"THE STRATHSPEY KING"

"JAMES SCOTT SKINNER" 

"ORIGINAL RECORDINGS OF THE "GREAT

 SCOTTISH FIDDLE MAESTRO" (1905-1922)

"JAMES SCOTT SKINNER, SCOTTISH FIDDLER AND

 COMPOSER DIED IN 1927 AT THE AGE OF 84. SELF

 STYLED "THE STRATHSPEY KING" HE HAD AN 

 EXTRAORDINARY LIFE AND LEFT BEHIND HIM A 

 LEGACY OF MUSIC THAT HAS HAD A GREAT EFFECT 

 ON SCOTTISH FIDDLING AND TRADITIONAL MUSIC

 IN GENERAL"

"LUCANIA POLKA"

"ALLEGORY: THE MILLER O' HIM / MACKENIE FRAZIER 

 THE AULD WHEEL"

"BAGPIPE MARCHES: ATHOLE HIGLANDERS / THE 

 INVERNESS GATHERING"

"CELEBRATED HORNPIPES: ARTHUR'S SEAT / EUGENE

 STRATTON / THE BANKS"

"HIGHLAND REELS: LAIRD O' THRUMS / GAVIN M'MILLAN /

 LAIRD O' DRUMBLAIR / GLADSTONE'S REEL"

"MEDLEY NO. 2: BONNIE LASS O'BON ACCORD / MARQUIS

 OF HUNTLY'S FAREWELL / THE TEN POUND FIDDLE"

"HIGHLAND SCHOTTISCHE NO. 2: SANDY CAMERON / 

 MILLER O'HIM / THE GLENLIVET"

"TRIUMPH COUNTRY DANCE: TRIUMP / TIMUR THE TARTAR / 

 THE LEFT HANDED FIDDLER / SPEED THE PLOUGH / DE'LL

 AMONG THE TAILORS"

"HOME SWEET HOME: THE IRON MANSTRATHSPEY / THE 

 STRATHSPEY / THE BUNGALOW REEL"

"CRADLE SONG: CRADLE SONG / THE BRAES OF AUCHTERTYRE /

 THE ATHOLE HIGHLANDERS' FAREWELL TO LOCH KATRINE"

"GLENGRANT / TULCHAN LODGE / THE PARROT - 

 HUMOROUS PIZZICATO"

"MRS. SCOTT SKINNER / MACKENZIE HAY / THE DEVIL'S ELBOW"

"THE LAIRD O' DRUMBLAIR: THE LAIRD O'DRUMBLAIR / THE 

 BAKER REEL / WILL YE NO COME BACK AGAIN"

"BIRLIN REELS: THE AULD WHEEL / SPINNING WHEEL / BRIDE'S 

 REEL / MACKENZIE FRAZIER / FAIRY DANCE"

"GERMAN SCOTTISCHE: BOHEMIAN MELODIES"

"GOODBYE GRAMIN / JOHNNY STEELE / JAMES HARDIE"

"HIGHLAND SCOTTISCHE: MAGGIE CAMERON / ATHOLE

 BROSE / THE DEVIL IN THE KITCHEN / FORBES MORRISON"

"SEAN TREWS / WHISTLE O'ER THE LAVE O'T / WHA WIDHA

 FECHT FOR CHARLIE"

"THE FREEBOOTER / TULLOCHOGORUM / THE EAST NEUK O'FIFE"

"THE FREEBOOTER (IS YOUR WAR PIPE ASLEEP ) / MACPHERSON'S

 RANT / TULLOCHGORUM & VARIATIONS / THE EAST NEUK OF 

 FIFE & VARIATIONS"

"THE PRESIDENT - AIR AND VARIATIONS"

"THE PRESIDENT - AIR AND VARIATIONS - NO PROCESSING"

"WE ARE ABLE TO EXPERIENCE SOME OF THAT LEGACY, AS 

 SKINNER RECORDED MANY OF HIS COMPOSITIONS AND 

 FAVOURITE TUNES ON BOTH CYLINDER AND EARLY VINYL

 DISCS. FIRST RELEASED IN THE 1970'S BY TOPIC RECORDS, 

 WE HAVE RE-PROCESSED THE ORIGINAL TRACKS USING UP

 TO DATE CEDAR EQUIPMENT TO ELIMINATE AS MUCH SURFACE

 NOISE AS POSSIBLE WITHOUT AFFECTING THE MUSIC. SO DON'T

 EXPECT A HI-FI RECORDING, BUT SKINNER'S MUSIC STILL SHINES

 THROUGH. AS BRUCE MACGREGOR SAYS IN HIS ESSAY"

"WE'LL NEVER TRULY KNOW HWAT WEN ON IN SKINNER'S MIND, OR

 FULLY UNDERSTAND WHAT DROVE HIM ON: IN MANY RESPECTS IT

 DOESN'T REALLY MATTER. WHAT IS CLEAR THAT HIS MUSIC 

 POSSESES THE UNIQUE ELEMENTS OF SCOTTISH MUSIC, PASSION

 VIGOUR, HEART AND SOUL - AND AS LONG AS THOSE ARE THE CORE

 ELEMENTS OF TRADITIONAL MUSIC, THEN JAMES SCOTT SKINNER WILL

 ALWAYS REMAIN "THE KING"

 (ROBIN MORTON / SEPTEMBER 2002)

TEMPLE RECORDS / COMD2084 

SEALED / MADE IN AUSTRIA