Jack Delaney
by Heather Delaney
I’m Heather Delaney and I play fiddle in my Grandad’s band. Ever since his presentation in 2006 the N.A.A.F.C. Committee has been asking us to write down some of his musical memoirs for the “Box and Fiddle” magazine, so here goes.
John (Jack to everyone) Gordon Delaney was born on 19th February 1935, in Inverkeithing … and we haven’t had any peace since (based on information from my Gran and all the family!).
Jack was fifteen when he first picked up an accordion and started having a tune with pal Allen Barnett while on his dinner break at Jack’s family business, a plant nursery. Not having a music teacher or able to read the dots the lads ‘lugged’ tunes from records and the radio (he calls it ‘the wireless’ but I’m sure it’s the same thing!) It was while practising in one of the glasshouses that they were overheard by the conductor of the Alva Youth Club Choir who invited them to play during breaks in the choir’s annual concert.
The duo became regular guests with the choir and this helped them to build up confidence to later set up ‘The Rowan Band’ with Bert O’Donnell (fiddle), Andrew Grant (drums) and Jimmy Scott (piano). The Rowan Band played together for three years and became well known locally. Unfortunately they had to part company as some of the members went to do their National Service.
It was while he was in Leeds with the Royal Army Pay Corps that Jack was invited to play for the Leeds Scottish Country Dance Club’s monthly dance. Having no experience of Scottish Country Dancing and little knowledge of the skills required, Jack had to embark on a steep learning curve to find original tunes and learn the discipline of counting bars etc. He managed to enlist the help of some of his fellow National Servicemen to play with him, namely Arthur McKinney on drums, Alastair Reid on piano and Dave McGirr on double bass. They played together for almost two years and even travelled to Burnley on occasions to play at the country dance club there.
In June 1955, when he was twenty Jack finished his National Service and was back in Alloa. It was at this time that a friend, Andrew Rankine, asked him if he would like to join his band. This was a great opportunity as Andrew was a really good, swingy player. Although playing melody alongside him was a daunting task, this experience had a huge influence on Jack and provided the basis of Jack’s swingy and driving style. As part of Rankine’s band, Jack was reunited with Jimmy Scott and introduced to Bob Christie (fiddle), Stan Saunders (bass) and Andy Hamilton (drums). It was with these men that Jack enjoyed his Scottish Dance Band apprenticeship and in the September of that year performed his first live broadcast.
For the first year or so Jack played joint melody with Andrew, which was the accepted style used by all the bands at that time. Then in 1956 Andrew heard Bobby MacLeod’s band playing on a recording of the Bluebell Polka with the second box player playing rhythmic chords. Jack thinks this would have been Hugh Malarky, and Andrew was very impressed with the effect this had. Bobby was a hero to both Andrew and Jack and they were inspired by this new sound and technique and immediately started experimenting and developing the idea. Shortly after, they decided to do a full broadcast using the second box playing chords all the way through and this is what was to become his style of playing ‘Second Box’ as we know it today. The day after that broadcast, Angus Fitchet phoned Andrew to say he loved the idea and thought they should continue to do it this way as it was very effective, producing a different sound and drive to the band and this was the way Jack was to continue to play whenever he was asked to play second box. This was one of the most influential periods in his musical career which led to him becoming much sought after in this role with many bands.
Jack had some very memorable moments with Andrew’s band, many of which he wouldn’t want me to disclose! However, Jack remembers that on the way to Edinburgh to audition and play in his first broadcast, Andrew realised that he had actually forgotten to put his accordion in the car so they had to make a mad dash back to Menstrie to pick it up. They did manage to make it on time and Jack was accepted as the new second box player in the band.
In addition he recalls being at an outside broadcast in Langholm with the band when Andrew counted the band in for the first set only to discover that he had forgotten to undo the straps on his box and couldn’t play a thing. The band managed to carry on without him almost doubled up with laughter.
The band was very busy in those years. They travelled all over the country often playing in the north of Scotland on the Friday night and down south in the Borders on the Saturday. They regularly toured the West Coast of Scotland playing gigs in Skye, Kyle of Lochalsh, Beauly, Inverness, Aultbea and many more stops in between. It was a butcher called Willie McLean who first invited them to play in Aultbea at the famous village hall. Jack said there used to be a grand piano in the Aultbea village hall which was amazing because good pianos were always hard to find. What was even more amazing was that Willie often had a bottle of whisky hidden under the lid - just for emergencies!
