Andrew Rankine
It was with a profound sense of loss that the Scottish entertainment community heard of the death – just before Christmas – of that superb instrumentalist and immensely warm personality.
Aberdeen-born Andrew died of a heart attack at the age of 55 in California, to where he had emigrated in 1984 to establish the Scottish Heritage Centre near the Queen Mary at Long Beach.
Andrew was brought up in Menstrie, and began playing the accordion at 16 when his mother bought him a £90 Pancotti. His inspiration was Jimmy Shand and I remember Andrew telling me, “I just loved that accordion sound, and will never forget that night I eventually mastered the Scottish style.
“After two years’ practice it just clicked. I was knocked out at the time. It gave the thing a whole new dimension.”
The young Rankine was so determined to play well, he practised four hours a night through the week and eight hours a day at weekends.
He soon formed his own band – two accordions, piano, bass, drums and fiddle – and became a firm favourite all over Scotland.
Jack Delaney played with him for five years from 1955 and recalls the period with great affection, “Andrew didn’t copy anyone – he had his own particular style. He had a swing, he had a lift, he had a bounce.
“The five years I was with him was one of the highlights of my musical career. He was a natural – a great player.”
In 1960, Andrew went full time, but the arrival of rock ‘n’ roll meant Scottish bands found gigs hard to get, so he moved to Whitley Bay where he took up a post as a rep for Selmers, covering the whole of Scotland, North East England and Ireland.
I remember him calling at my Melrose shop at this period and becoming entranced with a Selmers’ imported Cordovox electronic accordion, which was the first one in a showroom in the UK. He had it converted to Scottish tuning and left Selmers to go back on the road with a one-man big band sound.
In 1963 he moved to Leicester to be more central. He had a prolonged residency at the Leicester Bierkeller, where he pounded out an incessant flow of Latin American, Continental, up-beat, down-beat and chart successes, mixed with standards and classics from all over the globe and Memory Lane.
He was absent from the Scottish scene until 1980 when I was putting on a big show – “Accordion Bonanza No. 1” – at Kelso and I thought Andrew would be a great choice for a special guest.
He was reluctant at first, and said he would have to rehearse for a month, but his wife Marj finally persuaded him to do it. Andrew enjoyed it immensely and said he was anxious to get into the Scottish scene again.
He featured in a live album of that concert and also in the follow-up album. With his newfound enthusiasm, he got his original band together and appeared in a BBC Radio Broadcast and two programmes in Robin Brock’s “Folks Around Robin” on Radio Forth. I edited and compiled two Best in Scottish Dance Music albums from the Radio Forth broadcasts and Andrew and his band featured prominently in both.
It was at this time he bought a new Crucianelli electronic accordion from me, which had hand made reeds and special tuning and he used it exclusively until he went to the USA.
We were all disappointed when he decided in 1984 to sell up and start out his new business on the Queen Mary. He was last back in Scotland in March 1985, when he dropped in to see the lads at my Melrose shop and buy albums and cassettes for his business.
He began his recording career on the Parlophone label and, of course, was handled by George Martin, who went on to great things as producer of The Beatles.
I well remember Andrew telling me, “We always thought George was a really big name at that time, earning lots of money, but discovered in his autobiography that he was getting only £8 a week.”
Up until 1980, Andrew had eight albums and fifteen singles to his credit, cutting his first long player in 1969 with John Carmichael on second accordion and Charlie Cowie on fiddle.
He cited Meg Merrilees as his best recording and always recalled with nostalgia what a good band he had at that time.
Of course, Andrew was a very gifted composer – he had a superb ability to write a simple, lilting tune and his 6/8 jig Donald Ian Rankine is a masterpiece. He also had a superb talent for selecting sets in which the tunes all flowed into a distinctive, essentially sympathetic format – a form of intricate editing in which the set jelled together marvellously.
Andrew was a great character with a tremendous personality. I know he had a reputation for turning up late for engagements, but once he was there, his tremendous drive and verve made sure that the audience got their money’s worth!
He had astonishing energy. This was typified in a conversation I had recently with accordionist/enthusiast John Munro from Keith.
John told me, “I remember Andrew staying with me one night in the summer of 1965 after a concert in Portree. Andrew had boundless energy. He picked up the Cordovox at around midnight and played more or less non-stop until around 4.30 a.m.
“He then suggested we all go out for a walk, which we did, arriving home around 5 a.m. with fresh rolls. Instead of calling it a day, Andrew promptly picked up the Cordovox and played with renewed brilliance until 7 a.m.”
Sadly, Andrew never played abroad – a heart attack after a tour of Shetland in 1970 making him decide to stick to these shores.
In a musical career spanning more than thirty years, Andrew made an indelible mark on the Scottish music scene. He was a marvellous instrumentalist, inspiring bandleader, talented composer, a loyal friend and warm-hearted, exuberant and always cheery personality. Our deepest sympathy goes to Marj in her tragic loss.
