Jimmy Yeaman
B.B.C.s “Dallas” has J.R. and we on the Scottish music scene have “J.Y.”- both real characters but as different as ‘chalk and cheese’. If I had to go to Paisley and I thought J.R. was in Glasgow, it would be via Wick and Thurso. But “J.Y.” – that’s a different story. The very mention of his name invariably evokes favourable, one might almost say, affectionate comments from all who have come into contact with him or seen him perform, as compere, soloist, band member, orchestra leader, colleague, and what have you.
He has a disarming manner, an almost childlike wide-eyed innocence, and a genuine interest in his fellow beings, all of which make folk take to him very quickly. He also has an inimitable gentle, clean sense of humour which is always to the fore, his mood is consistently a happy one – he never seems to be up nor down. Only the other day when I rang him to arrange a wee meeting, he had ‘flu but was still cheerful and wisecracking away. I said “this flu will have you depressed”. “no it won’t, but I’ll get depressed going over my career with you and thinking of all the missed chances!”
At first meeting with “J.Y” alias Jimmy Yeaman, as if you hadn’t guessed by now, was on one of my earliest visits to an Accordion and Fiddle Club . Button key player and pipe music enthusiast, Ivor Britton had taken me along to the M.A.F.I.A. which at that time met in “the upper room” of the Black Bull at Milngavie, with Bobby Harvey as Godfather.
The guest on this occasion was Ian Holmes, and there were quite a number of other notables present, John Carmichael, Archie Duncan, Dochie McCallum, Lex Keith, George Stirrat, to name but a few, but I particularly remember this fiddle player, who I had never met before, coming up and after a warm greeting saying “Where do you get all you’re tunes from? They’re new to me, but great stuff”. I got a great kick out of that and felt very much at home. This was typical of the man.
Whilst on the subject of Accordion and Fiddle Clubs, it is in large part thanks to these noble institutions that Jimmy has become such a kenspeckle figure. He has been Chairman and compere of the Balloch Club since its inception in 1972, and in the latter capacity he has no peers. His aforementioned incomparable gentle humour takes a trick with audiences and performers alike. When introducing a player he uses asides which coming from others might cause offence, but from Jimmy they have the opposite effect and finish up as unqualified compliments.
As a performer he is now one half of the “D.D.D.” – “Diabolical, Dynamic Duo”, his partner in crime being that very talented musician from Cumbernauld, George Stirrat, , but his initial introduction to the Club circuit was as a solo guest artiste. This followed two consecutive wins in the Senior Traditional Fiddle Class at Bill Wilkie’s Perth Accordion Festival in 1965 an ’66.
His first invitation was to do a solo guest spot at the Langholm Club, his accompanist on piano being none other than gamekeeper Billy Bell, a very accomplished fiddle player himself, who is best known for his earlier association with the Eric Goodfellow Band and now with Alan Gardiner, whose band made its debut broadcast in 1988. Booking for the Border Clubs now followed thick and fast, Gretna, Lockerbie, Newton St Boswells, Dumfries, Hexham and so on, with the result that for a period of 5 years or so he was guesting in that area about once a month.
He has a disarming manner, an almost childlike wide-eyed innocence, and a genuine interest in his fellow beings, all of which make folk take to him very quickly. He also has an inimitable gentle, clean sense of humour which is always to the fore, his mood is consistently a happy one – he never seems to be up nor down. Only the other day when I rang him to arrange a wee meeting, he had ‘flu but was still cheerful and wisecracking away. I said “this flu will have you depressed”. “no it won’t, but I’ll get depressed going over my career with you and thinking of all the missed chances!”
At first meeting with “J.Y” alias Jimmy Yeaman, as if you hadn’t guessed by now, was on one of my earliest visits to an Accordion and Fiddle Club . Button key player and pipe music enthusiast, Ivor Britton had taken me along to the M.A.F.I.A. which at that time met in “the upper room” of the Black Bull at Milngavie, with Bobby Harvey as Godfather.
The guest on this occasion was Ian Holmes, and there were quite a number of other notables present, John Carmichael, Archie Duncan, Dochie McCallum, Lex Keith, George Stirrat, to name but a few, but I particularly remember this fiddle player, who I had never met before, coming up and after a warm greeting saying “Where do you get all you’re tunes from? They’re new to me, but great stuff”. I got a great kick out of that and felt very much at home. This was typical of the man.
Whilst on the subject of Accordion and Fiddle Clubs, it is in large part thanks to these noble institutions that Jimmy has become such a kenspeckle figure. He has been Chairman and compere of the Balloch Club since its inception in 1972, and in the latter capacity he has no peers. His aforementioned incomparable gentle humour takes a trick with audiences and performers alike. When introducing a player he uses asides which coming from others might cause offence, but from Jimmy they have the opposite effect and finish up as unqualified compliments.
As a performer he is now one half of the “D.D.D.” – “Diabolical, Dynamic Duo”, his partner in crime being that very talented musician from Cumbernauld, George Stirrat, , but his initial introduction to the Club circuit was as a solo guest artiste. This followed two consecutive wins in the Senior Traditional Fiddle Class at Bill Wilkie’s Perth Accordion Festival in 1965 an ’66.
His first invitation was to do a solo guest spot at the Langholm Club, his accompanist on piano being none other than gamekeeper Billy Bell, a very accomplished fiddle player himself, who is best known for his earlier association with the Eric Goodfellow Band and now with Alan Gardiner, whose band made its debut broadcast in 1988. Booking for the Border Clubs now followed thick and fast, Gretna, Lockerbie, Newton St Boswells, Dumfries, Hexham and so on, with the result that for a period of 5 years or so he was guesting in that area about once a month.