Gigs like these ones would often start at midnight and carry on until 5 in the morning when the band would get a couple of hours sleep then load up and drive back down the road for a broadcast usually followed by a gig that evening. It was after one such dance in Strathpeffer that the band was heading home when the dynamo on their Vauxhall Velox packed in. They made it to Kingussie with no lights and spent a sleepless few hours in the station waiting room where they had been installed by a kindly Stationmaster. Jack recalls Bobby Christie always had trouble sleeping and so he had wandered off for a walk only to return to tell the rest of them to get a move on – the Co-op Bakery was open! So there they were all dolled up in their dinner suits sitting in the back of the bake house eating pies and drinking tea at a big floury table at 6 in the morning. When they emerged into the street their black suits had turned grey with all the flour floating about. As well as pies, their steady diet of fish suppers on these tours doesn’t seem to have done Jack (80) any harm. Jack did also mention the incredible spreads put on by the generous people who organised many of the dances, a tradition which he’s delighted to say continues at many of the Accordion and Fiddle Clubs which he attends regularly to this day.
There used to be a certain friendly rivalry between bands back then. Jack recalls a night when Bobby MacLeod, Ian Powrie and Andrew’s band were all staying in an Inverness Hotel but playing at different venues. Powrie’s band had to leave for their gig first so, seeing an unmissable opportunity for mischief, the Rankine band turned their rooms upside down and hid some of the Powrie band’s belongings in the gutters of the hotel’s roof. All was quiet for a while after this and they thought all had been forgiven until they met the Powrie band on the streets of Edinburgh one day. They did have a good laugh about the Inverness Hotel incident together and again thought they were got away with it until they returned to their Volkswagen to find the spark plugs had been nicked!
Bands could also get on pretty well too if the occasion called for it. For instance, the Rankine band was booked to play at Friockheim in Angus one evening. They duly turned up (probably a wee bit late as was usual with Andrew) and found that the Lindsay Ross Band was already set up and playing. There had been a mix up with the bookings and the man in charge was very apologetic. Seeing this and not wanting them to have travelled so far for nothing, he and Lindsay invited them to join them on stage, resulting in 3 box players, 2 fiddlers, 2 bass players, 2 drummers and 1 piano player all crammed in and belting it out together…now there is value for money!
Jack initially spent five years with the Andrew Rankine Band, broadcasting with them regularly and enduring Andrew’s Rankine’s awful time keeping, terrifying driving and sometimes intimidating personality. He developed a great friendship with him and they always enjoyed making good music together.
It was during 1959 that Jack met my Gran Leslie and they were married in September 1960. She was the perfect wife putting up with him being away so much and having to wash white shirts all the time. She supported him unquestionably and even forgave him (just!) when he accidentally arranged a gig in the Lake District for someone’s silver wedding party – on the day of his own silver wedding!! They had a very warm and loving relationship, living in ‘perfect harmony’ for 53 years. Jack and Leslie encouraged all the family with their music and Leslie in particular was very proud of them all.
During the sixties and seventies Jack played second box with lots of bands making records and doing broadcasts frequently. At that time Jim Johnstone was broadcasting with an excellent five piece band and Jim asked Jack to play with him on his first six piece broadcast. Shortly after, Jim asked Jack to do a series of country dance recordings with him at the Craighall studio in Edinburgh for Bryce Laing. Jack also recorded with Jimmy Shand Jnr and Bert Shorthouse on the same series.
In 1960, Jack joined the Hamish Menzies band and played with them until 1972. This band consisted of Hamish Menzies on fiddle, Dochie McCallum on Shand Morino, Bert Leishman on drums, Walter Sinton on piano and Robert Anderson on bass. They would travel all over the country in the Bedford van with a dodgy heater playing in Balquhidder, Lochearnhead, Crianlarich, Killin, Kilmartin, Lochgilphead and Dalmally as well as many venues on the west coast, in the borders and the north of England. This was one of the best working bands he had been in and Jack really enjoyed playing with these fellows. He reckons that Hamish and Dochie are two of the finest gentlemen in the band business. They had many happy times together and are still very close friends. In 1965, Gus Miller joined the band and did his first broadcast with them. Believe it or not, Jack says that Gus was a very shy and quiet fellow in these days but look at him now!
