Lindsey Ross & scottish band

Full Album.

[@philipposphilippou2844]

I was still a child back in the late sixties, oldest child of a working class family in a poor suburb in Athens _Greece. Intelligent and keen to see the world around me, a world i read a lot and was dreaming about, i would have no chance to see my dream come true, if my teacher at the english school, a gentle, goodhearted and sweet scottish girl, knowing by instict what i longed for as well as my very special character and quality for a just 14 years old lad, had not managed to convince my parents to let me go to Scotland and spend the summer there, in the care of her parents. It all was a miracle! For it would be more natural to think of yourselves going to Mars today, than me leaving my neighbourhood for a long trip to the opposite end of Europe that day! All by train! From Athens to Arbroath, Angus, Summer 1970!!! A trip that turned me to a little scottish as well. The things i saw, the persons i met, the music i heard, it all became a part of me! Speaking of music, a record of Lindsey Ross and his band, was one of the first ones i listened to, and never stopped listening to, that year, and the years after that, when with every chance i got, i went to "Friockheim by Arbroath" to see Mr. ans Mrs. Mitchell whom i never stopped considering family eversince that first visit back in 1970. It' s been some years that i have lost them, but i always have them here in my heart, them and the warmth i received from them, the astonishing memories and experience they offered me. I still keek alive and cherish every single moment i spent with them, i always will. All my best love and wishes to "dear Scotland, my -second- homeland!"

[@georgewatt5886]

What a great story. Makes me feel very proud of Scotland and it's people and especially the people of Angus where I live. Thank you for sharing it.

[@philipposphilippou2844]

@@georgewatt5886 Thank you so much! And you know something? I feel proud too for the chance i had to be introduced and initiated to your folks and their great culture. I keep so much alive in my heart every single moment of those two months of my decisive first visit, that they look as if they were yesterday, and surely eternity. You see, i was still very young, very goodwilling and with a lot of innocence and pure, empty space in my soul to see and fill with. I injoyed the happiness of exploring the highlands, of discovering the beauty of the scottish and irish music (we were in many live concerts, i remember one of the "Kennedy family", in Dundee'), I remember of being guided to ruined castles as well as to the "honors of Scotland" in Edinburgh, the nice afternoon in St. Andrew, the warm evenings at home watching "telly" and.... "coronation str", tea time at 5.20, the cheddar sandwiches, the "cheerios" for "see you soon" the "forty winks" for a short "siesta", the ruspberries i picked up in the fields of Mrs Ferguson along with other people from the villages around, my rides with a bicycle in the country side, the colours of the hills, the amazing soups of Mrs. Mitchel, The pageant in the ruins of the old castle in Arbroath (our nearest town), the fish market there, the colourful port, i remember the visits to farms of neibours where i was told about the "famous Angus sheep", to relatives in Edinburgh, Stonehaven, Aberdeen, Inverness and to towns of which the names i still remember only acoustically not really knowing how they are spelled since i never came across to anything concerning them, like "Tom'n towl"(?), i remember the misty day at "loch Morrlich", i remember it's "loch" for lake and "kirk" for church, i remember me trying to avoid the service in the church every sunday morning, but then how could i disappoint those amazing persons, i remember the record with my beloved "seekers", the trip to Braemar for the "Braemar gathering' where i saw just in a few meters distance the whole royal family, And how could i ever forget that heartbreaking "long lang syne" song Mr. Mitchell used to sing to me for farewell at the end of my stays then and the years after, and makes me cry every time i sing or hear it eversince, i remember... remember... now you may perhaps understand even better my point... Thank you again, be well!!

[@georgewatt5886]

Philippos, I think you're Scottish! You certainly have a great memory, it is great to read your memoir of your time here.

[@philipposphilippou2844]

@@georgewatt5886 far as home is our childhood and early youth, i certainly am. I may have not been born Scottish but i am obviously bred one! Thank you, take care!

[@WingChunMindForce]

What a beautiful story, I really felt your experience in my heart. I'm an Australian proudly of Scots descent and have never been there but my childhood ( in the 60's like yours) was full of Scottish music, pipe bands, memories of Scotland from the old folk and just reading your story we Australians were very Scottish in our manners and speech. I have had many Greek friends, I always like Greeks, a warm hearted people 😀 Yasu and Cheerio mate!

