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Sleeve Notes
Making a really good album requires considerable expense, a good studio, first class equipment, an excellent engineer such as Ron Pender and the infinite patience which can only come from genuine friendship.
The friendship connected with the making of this record, for which I will be ever grateful, came from Pete Stanley, Brian Golby, Alan (Spud) Taylor, Alisdair Johnson, Marie Smetana and last but by no means least from my recording manager Nathan Joseph who also provided a good ear, good taste and good hard cash.
Honesty is out of the Fashion. If you, dear reader, happen to be a shopkeeper I would like you to know that this song is not directed against you personally but against all the rest of them whom you know to be a bunch of crooks.
The Pekinese Dog. I wrote after reading about a delightful old lady who died leaving thousands of shares to her beautiful little Pekinese. My thinking was of what a wonderful incentive it must be for a chap to know he is working to boost the shares of such a pet.
The Sash/Kevin Barry. In many Folk Clubs throughout the country I have had one person requesting The Sash and another asking for Kevin Barry. Since I like the words of Kevin Barry which tells of one of the finest young Irishmen who laid down their lives for their country's independence and since I find The Sash a stirring tune, I decided to combine the two into a song dedicated to Orange-Fenian unity.
The Dundee Ghost. Some years ago in Glasgow there was a family who were forced out of their "single end", or one roomed house, by a ghost. Some people in Glasgow laughed at them. But not I.
In fact, I went along to investigate and as sure as God's in Govan there in a corner of the house stood a ghost … singing … Mind you, he was a rotten singer.
The Ballad of the Q4. An Englishwoman came to Clydebank and named the Q4 after herself. But it remains a magnificent tribute to Clydeside ingenuity and craftsmanship.
Biddy McGrath is a rave up guaranteed to shock, though not too severely, any audience from John o'Groats to Wexford.
The Leaving of Liverpool and Ros in the Bow are two fine traditional songs in which my heart delights.
Two Foot Tall is a height to which I hope no man aspires so that no one need be personally offended.
The Sequel to the Dundee Weaver. Many thanks to Marie Smetana for her lovely rendering on the record of part of the original Dundee Weaver which song any honest Dundonian will agree is a sleight on we poor, long suffering and entirely innocent Glaswegians. This sequel is my Glaswegian revenge.
No Nay Never. I confess to a touch of naughtiness in my conversion of this wonderful song.
The Big Orange Whale. After Celtic's fantastic European Cup victory the Celtic supporter was bragging. "Aha" said the Rangers supporter "but don't forget you had five Protestants playing for you". "Aye", said the Celtic man, "And you had eleven playing for you. But it didnae seem tae dae you any good". Which of course is a kind of joke with a jag in it.
Another Glasgow team, Partick Thistle, has been playing well recently. But there have been times when they could have been described as a joke with eleven jags in it.
The Pill, as I say on the record, I wrote in defence of a poor wee woman in the Gallowgate who had twenty-two children and whose man was always getting on to her.
Coorie Doon is one of my favourites, the most of all the hundreds of songs I have written.
Matt McGinn.