The band played in the hall at Lochearnhead every Saturday for a number of years and had some great fun there. After closing time in the Lochearnhead Hotel the locals all piled into the hall to dance for about two hours and many stories could be told about that period. There were two worthies, who shall remain nameless, who were always up to mischief and they frequently caused mayhem. On one occasion they decided that another local farmer who was very drunk was badly in need of a haircut. “It’s time to set the heather on fire” was the comment they made as they used a lighter to set fire to his hair. The drunken farmer never even noticed it happening and the smell of burned hair lingered in the hall all night.
On another occasion the two worthies were both fairly fu’ and at the evenings end one of them had difficulty in locating his key into the lock on his van door. Of all people, the local ‘bobby’, who knew him well, assisted him to get the door open and into the driver’s seat and turned a blind eye when he drove off. Then there was the night when the two of them decided to race each other back to Balquhidder, one in the old van and the other on an old motor bike. The challenge was that they mustn’t put on their lights while driving home. Fortunately, they made it home safely. These were the days!
In 1969, the band moved from Lochearnhead village hall to the Trossachs Hotel where they played for dancing every Saturday evening. This was a very popular venue for dancing and people travelled from as far as Glasgow, Stirling and Alloa to join in the fun.
It was in 1972, when Hamish Menzies took over as Postmaster in Callander, that Jack started his own band. The original line-up was Gus Miller, Neil McMillan, Ricci Franci and Graeme Burns plus Elaine Anderson singing. Elaine was later replaced by Jean Thom. Jean and her husband John became close friends with Jack and Leslie and she still sings with Jack every Thursday at a voluntary group in Stirling.
During the late seventies Jack was once again invited to play with Andrew Rankine when he came up to Scotland to do broadcasts for the B.B.C. and Radio Forth on Robin Brock’s programme.
Over the years Jack has played second box for many different artists’ recordings and broadcasts. He continues doing broadcasts to this day. He has played alongside many of the top bands including Bert Shorthouse, Sir Jimmy Shand and Jimmy Shand Jnr., Jim Johnstone, Alex MacArthur, Robin Brock, Iain MacPhail, Sandy Nixon, Neil Barron, Colin Dewar and many others.
Jack has always been keen to see traditional Scottish music survive and be enjoyed by as many people as possible. For many years Jack helped tutor bands of young people in an organisation called ‘The Clachan Ceilidh’. ‘The Ceilidh’ was set up by Matt McCabe in Alloa, Clackmannanshire and it provided an opportunity for youngsters to learn skills in Scottish dance, song, and a variety of musical instruments. The young people could then come together to perform for the public at concerts and ceilidhs.
On occasions the group would go on exchange visits to Germany where they were once involved in a TV broadcast. Jack remembers that at one point he was on stage playing a large Hohner Morino V while Forbes MacFarlane was playing his Hohner Black Dot Double Ray melodeon. The German producers thought it was hilarious to see a tiny man playing a massive accordion and a large man playing a tiny melodeon.
It was through the Clachan Ceilidh that many of today’s musicians did their apprenticeship including Gus Miller, Neil McMillan, Walter Sinton, John Sinton, Marissa Bryce, Robert Ramsay, Graham Miles, Bert Fullerton, Ian Thomson, Gordon Shand and many more. It was during this period that Jack met Graeme Burns who began to play with his band and became his best friend.
Most recently, he was involved with Iain MacPhail in making a CD for Logan MacGregor called ‘Reflecting On Rankine’, an album of Andrew Rankine compositions and sets with Iain MacPhail taking the lead and Grandad on second box. Jack really enjoyed working with Iain and they have become very good friends.
Playing with so many different people means that Jack has managed to travel the length and breadth of Britain reaching north to Wick and south to London and across the seas to France and Monte Carlo. Whoever said that playing the accordion wasn’t glamorous? He has even played for Royalty in Edinburgh, Balmoral and Stirling. The Queen commented to Grandad that she was most concerned that they had to carry so much heavy equipment around with them!
One of the highlights in his career was receiving the Caithness Bowl from the N.A.A.F.C. as one of their Guests of Honour in 2006 at their Annual AGM and Luncheon.