Now, at this time he was a member of the Glasgow based Kelvin Ceilidh Band (above), of which more later, and for the majority of his Club appearances, he fronted a trio drawn from this group, his colleagues being the late Bob Lillie, on accordion, and Rae Hyslop on piano.
But back to the “D.D.D.” which was formed quite a while after Bob Lillie’s untimely passing, eight and a half years ago.
As Club guest artistes, Jimmy Yeaman and George Stirrat are a knockout, their banter being as good as their music. George’s dry, laid-back comments are the perfect foil for Jimmy’s innocent “leaning forward”, quickfire throwaway quips. A typical example – “What now George, a set of reels?” “Why not” “What key does it start with?” “Please yourself” “What about D?” “Why not.” And off they go in perfect unison – most of the time anyway! George is a former winner of the Jimmy Shand Shield at Perth. Jimmy’s admiration for George’s musical ability knows no bounds, he ranks as one of the best, his technique, interpretation and expertise are there for all to see and hear. He is a Jimmy Shand fanatic and one of the greatest compliments one can pay is to liken his slightly staccato button-key style to that of the great man.
George is also a “bit of a wag” and when Jimmy and I were discussing his most recent broadcast, we agreed that some of the “way out” material was included to provoke controversy among the listeners and that the reference to “West Coast”, must surely have referred to the West Coast of Japan, rather than our native shores! When and where did it all start?
EARLY DAYS
On the 2nd of September, 1931 in a house in Rosebank Street in the Hilltown district of Dundee, and I quote “I was born at a very early age, close to my mother” and as fate would have it, only two tram stops from the Coldside Studios whence came many of the live Scottish Dance music programmes in those halcyon days of the late 40’s and early 50’s. We’ll save that for later.
Jimmy is the younger of two. He has a sister who dabbles on the piano, but is not into the Scottish scene. He has a cousin, however, Betty Tyndell who is a very good vamper and who was one third of the excellent Eric Stewart Trio. Her accomplices being 6ft 4 in Eric Brown, accordion – massive finger stretch sounds like two boxes – and George Stewart on drums.
Jimmy’s mother, who died 3 year ago aged 86, did not go out to work but had the fulltime occupation, more common in those days, of housewife. She did not play an instrument herself, but had a great love of music and in her latter years became almost fanatical about the big fiddle sound, travelling far and near to concerts featuring the various Strathspey and Reel Society orchestras.
Jimmy’s father, who drove a lorry (horse-drawn in his earlier days) for G & P Barrie, a Dundee firm of lemonade manufacturers, played the Eb bass in the Dundee Trades Band and Jimmy’s earliest recollections are of spending Saturday and Sunday afternoons in various parks, either listening to his dad’s band or “spying” on other brass ensembles.
Although he enjoyed this scene, it’s sheer concentration may have been responsible for the fact that his musical career has taken a totally different course. How did the violin/fiddle come to be his chosen instrument? Well, at the tender age of 4 he landed in Dundee’s Kings Cross Hospital with scarlet fever. As a present to keep him from wearying, an uncle presented him with a wee toy fiddle made of tinplate and with wire for strings – I can personally remember having one of these in the mid 30’s, they were painted a rich, golden brown colour and were very attractive. Said Jimmy “I was captivated by this fiddle, it was the most marvellous thing that had happened to me, up till then”.
He treasured the little fiddle and became obsessed with learning to play the real thing, so, at the age of 5, after an aptitude test at school (imagine at 5 years old!), he started learning classical violin with an eminent teacher, Mr Routledge Bell, who’s “studio” was in Commercial Street, about 5 or 10 minutes walk from the Yeaman domain.
Jimmy, who had no inclination towards the Scottish Music scene at this stage, stayed with the Routledge Bell School, until in his low teens. Other notable fellow pupils being the late Syd Chalmers, quite a bit older and hence with a different orchestral group, and Ron Gonella, one year older and hence with the same group. Must slip in a wee quote here – Jimmy talking (and crawling) to Ron – “When I’m discussing ages with folk, I always say, I’m one year older than Ron Gonella and Sean Connery” and they say “Who’s Sean Connery?”
The Routledge Bell School of Music Orchestra were certainly in great demand for charity functions (as his friends will tell you Jimmy developed a life-long phobia about them, the mere mention of the word causing the onset of sweating and giddiness) and concerts, and here are one or two wee interesting quotes from newspaper cuttings (Dundee Courier and Advertiser) of the late thirties and early forties – “CONCERT IN AID OF RED CROSS” – Juvenile soloists had to answer repeated encores last night when the pupils of Mr Routledge Bell gave a violin recital….Six and a half years old Jimmy Yeaman showed promising technique in his Scot’s Air and variation. Other soloist were ….and Sydney Chalmers”. Jimmy’s offering was “The Keel Row” with variations but not from a Scottish book, from a folio of Classical Studies.
Another quote, from a different Concert – “Soloists were Jimmy Yeaman, Catherine Fleming, Ronald Gonella, George McMillan….” And again “Rockwell School Hall was crowded last night for a Concert by pupils of Mr Routledge Bell. Three orchestras took part …. And the Primary Orchestra, leader J.Yeaman”. Not bad for a beginner.
Incidentally, Ron Gonella, who became Mr Bell’s star pupil, preceded Jimmy as leader of the Primary Orchestra. There is a very interesting photograph showing both of the lads in short breeks, giving it ‘laldie’ in an orchestral recital but unfortunately the picture is not of a quality to give reasonable reproduction in the B&F.
Now for the next milestone in our hero’s career. At the age of none, Jimmy joined the Life Boys at his local church, “Bonnet Hill” at the same time as a certain Douglas Cargill, another name which was to become well-known in Scottish Dance circles. At twelve the lads moved up into the 29th Dundee Company of the Boys Brigade. It is amazing now to reflect on how well all the boys were brought up. What went wrong?
