Bobby Crowe
Bobby Crowe seems to have been around for a long, long time. He has been on the broadcast scene for 25 years and has been consistent over the years with a style that is instantly recognisable. He started playing the box when he was 15. “I saw this box in a shop called Musical Supplies in the West Port area of Dundee. It had 80 bass and was probably only a two voice instrument.” Bobby’s uncle Hector bought the box for him and bobby was on his way.
Early influence was Jack Forsyth. “I used to listen to Jack playing in the local pub and was very impressed.” Jack assisted with harmonies etc.
“Lindsay Ross was a player who always had an effect on me when I listened to him” said Bobby. “I always felt he had a marvellous technique and could make the box sound like a fiddle.”
Around about this time, Dougie Maxwell Snr (bass player with Jimmy Shand and father of Dougie the trumpet player) used to come into bobby’s area with a bread van. When Dougie Snr heard about Bobby’s box he took him under his wing and got Bobby started on his musical training. “Cock of the North and the High Level were the tunes I used to work on in those days” said Bobby.
Through this association, Bobby became involved with Dougie Jnr and founded the Olympians Dance Band as its leader. Bobby made an approach to David Findlay, who became their regular pianist. The band passed an audition at the BBC at their first attempt and made their first broadcast in May 1952.
National Service interrupted Bobby’s playing for a while until in 1956 he formed his own band. After a few unsuccessful attempts at auditioning for the BBC, Bobby eventually passed in 1961 and, as we all know, has been heard regularly ever since. For a long time he kept “bobbing up” with different bands on the air. He is probably unusual in that every band he played with, his job was lead accordion – Olympians, Cameron Kerr, Angus Fitchet, as well as his own band.
Bobby says the knock-on effect of Ian Powrie’s departure to Australia in 1966 was that Dave Stewart moved from Cameron Kerr to Jimmy Blue’s Band. Bobby was asked to fill the lead box gap in the Cameron Kerr Band. This move led him to a real appreciation of the value of a good fiddler. Bobby recalls that playing with Ron Kerr was a great experience and helped a lot in the development of his own style.
“Then there was the Fitchet experience” says Bobby. In1970 Jimmy Shand was unable to appear through illness and Angus asked Bobby to play at a dance at the Argyll Gathering Hall in Oban. “They agreed to use my library. What an experience! I had a ball” says Bobby as he recalled that night. “I discovered that I seemed to have a natural affinity with Angus. It never seemed to require a great deal of effort – it just happened.” Later, Bobby played lead accordion on Angus’s LP “Fitchet’s Fancy”. The association has carried on over the years and the two still appear regularly.
Outwith the broadcasting scene, Bobby has had a long standing involvement with the Cavendish Band. This band, of course, used to be the Tim Wright outfit. “I often wonder what Tim would think if he looked down and saw an accordion leading his beloved strings” pondered Bobby. “Like putting sugar on your porridge – or putting lemonade in neat whisky”.
This, of course, referred to Tim’s dislike of the accordion in a band. Well. I supposed we’re all entitled to our own tastes.
All of this adds up to Bobby being a very busy musician, known all over the country and far south of the Border. In the near future he’s off for a one night stand at a Highland Ball for the Caledonian Society of Oman!
Bobby has become acknowledged over the years as one of the leading bands in the Scottish country Dance field, although he says he enjoys all kinds of music.
Bobby hails from Balmullo in Fife where he lives with his wife Agnes, sons Chris, Steven and Malcolm and daughter Alyson (soon to be married).
Box and Fiddle
October 1986
Bobby Crowe
by ?
Bobby Crowe the well-known Scottish danceband leader from Balmullo, Fife, was honoured by the Royal Scottish Country Dance Society in November for his ‘outstanding contribution’ to music. Bobby traveled to the Beach Ballroom in Aberdeen to receive an illuminated scroll at the Society’s annual meeting. More than 500 members from as far afield as Japan and Canada were present as well as bandleaders from across the U.K.
The following week, Bobby, accompanied by his wife Agnes, was honoured by the Leeds and Doncaster Branch of the R.S.C.D.S. which presented him with a cheque and a limited edition print of a picture of the Yorkshire Dales.
Bobby originally played with the Olympian’s Dance Band. With his own band, he was a regular broadcaster and made numerous recordings, many of them for the R.S.C.D.S. for which he is now an adviser. Bobby was forced to retire from the music scene four years ago when he had a stroke but he never lost his interest in and enthusiasm for Scottish music. In fact, bobby is also a jazz enthusiast and has frequently traveled to hear Stephan Grapelli, Jack Emblow or Martin Green in concert.
Bobby recalls, “I suppose some of the highlights of my career have been playing for the Queen (three times) at Balmoral and appearing on ‘Sunlight Serenade’ which was televised in 1977 at Holyrood Palace in Edinburgh. I have made more than 12 records over the years for the R.S.C.D.S. and I am really pleased that the Society has recognised my contribution and dedication to our musical heritage”.
