recording: button buskers Scottish accordion music

Subject: Tune Req: button buskers Scottish accordion music
From: GUEST,Kelly
Date: 17 Nov 21 - 03:48 AM

I’m desperately seeking to find copies of the button buskers by peter Kennedy. We have now discovered my granda and great granda are on there playing quite a few tunes and my granda has now passed and no one in the family knew about these recordings until last week even though it was recorded in 1955! Can anyone help me at all?

https://folktrax-archive.org/menus/cassprogs/363.htm

Subject: RE: Tune Req: button buskers Scottish accordion music
From: GUEST,Gallus Moll
Date: 17 Nov 21 - 07:30 PM

Maybe Graham Irvine would know, or be able to suggest how/where you could find more information?
Not sure if he is on Mudcat, but I shall email him to ask (or you might find him on Facebook - he is an excellent button box player)

Subject: RE: Tune Req: button buskers Scottish accordion music
From: GUEST,Gallus Moll
Date: 17 Nov 21 - 07:31 PM

- what are your dad and granda's names?
Where did they live, play?

Subject: RE: Tune Req: button buskers Scottish accordion music
From: GUEST,Gallus Moll
Date: 17 Nov 21 - 08:27 PM

I had a quick google search for Peter Kennedy and if you check his archive in The British Library website you should be able to find out if the recordings are available to listen to (obtain copies?)
Also if you note the Topic and other records you might be able to find them to buy on a second hand records site? (I have used a couple, need to find the names of the shops/dealers again....or someone on Mudcat will know!)
It is also possible tgat tge Scottish recordings might be on Tobar an Dualchais (spelling?)/ Kist o' Riches,
which is the School of Scotish Studies' archive, gradually being built up.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: button buskers Scottish accordion music
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 17 Nov 21 - 08:31 PM

Could also try Pete Shepheard at Springthyme music. He plays a D/G melodeon and has an encyclopaedic store of folk recordings, probably going back to that era.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: button buskers Scottish accordion music
From: GUEST
Date: 18 Nov 21 - 05:29 AM

Sorry not sure how to reply to individual people on here. My granda was Charlie lindsay, his brother was Alec and his dad wullie. The recordings were taken at Pitlochry we believe in Scotland in 1955. I have been in touch with the British library as they were able to let me have a copy of the photos that were of him that they had but they aren’t being very clear as to how I obtain the recordings?

Subject: RE: recording: button buskers Scottish accordion music
From: Joe Offer
Date: 18 Nov 21 - 08:57 PM

My understanding is that Topic Records has the Peter Kennedy masters. Perhaps you could try them. I checked with one of the former owners of CAMSCO Records in the US, and they do not have that album among the Kennedy masters they had. CAMSCO has ceased business operations since the death of the primary owner, Dick Greenhaus.

Subject: RE: recording: button buskers Scottish accordion music
From: GUEST
Date: 19 Nov 21 - 03:40 AM

I believe I may have managed to get a copy made from the British library! The sound engineer is off for a few days but he replied last night to say he’ll check with the curator that there’s no copyright issues but he doesn’t think there will be. He says it was part of the unlocking our sound heritage program so they should all be digitised. I’m really really hopeful that he can do this for me which will mean the absolute world to my family

Subject: RE: recording: button buskers Scottish accordion music
From: GUEST,Gallus Moll
Date: 19 Nov 21 - 07:46 AM

Kelly - did your relatives live in Pitlochry (where the recordings were made by Peter Kennedy)? Or did they visit periodicaly?
- how did Peter Kennedy know about them?
- did Hamish Henderson /School of Scottish Studies know of them?
I am wondering if there is a local history group, or perhaps small museum there that would have info?
Or - local paper archives?
Or - box and fiddle /strathspey and reel groups that might have newsletter archives, or older members who remember the Lindsays?
Another thought - have you put together your own family's memories, stories, photographs? Might be info lurking in someone's forgotten memories....
Good hunting!!

Subject: RE: recording: button buskers Scottish accordion music
From: GUEST,Gallus Moll
Date: 19 Nov 21 - 10:00 AM

Hi again Kelly - I found a photo of Charlie Lindsay (taken in 1955 ?) near the dam at Pitlochry!
Think I found it on the Folktrax site.....which is now inactive but most of it is archived in the Halsway Manor Society (under Kennedy Grant Memorial?)

I haven't managed to find any other pix yet (there are quite a few of Traveller sites /encampments in Pitlochry area, but they seem a bit older than 1950s?)
The photo says Charlie Lindsay was from Buckie, which is a fishing community in the NE.
I am sure some other folks are better at searching the internet than I but shall keep looking ..