In the B.B.’s at this time, indoor marching practice was carried out to a piano played by a Lamont Forbes, and not long afterwards a band evolved which played for the Bible Class singing and for church concerts and other activities. The group consisted of Lamont Forbes (piano/accordion), Lyall Duncan and Jimmy Yeaman (now 14) on fiddles and Dougie Cargill (soprano saxophone).
After a couple of years with the band, Jimmy became heavily involved in studies, football and courting – he met his wife-to-be (May) at night-school –“It was dark at the time”. Music suddenly took second place, but one little trip round about that period sticks out in Jimmy’s memory.
Dougie Cargill had a cousin, Dougie Maxwell, who lived in a house on a farm near Forganbank in Fife – his father, Douglas Snr – being the double bass player with Jimmy Shand, but like many of his contemporaries was multi-instrumental and could also handle piano accordion. Dougie Jnr played trumpet, anyhow, D.C. plus soprano sax took J.Y. plus fiddle across to Fife to visit the Maxwell household and needless to say, a good tune was had by all. The reason for mentioning this visit will become apparent shortly.
Still not really into the Scottish scene, Jimmy was called up in 1950 to do his 2 years National Service as a Storeman in the R.A.F. during which time he was stationed in Germany. The storekeeping side didn’t enter the scheme of things too much and his musical talents kept him busy providing entertainment at camp functions, as a solo turn, as half of a fiddle/accordion duo and as a member of a dance band. It was just like “It ain’t half hot, Mum”. While in Germany he attended night classes to learn the language, he became involved with German music and made a lot of friends amongst the natives.
The real turning point in Jimmy’s musical outlook and career came after demob in 1952. He bought his first record player, quite something in those days and two or three records, Jimmy Shand, Jim Cameron, Robert Wilson and the Mansefield Singers. Suddenly J.Y. was becoming aware of what he had been missing in our national and traditional music. He also heard a radio broadcast of a North-east fiddle player, Hector McAndrew by name, and was bowled over by it – he had never heard anything like that before, thought it must be two fiddles. He went straight out and bought a Hector McAndrew record and he was hooked. Thank goodness for that!
He started listening to the Scottish Dance music programmes on the Scottish Home Service and one band fielding a trumpet – not Jim Cameron – registered with him, its name “The Olympians”. Almost immediately after this he bumped into Dougie Cargill, also just out of the R.A.F. in Dundee. Dougie asked “Did you hear The Olympians? It was my cousin Dougie Maxwell on cornet. They want me to join them on double bass, Dougie’s father is going to teach me, and they also want a fiddler – are you interested?”
No second bidding required, J.Y. now 21 accepted. The line-up of the six piece in addition to fiddle was leader on accordion Bobby Crowe (the youngest member at 19), the late David Findlay (piano), Dougie Maxwell (cornet), Dougie Maxwell (double bass) and on drums Tom Robertson.
This was the start of 12 years with this one band, during which time the accordion changed no less than 5 times – Bobby Crowe, Martin Hayes, Jackie Stewart, John Huband and David Cunningham Snr. When Bobby Crowe left to do his National Service, David Findlay took charge of the band and Jimmy is permanently grateful for the experience he gained with him on the organisation and running of a band and also about Scottish country Dancing and dance music. David was an enthusiastic dancer himself, in fact, I understand he had teaching certificates in the art.
Jimmy, now a fanatical listener to the Scottish Dance music programmes (three a week at one time) would get home from work at ten to six, switch on the radio and hear the announcement of the venue and band for the programme to go out at 6.35 p.m. If it was to be at Coldside, a quick tea, onto a tram and into the studio, just in time for the broadcast. Officially there was no studio audience, but because of his “Olympians” involvement and the fact that he knew the head librarian – the studio was an upstairs room in the library – he had no problem gaining access. After the session he would make the acquaintance of the various players, who in those days were the equivalent of the pop stars of today, but because of travel arrangements at that time, were somewhat inaccessible to fans and even to other bands.
With far fewer individual car owners, all the member so a band tended to travel in one vehicle and en route to “gigs” the band wagons instantly recognisable by the double bass, or drum kit on the roof or boot, passed like ships in the night. Very occasionally they would meet up on the way home, one typical rendezvous being the Perth transport café where in the small hours they would have “breakfast” and a blether.
Jimmy recalled one such gathering at a hotel in Beauly. Word had got round that Bobby MacLeod was in the area and homeward bound bands “homed in” on the spot like “bees round a honey pot”. Bert Shorthouse, Ian Powrie, Andrew Rankine and The Olympians. But Bobby had moved on earlier, however, a tremendous time was had by all and someone suggested “Why don’t we organise a Scottish Dance Band Convention every so often on a Sunday when no-one is playing?” Nothing came of it then, but happily the Accordion and Fiddle Club movement came into being and by and large, has been pretty successful in satisfying a long-felt want. The musicians are no longer just a faceless sound on the radio.
Some unusual happenings occurred during the live broadcasts at Coldside. One in particular stands out in J.Y’s mind. A certain band which at that time fielded a “fireside” fiddler came to a waltz selection set in 3 and 4 flats requiring use of the 4th finder. While the continuity announcer in Glasgow was doing his linking spiel there was a flurry of activity in the studio as the fiddler and double bass player swapped roles for that one set! On another occasion, high drama overtook the “Olympians” themselves, when the rivets holding David Cunningham’s accordion straps came adrift and the instrument fell onto his knees – luckily no further. The producer and the technician rushed to his aid with handkerchiefs, cables, string etc but to no avail and the broadcast duly proceeded minus box.
The next day, David Findlay, curious to hear folk’s reaction, asked his work colleagues if they had heard the programme? “Yes” they had “not bad at all, but you want to tell that fiddle player of yours to “hogging” the mike!”
