MUSIC WEEK JULY 9, 1977

SPOTUGHTOn

SCOTLflflD Scottish labels progress wit Hi .....H tch _rf A'.fforpntdifferent rpa«:nns.reasons. "We are so<:n busy that have been the first three of a "I've watched with interest the them ("The Starsky & " ° producing tapes that Grampian has scries of cathedral organ records. It shape the business is taking, and we Coatbridge"). Now that he has had to keep a low profile. We still is still a sole-proprietor business. can't help but win. There's been a product to play, he even gets keep up support for existing Peter Hamilton, not normally downward curve ol interest from the requests for it, and the record ts product, most of which is dance moving fast. . . given to forecasts, views the4 future majors — I call them majors in band material, but we are not with enthusiasm. 'We've quotes — and one of the reasons is In all fairness, no r Scottishduc, g producing much at the moment." completely re-structured the place. that the lackeys who produce for company currently P o " Still releasing, however, is RHL The office is working efficiently and English companies tend to give the records — which excludes labels like Records, based on the Edinburgh we now have a rep on the road in companies what they want, rather Scotia and Thistle, - both stagnant London as well as central Scotland, than what people want. When EMI for some lime — comes anywhere studio, — Scotland's youngest and our next move must be to cover opened an office in Scotland they near Lismor cither in size or breadth label. Since last December Neil Ross the North of Scotland and Northern actually asked if they could borrow of catalogue. But elsewhere there is has released three albums — John England. some of our artists for the still plenty of confidence. Cairney telling the Robert Burns "We've acquired Bluebell Music celebrations. John McLarty at Loudon Story, and two fiddlers' rally records from David Silver, and have our "What happens is that at best, Records, which in a year has with tv support. Again Ross does THE PAST few years have seen a own publishing company, Isa Music. strings are pulled elsewhere and at released ten albums, is still happy not want to be tied to the Scottish slight withdrawal by many of the We have new producers — George worst, the whole concept is with the 50-odd albums on his product, although he is at the majors from Scottish product. Porter is going to be doing work for developed elsewhere. Take the Emblem religious label. As far as he moment. As well as titles like The Although they all have back- us, and the McCready brothers who example of fiddle records — the is concerned there is no depression. MacDonald of Kippoch Sings catalogue of Scottish material, most were with Middle Of The Road are bubble has burst. I could do more — (certainly the most eccentric one this have not been signing specifically "Sales have never been better. We setting up studio facilities and are and there's nothing cheaper to recently released a batch including year) he is releasing some jazz44 and Scottish acts, although most arc going to produce for us. record — but I don't feel that there's the Uddingston Strathclyde Pipe blues product, as well as pop. We happy to have Scots in the pop and "We'll go on putting out Scottish anything in it. Band, folk singers Andy MacKenzie have still to overcome some m.o.r. fields. With the possible product, but not so much as in the "We now have overseas deals and John MacPhail, and distribution problems, but we will, exception of Pye, most of the past. I've been attacked (I don't which means our product is accordionist Jack Stitt all of which we will." companies have been very restrained mind if it's done politely) for doing available overseas, and yet we still arc moving well. Our most popular Two more companies which have in signing even established Scottish so much Gaelic product, but it is a get export orders from those material is still Scottish Dance Band shifted a good deal of product are names. solid market, and one that nobody territories, Canada, North America stuff, and Willie Simpson is still our Scottish Records at Kirkintilloch, One of the reasons for this must else is catering for. But now I want in general, Australia and New best seller, although John McGregor one of the oldest labels still be the number of labels in Scotland to break down this idea that in Zealand. is catching up and is doing producing, whose catalogue goes handling the product, and being in Scotland you can only produce "We've just signed Sydney particularly well in London." back to Duncan MacCrae and up to situ, handling it belter than the Scottish records. It's a minority in Devine's backing band Legend, At Pan Audio John MacKinnon is The Scottish Fiddlers' Welcome to majors could. Scotland who actually buy Scottish Helen McArthur. we are doing work not as confident. "A lot of our The Clans released in June, and Of the Scottish labels, Lismor has records — our figures suggest that with Bill McCue and we are putting in four years come from nothing to a every household in Scotland spent product isn't suitable for daytime Springthyme Records up in Fife position of some authority. At the out our first batch of singles — as airplay, admittedly, but I don't which on only three albums has lOp on Lismor product last year. opposed to individual releases — in think we get much help at all from already gained a reputation for well moment it has nearly 80 albums on Now that will probably break down September. Three from Canadian catalogue, and by the end of the year to Ip in the central belt, and £1 or ILR. It's not fair that radio stations recorded folk. the figure will be 100. They have just sources, two from Scotland." should produce records. We don't In the middle of all this there is set up a pop label, Neptune, and will more in the Islands." One of Lismor's strangest have a chance against that kind of still the idea of the companies Hamilton's offices are situated in successes of late has been a maxi- competition. gelling together, something which' confine all Scots product to Lismor Argyle Street, where his record shop single by two ladies from Coatbridge and move other types of music on to used to be. "The rates here are "We're not alone in this, but I will surely prove necessary if Neptune. It has already diversified who call themselves Fran and Anna. reckon there is a distinct lack of Scotland is ever to have its own conveniently low," he says, "but we They work cruises and are rarely money to produce the kind of pressing facility. Even when the into country, military bands and are going to have to move soon. We here, but nevertheless have built up a dabbled in m.o.r. There is a new have 75,000 albums in store here, material which would get daytime Scottish Arts Council tried to bring series of classical albums in the and when that goes up we'll following through Jack airplay. We do not want to be a record companies together, it was pipeline, and the first steps towards overflow. McLaughlin's ceilidh show on Clyde Scottish company if that means only amazed by the pathetic attendance where he mercilessly pokes fun at handling Scottish-sounding product, figure of the first meeting. As Neil and we're trying to gel away from it. Ross says: "REL and Pan Audio are But still the most played item we've the exceptions. We meet up fairly released is Flower of Scotland. If regularly. But none of the others do, ILR has broken any artists, it is their and we really should gel together, The Pipes and Drums of the Colin Stewart own disc jockeys. And while we're even if it's only to discuss bad debts, Royal Scots Dragoon Guards on the subject, they don't do their so that we don't all suffer the same PPL sheets clearly enough. way one after the other." Alexander Morrison "To tell the truth, our record side Peter Hamilton on the other hand The Alexander Brothers is being supported at the moment by has his doubts. "I'm not against the Andy Stewart the commercials we're doing. It idea in principle, but the value of the Alasdair Gillies hasn't always been, and it won't be thing would have to be established Calum Kennedy & Family in the future. But for the lime being exactly and who would be we're keeping our release schedule participating. In any case there are Glen Daly Jim McLeod down to a minimum and selling what some people who would only use an we have on catalogue very hard." association for their own advantage. Starr Up in Wick, Jim Johnston is I think we will get a pressing plant, The Military Band and Pipes adopting a similar policy for though." He smiled. and Drums of the Royal Scots Calum Kennedy Dragoon Guards