Subject: RE: recording: button buskers Scottish accordion music
From: GUEST
Date: 19 Nov 21 - 10:32 AM

Hi as he was a traveller they moved from town to town and were camped in Pitlochry when peter was touring Scotland and England recording them singing, playing the accordion, the tin whistle etc. The photo you’ve found is my granda ?? He was 21 when it was taken. My granda was an extremely good accordion player but felt making a living came first. He never ever spoke about being recorded as he wasn’t that type of man, he just have kept it to himself. The British library have been fantastic now I have to say! The sound engineer has found 17 recordings of my granda and a spoken interview which he is going to put into cd for me, my granny really is going to be over the moon about this. Peter went from Pitlochry to Blairgowrie to record the Stewart’s who are famous travellers and bizarrely Blairgowrie is where I was born and bred ?? my granda passed away about 15 years ago and no one in the family has any recordings of him at all playing the accordion so you can imagine what this means to us. I’m 42 and I never heard him play it while he was alive so this is a very big thing to me

Subject: RE: recording: button buskers Scottish accordion music
From: GUEST
Date: 19 Nov 21 - 11:14 AM

From the zfolktrax site:

LINDSAY, Alec & Charlie - Perthsh\ whistle & accordion\ 1955 - Tinker family from Buckie, Banffshire- photos by PK 0294-0300 (7) -- rec PK, Pitlochry: RTR-5"-1109-1114/ FTX-363 - "Songs of the Travelling People": SAYDISC CD SDL-407 1994 "Leaving of Glen Urquhart"

Subject: RE: recording: button buskers Scottish accordion music
From: GUEST
Date: 19 Nov 21 - 11:18 AM

The recording mentioned in previous post:

https://www.discogs.com/release/5419148-Various-Songs-Of-The-Travelling-People

Subject: RE: recording: button buskers Scottish accordion music
From: GUEST
Date: 19 Nov 21 - 11:40 AM

Hi yes I managed to buy the cd that had one recording of him on there and I think I may have tracked down the other that has 17 recordings of him. The leaving of glen urquhart is unfortunately a very short piece of him playing but I’ve managed to get photos as well from the site

Subject: RE: recording: button buskers Scottish accordion music
From: GUEST,Gallus Moll
Date: 19 Nov 21 - 01:29 PM

That is amazing! What a wonderful hift for your Gran, also a treasure for all of your family.good hunting with finding other collections, sources of pix, songs, tunes, reminiscences.
Does you family still have any if the button accordions? Do they play them?
- do you remember the Stewarts of Blair? Hamish Hendeson spent a lot of time with them, recording their songs (Hamish grew up in the area)
- a few years ago I met a Travelling woman who grew up in a bow tent nesr Pitlochry, she told me a fair few stories about her childhood... don't know If I can make contact with her again, but it is quite possible she would have known your family?
A xx

Subject: RE: recording: button buskers Scottish accordion music
From: Joe Offer
Date: 19 Nov 21 - 02:50 PM

I emailed the "Travelling People" track to Kelly, but it appears she may have already bought that CD.

Subject: RE: recording: button buskers Scottish accordion music
From: GUEST,Gallus Moll
Date: 19 Nov 21 - 03:38 PM

It is great that she has accessed some of the archives! The story will continue to unfold I imagine, as more people dig into their memories....

Subject: RE: recording: button buskers Scottish accordion music
From: GUEST
Date: 20 Nov 21 - 05:52 AM

Thank you so much for your help on here! My gran is going to be over the moon honestly. My dad and his brother abs cousin still play the accordion and I believe one of the boxes belonged to my granda. My dad doesn’t think he’s great at playing as he’s not as good as my granda but he can certainly hold a good tune ?? yes we lived round the corner from the Stewart’s, it was her grandchildren and we went to school with them, Blair is very small and everyone knows everyone. I’m now on the hunt to see if it was just audio recordings that took place or was this actually recorded for the bbc to be shown in there? I’m anxiously waiting for Monday as that’s when the sound engineer is back in then and will have spoken to the curator to check there’s no copyright issues which I really hope not. It’s just been very surreal to find all this out when none of us ever knew, it’s not something my granda ever discussed so my dad is so hoping we can do this so he can hear him again after all these years

Subject: RE: recording: button buskers Scottish accordion music
From: GUEST,ex-Blair gadgie
Date: 20 Nov 21 - 06:34 AM

I'm sure Blairgowrie had quite a large Fiddle & Accordion club at one time, some of those players might still be about, and worth asking if any of them have memories of your granda. Unfortunately, Tommy Newcomen closed his music shop - not sure if he's still around Blair or not, but he would have known most of the players on that scene. Could be worth trying to track him down.
Accordion player Gordon Patullo in Coupar Angus is someone else who might be worth contacting.
This doesn't help with your initial request, but you seem to have managed to get at least some of the music you're looking for.
Good luck.