[@alanlittlejohn7761]

Lyndsay was my accordian teacher until he was taken from us all to soon , a lovley man and one of the finest accordian players and scottish country dance music arrangers ever, his ear and all round musicality was sensational , he used to have me totaly mesmorised when he would hum a tune and write it out for me to learn like you or I woud write words , music was in his soul, the complete layered sound his band produced has never been bettered,

[@charlietodd2451]

Another marvellous band with a unique sound. For many years Lindsay played a Hohner 2 + 1 then he was one of the first bandleaders to acquire a Hohner Gola. Son Malcolm, still one of SDM's best drummers, started playing and recording with his dad when he was about 14. After a long absence from broadcasting Lindsay came back and did two before his untimely death in August 1980 aged only 49 if I remember correctly. It was a family band with his sister Madge on piano and her husband Dave Barclay (ex Powrie) on string bass - and as I say son Malcolm on drums. Usually Ron Gonella on fiddle, a wonderful blend. Lindsay wrote some great tunes. and pit together some memorable sets.

[@kennethquesenberry2610]

Living in the U.S. as I do, I haven't heard any of the Scottish bands in person. But I did happen to meet Ron Gonella when he was performing in Williamsburg, Virginia, one summer over 40 years ago. The best we ever had for live music dances was Stan Hamilton out of Canada.

[@richardwatt2537]

Charlie Todd I think Malcolm was playing drums before 14. I was a frequent visitor to the Ross household being a great friend of Gary.I am sure Malcolm was playing a lot younger than you say . I don’t want any probs just saying what I think. Cheers Charlie.

[@sheenaelves9097]

Did wee Davy Stewart from Kirriemuir play 2nd box with the band?

[@irenewilliams2091]

A brilliant band. Enjoy listening here in NZ.

[@AllansStation]

One of the best Scottish Bands - a highly distinctive sound - Over many years as a presenter of a Scottish music on radio - Lindsay Ross was always on the request list.

[@shandfan]

Oh yes,you can say that again! They were a great band, shame they once fell just out of a top ten together with Jack Forsythe.( in which Jim Cameron was 3th,which doesn't make any sense to me,Shand was first and Bobby McLeod second(discussions about that),...and as said Jim Cameron 3,Ian Powrie 4,Alasdair Downie 5,Jimmy Blair 6,Wick Band(Harper Senior)7,Wilie Hannah 8,George McAlpine 9 and Adam Rennie 10. But today we have other topbands. Alasdair MacCuish,Tom Orr,Gordon Shand,Craig Paton,David Kennedy,and there's more to come.All playing modern stuff,but GOOD modern stuff and excellently arranged.Feeling best in live broadcasts

[@AllansStation]

shadfan Thanks for your comments, You mentioned a lot of bands I was well aware off. Apart from Jimmy Shand [ who stands alone] In my programme in Australia [ The Tartan Tonic] I regularly featured most of them you named. Good you reminded me of William Hannah and Addie Harper - lets face it - they were all good in their own way. what did you think of Jim Johnstone?

[@shandfan]

Oh,well..I gave a comment on Jim Johnstone somewhere else here,I forgot where,saying...Jim Johnstone is famous for his "Neo Classics",composed by himself. And...he was one of the later 2nd boxplayers in the Shand Band. You're from Australia..well Australia and New Sealand still today are said to have a great interest in SDM. I have an 45-EP of The Dunedin Scottish Dance Band,leader Angus Sutherland. Also in the US and Canada(Bobbie Brown,Stan Hamilton) is the interest TOP. Sadly...in Scotland demolished by BBC.

[@kenwhitt3889]

Very good. We really enjoyed it.

[@shandfan]

Yes...particularly remarkable....on the Polydor Label,just like an LP by the Hamefahrers with Willie Hunter,and another Polydor of John Ellis.

[@user-Kenny631]

Brilliant 🎶🎶

[@Gm3pok]

He was good, sadly missed on the dance scene.

[@shandfan]

Addition to my below comment Ross played lots of tunes,later never being played anymore. This was a growing phenominon round 2000. What was behind this? Maybe BBC wanted modern material. Ridiculous!! But later some tunes came back.Maybe,..cos I had reported this.? Don't let me laugh...innovation in traditional music??

[@shandfan]

On one of the Lindsay Ross LP's is the tune"Athole Volunteers",a 6/8 in F.,and yes by one of the Gows. Since decades I did not hear tunes like that!!!! Seemingly lots of collections have been secretly hidden away for posterity. Arrangements of this tune were from orchestra's like the BBC Scottish Variety Orchestra(operating from 1949 -65) and the Tim Wright Band (same era,starting even earlier.later led by Jimmy MacIntosh).I wish,I had these tracks from them in my collection. BBC claim,they never made an LP of the BBC SVO,but I think it might be a big LIE! Given the fact,that the Archie Duncan Quintet,being a guest in every broadcast of the orchestra,DID make a record(on the Allegro Label)