During the 50’s, Jimmy’s dad, who had been a Scots Guardsman during the First World War contracted that progressively crippling affliction, Parkinson’s Disease. But, despite this he was still fanatical about his music and attended all the “Olympian’s” broadcast and concerts, and listened avidly to gramophone records, completely wearing out the “Mansefield Singers” disc, mentioned earlier, Sadly, he died prematurely at the age of 58.
We have now reached another very significant stepping off point in Jimmy’s career, both job and music wise, but first a flashback to that band which accompanied the Bible Class at Bonnet Hill Church in the late 1940’s. Although J.Y’s musical interests had taken second place to other ploys, the group continued without him and now included two other Dundonians, fiddler Jack Lindsay and drummer, Freddie Collins. Freddie now lives in Toronto and is the resident drummer with Bobby Brown’s “Cape Breton Symphony” and “The Scottish Accent”, and has recorded with Graham Townsend and Rudy Meeks. The B.B.Band now carried the name “The Gie Gordons”, which was to be perpetuated when they later graduated to broadcasting status with Lyall Duncan leading, but now on double bass, and Lamont Forbes on first accordion.
But now it was “all change”. Up to 1964 Jimmy had worked in the sale office of a Dundee carpet manufacturer, but in April of that year he was promoted to sales representative for the West of Scotland. This meant a move to the Glasgow area and he and his family set up home in Balloch at the southern end of Loch Lomond, where they stayed until comparatively recently, when they flitted to Drymen, a very desirable area (although less so now!!)
As he had “deserted” his family to such a great extent whilst with the “Olympians”, Jimmy decided after settling in Balloch to join Helensburgh Orchestral Society, revert to his classical roots and spend a lot more time at home with his wife and “weans”. But, the “cookie had different ideas on how it was going to crumble”.
Not long after the shift to the West, J.Y. pulled up at a filling station in Balloch and the owner/attendant just happened to be whistling “John McFadyen of Melfort”, which, of course, led to a chat, which in turn led to a friendship because of mutual interest in Scottish Dance music, which in the late Autumn led to an invitation by the aforementioned owner/attendant, one Tom Lynn, to accompany him on one of his weekly Monday evening jaunts to a dance at the Highlanders Institute in Glasgow and so on and so on.
To cut a long story short, the band on stage on that first visit was led by Fergie MacDonald, the 3-row button-key player from Arharchle in Ardnamurchan. At the interval Jimmy was introduced to F.McD. who said “It just so happens I need a fiddle player for next Monday”. So, along duly went our man plus fiddle, and on this occasion the second box player was John Carmichael who said “I need a fiddle player at Gartocharn on Friday, could you help me out?” OK – second box player at Gartocharn Lex Keith = “What a bit of luck, I need a fiddle….”. Suffice to say that J.Y. who had been with only one East Coast band consistently for 12 years, with the exception of helping out on two isolated occasions in emergency, played with no less than 6 different bands in 6 weeks over in the West.
This underlined one of the salient differences between East and West. In the West these was a far greater population, i.e. Glasgow and surrounding districts, hence more dancers – the queues outside the Glasgow Highlanders Institute used to be about 100 years long and many of the hopefuls never got in, the more enterprising punters would sometimes offer to carry fiddle or accordion in a last ditch bid to gain entry. There were also fewer top bands in the West, just compare the Dundee area of that era with say, 8 or more broadcasting groups, and Glasgow with 2 or 3. Musicians in the West therefore had to spread themselves very thinly to meet the heavy demand and bandleaders tended to get a booking and then form a band.
Fergie MacDonald was living in Glasgow at that time and deeply involved in the Gaelic music scene and Jimmy, who became a regular member of the band for five years, had to change his style completely to adapt to the “West Coast Sound”, which can now crop up anywhere, but in those days hadn’t made many inroads east of Perth. Fergie also had an incredible ear and memory.
After moving to Balloch, J.Y. had to go back for one broadcast with the “Olympians” and had to play a new set of jigs on sight – no problem. But, the following week when playing with F.MacD. he said “I like these tunes, where did you get them?” “Y-y-you p-p-played them on a broadcast last week!”
When Fergie returned to his native heath to practice his physiotherapy, Jimmy freelanced for a while with a number of bands in the area, including the “Strathclyde” which specialised in Scottish Country Dance playing.
Other popular bands on the Glasgow scene were “Andy MacColl’s” and the “Kelvin Ceilidh Band” led by Eddie Copland on bass, with Bob Lillie and Andy Beveridge 1st and 2nd accordions, George Orr piano and the late Davie Miller on drums. Jimmy joined this group round about 1969 and has been with them ever since, having seen a number of personnel changes. The present 4 man line-up is – leader J.Y. on fiddle, on lead accordion from Kirkfieldbank near Lanark Allan Smith (“now remember that name – you may never hear it again”), 2nd accordion Ian Graham from Carluke and drums Hugh Ferguson from Balloch. If augmented to a five piece, a pianist is employed, Dorothy Lawson from West Linton having carried out this role on several occasions.
There is so much more that could be told about this man, but space is short. He is a popular adjudicator at fiddle festivals – “Adjudicating can be a humbling experience, you must be kind in any criticism, because a wrong word can put people off”. Incidentally, he considers Ron Gonella to be one of the best, if not the best fiddle adjudicator on the scene today.
J.Y. is also Leader and Depute Conductor of the Glasgow Strathspey and Reel Society. “It’s a great social thing and gives a lot of people a lot of happiness, and there are a lot of fiddle players who wouldn’t be playing at all if it wasn’t for organisations like the Cally”.
