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28 Mar 02 - 12:08 PM (#678250) Subject: One Singer One Song. Great Glasgow Book From: Rick Fielding This wonderful book HAS been mentioned before, but everytime I pick it up for a quick perusal, I'm so impressed that I want to let folks know about it. Written by sometime Mudcatter Ewan McVicar, it documents the lives and music of many Glasgow (and related) singers, sessions, 'folk-pubs', and songs. An added bonus is excellently drawn caricatures of the principals, by John Gahagan. It begins with tails of folks like Morris Blythman who encouraged a whole generation of singers to write "that one song" you've got in you, through very familiar names to folks who I'd never heard of....to folks who moved to Toronto that I later became friends with. It ends with the influx of the "instrumental sessions" era, in which a lot of the ballad singers feel they got "pushed out". McVicar even details some (tongue in cheek...I think) ways to counteract the fiddlers' invasion. Great book....appears to be published by Glasgow libraries Press. Don't have any "ordering information"...and it may be out of print. Anyone else read it? Cheers Rick |
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28 Mar 02 - 12:14 PM (#678258) Subject: RE: One Singer One Song. Great Glasgow Book From: Big Tim I bought a copy in: The Mitchell Library, North Street, Glasgow, G3 7DN, last year. I think copies are still available there. Yea, excellent wee book, affectionatly recording the great Glasgow folk scene of the 60s. |
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28 Mar 02 - 12:20 PM (#678261) Subject: RE: One Singer One Song. Great Glasgow Book From: Rick Fielding It was through "One Singer One Song", that my wife Heather discovered that her English Teacher (Adam McNaughtan) was a folk celebrity. Seems that Rutherglen Academy was a hotbed of Folkies. One person from the book that I'd love to have some current info on is Carol Laula. I had her as a guest on my radio show about 13 years ago, and loved her music. Haven't heard much about her since. Rick |
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28 Mar 02 - 12:28 PM (#678277) Subject: RE: One Singer One Song. Great Glasgow Book From: Big Tim For Rutherglen read Norman Buchan. Gordeanna McCulloch, once of the "Clutha" group, a pupil of McColl and now a Burns specialist, told me recently at a Burns night (in the Mitchell Library! - I was a librarian there for many years) that it was Rutherglen academy, where she was a pupil, that got her started. There are so many connections, for example, Enoch Kent is/was brother of Janey Buchan, Norman's wife. Rick: wait til you see what you've started with this one! Cheers. |
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28 Mar 02 - 12:49 PM (#678289) Subject: RE: One Singer One Song. Great Glasgow Book From: Diva A dear friend bought me a copy a few years ago for my birthday. Its a superb book and more so for me,as it mentions a few chums. Diva |
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28 Mar 02 - 06:19 PM (#678544) Subject: RE: One Singer One Song. Great Glasgow Book From: GUEST,Ewan McVicar Happened to drop in to Mudcat, and am startled to find such nice words. One Singer One Song continues to be on sale from Glasgow Libraries for £4.99p. I am deadly serious in my continuing campaign to get those obsessive / compusive fiddlers to shut up now and then so a song can edge in. Carol Laula is currently back at University, on her honours year just now so less available for gigs, but I met her management the other day who said a new album is due out soon. Carol has just become a trustee of the New Makars Trust, which supports songwriting in Scotland and with Scottish Arts Council support ran a highly successful two year project in Fife. NMT now has two new projects - an initial one in South Lanarkshire and a follow up one in Fife - in the course of setting up. We recruited a number of other fine songwriting trustees along with Carol - Ian Davison, Karine Polwart, Geordie MacIntyre and more. |
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28 Mar 02 - 06:24 PM (#678550) Subject: RE: One Singer One Song. Great Glasgow Book From: Rick Fielding Thanks for the info on Carol, Ewan. A lot of folks in Toronto are glad that Enoch Kent decided to favour us with his residency. Rick |
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29 Mar 02 - 01:09 AM (#678780) Subject: RE: One Singer One Song. Great Glasgow Book From: Big Tim Carol Laula is a terrific singer, well worth seeking out. Personally, I prefer her doing traditional material. In 1992 she sang Burns' "My Tocher's [dowry]the Jewel" accompanied by the Cauld Blast Orchestra on the BBC tv Burns night show, a brilliant performance, still got a traesured copy on video. The show got slated because it wasn't "traditional" Burns. For me though it was much closer to the real Burns that what we usually get on 25 January every year. |
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29 Mar 02 - 01:36 AM (#678790) Subject: RE: One Singer One Song. Great Glasgow Book From: katlaughing Thanks, Rick! Any chance of this being available across the pond? kat |
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29 Mar 02 - 10:02 AM (#678835) Subject: RE: One Singer One Song. Great Glasgow Book From: Susanne (skw) I've met several of the people portrayed in this book (mainly less well-known ones), and I think it's great of Ewan to have put them in a book! It's a great read and comes up with some new information, e.g. on the relationship between 'Doon in the Wee Room' and the McLaughlin family. Ewan will forgive me, I hope, for using extracts from his book in the 'MySongbook' pages. |
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29 Mar 02 - 10:41 AM (#678845) Subject: RE: One Singer One Song. Great Glasgow Book From: Rick Fielding Another interesting sidelight of this book was when Heather explained the meaning of "the old Folksong" The Jeely Piece Song. I have a truly odd recording in my collection called "ScotiaFolk". It has virtually NO credits at all, and appears to be mostly a gentleman named Jim McLean and some friends. There is a picture on the front of at least twenty smiling people outside a "Folk bar". No indication whatsoever who they are...although I seem to recognize Alex Campbell. Anybody know anything about this album? Rick |
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29 Mar 02 - 01:57 PM (#678931) Subject: RE: One Singer One Song. Great Glasgow Book From: Big Tim I vaguely remember the album Rick but don't have it! What about this one, which I have on CD. "Scotia Bar - Living With the Legend - the Scotia Bar Live Album of Original Songs and Tunes". Scotia Bar Records, 1991. Features a whole host of characters inc Tony McLaughlin, "Sensational" (!) Sammy Hughes, Susan Tumelty, Rab McLelland, Ed Ferguson, Sean McGhee and "Doon in the Wee Room" by Daniel and Tony McLaughlin. "THE SCOTIA BAR Est. 1792 Oldest Pub in Glassgow - Glasgow Folk Club and Writers' Retreat, 112-114 Stockwell Street, Glasgow, G1 4LW. 041 552 8681. Custodians: Brendan and Maureen McLaughlin." |