Mountain —

ALL0N JUSTONE ALBUM peaks to climb

THE BEST OF in Scotland SCOTLAND. AN HONORARY member of the a deal with STV Entertainments, rather select club of Scottish labels and their Thingummyjig album will SOUVENIR ALBUM must be Mountain Records. It's not be out in July, with roadshows and a only the proportion of Scots artists new series coming up to support it, on ihc label — Alex Harvey, as well as advertising." Nazareth, Golden Fiddles Both Alex Harvey and Nazareth Thingummyjigs, Wales O'Reagan — but also the high proportion of Scots are touring Britain later this year, m- on the staff, including m.d. Derek and aware of the talent still in Nicol, label manager Gordon Glasgow and environs. Mountain - ■ & Simpson, and PR manager Shirlev maintains a Glasgow office. Eddie m '5.1 . Stone. Fobin is unique in his position in Derek Nicol says that there is a bic that he not only promotes product in potential market in Scotland the area, but is also Very much an overiooked by many companies. adjunct to a&r. 44 The Golden Fiddle Awards was a Gordon Simpson says: Scots testing ground for us. Although we quality music suffers from the way it <30 had Scottish artists we were London- is handled. There is a similar based and therefore couldn't be sure situation in Canada where the bulk Extensive further Scottish catalogue available, h would work. However both ol the record business is in the volumes are selling as well now as States. We got the Nazareth off in they did early m their lives. Canada by treating it as another ' '1's year we hope to reach territory, not pan of the US. comparable figures but not oversell Scotland is the same. Handled protessionally a lot more product PAGE 26 "• Us success also prompted us to do could be sold."