Lyr Req: Scottish Battle Ballads

Subject: Scottish Battle Ballads
From: GUEST,Alex
Date: 20 Mar 00 - 05:14 AM

Before I left Scotland I heard a record called Scottish Battle Ballads I think it was by a guy called Alistair MacDonald. Does anyone have the lyrics for it ? Thanks Alex [e-mail]

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Scottish Battle Ballads
From: Susan of DT
Date: 20 Mar 00 - 09:55 AM

Which songs are you looking for, Alex? We have several of them. There are 8 songs labelled @border and I am sure there are more that are not so labelled.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Scottish Battle Ballads
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 20 Mar 00 - 09:06 PM

That would be Alastair McDonald, I should think.  The spelling is important if you need to use a search-engine to get the information, which you probably will.  He's prolific, and has recorded a lot of albums.  None of them that I can find references to have the title that you mention, so I suspect that it may be a sub-title.  Good luck!

Malcolm

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Scottish Battle Ballads
From: Stewie
Date: 20 Mar 00 - 09:33 PM

There is a book by Michael Brander 'Scottish and Border Battles and Ballads' Seeley Service & Co London 1975. There was supposed to have been an album of ballads in the book sung by Jimmie Macgregor and Robin Hall. I don't know whether it ever materialised, but the book may be worth your investigation - I found it quite interesting when I read it years ago.

--Stewie.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Scottish Battle Ballads
From: Timehiker
Date: 20 Mar 00 - 10:14 PM

Alex, I heard a recording years ago with titles like The Bannockburn, Harlaw, Johnny Cope, Drumossie Muir, Aiken Drum, and several Jacobite tunes. I don't know who the singer was.

If this is the one you're looking for, I should be able to recall the lyrics of some of them.

Take care, Timehiker

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Scottish Battle Ballads
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 20 Mar 00 - 10:24 PM

As Susan said, the question is really just, which songs does Alex want?  Once we have the titles, there should be no problem finding versions of them; bearing in mind that there is rarely just one version of a traditional song!  It's less likely that someone else will come along who knows exactly what is on the record he mentioned, of course.

Malcolm

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Scottish Battle Ballads
From: GUEST,Alex
Date: 21 Mar 00 - 04:08 AM

Some of the songs I remember were Bannockburn it started off, something like : High over Bannockburn Battle of no return Bruce ranked his Scottish Men all in good order Down on the other side 40 divisions wide Edward of england had crossed oor the border

another was Hush Harlaw Parcel of rogues in a Nation the others I cant remember sorry . I was hoping someone would recognise the title. It was an awesome record. Thanks to all who answered Alex

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Scottish Battle Ballads
From: Mbo
Date: 21 Mar 00 - 08:16 AM

Oooh, The Haughs of Cromdale is another good Scottish Battle song!

--Mbo

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Scottish Battle Ballads
From: GUEST,Julie
Date: 21 Mar 00 - 08:30 AM

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Scottish Battle Ballads
From: GUEST,Julie
Date: 21 Mar 00 - 08:34 AM

Sorry about the last entry - I over clicked I think that one of the songs in question is Culloden's Harvest. The version I have on CD is credited to Alastair MacDonald. It is a beautiful song which can be sung with some wonderful harmonies

Julie

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Scottish Battle Ballads
From: Mbo
Date: 21 Mar 00 - 08:37 AM

Yes, Deanta does Cullodens Harvest very well too...so sad..

--Mbo

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Scottish Battle Ballads
From: alison
Date: 21 Mar 00 - 09:23 AM

Culloden's harvest is in the database.... I must add a tune... although I thought I did before....

slainte

alison

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Scottish Battle Ballads
From: alison
Date: 21 Mar 00 - 09:26 AM

I knew I did..... the tune for Culloden's harvest is at Mudcat MIDIs

slainte

alison

Subject: Lyr Add: HARLAW
From: Timehiker
Date: 21 Mar 00 - 02:02 PM

Alex,
Sounds like we heard the same recording. Here's one of them. I'll post more when I get a little more time.

I put a (?) behind all the words I'm not sure about. Perhaps some of the Gaelic speakers here can mend my butchery.

HARLAW

Sae come ye frae the hielands man?
And come ye o'er the wie (?)
Saw ye MacDonald and his men
As they came into Skye?