Andrew began his working career in Glenochil Yeast Factory as a laboratory assistant. I once asked him if he had any regrets about leaving that laboratory in Clackmannanshire.
“No, none at all. Music is a way of life I would never have missed. But you can take yourself too seriously. After you overcome the impression that music can’t live without you, you have a lot of laughs.
It’s just a question of getting it all into perspective.”
Andrew Rankine did get things into perspective. And these remarks couldn’t provide a more fitting epitaph for a man who gave pleasure to millions.
Box and Fiddle
January/February 1986
Sir – Jimmy Clinkscale’s otherwise excellent and sensitive appreciation of Andrew Rankine states that Andrew was ‘absent from the Scottish scene’ between the time he moved to Whitley Bay and then Leicester during the 1960s and the mounting of Accordion Bonanza No 1 in 1980.
This will come as a surprise to his many friends, admirers and professional colleagues in England, especially perhaps the countless Scottish dancing societies throughout the country who enjoyed his playing during those years.
In fact, Andrew’s band was in full swing during that period, with Ken Park on fiddle, George Darling on drums and myself of piano. Among the albums released at that time were ‘Scottish Country Dance Favourites Vol 1’ (Emerald Gem GES 1055) in 1971 ; ‘Come Scottish Country Dancing’ (NRSCDS 102) issued by the Newcastle Branch of the RSCDS in 1976 ; ‘Scotsmen Every One’ (Emerald Gem GES 1176) in 1977 and ‘Great Scotch’ (ART 302) on Andrew’s own Artisan label in 1980.
Our last album, sadly, was ‘The London highland club Diamond Jubilee’ (LHC LP7) issued by the London Highland club in 1984.
Like many other players, notably those who spoke during Robbie Shephard’s ‘TTF’ tribute last December, I feel both privileged and proud to have been able to play with Andrew.
In his playing, arranging and musicianship generally, he was one of a small handful of individuals who have made unique, creative contributions to the development of Scottish Country Dance Music. His influence in all of these ways will live on.
In recalling Andrew’s great gifts, however, it would be a pity if a whole slice of his colourful career was overlooked.
One final point. In penning these words, mildly criticizing Jimmy Clinkscale, I’m reminded of one of Andrew’s qualities that has not been remarked upon in the course of recent appreciations and obituaries. In all the years I knew him, and despite his own abundant talents, I never heard Andrew criticize another band or another player (members of his own band being rare exceptions!)
Only when asked did he volunteer an opinion and he invariably looked for points to praise.
Dr Bernard Dixon
81 Falmouth Road
Chelmsford
Essex
Box and Fiddle
April 1986
Aberdeen-born Andrew died of a heart attack at the age of 55 in California, to where he had emigrated in 1984 to establish the Scottish Heritage Centre near the Queen Mary at Long Beach.
Andrew was brought up in Menstrie, and began playing the accordion at 16 when his mother bought him a £90 Pancotti. His inspiration was Jimmy Shand and I remember Andrew telling me, “I just loved that accordion sound, and will never forget that night I eventually mastered the Scottish style.
“After two years’ practice it just clicked. I was knocked out at the time. It gave the thing a whole new dimension.”
The young Rankine was so determined to play well, he practised four hours a night through the week and eight hours a day at weekends.
He soon formed his own band – two accordions, piano, bass, drums and fiddle – and became a firm favourite all over Scotland.
Jack Delaney played with him for five years from 1955 and recalls the period with great affection, “Andrew didn’t copy anyone – he had his own particular style. He had a swing, he had a lift, he had a bounce.
“The five years I was with him was one of the highlights of my musical career. He was a natural – a great player.”
In 1960, Andrew went full time, but the arrival of rock ‘n’ roll meant Scottish bands found gigs hard to get, so he moved to Whitley Bay where he took up a post as a rep for Selmers, covering the whole of Scotland, North East England and Ireland.
I remember him calling at my Melrose shop at this period and becoming entranced with a Selmers’ imported Cordovox electronic accordion, which was the first one in a showroom in the UK. He had it converted to Scottish tuning and left Selmers to go back on the road with a one-man big band sound.
In 1963 he moved to Leicester to be more central. He had a prolonged residency at the Leicester Bierkeller, where he pounded out an incessant flow of Latin American, Continental, up-beat, down-beat and chart successes, mixed with standards and classics from all over the globe and Memory Lane.
He was absent from the Scottish scene until 1980 when I was putting on a big show – “Accordion Bonanza No. 1” – at Kelso and I thought Andrew would be a great choice for a special guest.
He was reluctant at first, and said he would have to rehearse for a month, but his wife Marj finally persuaded him to do it. Andrew enjoyed it immensely and said he was anxious to get into the Scottish scene again.
He featured in a live album of that concert and also in the follow-up album. With his newfound enthusiasm, he got his original band together and appeared in a BBC Radio Broadcast and two programmes in Robin Brock’s “Folks Around Robin” on Radio Forth. I edited and compiled two Best in Scottish Dance Music albums from the Radio Forth broadcasts and Andrew and his band featured prominently in both.