Enough of Jimmy for the moment – what about his wife and family. May, a native of Dundee is a forthright, vivacious person with a most pleasing, slightly husky voice (Williams, you’re a bigger creep than Yeaman). She is a school teacher and a keen hill walker, does not play an instrument but is quite keen on music in respectable doses, and of course, it goes without saying, she must be a very tolerant person.
May and Jimmy have 3 sons. Neil, the oldest at 32, is a Telecoms engineer, but also plays electric guitar with Jim Wilkie’s Electric Ceilidh Band and had appeared on S.T.V.’s “Sounds Gaelic”.
The middle boy, Gordon, age 30, is also a very accomplished musician, he was a Student of the Year at the RSAMD in Glasgow, is married with two wee ones, firstly David James (3) who inspired Grandad to pen a 4/4 march in the Skinner mode with Shetland overtones, called “David James Yeaman of Skellister”, and Janie 1½ years who can “twist Grandad round her little finger”. Gordon and his wife Marion (also from Balloch) are both teachers, and Marion is taking fiddle lessons from Tom Anderson. When they first moved to the Shetlands, they stayed at Skellister, a few miles north of Lerwick, but they moved to Lerwick itself a couple of year back. Gordon teaches music in the schools and fronts a jazz trio on piano in various hotels in the area.
The youngest lad, Derek (27), is half of a Scots pop duo, “Local Hero”. They had a record in the charts a few months ago with another in the pipeline, and they are all set for a tour with “Shakin’ Stevens” – (whoever he is when he’s at home). “Yeaman” is certainly a name in the music world.
In conclusion, a few wee anecdotes and quotes which sum up the man – I always say “Book Jimmy Yeaman, he’s the poor man’s Ron Gonella, half the price and twice as loud and can run and duck faster. He doesn’t mind people walking out during a performance, it’s when they walk towards him, that’s when he panics”.
Another quote from J.Y. to George Stirrat “Don’t give up the day job George”.
A quote from Ron Gonella, “Jimmy’s a good adjudicator, but the cotton wool in his ears can be a problem”.
Then there is the wee story Jimmy tells us against himself – his first crack at competing in a fiddle festival at Alyth after demob. He read the blurb – “March, Strathspey and Reel selection” and duly turned up ready to play 4 of each. When the first player went on and played one of each, Jimmy thought “What an idiot that is!”, turned to Angus Fitchet and said “What’s the score here?”
Jimmy has always looked younger than his years, but a short while back he “sprouted a beard” which narrowed the gap a bit, and I asked him why he grew it? He replied, “Well it’s like this, I reckoned it cost me 5 minutes a day to shave, that’s 35 minutes a week and 30 hours 20 minutes a year. So in a life span of 3 score years and 10, since I started growing it I’ll get an extra 20 days to play Scottish Dance Music!” – I wish I’d never asked.
A “one-off” right enough. Who else but J.Y. could have his destiny moulded by a wee tin fiddle, and a whistling pump attendant. But, my goodness, he’s the better for knowing.
Box and Fiddle
March 1989
But back to the “D.D.D.” which was formed quite a while after Bob Lillie’s untimely passing, eight and a half years ago.
As Club guest artistes, Jimmy Yeaman and George Stirrat are a knockout, their banter being as good as their music. George’s dry, laid-back comments are the perfect foil for Jimmy’s innocent “leaning forward”, quickfire throwaway quips. A typical example – “What now George, a set of reels?” “Why not” “What key does it start with?” “Please yourself” “What about D?” “Why not.” And off they go in perfect unison – most of the time anyway! George is a former winner of the Jimmy Shand Shield at Perth. Jimmy’s admiration for George’s musical ability knows no bounds, he ranks as one of the best, his technique, interpretation and expertise are there for all to see and hear. He is a Jimmy Shand fanatic and one of the greatest compliments one can pay is to liken his slightly staccato button-key style to that of the great man.
George is also a “bit of a wag” and when Jimmy and I were discussing his most recent broadcast, we agreed that some of the “way out” material was included to provoke controversy among the listeners and that the reference to “West Coast”, must surely have referred to the West Coast of Japan, rather than our native shores! When and where did it all start?
EARLY DAYS
On the 2nd of September, 1931 in a house in Rosebank Street in the Hilltown district of Dundee, and I quote “I was born at a very early age, close to my mother” and as fate would have it, only two tram stops from the Coldside Studios whence came many of the live Scottish Dance music programmes in those halcyon days of the late 40’s and early 50’s. We’ll save that for later.
Jimmy is the younger of two. He has a sister who dabbles on the piano, but is not into the Scottish scene. He has a cousin, however, Betty Tyndell who is a very good vamper and who was one third of the excellent Eric Stewart Trio. Her accomplices being 6ft 4 in Eric Brown, accordion – massive finger stretch sounds like two boxes – and George Stewart on drums.
Jimmy’s mother, who died 3 year ago aged 86, did not go out to work but had the fulltime occupation, more common in those days, of housewife. She did not play an instrument herself, but had a great love of music and in her latter years became almost fanatical about the big fiddle sound, travelling far and near to concerts featuring the various Strathspey and Reel Society orchestras.
Jimmy’s father, who drove a lorry (horse-drawn in his earlier days) for G & P Barrie, a Dundee firm of lemonade manufacturers, played the Eb bass in the Dundee Trades Band and Jimmy’s earliest recollections are of spending Saturday and Sunday afternoons in various parks, either listening to his dad’s band or “spying” on other brass ensembles.
Although he enjoyed this scene, it’s sheer concentration may have been responsible for the fact that his musical career has taken a totally different course. How did the violin/fiddle come to be his chosen instrument? Well, at the tender age of 4 he landed in Dundee’s Kings Cross Hospital with scarlet fever. As a present to keep him from wearying, an uncle presented him with a wee toy fiddle made of tinplate and with wire for strings – I can personally remember having one of these in the mid 30’s, they were painted a rich, golden brown colour and were very attractive. Said Jimmy “I was captivated by this fiddle, it was the most marvellous thing that had happened to me, up till then”.