CHO: Wie a didum a do an a dee and a dum
Didum a do dum day

And come ye near and near enough
To die their numbers see?
Come tell to me jon (?) hieland man
What micht their numbers be? CHO.

At Skye came in the Derry men (?)
And down by Nether Horn (?)
And I saw MacDonald and his men
A marching to Harlaw. CHO.

The hieland men with their lang swords
Played in a last brousaird (this whole line?)
And they draw back wie all their men
To Yaegers (?) Brig and mair. CHO.

Afore this day is done I fear
Ah brother dinnae ye see?
Macdonald's down on ilka side
And we'll be forced to flee. CHO.

Ah nah, nah, nah, me brother dear
This thing it will na be
You'll take your good sword in your hand
And you'll gang in wie me. CHO.

The first blow that Glen Allen struck
Their swords rang in Arnell
The second blow Glen Allen struck
The great MacDonald fell. CHO.

Sic a cry from amaing the hieland men
When they seed their leader fall
They cairted him and buried him
Alone there in Harlaw. CHO.

And when they come to speir at ye
O' them that's gone awa'
Just tell them plain and don't complain
They're sleeping at Harlaw. CHO.

Hope that helps a little, Alex. And, like I said, if anyone thinks they recognize any of the garbled words, don't hesitate to correct them. Thanks.

Take care,
Timehiker

HTML line breaks added. --JoeClone, 23-Apr-02.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Scottish Battle Ballads
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 21 Mar 00 - 02:39 PM

If you search for "@Scots @battle" (without the quotation marks) you'll get 29 hits.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Scottish Battle Ballads
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 21 Mar 00 - 03:47 PM

It's worth trying  @Scots @war  too, which will get you a different -though overlapping- selection.

Malcolm

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Scottish Battle Ballads
From: GUEST,Dan Keding
Date: 21 Mar 00 - 03:51 PM

Alex and Others,

There is a very good book on this subject called "Scottish & Border Battles & Ballads" by Michael Brander, reprinted by Barnes & Noble, ISBN 1-56619-088-6. Hope this helps. Dan

Subject: Lyr Add: SMILE IN YOUR SLEEP / HUSH HUSH ^^^
From: Timehiker
Date: 24 Mar 00 - 09:51 PM

Alex,

Here's another one.

HUSH HUSH

CHO.: Hush, hush, time to be sleeping
Hush, hush, no time for weeping
Hush, hush, dreams come a creeping
Smile in your sleep, bonnie baby.

Once our valleys were ringing
With sounds of our children singing
Now sheep feed and bleat til the evening
And ceilings stand empty and open CHO.

We stood with heads bowed in prayer
While factors laid our cottages bare
And screams filled the clear mountain air
And many were dead by the morning. CHO.

Where was our proud highland mettle
Our men once so fearless in battle
Now stand cowed huddled like cattle
And wait to be shipped o'er the ocean.

Hush, hush, time to be sleeping
Hush, hush, no time for weeping
Hush, hush, dreams come a creeping
Don't die in your sleep, bonnie baby.

I've also heard this as a bagpipe tune called "The Mist Covered Mountains".

Take care,
Timehiker

HTML line breaks added. --JoeClone, 23-Apr-02.

---

Note from Joe Offer:
This song, properly known as "Smile in Your Sleep," was written by Jim McLean. It appears unattributed in the Digital Tradition, under the title Don't Cry In Your Sleep (click). Tune and more complete lyrics are in this thread (click)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Scottish Battle Ballads
From: Sabra
Date: 25 Mar 00 - 01:25 AM

Hi there, (Calach talking from Sabra's home), sorry to inflame the controversy, but the original request was for lyrics for the ALBUM...."Scottish Battle Ballads"
songs on the album were (as I remember)Culloden's Harvest
William Wallace
The Field of Bannockburn
The Battle of Harlaw
The Shores Of Sutherland
The Sheep and Stag Remain
Sellar's Men
Henny Monroe.......etc
the lyrics are impossible for me to pass on just now, cos I'm on holiday with my darling in Kansas USA. If you want any of the lyrics from the album....... just email me and wait for 2 weeks for me to get back to rainy Edinburgh.
Email address is.....
[e-mail]
yours,
Calach (who's the other half of Sabra)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Scottish Battle Ballads
From: WyoWoman
Date: 25 Mar 00 - 11:31 PM

I just went to Amazon.com to see if I could find any CDs by Alastair McDonald and didn't come up with anything. Any idea where I might get a recording?

