Dougie Maxwell
By Tom Clark
A fairly regular topic of discussion these days, concerns the similarity of sound produced by many of today’s bands. I have often been involved in the discussion myself, and I suppose it has to be admitted that there is a degree of truth in the suggestion.
It’s not too difficult to see why the claim is made, when we look at what has become almost the “standard” line-up. But, just go back a few years, when things were probably a lot different and there was a sound that was always instantly recognisable to the ear – the sound of the trumpet in the Olympian’s Dance Band. To my ear this was always a happy and relaxed sound which seemed to tell me something about the man behind the trumpet.
Although I had know about Dougie Maxwell for many years, I didn’t really meet him until a couple of years ago at one of Bobby Crowe’s mid-summer ceilidhs in the Balmullo Inn. Bobby and Dougie were on stage doing their stuff, and sure enough, there was that distinctive sound.
I arranged with Dougie that we would do something for the “Box and Fiddle” sometime, and earlier this year we got together for what proved to be a lively and interesting chat.
“It all started when I was about seven years old” Doug told me. “My father played piano and my Uncle James played cornet. Dad (Douglas Hay Maxwell) was very much involved with music. He was a competent pianist and a good music reader. I started on a small drum kit which I had been given as a Christmas present and enjoyed joining in with dad and Uncle James.
Dad had been involved in the formation of the Tayport Instrumental Band after the First World War, and it was through this connection that I became interested in the cornet. A few years later he met up with Jimmy Shand and eventually joined Jimmy’s band as bass player.
He travelled all over Scotland, England and Ireland with the band for a few years and enjoyed every minute of it. “So you can see that I was brought up in an atmosphere surrounded by music in our home at Seggieden House, where I lived for over 20 years. Every night was music night. No “telly” in those days!
The tradition goes back a long way. My grandfather, Charles Maxwell, was a very fine violinist. As well as having a small dance orchestra, he was depute leader of the pit orchestra in Her Majesty’s Theatre, Dundee (now the Canon Film Centre).
While I was very young, dad started teaching music which included tuition on the accordion. Amongst dad’s pupils was Bobby Crowe. Bobby and I became friends, a friendship that has lasted to this day. After a while Bobby and I started playing together – I was on second accordion!!
BRASS BAND WORLD
During this period, dad and I used to cycle every week to Tayport, to meet up with the Tayport Instrumental Band and it was there that I started to play the cornet.
Later on, as I progressed on the instrument, I gained much valuable and enjoyable playing experience with a few other bands in the area, including Cupar Town, St. Andrew’s City and occasionally with the Tullis Russell Mills Band, where my Uncle John played Flugal Horn. Being a player of various musical instruments seemed to run in the family. (Dad played piano, cornet, double bass and accordion).
This was a very pleasant stage in my playing life, as I have always retained my connection with Brass Bands, playing with them for over 30 years.
During my time I have played under some excellent conductors, one of whom was Drake Rimmer – a member of the famous Rimmer family. I can remember one occasion coming back from a concert in the early 60’s when I was with Cupar Town Band, when we won every cup and shield in the competition, having gained the highest number of points and beating all the big names in the business.
In 1964, I had the honour of playing cornet in London at the National Championships with the Cupar Town Band. Later, in 1974, I played again at the same venue with the Tayport Instrumental Band. On many occasions, I used to play trumpet in local pit orchestras and enjoyed it very much.
THE OLYMPIANS
The Olympians were formed in 1950, just after I had completed my National Service. The members at the stage were Eric Gray and Betty Crowe on accordion, David Findlay piano, Tom Anderson drums and myself on trumpet.
I had actually started on accordion, but switched to the trumpet after a short while. We were all very keen players and did a lot of practicing together before our first venture – a dance in Guardbridge Hall in October, 1950.
In those days National Service caused a lot of problems for bands when player had to leave for a couple of years. First we had Eric Gray, then Bobby Crowe. However, we continued with the hard work and regular practice and eventually managed to produce the sound we wanted.
We passed an audition for the B.B.C. in 1952, making our first broadcast in May of the year. For most players, playing regularly in one of the many bands in the Scottish Dance music scene at that time, was a great experience. All over Scotland and south of the Border as well, the bands from this area were travelling every weekend.
It was considered as a bonus to be playing “at home” in places like Froickheim, Montrose, Edzell, Laurencekirk, Brechin, Letham, Carmyllie, Largoward etc. Mind you, there was no bridge in those days and the ferry went off early, so those who needed to cross the river had an extra 40 miles to go.
