Origins: Gallowa' Hills - The Laggan

Subject: Origins: Gallowa' Hills - The Laggan
From: GUEST,Floydetta
Date: 31 Jan 18 - 06:23 PM

I have the National Geographic compilation album "The Music of Scotland" and on it were a couple of songs (e.g., The Gallowa' Hills) performed by a band called The Laggan. Does anyone know anything about this band? They made it onto a National Geographic album, and yet I can't find a thing about them!

Subject: RE: Origins: Gallowa' Hills - The Laggan
From: GUEST,Jim I
Date: 31 Jan 18 - 07:06 PM

Try here.

http://themusicgatherer.blogspot.co.uk/2011/01/laggan-scottish-folk-songs-c1973.html

Subject: RE: Origins: Gallowa' Hills - The Laggan
From: GUEST,kenny
Date: 01 Feb 18 - 05:06 AM

"The Laggan" were a very popular band from Glasgow throughout the 1970s. Follow the link above to Nigel's website for more information. Brian Miller and Arthur Johnstone are still active on the Scottish folk scene.
There are 26 tracks - with some duplication - available to purchase for download through "iTunes".
There was always a left-leaning political side to their music, more than traditional Scottish, I think it would be fair to say. They were great entertainers, and a great band to see live.

Subject: RE: Origins: Gallowa' Hills - The Laggan
From: GUEST,Akenaton
Date: 01 Feb 18 - 06:15 AM

Seen the Laggan perform many times and knew Arthur through my YCL connection.
They were a terrific group very dedicated to the music and driven by Arthur who was a real revolutionary.
Their rendition of "John MacLean's March" is simply the best...stirs the blood!! Even in a 73 year old...and that's no easy.
I have both of their LPs and one of my best folk memories is being snowed in at a wee Loch Fyne pub with them....they literally sang all night round a big log fire.....the drinks were on the house.....Magic!

Subject: RE: Origins: Gallowa' Hills - The Laggan
From: andymac
Date: 01 Feb 18 - 06:43 AM

The Laggan were a great band.

Arthur Johnstone, as MC/figurehead of the Star Club in Glasgow, contributed massively to my folk education by booking such a diverse range of artists, albeit strongly slanted to the traditional.

But the band was more than just Arthur, I recall John McDermott turning up one day at the Inveroran Hotel where I was working as a student and handing me a cassette to play saying "what do you think o that great playing?" Of course it was the Laggan and John himself on banjo. And it was great.

Another memory is of sitting at Girvan festival campsite one evening with John McDermott and Jack Eaglesham (folk icons and luminaries both sadly gone), sharing a few songs and listening to the affectionate but biting sarcasm between the pair.

The Laggan were a great band. Arthur remains a great singer.

Subject: RE: Origins: Gallowa' Hills - The Laggan
From: Vic Smith
Date: 01 Feb 18 - 07:16 AM

Loved Arthur ane The Laggan in those far off days at Scottish festivals and folk clubs,. Their source for The Gallowa' Hills was the great Jeannie Robertson though their treatment of the song was very different from hers.

Subject: RE: Origins: Gallowa' Hills - The Laggan
From: GUEST,gutcher
Date: 01 Feb 18 - 08:30 AM

As regards the origins--the original was by William Nichcolson-late18th. early 19th.C. Galloway gaun buddy,{tramp} poet and piper, he played a set of lowland pipes, that I term oxter pipes, made by the McBride family of Dundrennan, long pipe makers and weavers in that airt.

Subject: RE: Origins: Gallowa' Hills - The Laggan
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 01 Feb 18 - 11:27 AM

Arthur is still heading up the group "Arthur Johnstone and the Stars Band" who performed at our local folk club only a few weeks back: other members are Brian Miller, Charlie Soane, and Gavin Livingstone. Great night, and still singing many of those songs which "The Laggan" used to do, such as "Jarama", "Bandiera Rossa", "John Maclean March", "You Playboys and Playgirls". What a great night!
I remember too a very good concert at Celtic Connections a few years back, in celebration of the 40th anniversary of the Upper Clyde Shipbuilders "work-in" in 1971-2. So there were Arthur and the band, as tiny silhouettes against a massive backdrop of a ship under construction in Glasgow's Old Fruitmarket. Arthur had been a union shop steward which perhaps coloured his choice of songs.

Subject: RE: Origins: Gallowa' Hills - The Laggan
From: Jim McLean
Date: 01 Feb 18 - 03:34 PM

I recorded The Laggan on the LP Unity Creates Strength as a fund raiser for the UCS sit in. The Laggan"s , Arthur Johnson's, version of the John MacLean March is possibly the best version around.

Subject: RE: Origins: Gallowa' Hills - The Laggan
From: GUEST
Date: 01 Feb 18 - 04:21 PM

Thanks for all this, especially naming names of bandmembers! Are there any recent re-recordings I can lay my hands on, or must I hunt for used LPs?

This is nice: https://projects.handsupfortrad.scot/hall-of-fame/arthur-johnstone/

Subject: RE: Origins: Gallowa' Hills - The Laggan
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 02 Feb 18 - 03:16 PM

Here are details of the more recent album I mentioned above - called "Doon Through the Years":
https://www.musicinscotland.com/acatalog/Arthur-Johnstone-And-The-Stars-Band-Doon-Through-The-Years.html