He treasured the little fiddle and became obsessed with learning to play the real thing, so, at the age of 5, after an aptitude test at school (imagine at 5 years old!), he started learning classical violin with an eminent teacher, Mr Routledge Bell, who’s “studio” was in Commercial Street, about 5 or 10 minutes walk from the Yeaman domain.
Jimmy, who had no inclination towards the Scottish Music scene at this stage, stayed with the Routledge Bell School, until in his low teens. Other notable fellow pupils being the late Syd Chalmers, quite a bit older and hence with a different orchestral group, and Ron Gonella, one year older and hence with the same group. Must slip in a wee quote here – Jimmy talking (and crawling) to Ron – “When I’m discussing ages with folk, I always say, I’m one year older than Ron Gonella and Sean Connery” and they say “Who’s Sean Connery?”
The Routledge Bell School of Music Orchestra were certainly in great demand for charity functions (as his friends will tell you Jimmy developed a life-long phobia about them, the mere mention of the word causing the onset of sweating and giddiness) and concerts, and here are one or two wee interesting quotes from newspaper cuttings (Dundee Courier and Advertiser) of the late thirties and early forties – “CONCERT IN AID OF RED CROSS” – Juvenile soloists had to answer repeated encores last night when the pupils of Mr Routledge Bell gave a violin recital….Six and a half years old Jimmy Yeaman showed promising technique in his Scot’s Air and variation. Other soloist were ….and Sydney Chalmers”. Jimmy’s offering was “The Keel Row” with variations but not from a Scottish book, from a folio of Classical Studies.
Another quote, from a different Concert – “Soloists were Jimmy Yeaman, Catherine Fleming, Ronald Gonella, George McMillan….” And again “Rockwell School Hall was crowded last night for a Concert by pupils of Mr Routledge Bell. Three orchestras took part …. And the Primary Orchestra, leader J.Yeaman”. Not bad for a beginner.
Incidentally, Ron Gonella, who became Mr Bell’s star pupil, preceded Jimmy as leader of the Primary Orchestra. There is a very interesting photograph showing both of the lads in short breeks, giving it ‘laldie’ in an orchestral recital but unfortunately the picture is not of a quality to give reasonable reproduction in the B&F.
Now for the next milestone in our hero’s career. At the age of none, Jimmy joined the Life Boys at his local church, “Bonnet Hill” at the same time as a certain Douglas Cargill, another name which was to become well-known in Scottish Dance circles. At twelve the lads moved up into the 29th Dundee Company of the Boys Brigade. It is amazing now to reflect on how well all the boys were brought up. What went wrong?
In the B.B.’s at this time, indoor marching practice was carried out to a piano played by a Lamont Forbes, and not long afterwards a band evolved which played for the Bible Class singing and for church concerts and other activities. The group consisted of Lamont Forbes (piano/accordion), Lyall Duncan and Jimmy Yeaman (now 14) on fiddles and Dougie Cargill (soprano saxophone).
After a couple of years with the band, Jimmy became heavily involved in studies, football and courting – he met his wife-to-be (May) at night-school –“It was dark at the time”. Music suddenly took second place, but one little trip round about that period sticks out in Jimmy’s memory.
Dougie Cargill had a cousin, Dougie Maxwell, who lived in a house on a farm near Forganbank in Fife – his father, Douglas Snr – being the double bass player with Jimmy Shand, but like many of his contemporaries was multi-instrumental and could also handle piano accordion. Dougie Jnr played trumpet, anyhow, D.C. plus soprano sax took J.Y. plus fiddle across to Fife to visit the Maxwell household and needless to say, a good tune was had by all. The reason for mentioning this visit will become apparent shortly.
Still not really into the Scottish scene, Jimmy was called up in 1950 to do his 2 years National Service as a Storeman in the R.A.F. during which time he was stationed in Germany. The storekeeping side didn’t enter the scheme of things too much and his musical talents kept him busy providing entertainment at camp functions, as a solo turn, as half of a fiddle/accordion duo and as a member of a dance band. It was just like “It ain’t half hot, Mum”. While in Germany he attended night classes to learn the language, he became involved with German music and made a lot of friends amongst the natives.
The real turning point in Jimmy’s musical outlook and career came after demob in 1952. He bought his first record player, quite something in those days and two or three records, Jimmy Shand, Jim Cameron, Robert Wilson and the Mansefield Singers. Suddenly J.Y. was becoming aware of what he had been missing in our national and traditional music. He also heard a radio broadcast of a North-east fiddle player, Hector McAndrew by name, and was bowled over by it – he had never heard anything like that before, thought it must be two fiddles. He went straight out and bought a Hector McAndrew record and he was hooked. Thank goodness for that!
He started listening to the Scottish Dance music programmes on the Scottish Home Service and one band fielding a trumpet – not Jim Cameron – registered with him, its name “The Olympians”. Almost immediately after this he bumped into Dougie Cargill, also just out of the R.A.F. in Dundee. Dougie asked “Did you hear The Olympians? It was my cousin Dougie Maxwell on cornet. They want me to join them on double bass, Dougie’s father is going to teach me, and they also want a fiddler – are you interested?”
No second bidding required, J.Y. now 21 accepted. The line-up of the six piece in addition to fiddle was leader on accordion Bobby Crowe (the youngest member at 19), the late David Findlay (piano), Dougie Maxwell (cornet), Dougie Maxwell (double bass) and on drums Tom Robertson.