I remember one night in the early 50’s, we were all aboard the big, smooth running Humber limousine in which we travelled to gigs, on the way home from a dance in Callander. “Bessie” as we affectionately called her, was brought to a halt just east of Auchterarder to let everyone have a breath of air, when a rope dangling from the roof rack caught our attention. No bass drum!! We jumped back into “Bessie” and retraced our steps, but there was no sign of the drum.
An advert in Monday’s “Courier” brought no response, but aroused the interest of all the “Nationals” and by the end of that week, the Olympians were famed nation-wide – as the band who lost their big drum! That famous drum was never seen again.
There was another occasion, early one Saturday morning on the way back from Laurencekirk. “Bessie” gave up the ghost – sounded like bid end trouble. Martin Hayes, our lead accordion player at the time had left his car at Forfar, as he stayed in Blairgowrie. The rest of us had planned that we would all stay with the Dundee lads for the night. Martin took the gear in his car to bring it to Kidd’s Rooms in Dundee, for the next job, while the rest of us stayed with “Bessie” for the night to wait for the first bus in the morning.
At 6 a.m. on a beautifully autumn morning, all five of us were marching on the Dundee road, outside Forfar, when along came a bus. As we boarded the bus, little giggles burst into howls of laughter from passengers (and ourselves), as we realised that we were in a “tattie bus” with the passengers all suitably attired. There we were in our dinner suits, white shirts and bow ties – just the gear for “tattie howkin”.
I suppose all of us who broadcast in the days of live broadcasting can think of an incident we would rather forget. Mine happened in Coldside Studio in Dundee during a Saturday evening Scottish Dance Music programme.
During rehearsals, Mr Sloggie, the Producer, suggested a trumpet solo during the waltz “Ca’ the Ewes”. We discussed it, and in response to his request, I agreed “No problem”. I had done it often before elsewhere. We rehearsed again and everything went well. Then came the green light and we were off. During “Ca’ the Ewes” I started my solo. It seemed to go okay until that top “A”. It came out like a “gurgle”. Jim Sloggie was most understanding and said it was probably his fault for rehearsing me too hard. That made things a bit easier, but I never really got over it and I became known amongst my brass band pals as “the lad wha canna reach his top A”.
Over the years, there have been many fine players who spent period with us in the Olympians. Jimmy Yeaman (fiddle), Douglas Cargill (bass), Jack Stewart, John Huband and David Cunningham (accordion), Angus MacDonald, Bill Melville, Bill Dunbar, Bill Stronach, Bill Jarvis and Colin Lander (drums), Alice Watson, Moira Reekie, James Lindsay and Graham Berry (piano) and Bill Morgan has been our bass player for about 12 years.
My saddest memory with the band , must be the tragic loss of David Findlay, killed in a car crash, while working for the B.B.C. on the way back from a recording of “Take the Floor” in Wick. David’s influence on the band will remain for a long time. We still play the music which he arranged and loved so much.
Things seem to have gone full circle now, and we have Bobby Crowe back on lead accordion, even though he is very busy with his own band. When we play now for the R.S.C.D.S. on Monday nights at the Angus Hotel, Dundee, we find ourselves almost back where we started in 1950. Kidd’s Rooms were demolished to make way for the new complex, including the Angus Hotel.
With the Olympians I have enjoyed making the following recordings” :-
E.P. “The Olympians” (Thane) 1963
L.P. “Meet the Olympians” (Thistle) 1969
L.P. “Dances of Scotland” Vol III (Scottish) 1973
L.P. “Music for Book 27” (R.S.C.D.S.) 1975
L.P. “Dances Old, Dances New” (Goldreay) 1983
So, Dougie has been a very busy musician over many years, and although illness now affects his eyesight and makes reading music impossible, he still manages to keep up with the playing. He studies new pieces and plays from memory. “I was always a good busker” he told me.
Dougie is still very active and keen and tells me he makes frequent visits to Clubs, including Windygates Club, where he finds the atmosphere very friendly and relaxed. Apart from his playing activities, Dougie has found some time for composing. “I am not a prolific composer” he explained “ideas only come to me occasionally, usually without warning”. Dougie’s compositions include :-
Jigs – Christine MacAskill and Mrs Patricia Maxwell’s Jig.
Strathspeys – Alan Maxwell’s Farewell to Balmerino and Mrs Aileen Douglas od Dunira
March – Tom McNaught’s March
Reels – Neil MacKinnon of the Cuilt and Kinnear Baxter’s Farewell to Dundee
Waltz – Laura Jane’s Waltz
I thoroughly enjoyed my session with Dougie and sincerely hope that we will be enjoying the sound of that trumpet for many years to come.