Box and Fiddle
February 1998 - Year 21 No 5
Early influence was Jack Forsyth. “I used to listen to Jack playing in the local pub and was very impressed.” Jack assisted with harmonies etc.
“Lindsay Ross was a player who always had an effect on me when I listened to him” said Bobby. “I always felt he had a marvellous technique and could make the box sound like a fiddle.”
Around about this time, Dougie Maxwell Snr (bass player with Jimmy Shand and father of Dougie the trumpet player) used to come into bobby’s area with a bread van. When Dougie Snr heard about Bobby’s box he took him under his wing and got Bobby started on his musical training. “Cock of the North and the High Level were the tunes I used to work on in those days” said Bobby.
Through this association, Bobby became involved with Dougie Jnr and founded the Olympians Dance Band as its leader. Bobby made an approach to David Findlay, who became their regular pianist. The band passed an audition at the BBC at their first attempt and made their first broadcast in May 1952.
National Service interrupted Bobby’s playing for a while until in 1956 he formed his own band. After a few unsuccessful attempts at auditioning for the BBC, Bobby eventually passed in 1961 and, as we all know, has been heard regularly ever since. For a long time he kept “bobbing up” with different bands on the air. He is probably unusual in that every band he played with, his job was lead accordion – Olympians, Cameron Kerr, Angus Fitchet, as well as his own band.
Bobby says the knock-on effect of Ian Powrie’s departure to Australia in 1966 was that Dave Stewart moved from Cameron Kerr to Jimmy Blue’s Band. Bobby was asked to fill the lead box gap in the Cameron Kerr Band. This move led him to a real appreciation of the value of a good fiddler. Bobby recalls that playing with Ron Kerr was a great experience and helped a lot in the development of his own style.
“Then there was the Fitchet experience” says Bobby. In1970 Jimmy Shand was unable to appear through illness and Angus asked Bobby to play at a dance at the Argyll Gathering Hall in Oban. “They agreed to use my library. What an experience! I had a ball” says Bobby as he recalled that night. “I discovered that I seemed to have a natural affinity with Angus. It never seemed to require a great deal of effort – it just happened.” Later, Bobby played lead accordion on Angus’s LP “Fitchet’s Fancy”. The association has carried on over the years and the two still appear regularly.
Outwith the broadcasting scene, Bobby has had a long standing involvement with the Cavendish Band. This band, of course, used to be the Tim Wright outfit. “I often wonder what Tim would think if he looked down and saw an accordion leading his beloved strings” pondered Bobby. “Like putting sugar on your porridge – or putting lemonade in neat whisky”.
This, of course, referred to Tim’s dislike of the accordion in a band. Well. I supposed we’re all entitled to our own tastes.
All of this adds up to Bobby being a very busy musician, known all over the country and far south of the Border. In the near future he’s off for a one night stand at a Highland Ball for the Caledonian Society of Oman!
Bobby has become acknowledged over the years as one of the leading bands in the Scottish country Dance field, although he says he enjoys all kinds of music.
Bobby hails from Balmullo in Fife where he lives with his wife Agnes, sons Chris, Steven and Malcolm and daughter Alyson (soon to be married).
Box and Fiddle
October 1986
Bobby Crowe
by ?
Bobby Crowe the well-known Scottish danceband leader from Balmullo, Fife, was honoured by the Royal Scottish Country Dance Society in November for his ‘outstanding contribution’ to music. Bobby traveled to the Beach Ballroom in Aberdeen to receive an illuminated scroll at the Society’s annual meeting. More than 500 members from as far afield as Japan and Canada were present as well as bandleaders from across the U.K.
The following week, Bobby, accompanied by his wife Agnes, was honoured by the Leeds and Doncaster Branch of the R.S.C.D.S. which presented him with a cheque and a limited edition print of a picture of the Yorkshire Dales.
Bobby originally played with the Olympian’s Dance Band. With his own band, he was a regular broadcaster and made numerous recordings, many of them for the R.S.C.D.S. for which he is now an adviser. Bobby was forced to retire from the music scene four years ago when he had a stroke but he never lost his interest in and enthusiasm for Scottish music. In fact, bobby is also a jazz enthusiast and has frequently traveled to hear Stephan Grapelli, Jack Emblow or Martin Green in concert.
Bobby recalls, “I suppose some of the highlights of my career have been playing for the Queen (three times) at Balmoral and appearing on ‘Sunlight Serenade’ which was televised in 1977 at Holyrood Palace in Edinburgh. I have made more than 12 records over the years for the R.S.C.D.S. and I am really pleased that the Society has recognised my contribution and dedication to our musical heritage”.
Box and Fiddle
February 1998 - Year 21 No 5