Ian Bruce & The Tartan Spiders – Young Territorial

IAN BRUCE is one of the best known faces on the Scottish folk scene and a wonderful ambassador for the Scottish singer/songwriter genre, all over the UK, Europe and beyond. His voice has strength and accuracy, his guitar playing is excellent and his songs are beautifully crafted. In these days of amazing instrumentalists and controlled, tuneful singers, Ian is very much a performer to be reckoned with, a gem of the scene who presents his songs with raw emotion, backed up by a joyful and interactive relationship with his audience. Ian has toured solo, in duos with Ian Walker and also brother Fraser, and in other line-ups. He was also a featured singer in the hugely successful stage presentation: 'Far, Far From Ypres'.
Ian was commissioned by The London Scottish Volunteer Enterprises to produce this album in honor of the long and quite remarkable history of The London Scottish Regiment (and their famous 'hodden grey' kilts). He was also set the task of putting music to many stories and poems from the archives of the Regiment. Ian then assembled a large cast of guests, which he humorously named The Tartan Spiders, in his own Row Studios, in Cupar, Fife - when he not only took most of the lead vocals, played various instruments, including guitar, but also recorded and produced the album!

Track Listing:
1. Ah’ll Gi’e Ye A Diddleo – 0:40   2. Introduction – 1:21   3. Inverness – 5:46   4. Soldiers In The Chapel – 2:18   5. Sandy’s Conversion – 2:09   6. Sandy The Piper – 3:44   7. The Somme Offensive – 4:09   8. Halloween – 4:50   9. The Young Territorial – 5:44   10. In The Abbey – 2:29   11. The Big Drum Major – 4:00   12. The Auld Corps – 3:21   13. The Glenworple Highlanders – 3:51   14. Donald & The De’il – 2:52   15. Grey Kilts – 5:08   16. Wey Hey For The Hodden Grey – 6:31   17. The Legend Of Sheppey – 5:58

Personnel:
Ian Bruce (lead & harmony vocals, guitars, bass, percussion) , Kev Green (lead vocals, harmony vocals and recitations) , Charlie Milne (lead vocals, harmony vocals and recitations) , Lt. Col. Rob Pitt (recitations) , Carol Jamieson (backing vocals, whistling, piano) , Katharina Bramkamp (backing vocals, recorders) , iona Forbes / John Blackwood / Janet Weatherstone (backing vocals), Alasdair 'Sandy' Gibbs (bagpipes) , Denise Crighton-Ward (bass) , Gregor Lowrey (accordion, melodeon) , Pete Clark (fiddles) , Alastair Morrow (drums)

Reviews:

1. AllMusic – Artist Biography
b. 21 January 1956, Rutherglen, Glasgow, Scotland. Singer-songwriter Bruce began an early career singing in folk clubs with his brother Fraser (b. Andrew Fraser Bruce, 13 January 1947, Fulham, London, England). They recorded three albums together before Ian gradually moved into solo work, although he continued to hold down his day job as a draughtsman at Yarrow Shipbuilders. A brief sojourn with a band called Scotland Yard, which included Marilyn Middleton Pollock and Sandy Stanage, resulted in Wishing For Friday, which was never released. Bruce’s first real acceptance as a songwriter came with the release, on his own label, of 1988’s Too Far From She, with special interest being shown in the title track. He was signed to Fellside Records for 1990’s Blodwen’s Dream, the label’s first CD release. This album contained Graham Miles’ excellent ‘My Eldorado’, a song about faded hopes and dreams, and the equally fine self-penned title track. Despite throat surgery and being dropped by Fellside following the release of 1992’s Out Of Office, Bruce went from strength to strength on his mid-90s recordings Free Agent and The Naked Truth. In addition to solo work, Bruce has performed with fellow songwriter Ian Walker, the group Blue Rooster with Dez Walters (formerly of Country Dawn), and Ian Murray. He also performed and recorded with Paul Hutchinson and Paul Sartin as the Ian Bruce Breeze Band. In the late 90s Bruce recorded the all Scottish folk album Hodden Grey for Greentrax Records, and participated in the multi-volume Robert Burns recording project instigated by Dr. Fred Freeman and Linn Records.