1. Under The Northern Lights

vocals, guitar : Iain

double bass : Erik

fiddle : Veronique Nelson

dobro guitar : Notker Homburger

backing vocals : Sarah Scott

Life in the Highlands, in Skelbo. Dornoch, under the Northern Lights, Aurora Borealis. With this version I have included Notker who has always enjoyed this song, and mixed his dobro playing with Veronique's fiddle.

2. El Mundo Antiguo

Spanish guitar : Iain

double bass, 'cello : Erik

percussion : Eddie Scott

A slow, hooded processional march, written in mind of the Spanish old world looking westward beyond the Atlantic. Erik responded to this notion with a moving 'cello part that enhances the the swagger, the pageantry and the pathos. This piece is seen as an introduction to the Marvellous Adventure.

 

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3. The Marvellous Adventure of Cabeza De Vaca

vocals, guitar : Iain

double bass : Erik

percussion : Finlay Grant

Written after reading Haniel Longs moving account of conquistador Nunez Cabeza De Vaca's expeditoin to Florida in 1528, where he experienced expectation, greed. failure and the discovery of self whilst over 10 years walking from coast to coast. The song is set at the point of realisation, recognising the atrocities committed within the values of the religion they carried. It is set at the time of a cusp in Cabeza De Vaca's life, leading him he knew not where.

4. The Pop Mantra

vocals, guitar : Iain

double bass : Erik

dobro guitar : Notker Homburger

The embryonic idea for this song was used at a Feis in Acharacle, when, for a week, I taught guitar to 20 children. They took the idea and at the Friday concert sang and accompanied their version, which went:-

"Play the chords with the left
Hit the rhythm with the right
We made up this song
And we played it day and night"

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5. The Ardvasar Blacksmith

guitars : Iain

double bass : Erik

low whistle, Scottish small pipes : Alisdair Fraser

Hammond organ : Andy Thorburn

A pipe tune written by Evan MacRae, a greatly respected teacher of pipes in the Lochaber schools. This tune is placed in my own setting and arrangement with Tamlin used as a bridge section. It is great that pipers such as Alasdair Fraser, Achiltibuie, are open to ideas that go away from the piping mould, whilst still applying themselves to the rigour and detail of the piping tradition.

6. Speechless

vocals, double bass, guitar : lain

double bass, guitar : Erik

additional vocals : Sarah Scott

piano, hammond organ : Andy Thorburn

drums : Finlay Grant

Two friends in a chapter that came my way, wrote this song and instantly I liked it, carrying it around with me over the years. Now it's time for this version to see the light of day, with Erik and myself swapping instruments.

7. The Banknote

vocals, guitar : lain

double bass : Erik

soprano sax : Steve Kettley

Robert Burns wrote this poem on the back of a 1780 Bank of Scotland one guinea note. This is a vocal and guitar first take, to which Erik gave more life and with this version I am thankful that I could push the boat out further, with the inclusion of Steve Kettley's soprano sax.

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8. De Doo Dat Do Don't De

guitar : lain

double bass : Erik

low whistle : Alasdair Fraser

drums : Finlay Grant

Many pieces on this album were tried and tested at the Trentham Inn, Dornoch, a music bar that has a great welcome. This one was played and Stephen Mackintosh helped with the intro as the two of us, playing guitars, sat at the bar De doo dat do don't de with a Liverpudlian accent, mind.

9. The American Wake

vocals, guitar : lain

double basses : Erik

viola : Veronique Nelson

Written with the knowledge of many emigration songs and the place of such migration in my own family. I am forever grateful to Veronique arid Erik for taking on my notions and providing the sound and musical flow. The American Wake was the name of the ceilidh held in Ireland on the eve of emigration. In Scotland, in Skye they sometimes danced a dance called America.

10. If I Could Be Bothered

vocals, guitar : lain

double bass : Erik

piano : Andy Thorburn

dobro guitar : Notker Homburger

Chatting with Dot (Sculptor - "Fish") and drinking tea and coffee at Pitgrudy Farm, this saying, that we both share, came into play. Many statements followed. Notker came from Konstanz and the sweetness of the Grant/Grady dobro was chosen. There's still a treasure in a stone cairn, across the fields, over there.

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11. The Salacious Tango

vocals, guitar : lain

double bass : Erik

fiddles : Veronique Nelson

spoons : Eddie Scott

A celebration of dance and music, of interaction and sexuality. Veronique with an intuitive skill, added the fiddles based on a flamenco scale. The Alhambra Strings came into being with the interplay of the 4 fiddles.

12. Sharks

vocals, guitar : lain

double bass: Erik

Hammond organ : Andy Thorburn

drums : Finlay Grant

The process behind this track was different, with the guitar, bass and guide scat vocals being recorded first. Andy then sat in the chair, took the remit, donned the headphones, fired up the Hammond C3, pushed buttons, pulled drawbars and with contact established with Alan at ground control, off we took.

13. The Beech Tree

guitars : lain

bodhran, spoons : Eddie Scott

Tunes that have emerged from over the years travelling, hearing others, joining in. Eddie's particular bodhran style and spoons playing immediately sprang to mind.

14. Walking The Dog In The Mains Of Gartly

vocals, guitars : lain

double bass : Erik

low whistle : Alasdair Fraser

Hammond organ : Andy Thorburn

One Christrnas morning, an empty kitchen, a warm rayburn and an unused guitar led to this arrangement of Walking the Dog (Rufus Thomas). The interplay with the fiddle tune The Mains of Gartly (Scott Skinner 'King of the Strathspeys') stems from a fine tune being open to this new setting. The idea of Rufus Thomas and Scott Skinner being credited together was an added bonus, too good to miss.

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