Subject: RE: recording: button buskers Scottish accordion music
From: GUEST,Gallus Moll
Date: 20 Nov 21 - 08:15 AM

It is amazing what has been archived....
- I wonder if it is worth contacting the TMSA (Traditional Music and Song Association - which was started by Pete Shepheard* of Springthyme Recordings!) which was involved in a number of traditional music folk festivals - still are, but I am thinking perhaps some people might have taken photos and/or home movies back in the day?
Worth checking - TMSA produce a newsletter, which will have archives - - I think Blairgowrie was one of the original festival places?
I know Hamish Henderson spent time with Belle, Sheila and Cathie Stewart, recording, reminiscing...his researches are in tge School of Scottish Studies, George Square, Edinburgh... they are gradually transferring the archives to the website Tobar an Dualchais/ Kist o' Riches, but they used to produce Tocher magazine and an annual more academic one...
(I had a very quick
glance at my Tocherindex, did not notice 'Lindsay'.....)
(* back in the day Pete Shepheard conversed with every Traveller he met, or whose campsite he came across! probably tape recorded many conversations, songs, tunes - you never know, he may well have met Charlie Lindsay?)
-Another possibility is Timothy Neat,film maker, writer, artist.He was a great friend of Hamish. He has moved South to ( Cornwall/Devon?) - after many years n Scotland. Some of Tim's books are about aspects of the lives of Travellers, eg The Summer Walkers and The Horseman's Word - canny mind them all, need to look them up.....
He also made some documentary films of those and other subjects, following aspects of the Travelling life. Your gran might enjoy them? I'll try to check them out, find out if Tim still has any copies for sale......
Looking forward to hearing how your researches progress - maybe a book or documentary of your 'tune treasure hunt /Lindsays search' will come out of all this?!!!
A xx

Subject: RE: recording: button buskers Scottish accordion music
From: GUEST
Date: 21 Nov 21 - 03:30 PM

I actually can’t wait for tomorrow till I speak to the sound engineer to see if this is all possible. It still feels very surreal to know after 42 years I’m going to hear him play the box and that everyone keeps telling me he was a fantastic box player, just like will starr. I’ve not told any of my family yet that I may actually pull this off as I don’t want to disappoint anyone in case it doesn’t work. The Stewart’s were a massive part in putting Blair, travellers, the berry picking etc on the map. I’ll be asking my gran if she has much to do with them as my gran was a stewart before she married my granda but it wouldn’t be the same ones. I’m certainly going to do a lot nite digging about all this to see if there’s anything else to uncover. My gran is 84 now so anything I can do for her to let her reminisce about my granda is worth a shot. This site has been wonderful though with helping with babes and other places I can perhaps look so I really do thank you all

Subject: RE: recording: button buskers Scottish accordion music
From: GUEST,Gallus Moll
Date: 21 Nov 21 - 06:42 PM

What a lovely project for you Kelly!!
I have been involved in folk/traditional music most of my life (i am nearer your gran's age than yours!!) and I met /knew many if the Travellers, who were the true tradition bearers.
I met Belle, Cathie and Sheila at a big session somewhere...might have been in Perth? Think there was a concert first, or maybe it was a TMSA meeting? then a singing session, lots of folkies from the area! I am sure John Watt (Fifer, composer of a fair few songs, was there too)
Lizzie Higgins (daughter of Jeannie Robertson) was often one of the festival guests eg at Girvan. Stanley Robertson would be at Auchtermuchty as a performer, aldo as a singing competition judge.
Apologies that it was mainly singing that I was paying attention to!! But my pal Graham Irvine is a button box player, used to to to lots of the festivals, so I'll chase him up, see if he remembers any Lindsay players! And Pete Shepheard is a strong possibility for info....
Please keep us all up to date with how you get on with your searches!!
A xx

Subject: RE: recording: button buskers Scottish accordion music
From: GUEST,Gallus Moll
Date: 25 Nov 21 - 05:51 AM

Fongers still crossed for you Kelly.... guess it might take a while for them to access /copy material for you?
I am posting to get your thread up to the top of the listings again!!

Subject: RE: recording: button buskers Scottish accordion music
From: GUEST
Date: 25 Nov 21 - 04:27 PM

Well I can now very happily say I have the recordings!!!! The fantastic lovely sound engineer sent them over as files so I could save them to my phone. It was utterly overwhelming to hear them and to hear my grandas voice as a young 21 year old man. After further discussion with the sound engineer and once he realise I don’t have a computer he so kindly offered to burn it onto cds for me, my dad, my uncle and my granny. I’m just waiting on them being delivered, I haven t told any of the family yet that I have them as I want to surprise them!! My granny doesn’t even own a CD player lol so I need to go get one so she can listen to it anytime she likes. Thank you sooo much to everyone on here for all the suggestions. I’m still going to keep hunting to see if there’s anything else connected to my granda since this has all come as a surprise as it is. Thank you all so much, it’s been a very happy ending

Subject: RE: recording: button buskers Scottish accordion music
From: GUEST,ex-Blair gadgie
Date: 25 Nov 21 - 05:45 PM

That's great news - I'm very happy for you.