WyoWoman

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Scottish Battle Ballads
From: GUEST,Alex
Date: 30 Mar 00 - 05:18 AM

Jackpot goes to Calach the titles look very familiar. Looking forward to the lyrics Thanks to everyone Alex

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Scottish Battle Ballads
From: GUEST,Michael Kett, Germany
Date: 21 Nov 00 - 07:10 PM

Hi All!

I found that record 2 yrs. after I started searching for it. The Song "Parcel of Rogues" was written by Robert Burns, the famous scottish writer. There`s no problem to get that lyric on the web, but if, mail to [e-mail]

But, the hell, I don`t understand any songs of Alastair completely because of my fucking little knowledge of the Scottish language. I say, it IS different to English. So, can anyone help me with some lyrics?

By the way: I found a German translation of "Parcel of Rogues", written by Julius Heintze, a German poet in the 19th century.

Raise Your fists and yell Mike

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Scottish Battle Ballads
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 21 Nov 00 - 08:34 PM

I'd recommend The Scots Dialect Dictionary, compiled by Alexander Warrack (Waverley Books, New Lanark, Scotland, 2000); we also have a resource available here, the  Glossary of Scottish Words

Malcolm

Subject: RE: sheet music req: Culloden's Harvest
From:
Date: 24 May 01 - 03:55 AM

Okay, so several people are familiar with "Culloden's Harvest" and I have printed the lyrics from this site. But does anyone know where, in the name of all that's holy, I can locate the actual sheet music?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Scottish Battle Ballads
From: alison
Date: 24 May 01 - 04:25 AM

I'll send you a GIF... at least you'll get the melody line + guitar chords .....

slainte

alison

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Scottish Battle Ballads
From: Lyndi-loo
Date: 24 May 01 - 04:42 AM

Tha Album is called Scottish battle ballads. I have it on vinyl. Published by Nevis records, No NEV014. Complete track listings are
Stirling Brig
The Wallace
Bannockburn
Horo Chail Eile
Harlaw
Parcel o Rogues
The wee wee German Lairdie
The shores of Sutherland
The fireraisers
Hush Hush
Henry Munro
John MacLean
My understanding is that this has never been reissued on CD

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Scottish Battle Ballads
From: Jim McLean
Date: 03 Aug 02 - 12:48 PM

Hi Lyndi-loo, I have just come across this request and you're quite right. I wrote most of the songs and produced the LP with Alastair singing. There was a previous version of the LP on Major Minor records just called Battle Ballads, but some of the titles were different. I didn't include John MacLean on the first one. This was a ontemorary poem by J.S.Clark, set to music. I used a variant of the tune Woody Guthrie used on Tom Joad. Cheers, Jim Mclean

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Scottish Battle Ballads
From: GUEST,Alastair McDonald - Corban Recordings
Date: 18 Oct 05 - 10:05 AM

Hi. Can I set the record straight.

"Culloden`s Harvest" is NOT traditional but written by me, Alastair McDonald & published Corban Music. Enquiries welcome at Corban Recordings PO Box 2 Glasgow G44 3LB Scotland www.corbanrecordings.com

Thanks folks

Alastair (McD)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Scottish Battle Ballads
From: GUEST,Tommy Douglas
Date: 29 Dec 08 - 10:07 AM

It is about time "Scottish Battle Ballads" was put out on c.d. I know of quite a few who would urgently like to get their hands on a copy.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Scottish Battle Ballads
From: Jack Campin
Date: 29 Dec 08 - 01:31 PM

You can get all the contents of Brander's hackjob book off the web quite easily. It must have taken him all of a week to write it. Save your money to buy the CD release of Alastair's LP.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Scottish Battle Ballads
From: Jim McLean
Date: 29 Dec 08 - 05:12 PM

