 80 years young
From: tritoneman
Date: 01 Dec 10 - 04:20 PM

Doesn't he look in good form at 80 years! I'd forgotten quite how good Robin Hall and Jimmie Macgregor were. I thought the programme was put together well. It was a treat to see Brock on Tonight too.

Subject: RE: Jimmie Macgregor - 80 years young
From: Johnny J
Date: 01 Dec 10 - 12:01 PM

Michael Marra also plays guitar, by the way.

Subject: RE: Jimmie Macgregor - 80 years young
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 01 Dec 10 - 11:44 AM

And the two producers?

Subject: RE: Jimmie Macgregor - 80 years young
From: Ross Campbell
Date: 01 Dec 10 - 11:43 AM

I'm not sure why it should bother you that people who play instruments might have one (or more) sitting around waiting to be picked up and played. (Says he, sitting amidst at least ten visible instruments, with not a tv camera in sight!) Rab Noakes was a prominent singer/songwrtiter in the early seventies before combining his music with a career in TV production. Barbara Dickson (narrator) started off in the same way. Michael Marra I would expect to see with a piano attached, but a guitar in the background is hardly a surprise. And it would be a poor do if Jimmie couldn't have a guitar sitting about in his own home!

Ross

Subject: RE: Jimmie Macgregor - 80 years young
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 01 Dec 10 - 11:05 AM

Thanks for that, I saw all of it this time.
I do get a wee bittie scunnered at the predliction of TV folk to artfully strew guitars around in the background, at the slightest excuse, though.
It's not in the 'train enters tunnel' league of symbolism, but still a bit naff.

Subject: RE: Jimmie Macgregor - 80 years young
From: GUEST
Date: 01 Dec 10 - 10:34 AM

Link address is:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00w8n5n

Subject: RE: Jimmie Macgregor - 80 years young
From: GUEST
Date: 01 Dec 10 - 10:31 AM

Watching BBC iPlayer is possible overseas. There is a new free piece of software you can download that is simple to use and effective. It does insist on displaying advertisements, which is a bit scary at first, but they are actually harmless, and the ads only run whilst the program is running. It is called Expat Shield and can be downloaded from:

http://expatshield.com/

As someone reports on the [RadioCarolineFanMailinglist] on Yahoo Groups:

"I have to say this seems to be an amazing little program, and based on a few hours very successful usage, highly recommended for anyone living outside the UK who wants to watch British telly! It puts a little icon in the Sys Tray at bottom right which lets you turn this feature on and off again easily at will. Turn it on to watch BBC or ITV, then turn it off again to watch ABC, Fox, NBC, et al. Brilliant!"

Subject: RE: Jimmie Macgregor - 80 years young
From: Ross Campbell
Date: 30 Nov 10 - 10:06 PM

Sorry, Genie, I think BBC iPlayer is restricted to UK for copyright reasons, but Alistair Hendry (anon GUEST above) may be able to help.

From the iPlayer blurb:-

"Musician and broadcaster Jimmie Macgregor reached 80 earlier this year. With contributions from many who worked with him, and illustrated with lots of wonderful archive, Barbara Dickson narrates a celebration of Jimmie's unique place in Scottish cultural life."

And from the Links list below:-

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmie_MacGregor

Jimmie Macgregor introduces the Celtic Zone - BBC Radio Scotland blog

Jimmie Macgregor official site - homepage

Jimmie Macgregor, Scotland's forgotten sex bomb - b/day tribute, Sunday Times

Ross

Subject: RE: Jimmie Macgregor - 80 years young
From: Genie
Date: 30 Nov 10 - 09:33 PM

Damn!   It says "Not available in your area" (which in my case is the US Pacific northwest).

If someone can download it -- which is an option for those of you who can see it - I hope a way can be found to share it.

Genie

Subject: RE: Jimmie Macgregor - 80 years young
From: Ross Campbell
Date: 30 Nov 10 - 09:15 PM

Here's a link, Derek - watching it now - well spotted.

Jimmie Macgregor - 80 Years Young (BBC iPlayer - 7 days left to watch)

Ross

Subject: RE: Jimmie Macgregor - 80 years young
From: GUEST
Date: 30 Nov 10 - 07:03 PM

Funnily enough, I've just posted a message to the thread on Brian Brocklehurst Obit, regarding the Jimmy MacGregor programme. Brock was featured in some of the archive footage. I hadn't heard of him for a while so did a Google and was saddened to find out that he had died just last month.

Send me an email with your details and I'll burn you a DVD of the programme.

[e-mail]

Subject: RE: Jimmie Macgregor - 80 years young
From: Effsee
Date: 30 Nov 10 - 04:42 PM

I'd keep an eye on the BBC2's schedule for the next couple of weeks Derek, it might pop up as a repeat(at some ungodly hour most likely!).
Great wee programme, and great to see the wee man looking so sprightly...as fit as a flea by the looks of things.

Subject: RE: Jimmie Macgregor - 80 years young
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 30 Nov 10 - 04:01 PM

Sorry Derek, didn't record it, didn't even see it all, as it clashed with The Archers :)

Subject: Jimmie Macgregor - 80 years young
From: GUEST,Derek Schofield
Date: 30 Nov 10 - 03:23 PM

If anyone has recorded this programme, broadcast 7pm 30 November 2010, on BBC1 Scotland, and would be willing to run me off a DVD, or even old fashioned video, I'd be very pleased to hear from them... I'd hoped it would be on iPlayer, but it's not!
Thanks
Derek Schofield
south of the border