This was the start of 12 years with this one band, during which time the accordion changed no less than 5 times – Bobby Crowe, Martin Hayes, Jackie Stewart, John Huband and David Cunningham Snr. When Bobby Crowe left to do his National Service, David Findlay took charge of the band and Jimmy is permanently grateful for the experience he gained with him on the organisation and running of a band and also about Scottish country Dancing and dance music. David was an enthusiastic dancer himself, in fact, I understand he had teaching certificates in the art.
Jimmy, now a fanatical listener to the Scottish Dance music programmes (three a week at one time) would get home from work at ten to six, switch on the radio and hear the announcement of the venue and band for the programme to go out at 6.35 p.m. If it was to be at Coldside, a quick tea, onto a tram and into the studio, just in time for the broadcast. Officially there was no studio audience, but because of his “Olympians” involvement and the fact that he knew the head librarian – the studio was an upstairs room in the library – he had no problem gaining access. After the session he would make the acquaintance of the various players, who in those days were the equivalent of the pop stars of today, but because of travel arrangements at that time, were somewhat inaccessible to fans and even to other bands.
With far fewer individual car owners, all the member so a band tended to travel in one vehicle and en route to “gigs” the band wagons instantly recognisable by the double bass, or drum kit on the roof or boot, passed like ships in the night. Very occasionally they would meet up on the way home, one typical rendezvous being the Perth transport café where in the small hours they would have “breakfast” and a blether.
Jimmy recalled one such gathering at a hotel in Beauly. Word had got round that Bobby MacLeod was in the area and homeward bound bands “homed in” on the spot like “bees round a honey pot”. Bert Shorthouse, Ian Powrie, Andrew Rankine and The Olympians. But Bobby had moved on earlier, however, a tremendous time was had by all and someone suggested “Why don’t we organise a Scottish Dance Band Convention every so often on a Sunday when no-one is playing?” Nothing came of it then, but happily the Accordion and Fiddle Club movement came into being and by and large, has been pretty successful in satisfying a long-felt want. The musicians are no longer just a faceless sound on the radio.
Some unusual happenings occurred during the live broadcasts at Coldside. One in particular stands out in J.Y’s mind. A certain band which at that time fielded a “fireside” fiddler came to a waltz selection set in 3 and 4 flats requiring use of the 4th finder. While the continuity announcer in Glasgow was doing his linking spiel there was a flurry of activity in the studio as the fiddler and double bass player swapped roles for that one set! On another occasion, high drama overtook the “Olympians” themselves, when the rivets holding David Cunningham’s accordion straps came adrift and the instrument fell onto his knees – luckily no further. The producer and the technician rushed to his aid with handkerchiefs, cables, string etc but to no avail and the broadcast duly proceeded minus box.
The next day, David Findlay, curious to hear folk’s reaction, asked his work colleagues if they had heard the programme? “Yes” they had “not bad at all, but you want to tell that fiddle player of yours to “hogging” the mike!”
During the 50’s, Jimmy’s dad, who had been a Scots Guardsman during the First World War contracted that progressively crippling affliction, Parkinson’s Disease. But, despite this he was still fanatical about his music and attended all the “Olympian’s” broadcast and concerts, and listened avidly to gramophone records, completely wearing out the “Mansefield Singers” disc, mentioned earlier, Sadly, he died prematurely at the age of 58.
We have now reached another very significant stepping off point in Jimmy’s career, both job and music wise, but first a flashback to that band which accompanied the Bible Class at Bonnet Hill Church in the late 1940’s. Although J.Y’s musical interests had taken second place to other ploys, the group continued without him and now included two other Dundonians, fiddler Jack Lindsay and drummer, Freddie Collins. Freddie now lives in Toronto and is the resident drummer with Bobby Brown’s “Cape Breton Symphony” and “The Scottish Accent”, and has recorded with Graham Townsend and Rudy Meeks. The B.B.Band now carried the name “The Gie Gordons”, which was to be perpetuated when they later graduated to broadcasting status with Lyall Duncan leading, but now on double bass, and Lamont Forbes on first accordion.
But now it was “all change”. Up to 1964 Jimmy had worked in the sale office of a Dundee carpet manufacturer, but in April of that year he was promoted to sales representative for the West of Scotland. This meant a move to the Glasgow area and he and his family set up home in Balloch at the southern end of Loch Lomond, where they stayed until comparatively recently, when they flitted to Drymen, a very desirable area (although less so now!!)
As he had “deserted” his family to such a great extent whilst with the “Olympians”, Jimmy decided after settling in Balloch to join Helensburgh Orchestral Society, revert to his classical roots and spend a lot more time at home with his wife and “weans”. But, the “cookie had different ideas on how it was going to crumble”.
Not long after the shift to the West, J.Y. pulled up at a filling station in Balloch and the owner/attendant just happened to be whistling “John McFadyen of Melfort”, which, of course, led to a chat, which in turn led to a friendship because of mutual interest in Scottish Dance music, which in the late Autumn led to an invitation by the aforementioned owner/attendant, one Tom Lynn, to accompany him on one of his weekly Monday evening jaunts to a dance at the Highlanders Institute in Glasgow and so on and so on.
To cut a long story short, the band on stage on that first visit was led by Fergie MacDonald, the 3-row button-key player from Arharchle in Ardnamurchan. At the interval Jimmy was introduced to F.McD. who said “It just so happens I need a fiddle player for next Monday”. So, along duly went our man plus fiddle, and on this occasion the second box player was John Carmichael who said “I need a fiddle player at Gartocharn on Friday, could you help me out?” OK – second box player at Gartocharn Lex Keith = “What a bit of luck, I need a fiddle….”. Suffice to say that J.Y. who had been with only one East Coast band consistently for 12 years, with the exception of helping out on two isolated occasions in emergency, played with no less than 6 different bands in 6 weeks over in the West.