I wasn't aware that Scottish Battle Ballads (written by me and sung by Alastair McDonald in 1969) had been released as a CD. I also owned Nevis Records but sold it and all my catalogue to a Glasgow Record company a long time ago. I think Alastair wrote some of his songs in a similar vein to those on the SBB LP some twenty years after its first release.
I know that some of my old catalogue which included LPs featuring Alastair have been released namely Scotland in Song and a Burns LP but I think Alastair has also re-recorded them and issued them on his own company, Corban Music.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Scottish Battle Ballads
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 31 Dec 08 - 01:25 AM

Allmusic.com lists an album called "Battles and Ballads of Scotland" by Alastair McDonald (Corban CD 029, 2008). Here is the track list:

1 - Battle of Stirling Bridge - 3:55
2 - Scotland Yet - 2:45
3 - William Wallace - 2:59
4 - Land of the Eagle - 2:49
5 - Sword of Bannockburn - 3:58
6 - Hail to the Chief - 2:40
7 - Harlaw - 4:27
8 - Perfervidum Ingenium Scotorum - 2:40
9 - Sherifmuir - 2:28
10 - Parcel o' Rogues - 3:35
11 - Wee German Lairdie - 2:09
12 - Till Jamie Comes Hame - 2:32
13 - The News Frae Moidart - 3:30
14 - Chairlie's Own - 3:37
15 - Culloden's Harvest - 3:53
16 - Twa Bonny Maids - 3:29
17 - Both Sides o' the Tweed - 4:08
18 - Son o' Mars - 2:54
19 - Sheep and Stag Remain - 3:38
20 - Sergeant and the Loon - 2:25
21 - Man in Peterhead - 3:45
22 - Patriot's Heart - 2:57

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Scottish Battle Ballads
From: Jim McLean
Date: 31 Dec 08 - 05:33 AM

Alastair, as I posted already, formed his own company years after I disposed of NEVIS and issued CDs with similar titles to the original Nevis LPs as in Through Scotland in Song (NEVIS Scotland in Song) and the above posted by Jim Dixon after the original Scottish Battle Ballads. A lot of the songs are the same although he has changed a couple of titles, but the titles posted above are a mixture from the original Scottish Battle Ballads, the Robert Burns album I did with him over 30 years ago and the Bonnie Prince Charlie LP also on Nevis. I haven't heard The Man in Peterhead but I suspect it is a reworked title of the John MacLean song I recorded with Alastair on a NEVIS LP called Scotland First (1970). I recognise some titles as having been written by me but changing titles makes it difficult to recognise originals. The PRS and MCPS sometimes pick up the changes but not always. For those who do not have the NEVIS LPs, the Corban CD looks a good buy.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Scottish Battle Ballads
From: Jim McLean
Date: 31 Dec 08 - 07:05 AM

I should have said Alastair's version of Nevis's Scotland in Song is called Songs of Scotland. It has a similar sleeve and adopts the same format, i.e. each song has a spoken intro.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Scottish Battle Ballads
From: Jack Campin
Date: 31 Dec 08 - 07:16 AM

Jim Maclean - I don't say the LP had been released on CD, but that it would be worth buying if it ever was.

Timehiker, Jim's song "Hush, Hush" (Smile in your Sleep) is not a battle ballad. There are several threads about it on Mudcat already.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Scottish Battle Ballads
From: GUEST,Ursula
Date: 20 Feb 09 - 01:19 AM

Would it please be possible to get a copy of the sheet music still?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Scottish Battle Ballads
From: Jim McLean
Date: 20 Feb 09 - 04:27 AM

Guest Ursula, email me at [e-mail] and I'll send you what you require.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Scottish Battle Ballads
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 21 Feb 09 - 03:56 PM

I believe several of the songs on this album are already in the DT or in various Mudcat threads. Links are below. However, I haven't actually heard the album; I am only going by the similarity of the titles. I may have misidentified some of the songs. If any of these is the wrong song, please let me know, and I will try to find the right song online.

Some songs are listed more than once because I found more than one copy or version.

