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This summer I made a mixed CD for myself, mostly for when I was cooking. I need my music! I brought it with me to Germany for my summer trip, and had lots of positive feedback on it, having to copy it several times over. The second one came about as a Christmas gift, and a copy is in my kitchen CD player right now. There is a wee café in Germany where these can be heard, so all ye Germans - stay alert ;)


SCOTFOLK I For a' tha'

This CD mainly features a couple of bands: 5 Hand Reel and Silly Wizard. The singers of these two bands, Dick Gaughan and Andy M Stewart are both featured with solo songs as well, as they went on to have successful solo careers after the demise of the bands.

Tracklist:
Band - Song - Album

1. 5 Hand Reel - Satan will appear (Bunch of Fives)
2. Silly Wizard - My love's in Germany (Silly Wizard, re-released on Early Years)
3. 5 Hand Reel - Lay ye doon (Bunch of Fives)
4. Silly Wizard - Donald McGillavry / O'Neill's Cavalry March live (Live Wizardry)
5. Catriona - The rightful king (The Rightfull King)
6. Dick Gaughan - Your daughters and your sons live (From a German radio broadcast, but also available on Live in Edinburg)
7. 5 Hand Reel - A Man's a Man for a' that (For a' that)
8. 5 Hand Reel - The Cruel Brother (For a' that)
9. Silly Wizard - The Queen of Argyll live (Live Wizardry)
10. 5 Hand Reel - The Knight and the Shepherd's Daughter (5 Hand Reel)
11. Dick Gaughan - Johnny miner (Kist O'Gold)
12. Andy M Stewart & Manus Lunny - Haughs o'Cromdale (At it again)
13. Bedlam Bards - Black Leather Band I picked this one up after a tip from Morgenstern.
14. 5 Hand Reel - When A Man's In Love (5 Hand Reel)
15. The Tannahill Weavers - Instrumental. Sadly I never wrote down which instrumental it was, so I have no idea which one it is.
16. 5 Hand Reel - Wee wee German lairdie (5 Hand Reel)
17. Silly Wizard - Golden, golden live (Live Wizardry)
18. Dick Gaughan The Pound A Week Rise (Gaughan)

After having copied this mix quite a few times, I set out to make Scotfolk II as a Christmas present for a couple of friends. Quite a lot of research went into this one, for instance watching Phil Cunningham's (previously of Silly Wizard) brilliant series on Scottish music (on BBC Scotland).

Scotfolk II

Most of the artist are Scottish, with the rather obvious exception of Joan Baez (actually I think her dad was Scottish).

1. Julie Fowlis - Hùg air a' Bhonaid Mhòir (Cuilidh)
2. Dick Gaughan - Both Sides The Tweed (Handful of Earth)
3. 5 Hand Reel - The Beef-Can Close (Earl O'Moray)
4. Andy M Stewart & Manus Lunny - Tae the weaver's gin ye go (At it again)
5. Dick Gaughan - The bonnie banks o'Fordie (No more forever)
6. The Proclaimers - Throw the R Away (This is the story)
7. Silly Wizard - Donald McGillavry/O'Neill's Cavalry March (So many partings)
8. 5 Hand Reel - Land o'the Leal
9. The Waterboys - The Raggle Taggle Gypsy (2nd Version) (Room to roam)
10. Old Blind Dogs - Tae the begging I will go (The World's room)
11. Joan Baez - Johnny I hardly knew yeh (From a live bootleg)
12. 5 Hand Reel - Freedom Come-All-Ye (Earl O'Moray)
13. Julie Fowlis - Puirt-a-beul Set (Cuilidh)
14. Silly Wizard - Wi' My Dog And Gun (So many partings)
15. 5 Hand Reel - Both Sides Of The Forth (5 Hand Reel / The Collection)
16. Dick Gaughan - Cam ye ower frae France
17. Andy M Stewart - Is there for honest poverty (Songs of Robert Burns)
18. Waterboys - Islandman (Room to roam)

So that's it. I would have to put a lot of time and effort into it, should I make a third one. I know there are some Big Names that are missing, and that's due to me NOT LIKING them. These are highly personalised CDs, so why would I include things I don't enjoy? There are still lots of artists that I would like to include, but haven't been able to either buy or download songs from.

Speaking of which: Many of these albums are out of print (most of the 5 Hand Reel ones, the Catriona one, several of the Dick Gaughan ones etc). If anyone is desperate enough... drop me a line! ;)