Help: Dick Gaughan - pronunciation

Subject: Dick Gaughan - pronunciation
From: GUEST,Willy
Date: 10 Sep 00 - 07:00 PM

How does Dick Gaughan pronounce his last name? As a (transplanted) Scot, I suggested 'Gowan' (rhymes with 'rowan'). An American friend, and expert on Celtic music, said she always used 'Gockan' (rhymes with rockin' - she would have used 'ch' instead of 'ck', but the 'ch' sound is rare in America). I tried Dick's website, and searched the Mudcat forum, without success. We're not competitive, just curious.

Subject: RE: Help: Dick Gaughan - pronunciation
From: Bill Hahn//\\
Date: 10 Sep 00 - 07:03 PM

When I announce him on our daily WFDU Concert calendar I have been advised---I hope correctly---that it is pronounced GAWJAN.

Bill Hahn

Subject: RE: Help: Dick Gaughan - pronunciation
From: Ella who is Sooze
Date: 10 Sep 00 - 07:05 PM

Got to say it sorry.....

I met him a few months ago and he was the sincerest, honest and down to earth kind of person you'd ever meet.

I thought he was excellent.

I think you pronounce it

Goch (ch as in the last phoenetic in clock - hard sound) and hin

Goch ghin (softened g almost invisible sound but still there)

HOpe that helps

Ella

Subject: RE: Help: Dick Gaughan - pronunciation
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 10 Sep 00 - 07:08 PM

I would go for "Goch An" using the ch as in "Loch Ness".

Jon

Subject: RE: Help: Dick Gaughan - pronunciation
From: Jeri
Date: 10 Sep 00 - 07:21 PM

Jon and Willy's American Celtic music expert friend are right. "Gaw-chchchc- (that noise you make sometimes when a bug tries to fly down your throat) -an." Most Americans either can't manage the sound or feel silly trying it, so pronounce it "Gawk-an." There have been a few discussions of the pronunciation of his name on Usenet, and that's the way Dick claims it's pronounced.

Subject: RE: Help: Dick Gaughan - pronunciation
From: Thomas the Rhymer
Date: 10 Sep 00 - 09:25 PM

I was told by THE finest musician/historian, that it is pronounced Gawhck-ghin. She's never been wrong yet,... 'cept 'bout me!

Subject: RE: Help: Dick Gaughan - pronunciation
From: GUEST,Terry K
Date: 11 Sep 00 - 02:04 AM

I asked this question on an earlier thread (which had his name in the title) and received what I believe to be the correct answer from a certain "GUEST Dick Gaughan". I'm not saying it was him, just that I thought that answer was the best - similar to Jon Freeman's version, above. Now, does everyone know how to pronounce "loch"? (grin)

Cheers, Terry

Subject: RE: Help: Dick Gaughan - pronunciation
From: Dave (the ancient mariner)
Date: 11 Sep 00 - 02:11 AM

Try "GO-GAN" I think you should contact the guy and have him tell you himself Hearme would be ideal in this situation. Aye. Dave

Subject: RE: Help: Dick Gaughan - pronunciation
From: Jeri
Date: 11 Sep 00 - 09:58 AM

Seeing as people don't want to take my word that Dick has actually said it was pronounced "gawchhhan," I've tried to find proof at DejaCom. Unfortunately, they don't have anything prior to 99 archived at the moment. I know I've also seen a newsgroup message by someone who reads Mudcat saying in effect, "Don't listen to him, what does he know? It's pronounced 'GaHOON'."

Terry K, I mentioned seeing his posts in Mudcat (wish I could find the thread) to him at a concert in April, and he claimed to remember writing them.

Subject: RE: Help: Dick Gaughan - pronunciation
From: Jeri
Date: 11 Sep 00 - 10:09 AM

BINGO! - In this thread.

Subject: RE: Help: Dick Gaughan - pronunciation
From: Catrin
Date: 11 Sep 00 - 10:12 AM

I know how to pronounce Dick Gaughin (Boast boast)

Its 'BRILL' (as in BRILLiant)

Cheers

Catrin

Subject: RE: Help: Dick Gaughan - pronunciation
From: Thomas the Rhymer
Date: 11 Sep 00 - 12:36 PM

I concur, Caitlin!