BOTH SIDES THE TWEED in the DT
BOTH SIDES THE TWEED
CULLODEN'S HARVEST (Alasdair McDonald)
TWA BONNY MAIDS might be the same as ISLE OF SKYE in the DT
MAN IN PETERHEAD might be the same as JOHN MACLEAN
SCOTLAND YET
SCOTLAND YET
SCOTLAND YET
SCOTLAND YET
SON OF MARS in the DT
SUCH A PARCEL OF ROGUES IN A NATION in the DT
THE BATTLE OF HARLAW
THE BATTLE OF HARLAW (from Old Blind Dogs)
THE BATTLE OF HARLAW (from Jeannie Robertson)
THE WEE WEE GERMAN LAIRDIE
THE WEE WEE GERMAN LAIRDIE
THERE'LL NEVER BE PEACE TILL JAMIE COMES HAME
THERE'LL NEVER BE PEACE TILL JAMIE COMES HAME (Burns)
WILLIAM WALLACE (Jim McLean)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Scottish Battle Ballads
From: oldhippie
Date: 21 Feb 09 - 07:52 PM

Nevis released some really good recordings, I have two casettes by Alastair, "White Wings" and another. I hope to convert them to CD one of these days.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Scottish Battle Ballads
From: GUEST,Jimmy
Date: 21 Feb 09 - 09:03 PM

Wow, somebody dredged this thread up from the dead. However, in the same vein, I remember hearing a song (I may have bought the tape - now long lost) called The Wallace. The singer/writer was from Paisley, I think. The first lines were:
"An English Lord in Lanark took a young Scots lassie's life
Said Wallace, 'She must be avenged - that lassie was my wife.'"
Anyone remember this?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Scottish Battle Ballads
From: Jim McLean
Date: 22 Feb 09 - 11:39 AM

Lyndi-loo posted the correct titles for this album which I wrote and produced, and sung by Alastair McDonald. Most of the titles were original but some trad arranged by me.
Jim Dixon's post refers to songs on Alastair's much later CD which is a compliation of lots of songs from the LPs which I wrote for Alastair in the 60s and 70s plus some newer ones and Jim's correct in that Alastair has changes the titles in at least two: Twa Bonnie Maidens to Isle of Sky and John MacLean to the Man in Peterhead. This allows him to publish them as apparently different songs.
As already posted I wrote the song called the Wallace (early 60s)but not the one referred to by Guest Jimmy although I do come from Paisley.
Oldhippie, I owned NEVIS which produced about 5 LPs of Alastair's but not one called White Wings.

Scotland in Song
Songs of Robert Burns
Scottish Battle Ballads
Bonnie Prince Charlie
Scotland First

I also produced an LP called Tam Lin, sung by Alastair, for Deacon Records about 40 years ago,
I repeat, For those who do not have the NEVIS LPs, the Corban CD looks a good buy.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Scottish Battle Ballads
From: oldhippie
Date: 22 Feb 09 - 01:34 PM

Yes jim, it's the "Scotland First" I have. "White Wings" was on Corban.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Scottish Battle Ballads
From: GUEST,stewart hardie
Date: 19 May 09 - 02:25 PM

if anyone has this on cd. could they tell me where to get it from !!!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Scottish Battle Ballads
From: Jim McLean
Date: 19 May 09 - 03:38 PM

Guest, I don't think the original "Scottish Battle Ballads" has been released on CD. I leased the master tapes to KLUB Records in Glasgow many years ago. If you get in touch with me and are able copy an LP onto CD then I could send you an original album which you can return afterwards. My email is [e-mail].

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Scottish Battle Ballads
From: GUEST,stewart.hardie
Date: 23 Aug 10 - 04:55 PM

I have no device to copy the album, but a normal cassette copy would be much appreciated, i found an old LP but its condition was not great. Many thanks Jim.
Regards stewart hardie,

[e-mail]

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Scottish Battle Ballads
From: maple_leaf_boy
Date: 23 Aug 10 - 05:11 PM

Does Nigel Denver also sing the song "The Wallace"? I found an online
recording that says in the info it's Nigel Denver, but some of the
comments say that it's not him. I'll post a link if I can find it
again.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Scottish Battle Ballads
From: GUEST,saorsa
Date: 31 Jan 11 - 07:52 AM

The Man In Peterhead was written by John Clarke and is a different song from Hamish Henderson's 'Maclean March', or Matt McGinn's 'Dominie'

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Scottish Battle Ballads
From: GUEST,steven czoski
Date: 06 Jul 11 - 10:26 PM

it is alistair mcdonald and it is called scottish battle ballads not to be confused with scottish battles and ballads