This underlined one of the salient differences between East and West. In the West these was a far greater population, i.e. Glasgow and surrounding districts, hence more dancers – the queues outside the Glasgow Highlanders Institute used to be about 100 years long and many of the hopefuls never got in, the more enterprising punters would sometimes offer to carry fiddle or accordion in a last ditch bid to gain entry. There were also fewer top bands in the West, just compare the Dundee area of that era with say, 8 or more broadcasting groups, and Glasgow with 2 or 3. Musicians in the West therefore had to spread themselves very thinly to meet the heavy demand and bandleaders tended to get a booking and then form a band.
Fergie MacDonald was living in Glasgow at that time and deeply involved in the Gaelic music scene and Jimmy, who became a regular member of the band for five years, had to change his style completely to adapt to the “West Coast Sound”, which can now crop up anywhere, but in those days hadn’t made many inroads east of Perth. Fergie also had an incredible ear and memory.
After moving to Balloch, J.Y. had to go back for one broadcast with the “Olympians” and had to play a new set of jigs on sight – no problem. But, the following week when playing with F.MacD. he said “I like these tunes, where did you get them?” “Y-y-you p-p-played them on a broadcast last week!”
When Fergie returned to his native heath to practice his physiotherapy, Jimmy freelanced for a while with a number of bands in the area, including the “Strathclyde” which specialised in Scottish Country Dance playing.
Other popular bands on the Glasgow scene were “Andy MacColl’s” and the “Kelvin Ceilidh Band” led by Eddie Copland on bass, with Bob Lillie and Andy Beveridge 1st and 2nd accordions, George Orr piano and the late Davie Miller on drums. Jimmy joined this group round about 1969 and has been with them ever since, having seen a number of personnel changes. The present 4 man line-up is – leader J.Y. on fiddle, on lead accordion from Kirkfieldbank near Lanark Allan Smith (“now remember that name – you may never hear it again”), 2nd accordion Ian Graham from Carluke and drums Hugh Ferguson from Balloch. If augmented to a five piece, a pianist is employed, Dorothy Lawson from West Linton having carried out this role on several occasions.
There is so much more that could be told about this man, but space is short. He is a popular adjudicator at fiddle festivals – “Adjudicating can be a humbling experience, you must be kind in any criticism, because a wrong word can put people off”. Incidentally, he considers Ron Gonella to be one of the best, if not the best fiddle adjudicator on the scene today.
J.Y. is also Leader and Depute Conductor of the Glasgow Strathspey and Reel Society. “It’s a great social thing and gives a lot of people a lot of happiness, and there are a lot of fiddle players who wouldn’t be playing at all if it wasn’t for organisations like the Cally”.
Enough of Jimmy for the moment – what about his wife and family. May, a native of Dundee is a forthright, vivacious person with a most pleasing, slightly husky voice (Williams, you’re a bigger creep than Yeaman). She is a school teacher and a keen hill walker, does not play an instrument but is quite keen on music in respectable doses, and of course, it goes without saying, she must be a very tolerant person.
May and Jimmy have 3 sons. Neil, the oldest at 32, is a Telecoms engineer, but also plays electric guitar with Jim Wilkie’s Electric Ceilidh Band and had appeared on S.T.V.’s “Sounds Gaelic”.
The middle boy, Gordon, age 30, is also a very accomplished musician, he was a Student of the Year at the RSAMD in Glasgow, is married with two wee ones, firstly David James (3) who inspired Grandad to pen a 4/4 march in the Skinner mode with Shetland overtones, called “David James Yeaman of Skellister”, and Janie 1½ years who can “twist Grandad round her little finger”. Gordon and his wife Marion (also from Balloch) are both teachers, and Marion is taking fiddle lessons from Tom Anderson. When they first moved to the Shetlands, they stayed at Skellister, a few miles north of Lerwick, but they moved to Lerwick itself a couple of year back. Gordon teaches music in the schools and fronts a jazz trio on piano in various hotels in the area.
The youngest lad, Derek (27), is half of a Scots pop duo, “Local Hero”. They had a record in the charts a few months ago with another in the pipeline, and they are all set for a tour with “Shakin’ Stevens” – (whoever he is when he’s at home). “Yeaman” is certainly a name in the music world.
In conclusion, a few wee anecdotes and quotes which sum up the man – I always say “Book Jimmy Yeaman, he’s the poor man’s Ron Gonella, half the price and twice as loud and can run and duck faster. He doesn’t mind people walking out during a performance, it’s when they walk towards him, that’s when he panics”.
Another quote from J.Y. to George Stirrat “Don’t give up the day job George”.
A quote from Ron Gonella, “Jimmy’s a good adjudicator, but the cotton wool in his ears can be a problem”.
Then there is the wee story Jimmy tells us against himself – his first crack at competing in a fiddle festival at Alyth after demob. He read the blurb – “March, Strathspey and Reel selection” and duly turned up ready to play 4 of each. When the first player went on and played one of each, Jimmy thought “What an idiot that is!”, turned to Angus Fitchet and said “What’s the score here?”
Jimmy has always looked younger than his years, but a short while back he “sprouted a beard” which narrowed the gap a bit, and I asked him why he grew it? He replied, “Well it’s like this, I reckoned it cost me 5 minutes a day to shave, that’s 35 minutes a week and 30 hours 20 minutes a year. So in a life span of 3 score years and 10, since I started growing it I’ll get an extra 20 days to play Scottish Dance Music!” – I wish I’d never asked.
A “one-off” right enough. Who else but J.Y. could have his destiny moulded by a wee tin fiddle, and a whistling pump attendant. But, my goodness, he’s the better for knowing.
Box and Fiddle
March 1989