Dougie lives at Balmullo with his wife Christine (MacAskill) while his son Alan and wife Teresa live in Glenrothes.
Box and Fiddle
November 1989
It’s not too difficult to see why the claim is made, when we look at what has become almost the “standard” line-up. But, just go back a few years, when things were probably a lot different and there was a sound that was always instantly recognisable to the ear – the sound of the trumpet in the Olympian’s Dance Band. To my ear this was always a happy and relaxed sound which seemed to tell me something about the man behind the trumpet.
Although I had know about Dougie Maxwell for many years, I didn’t really meet him until a couple of years ago at one of Bobby Crowe’s mid-summer ceilidhs in the Balmullo Inn. Bobby and Dougie were on stage doing their stuff, and sure enough, there was that distinctive sound.
I arranged with Dougie that we would do something for the “Box and Fiddle” sometime, and earlier this year we got together for what proved to be a lively and interesting chat.
“It all started when I was about seven years old” Doug told me. “My father played piano and my Uncle James played cornet. Dad (Douglas Hay Maxwell) was very much involved with music. He was a competent pianist and a good music reader. I started on a small drum kit which I had been given as a Christmas present and enjoyed joining in with dad and Uncle James.
Dad had been involved in the formation of the Tayport Instrumental Band after the First World War, and it was through this connection that I became interested in the cornet. A few years later he met up with Jimmy Shand and eventually joined Jimmy’s band as bass player.
He travelled all over Scotland, England and Ireland with the band for a few years and enjoyed every minute of it. “So you can see that I was brought up in an atmosphere surrounded by music in our home at Seggieden House, where I lived for over 20 years. Every night was music night. No “telly” in those days!
The tradition goes back a long way. My grandfather, Charles Maxwell, was a very fine violinist. As well as having a small dance orchestra, he was depute leader of the pit orchestra in Her Majesty’s Theatre, Dundee (now the Canon Film Centre).
While I was very young, dad started teaching music which included tuition on the accordion. Amongst dad’s pupils was Bobby Crowe. Bobby and I became friends, a friendship that has lasted to this day. After a while Bobby and I started playing together – I was on second accordion!!
BRASS BAND WORLD
During this period, dad and I used to cycle every week to Tayport, to meet up with the Tayport Instrumental Band and it was there that I started to play the cornet.
Later on, as I progressed on the instrument, I gained much valuable and enjoyable playing experience with a few other bands in the area, including Cupar Town, St. Andrew’s City and occasionally with the Tullis Russell Mills Band, where my Uncle John played Flugal Horn. Being a player of various musical instruments seemed to run in the family. (Dad played piano, cornet, double bass and accordion).
This was a very pleasant stage in my playing life, as I have always retained my connection with Brass Bands, playing with them for over 30 years.
During my time I have played under some excellent conductors, one of whom was Drake Rimmer – a member of the famous Rimmer family. I can remember one occasion coming back from a concert in the early 60’s when I was with Cupar Town Band, when we won every cup and shield in the competition, having gained the highest number of points and beating all the big names in the business.
In 1964, I had the honour of playing cornet in London at the National Championships with the Cupar Town Band. Later, in 1974, I played again at the same venue with the Tayport Instrumental Band. On many occasions, I used to play trumpet in local pit orchestras and enjoyed it very much.
THE OLYMPIANS
The Olympians were formed in 1950, just after I had completed my National Service. The members at the stage were Eric Gray and Betty Crowe on accordion, David Findlay piano, Tom Anderson drums and myself on trumpet.
I had actually started on accordion, but switched to the trumpet after a short while. We were all very keen players and did a lot of practicing together before our first venture – a dance in Guardbridge Hall in October, 1950.
In those days National Service caused a lot of problems for bands when player had to leave for a couple of years. First we had Eric Gray, then Bobby Crowe. However, we continued with the hard work and regular practice and eventually managed to produce the sound we wanted.
We passed an audition for the B.B.C. in 1952, making our first broadcast in May of the year. For most players, playing regularly in one of the many bands in the Scottish Dance music scene at that time, was a great experience. All over Scotland and south of the Border as well, the bands from this area were travelling every weekend.
It was considered as a bonus to be playing “at home” in places like Froickheim, Montrose, Edzell, Laurencekirk, Brechin, Letham, Carmyllie, Largoward etc. Mind you, there was no bridge in those days and the ferry went off early, so those who needed to cross the river had an extra 40 miles to go.
I remember one night in the early 50’s, we were all aboard the big, smooth running Humber limousine in which we travelled to gigs, on the way home from a dance in Callander. “Bessie” as we affectionately called her, was brought to a halt just east of Auchterarder to let everyone have a breath of air, when a rope dangling from the roof rack caught our attention. No bass drum!! We jumped back into “Bessie” and retraced our steps, but there was no sign of the drum.