Subject: RE: recording: button buskers Scottish accordion music
From: meself
Date: 25 Nov 21 - 07:39 PM

That's exciting - congratulations! I was following this, hoping there would be a happy ending ... !

Subject: RE: recording: button buskers Scottish accordion music
From: GUEST,Gallus Moll
Date: 26 Nov 21 - 04:01 AM

Wonderful news Kelly!
Well done tracking them down, excellent result.
(Once Covid/travel have settled down, maybe you'll plan a trip to actually see the archives in person?)
What an amazing surprise for your granny - and all the family, part of your heritage brought back to you!
Xxx

Subject: RE: recording: button buskers Scottish accordion music
From: GUEST,Gallus Moll
Date: 26 Nov 21 - 04:01 AM

Wonderful news Kelly!
Well done tracking them down, excellent result.
(Once Covid/travel have settled down, maybe you'll plan a trip to actually see the archives in person?)
What an amazing surprise for your granny - and all the family, part of your heritage brought back to you!
Xxx

Subject: RE: recording: button buskers Scottish accordion music
From: GUEST,Gallus Moll
Date: 26 Nov 21 - 02:56 PM

There's an article on BBC 1 Landward right now - about Travellers!! Lots of photos, also Jess Smith and (Lynn someone?) Contributing their memories.
Archives called Shennen Archive, online, or via bbc or Inverness Museum. Also the folk museum in (Newtonmore? Or Kingussie?)

Subject: RE: recording: button buskers Scottish accordion music
From: GUEST,Gallus Moll
Date: 26 Nov 21 - 02:56 PM

There's an article on BBC 1 Landward right now - about Travellers!! Lots of photos, also Jess Smith and (Lynn someone?) Contributing their memories.
Archives called Shennen Archive, online, or via bbc or Inverness Museum. Also the folk museum in (Newtonmore? Or Kingussie?)

Subject: RE: recording: button buskers Scottish accordion music
From: GUEST,Gallus Moll
Date: 29 Nov 21 - 06:39 PM

Hi Kelly, am just posting to bring your thread to the top again. Hope we will get an update of your Gran's reaction to the cds?!
And I am sure you can find mire archive material of your Grandpa - some of it might not be digitised yet? Fingers crossed!!

Subject: RE: recording: button buskers Scottish accordion music
From: GUEST,Gallus Moll
Date: 04 Dec 21 - 04:21 PM

Hi Kelly, hope you are watching (or can watch again?) BBC Alba Na Treads awards ( Saturday 21.00 - the Canny Band at about 21.18) - a button box player in the band!!!

Subject: RE: recording: button buskers Scottish accordion music
From: GUEST,Gallus Moll
Date: 04 Dec 21 - 05:06 PM

Na Trads is repeated Friday at 21.00!!

Subject: RE: recording: button buskers Scottish accordion music
From: GUEST
Date: 09 Dec 21 - 09:56 AM

Sorry I’d completely lost this thread and only just found it again! I’ve decided to wait and give my gran and my dad a cd each on Xmas day as I’m hoping it’ll just make the day even more special and then my gran can have a little listen on the day and will remember Xmas day for all the right reasons, I’ve listened to it several times over now lol and can’t hear how shy my granda was as a young man. He clearly loved playing the box but definitely didn’t enjoy speaking on the recordings lol

Subject: RE: recording: button buskers Scottish accordion music
From: meself
Date: 09 Dec 21 - 11:08 AM

Wonderful Xmas gifts! Let us know how it goes.

Subject: RE: recording: button buskers Scottish accordion music
From: GUEST,Gallus Moll
Date: 09 Dec 21 - 01:52 PM

Aw, what a lovely idea!!!
Maybe you can sneakily film/record their reactions?
It is just so lovely that you found out about the Peter Bellamy archives.....
(Have you contacted the other place that has some? Don't know if they are duplicates or different recordings...I mentioned the place in an earlier post, think it has a lot of EFSDS (English Folk Song and Dance Society archives)
The other think it might be worth checking is the early Blairgowrie Folk Festivals, I recently saw an old poster for the 1966 one, think Stewarts of Blair were amongst the guests...it was a mix of Travellers, Folkies and Strathspey and Reel players!I didn't see Charlie Lindsay listed, but these festivals always had unofficial sessions, so you never know
- is there a library or museum, or local.paper with archives, in Blair?
Have a brilliant Christmas surprise!!






,

Subject: RE: recording: button buskers Scottish accordion music
From: Gallus Moll
Date: 09 Jan 22 - 05:26 PM

Hi Kelly, hope everything went well with the Christmas surprise?
(I am assuming you maybe could not find the thread again - so many posts in this forum!)