BILLY’S

Euphoricishness (E Shaw/M Crosbie)

When driving back from gigs Angus was usually the last to be dropped off. One night Malc and Angus were saying how good the gig had been. Malc said that the atmosphere had been quite euphoric, well euphoricish anyway. Angus laughed and said that’s the name of the next album right there, it sounds like the name of a village in the west coast. It was not the name of the next album, but Eilidh and Malc decided to use it for this tune. Eilidh’s got a thing about nouns.

Billy’s Birthday Tune (E Shaw)

This tune was written in honour of Arisaig’s finest brickie, Billy MacMillan, on the occasion of his 60th birthday

Colonel Sig of the 2-2-6 (E Shaw)

A friend who lives in the Middle East asked Eilidh to write a tune for Colonel Sig as a thank you for saving his life. He was fairly evasive and sketchy on details.

BLACK DOG 

Black Dog On The Balcony (E MacPherson)

Written on a balcony in the Otara Guest House, Jodhpur. We drank the Black Dog Indian “whisky”, howled in harmony with all the street dogs, got eaten by mosquitoes, and told ourselves what we really thought of each other after all these years.

Tìll an Crodh Laochain • Return the Cows, Lad (Trad)

This version was sung by Peggy MacRae, Isle of Canna, and collected by John Lorne Campbell and Margaret Fay Shaw. Originally a pipe tune that became a pibroch song, it was used whilst milking to pacify the cows.

The song tells of the wedding of young Glengarry and the MacIntosh chief’s daughter. The nuptials were interrupted by cattle thieves looking to steal MacIntosh’s herd. Dòmhnall, the young Glengarry distinguished himself by helping to bring the cattle back, then calmly returned to the wedding feast. Father Allan MacDonald of Eriskay documented the words from Angus MacInnes of Smerclet, South Uist in 1896.

The Roaster (E MacPherson)

A tribute to the overly enthusiastic post-gig grippers who corner you so you can’t get to the bar. Angus used to point and run away.

AIR CHUAIRT • ON TOUR

Air Allaban • Wandering (E MacPherson/K Rowan/A Macdonald)

Throughout his life, our good pal Angus R Grant was on the wander, arriving at one kitchen table or another, one festival or another. There were endless nights of tunes, friendship and craic. He held dear his time with friends, singing till dawn, and mulling over the wonder of life.

This started life as a “strathspey” of Ewan’s. Kaela then wrote words in English, and then Allan MacDonald, very creatively rewrote them into the Gaelic.

Sùil a ‘Ghobhair • Eye of the Goat (E Shaw)

He has the eye of the goat; he’s a randy devil.

Featuring Suilven Solo by Lindsay Warrack, read by James Mackintosh

CARAVAN UP NORTH

The Caravan Up North Tour (E MacPherson)

This title of a highland tour back in 2014 was emailed to thousands of promoters all over Scotland, by our erstwhile agent. Caravans up north are also temporary homes for various Shoogles.

An Robh Thu ‘Sa Bheinn • Were You in the Hills? (Trad)

Kaela heard this waulking song sung by Mary Morrison, Isle of Barra, luckily captured on recordings by folklorist John Lorne Campbell. She was an incredible singer who basically rocked it. Waulking songs helped liven up the otherwise monotonous work of stretching out tweed cloth for days on end. As usual we’ve shoogled things about a bit.