Subject: RE: Help: Dick Gaughan - pronunciation
From: Abby Sale
Date: 11 Sep 00 - 02:21 PM

I can speak from the standpoint of having had Dick at my house many times, heard him introduced countless times at Edin U Folk Soc (that's in Scotland)(& now, I hear, tragically defunct) having heard him refer to himself in person on occasion. And his own explanation a few years back on r.m.f - look there if you're Deja'ing.

All of the above are wrong. Maybe you have to be Scottish or Jewish - it's the soft gutteral, not the hard one. It's 'gh' not 'ch.'

But even then you'd be wrong. The question of how HE pronounces it is fairly moot since he rarely does and is quite liberal about it if someone else is calling anything similar and holding out a paycheck.

But I can tell you for sure and certain that he was nearly always introduced - formal or informal - drunk or sober - gig or party - as Dick Ga-HOON'.

Well, maybe things have changed since the late 60's but to me he'll always be Ga-HOON'.

Subject: RE: Help: Dick Gaughan - pronunciation
From: GeorgeH
Date: 12 Sep 00 - 10:19 AM

Yup, it's important to stress that how you pronounce his name is "no big deal" to Dick himself . . one of the nicest guys, as well as one of the finest musicians, on this (or any other!) planet!

(In a recent post on r.m.celtic - or thereabouts - Dick said something to the effect that if people can't pronounce his name correctly that's his problem for having a "difficult" name).

G.

Subject: RE: Help: Dick Gaughan - pronunciation
From: Terry K
Date: 12 Sep 00 - 02:54 PM

Well found Jeri - I liked to think at the time it was genuine and have certainly used that pronunciation since. The reason I asked in the other thread was because I had at the time unearthed my three vinyl LP's of Five Hand Reel from way back when. Great stuff.

Cheers, Terry

Subject: RE: Help: Dick Gaughan - pronunciation
From: *Conrad Bladey Peasant-Inactive
Date: 12 Sep 00 - 04:03 PM

It is just as in: Republican and Anti Orange (at least anti orange song even historical ballads)

Hope that helps!

Conrad

Subject: RE: Help: Dick Gaughan - pronunciation
From: Jeri
Date: 12 Sep 00 - 04:15 PM

Terry, you don't need the "Earl O' Moray" one - I've heard it's a terrible album. I'll be happy to take it off your hands, if you'd like. I'll even pay for shipping. :-)

Subject: RE: Help: Dick Gaughan - pronunciation
From: Terry K
Date: 13 Sep 00 - 02:46 AM

Jeri, it really is terrible, so it's yours - but only when they introduce it on CD! If I was a technocrat I could probably make my own CD from a Minidisc recording or something, but I'm still struggling.

Cheers, Terry

Subject: RE: Help: Dick Gaughan - pronunciation
From: IanS
Date: 13 Sep 00 - 11:03 AM

I have always believed it to be pronounced as suggested above "Goch An" with a fairly hard "ch". However last year we had a weeks holiday in County Mayo Ireland in a rented cottage and to our surprise the owner turned out to be Dick Gaughan's cousin (Dick is half Scots, half Irish) the name Gaughan being Irish. To my ears he pronounced his name slightly softer than "Goch An" would suggest but then Dick has a Scottish accent !!!

Subject: RE: Help: Dick Gaughan - pronunciation
From: GUEST,Ron Olesko
Date: 13 Sep 00 - 12:28 PM

Why not ask the man himself? I wrote to Dick and this was his reply:

Depends on whether you're Irish or Scots.

In Ireland, it would usually be pronounced "Gaw - han", with the stress on the first syllable.

In Scotland, it would use the Scots Gaelic "gh" sound, for which there is no real English equivalent - kind of like a mix of a very soft 'g' sound made in the back of the throat and a "y", so it is pronounced something like "Gaw - gan", again with the stress on the first syllable.

My normal reply when someone asks how my name should be pronounced is, "Any way you can". I long ago learned not to take offence about it!

Feel free to repost this to Mudcat if it'll help. I used to read the message board there but haven't for a while as I don't use cookies and I seem to remember that membership required that.

-- Best wishes Dick Gaughan

Subject: RE: Help: Dick Gaughan - pronunciation
From: GUEST
Date: 26 Jan 10 - 01:17 PM

Gaughan rhymes with lochan (Scottish). The 'ch' is pronounced almost with a gutteral German sound.