The Foundry Bar Band: Foundry Bar Band

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Foundry Bar Band: Willie John McAulay/ Benawe Highlanders

Jim Reid & the Band: Auchmithie

Willie John McAulay/ Benawe Highlanders
and Jim Reid: Auchmithie
on springthyme/sound cloud

Bothy songs and Scottish country music have been a part of life at the Foundry Bar in Arbroath ever since the time when the only customers were the foundry workers from over the road (the foundry has long since gone), the fisher fowk from the town, and the fairm chiels in from the Angus countryside for the weekly fairs and markets. In 1975 some of the Foundry Bar musicians got together, entered and won the Ceilidh Band competition at the Kinross festival, and so was born The Foundry Bar Band. This, their first album, was issued in 1981 and it has been a top selling album ever since - first as an LP, then on cassette, later remastered in CD format and now available online and as downloads.

For pictures of the band and the Foundry Bar go to Pictures below.

Track List:
For full song texts, click on a song title

1. Marches: 3.11
WILLIE JOHN McAULAY (H. Troup)/ BENAWE HIGHLANDERS (trad. arr. Dewars)

2. Song (Scottish Waltz): 2.14
AUCHMITHIE Song Text: Auchmithie

3. Strip the Willow (Jig time): 4.37
HOT PUNCH/ FAREWELL TO THE TAY (trad. arr. Dewars)/ BEARSDEN FIDDLER (J. Mason)/ DONALD'S AWA TAE THE WAR (trad. arr. Dewars)

4. Scottish Waltz: 2.59
O NAGH AGHMOR (trad. arr. Dewars)/ KAREN ANN (B. Dewars)

5. Bothy Ballad: 2.47
GUISE O TOUGH Song Text: Guiso Tough

6. Irish Jig: 1.46
OUT ON THE OCEAN (trad. arr. P. Forbes)

7. Eightsome Reel: 3.20
ROXBURGH CASTLE/ MRS MacLEOD/ FAIRY DANCE (all trad. arr. Dewars)/ THE BROLUM (C. Bannantyne)/ HIGH ROAD TO LINTON (trad. arr. Dewars)

8. Pipe Marches: 4.50
Mrs H. L. MacDONALD OF DUNACH (W. Lawrie)/ LOCHABER GATHERING (G. S. MacLennan)/ SWEET MAID OF MULL (A. C. Beaton/ J. MacFadyen)

9. March and hornpipe: 2.07
GRANT FARQUHARSON OF INVERAVON (C. Geddes)/ BELLA AND ROY (C. Geddes)

10. Song (Scottish Waltz): 2.36
CATHERINE STREET Song Text: Catherine Street

11. Barn Dance (2/4 marches): 4.11
RHODESIAN REGIMENT (P. R. MacLeod)/ WILLIE GRAY (trad. arr. C. Geddes)/ LEWIS AND HARRIS GATHERING (P. R. MacLeod)

12. Song (Scottish waltz): 3.29
TRAMPS AND HAWKERS Song Text: Tramps and Hawkers

13. Gay Gordons (6/8 marches): 2.56
WEE TOD/ KENMURE'S UP AN AWA/ ATHOLL HIGHLANDERS/ BONNIE DUNDEE (all trad. arr. C. Geddes)

Other Recordings:
1: The Foundry Bar Band - Foundry Bar Band (1981) (SPRCD 1007)
2: The Foundry Bar Band - On The Road (1983) (LP Classic Vinyl and Cassette only)
3: Coorse & Fine - Songs & Ballods of Dundee (1986) (LP Classic Vinyl & Cassette only - CD due shortly SPRCD 1017)
4: The Foundry Bar Band - Rolling Home (1988) (SPRCD 1026)
5: Jim Reid & John Huband - Freewheeling Now (1990) (SPRCD 1030)

The Band and the Foundry Bar in Arbroath

HD Link
The Band on Angus McPherson's cart with Clydesdale horses outside the Foundry Bar in Arbroath.

HD Link
The Band as they were on their first album: Jim Reid (guitar, vocals, mouthorgan), Terry Beattie (button key accordion), Bob Reid (guitar, mothorgans), Chae Geddes (fiddle), Jim Gray (fiddle), Geordie Anderson (fiddle) and Bobby Dewars (piano accordion).

HD Link
In the Bar: Peter Forbes, Jim Reid, Helen Forbes, Jim Gray, Chae Geddes, Bobby Dewars, Bob Reid, Terry Beattie
and Bella and Roy (the hosts).

By the time the band made their second album in 1984 the number of musicians had grown and eleven musicians were in the studio at Craighall in Edinburgh. The album issued on LP as On The Road (SPR 1012) not yet (2017) reissued as CD.

HD Link
Foundry Bar Band ca. 1984 (left to right): Geordie Anderson (fiddle), Bill Tosh (accordion), Jim Reid (guitar, concertina, moothie & songs), Helen Forbes (tin whistle), Bobby Dewars (button box), Sandy Beattie (bass), Jim Dewars (guitar), Peter Forbes (uillean pipes), Jim Grey (fiddle), Bob Reid (guitar, moothie).