Gaberlunzie
1971 — Patheway PAT B5001 LP

Credits

Gordon Menzies: vocals, guitar, mandoline
Robin Watson: vocals, 12 string guitar
Robbie Menzies: vocals, guitar ^[1]
Jack Marshall: double bass
Donald Marshall: drums ^[1]
Produced by Ian Brown and Robin Watson

Sleeve Notes (Patheway PAT B5001)

Here we have a new Album from "The Gaberlunzie", which is certain to be as popular and successful as their "Brave Words and Fighting Talk".

This record serves to introduce Robbie Menzies, who in April, 1971, joined the original "Gaberlunzies", Robin Watson and Gordon Menzies.

Gaberlunzie sound is unmistakable with heavy overtones of Scottish patriotism, blending beautifully to harmonic love songs and melodies, such as "Ann Macdonald", "Sparkling Raindrops", "Bonnie Annie", and "Towards Morning".

Doing session are two of their close friends Jack Marshall from Largs on bass and Donald Marshall from East Kilbride on drums. Jack and Donald are both excellent musicians and come into their own on numbers like "Kelly", "Staten Island" and "13 Spans of Steel", which recalls the Tay Bridge disaster of last century.

All five, with the exception of Jack Marshall, are serving Police officers and the "Talking Cop Blues" is a tongue in cheek good natured "figment of pure fantasy".

Ludwig's Tune is, in fact, Beethoven's Sonatina in "C" Major for piano and mandolin very freely adapted and arranged for mandolin and guitars.

"Nelly, Nelly" tells the story of the American Civil War, Abe Lincoln and the continuing struggle between black and white.

Charles Edward Stuart is remembered in "Grey Man of Skye", while the "Great White Sheep", recounts the tale of the highland clearances in the years following Culloden. During those troubled times, none was more thorough or callous than the Marchioness of Sutherland, who cleared her hills and glens by forcing her kinfolk to emigrate by the thousands and thus leave the land free for the more profitable "Cheviot", the "Great White Sheep".

Ian Brown

Alternate releases

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Sleeve Notes (DJSL 02)

Gaberlunzie sound is unmistakable with heavy overtones of Scottish patriotism, blending beautifully to harmonic love songs and melodies, such as Ann McDonald, Sparkling Raindrops, Bonnie Annie and Towards Morning. Doing session are three of their close friends Jack Marshall on bass, Donald Marshall on drums and Robbie Menzies on guitar and vocals. Jack and Donald come into their own on numbers like Kelly, Staten Island, and 13 Spans of Steel, which recalls the Tay Bridge disaster of last century. Ludwig's Tune is, in fact, Beethoven's Sonatina in C Major for piano and mandolin very freely adapted and arranged for mandolin and guitars. Nelly, Nelly tells the story of the American Civil War, Abe Lincoln and the continuing struggle between black and white.

Notes

¹ The top album is the original release from 1971 (Patheway PAT B5001) — featuring Robbie Menzies on the cover. According to Gordon Menzies — "The third person (vocalist) on our second album was a chap Robbie Menzies who was with us for a while along with drummer Donnie Marshall".

I would assume when the 2^nd version (DJSL 02) was re-released in 1973, Robbie Menzies had left the band and therefore a different cover — featuring only Gordon and Robin. The 1973 release is the much more commonly found version — I didn't even know of the existence of the above (1971 - Patheway) release until I found this copy. The 2^nd cover is the one found on Gaberlunzie's website. In addition to the alternate cover, the 1973 release features an edited version of the above sleeve notes and the omission of one song, "Great White Sheep", which appears on their next release, Freedom's Sword.

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