An advert in Monday’s “Courier” brought no response, but aroused the interest of all the “Nationals” and by the end of that week, the Olympians were famed nation-wide – as the band who lost their big drum! That famous drum was never seen again.
There was another occasion, early one Saturday morning on the way back from Laurencekirk. “Bessie” gave up the ghost – sounded like bid end trouble. Martin Hayes, our lead accordion player at the time had left his car at Forfar, as he stayed in Blairgowrie. The rest of us had planned that we would all stay with the Dundee lads for the night. Martin took the gear in his car to bring it to Kidd’s Rooms in Dundee, for the next job, while the rest of us stayed with “Bessie” for the night to wait for the first bus in the morning.
At 6 a.m. on a beautifully autumn morning, all five of us were marching on the Dundee road, outside Forfar, when along came a bus. As we boarded the bus, little giggles burst into howls of laughter from passengers (and ourselves), as we realised that we were in a “tattie bus” with the passengers all suitably attired. There we were in our dinner suits, white shirts and bow ties – just the gear for “tattie howkin”.
I suppose all of us who broadcast in the days of live broadcasting can think of an incident we would rather forget. Mine happened in Coldside Studio in Dundee during a Saturday evening Scottish Dance Music programme.
During rehearsals, Mr Sloggie, the Producer, suggested a trumpet solo during the waltz “Ca’ the Ewes”. We discussed it, and in response to his request, I agreed “No problem”. I had done it often before elsewhere. We rehearsed again and everything went well. Then came the green light and we were off. During “Ca’ the Ewes” I started my solo. It seemed to go okay until that top “A”. It came out like a “gurgle”. Jim Sloggie was most understanding and said it was probably his fault for rehearsing me too hard. That made things a bit easier, but I never really got over it and I became known amongst my brass band pals as “the lad wha canna reach his top A”.
Over the years, there have been many fine players who spent period with us in the Olympians. Jimmy Yeaman (fiddle), Douglas Cargill (bass), Jack Stewart, John Huband and David Cunningham (accordion), Angus MacDonald, Bill Melville, Bill Dunbar, Bill Stronach, Bill Jarvis and Colin Lander (drums), Alice Watson, Moira Reekie, James Lindsay and Graham Berry (piano) and Bill Morgan has been our bass player for about 12 years.
My saddest memory with the band , must be the tragic loss of David Findlay, killed in a car crash, while working for the B.B.C. on the way back from a recording of “Take the Floor” in Wick. David’s influence on the band will remain for a long time. We still play the music which he arranged and loved so much.
Things seem to have gone full circle now, and we have Bobby Crowe back on lead accordion, even though he is very busy with his own band. When we play now for the R.S.C.D.S. on Monday nights at the Angus Hotel, Dundee, we find ourselves almost back where we started in 1950. Kidd’s Rooms were demolished to make way for the new complex, including the Angus Hotel.
With the Olympians I have enjoyed making the following recordings” :-
E.P. “The Olympians” (Thane) 1963
L.P. “Meet the Olympians” (Thistle) 1969
L.P. “Dances of Scotland” Vol III (Scottish) 1973
L.P. “Music for Book 27” (R.S.C.D.S.) 1975
L.P. “Dances Old, Dances New” (Goldreay) 1983
So, Dougie has been a very busy musician over many years, and although illness now affects his eyesight and makes reading music impossible, he still manages to keep up with the playing. He studies new pieces and plays from memory. “I was always a good busker” he told me.
Dougie is still very active and keen and tells me he makes frequent visits to Clubs, including Windygates Club, where he finds the atmosphere very friendly and relaxed. Apart from his playing activities, Dougie has found some time for composing. “I am not a prolific composer” he explained “ideas only come to me occasionally, usually without warning”. Dougie’s compositions include :-
Jigs – Christine MacAskill and Mrs Patricia Maxwell’s Jig.
Strathspeys – Alan Maxwell’s Farewell to Balmerino and Mrs Aileen Douglas od Dunira
March – Tom McNaught’s March
Reels – Neil MacKinnon of the Cuilt and Kinnear Baxter’s Farewell to Dundee
Waltz – Laura Jane’s Waltz
I thoroughly enjoyed my session with Dougie and sincerely hope that we will be enjoying the sound of that trumpet for many years to come.
Dougie lives at Balmullo with his wife Christine (MacAskill) while his son Alan and wife Teresa live in Glenrothes.
Box and Fiddle
November 1989