It was at this time he bought a new Crucianelli electronic accordion from me, which had hand made reeds and special tuning and he used it exclusively until he went to the USA.
We were all disappointed when he decided in 1984 to sell up and start out his new business on the Queen Mary. He was last back in Scotland in March 1985, when he dropped in to see the lads at my Melrose shop and buy albums and cassettes for his business.
He began his recording career on the Parlophone label and, of course, was handled by George Martin, who went on to great things as producer of The Beatles.
I well remember Andrew telling me, “We always thought George was a really big name at that time, earning lots of money, but discovered in his autobiography that he was getting only £8 a week.”
Up until 1980, Andrew had eight albums and fifteen singles to his credit, cutting his first long player in 1969 with John Carmichael on second accordion and Charlie Cowie on fiddle.
He cited Meg Merrilees as his best recording and always recalled with nostalgia what a good band he had at that time.
Of course, Andrew was a very gifted composer – he had a superb ability to write a simple, lilting tune and his 6/8 jig Donald Ian Rankine is a masterpiece. He also had a superb talent for selecting sets in which the tunes all flowed into a distinctive, essentially sympathetic format – a form of intricate editing in which the set jelled together marvellously.
Andrew was a great character with a tremendous personality. I know he had a reputation for turning up late for engagements, but once he was there, his tremendous drive and verve made sure that the audience got their money’s worth!
He had astonishing energy. This was typified in a conversation I had recently with accordionist/enthusiast John Munro from Keith.
John told me, “I remember Andrew staying with me one night in the summer of 1965 after a concert in Portree. Andrew had boundless energy. He picked up the Cordovox at around midnight and played more or less non-stop until around 4.30 a.m.
“He then suggested we all go out for a walk, which we did, arriving home around 5 a.m. with fresh rolls. Instead of calling it a day, Andrew promptly picked up the Cordovox and played with renewed brilliance until 7 a.m.”
Sadly, Andrew never played abroad – a heart attack after a tour of Shetland in 1970 making him decide to stick to these shores.
In a musical career spanning more than thirty years, Andrew made an indelible mark on the Scottish music scene. He was a marvellous instrumentalist, inspiring bandleader, talented composer, a loyal friend and warm-hearted, exuberant and always cheery personality. Our deepest sympathy goes to Marj in her tragic loss.
Andrew began his working career in Glenochil Yeast Factory as a laboratory assistant. I once asked him if he had any regrets about leaving that laboratory in Clackmannanshire.
“No, none at all. Music is a way of life I would never have missed. But you can take yourself too seriously. After you overcome the impression that music can’t live without you, you have a lot of laughs.
It’s just a question of getting it all into perspective.”
Andrew Rankine did get things into perspective. And these remarks couldn’t provide a more fitting epitaph for a man who gave pleasure to millions.
Box and Fiddle
January/February 1986
Sir – Jimmy Clinkscale’s otherwise excellent and sensitive appreciation of Andrew Rankine states that Andrew was ‘absent from the Scottish scene’ between the time he moved to Whitley Bay and then Leicester during the 1960s and the mounting of Accordion Bonanza No 1 in 1980.
This will come as a surprise to his many friends, admirers and professional colleagues in England, especially perhaps the countless Scottish dancing societies throughout the country who enjoyed his playing during those years.
In fact, Andrew’s band was in full swing during that period, with Ken Park on fiddle, George Darling on drums and myself of piano. Among the albums released at that time were ‘Scottish Country Dance Favourites Vol 1’ (Emerald Gem GES 1055) in 1971 ; ‘Come Scottish Country Dancing’ (NRSCDS 102) issued by the Newcastle Branch of the RSCDS in 1976 ; ‘Scotsmen Every One’ (Emerald Gem GES 1176) in 1977 and ‘Great Scotch’ (ART 302) on Andrew’s own Artisan label in 1980.
Our last album, sadly, was ‘The London highland club Diamond Jubilee’ (LHC LP7) issued by the London Highland club in 1984.
Like many other players, notably those who spoke during Robbie Shephard’s ‘TTF’ tribute last December, I feel both privileged and proud to have been able to play with Andrew.
In his playing, arranging and musicianship generally, he was one of a small handful of individuals who have made unique, creative contributions to the development of Scottish Country Dance Music. His influence in all of these ways will live on.
In recalling Andrew’s great gifts, however, it would be a pity if a whole slice of his colourful career was overlooked.
One final point. In penning these words, mildly criticizing Jimmy Clinkscale, I’m reminded of one of Andrew’s qualities that has not been remarked upon in the course of recent appreciations and obituaries. In all the years I knew him, and despite his own abundant talents, I never heard Andrew criticize another band or another player (members of his own band being rare exceptions!)
Only when asked did he volunteer an opinion and he invariably looked for points to praise.
Dr Bernard Dixon
81 Falmouth Road
Chelmsford
Essex
Box and Fiddle
April 1986