The McCalmans   •   The Best of The McCalmans

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  • The Best of The McCalmans
    • 2001 - Playasound PS 65238 CD (FRA)
  • Tracklist
    1. Tullochgorum (Trad. Arr. I. McCalmans, N. Keir & D. Moffat)
    2. Rolling Hills of The Borders (M. McGinn)
    3. Tae The Weavers Gin Ye Gang (Trad. Arr. I. McCalmans, N. Keir & D. Moffat)
    4. Westering Home (Trad. Arr. I. McCalmans, N. Keir & D. Moffat)
    5. Scotland (I. McCalman)
    6. Festival Lights (N. Keir)
    7. The Highland Road (I. McCalman)
    8. The Black Bear, The Drover Lads & Top House (Trad. Arr. I. McCalmans, N. Keir & D. Moffat)
    9. Falkirk Tryste (N. Keir)
    10. I Will Go 'Land of Macleod' (R. McMillan)
    11. Tireee Love Song (Trad. Arr. I. McCalmans, N. Keir & D. Moffat)
    12. A Man's A Man For A' That (Trad. Arr. I. McCalmans, N. Keir & D. Moffat)
    13. Wha'll Be King But Charlie (Trad. Arr. I. McCalmans, N. Keir & D. Moffat)
    14. Isle Of Eigg (R. Laing)
    15. Rolling Home (Trad. Arr. I. McCalmans, N. Keir & D. Moffat)
  • The McCalmans
    • Ian McCalman: Vocals & Guitar
    • Nick Keir: Vocals, Guitar, Mandolin, Mouth-Organ & Whistle
    • Derek Moffat: Vocals, Guitar & Bodhran
  • Notes
    • Information on this release comes from outside sources.

"It's an understatement to say that The McCalmans are still going strong … timeless appeal" (the "Scotsman" 99)

"The McCalmans" folk group has been performing for thirty-three year and all members of the group play instruments and sing.

Their many followers will testify that they are not just another folk group.

Ian and Nick were born in Edinburg and Derek comes from Dysart. The original group started in 1964 at the Edinburg School of Architecture when Hamish Bayne was in the band. He suffered an acute attack of sanity and left the band in 1982 and Nick came in … the brave guy has been in the group ever since. Derek is the undisputed "lead singer" and has just written his first song, Nick sings, writes memorable songs and is the main instrumentalist. Ian drives the car and tells the others how well they're doing. He also arranges many of the songs.

Material. During the folk-rock boom, the instrumental blast and the Celtic explosion, they kept finding and singing traditional and contemporary material from Scotland (and beyond) with unique harmony and idiosyncratic, off-the-cuff presentation. It is their constant commitment to humour and entertainment via song that explains why they are still in demand.

What they've done. 21 albums (220 songs), countless radio and T.V series plus world tours in every direction. They have heald the bill at London's Albert Hall and the smallest of folk clubs. They have sung in deserts, jungles, arctic wastes and remote islands, taking their music to anyone who will listen.

Ian, Derek and Nick (and ex-member, Hamish), have remained the best of friends throughout the years and perhaps the reason for this is their refusal to travel more than four months per year, which keeps them fresh and Scottish. Their most recent album, "Keepers" has received a wonderful reception and could well rival the sales of "Peace and Plenty", which earned a gold disc. Tours in the Scottish Highlands, Denmark, Germany, England and Holland are lined up in the immediate future and after that the tours go inter-continental.

Future? It‘s really difficult to predict when one of the busiest groups will "call it a day" … sometime this century!