The line up in Grandad’s band has changed over the years as musicians have come and gone. The current band members are Grandad on lead box, Alastair McGirr on keyboard, my dad John Delaney on Bass, Melanie Dutton on drums and myself on fiddle. Alastair started in 1981 and in Jack’s words he “couldn’t have found a better pianist, bandsman and friend”. Alastair’s fine arrangements and superb musicianship have really been the core of the band and this still continues today. In addition, Jackie Raeburn and James Gunn are drafted in when a second box is required. We still play at ceilidhs and Accordion & Fiddle Clubs. For the past ten years the band has played at the Pitlochry Street Party which is held on New Year’s Day. What an experience it is playing in the open air in freezing conditions for two or three thousand very enthusiastic dancers.
My Grandad has enjoyed every minute of his 65 playing years and wouldn’t have changed a minute of it. He still “enjoys the tune and the crack” as much as ever. He says he wouldn’t have been doing guest artiste spots at Accordion and Fiddle Clubs now if it wasn’t for me playing with him in the band – so I’d like to say a big ‘Thank You’ to him. I always enjoy and look forward to being able to play with a full six piece band of experienced musicians and this is something I will never forget.
Box and Fiddle
October & November 2015
John (Jack to everyone) Gordon Delaney was born on 19th February 1935, in Inverkeithing … and we haven’t had any peace since (based on information from my Gran and all the family!).
Jack was fifteen when he first picked up an accordion and started having a tune with pal Allen Barnett while on his dinner break at Jack’s family business, a plant nursery. Not having a music teacher or able to read the dots the lads ‘lugged’ tunes from records and the radio (he calls it ‘the wireless’ but I’m sure it’s the same thing!) It was while practising in one of the glasshouses that they were overheard by the conductor of the Alva Youth Club Choir who invited them to play during breaks in the choir’s annual concert.
The duo became regular guests with the choir and this helped them to build up confidence to later set up ‘The Rowan Band’ with Bert O’Donnell (fiddle), Andrew Grant (drums) and Jimmy Scott (piano). The Rowan Band played together for three years and became well known locally. Unfortunately they had to part company as some of the members went to do their National Service.
It was while he was in Leeds with the Royal Army Pay Corps that Jack was invited to play for the Leeds Scottish Country Dance Club’s monthly dance. Having no experience of Scottish Country Dancing and little knowledge of the skills required, Jack had to embark on a steep learning curve to find original tunes and learn the discipline of counting bars etc. He managed to enlist the help of some of his fellow National Servicemen to play with him, namely Arthur McKinney on drums, Alastair Reid on piano and Dave McGirr on double bass. They played together for almost two years and even travelled to Burnley on occasions to play at the country dance club there.
In June 1955, when he was twenty Jack finished his National Service and was back in Alloa. It was at this time that a friend, Andrew Rankine, asked him if he would like to join his band. This was a great opportunity as Andrew was a really good, swingy player. Although playing melody alongside him was a daunting task, this experience had a huge influence on Jack and provided the basis of Jack’s swingy and driving style. As part of Rankine’s band, Jack was reunited with Jimmy Scott and introduced to Bob Christie (fiddle), Stan Saunders (bass) and Andy Hamilton (drums). It was with these men that Jack enjoyed his Scottish Dance Band apprenticeship and in the September of that year performed his first live broadcast.
For the first year or so Jack played joint melody with Andrew, which was the accepted style used by all the bands at that time. Then in 1956 Andrew heard Bobby MacLeod’s band playing on a recording of the Bluebell Polka with the second box player playing rhythmic chords. Jack thinks this would have been Hugh Malarky, and Andrew was very impressed with the effect this had. Bobby was a hero to both Andrew and Jack and they were inspired by this new sound and technique and immediately started experimenting and developing the idea. Shortly after, they decided to do a full broadcast using the second box playing chords all the way through and this is what was to become his style of playing ‘Second Box’ as we know it today. The day after that broadcast, Angus Fitchet phoned Andrew to say he loved the idea and thought they should continue to do it this way as it was very effective, producing a different sound and drive to the band and this was the way Jack was to continue to play whenever he was asked to play second box. This was one of the most influential periods in his musical career which led to him becoming much sought after in this role with many bands.
Jack had some very memorable moments with Andrew’s band, many of which he wouldn’t want me to disclose! However, Jack remembers that on the way to Edinburgh to audition and play in his first broadcast, Andrew realised that he had actually forgotten to put his accordion in the car so they had to make a mad dash back to Menstrie to pick it up. They did manage to make it on time and Jack was accepted as the new second box player in the band.
In addition he recalls being at an outside broadcast in Langholm with the band when Andrew counted the band in for the first set only to discover that he had forgotten to undo the straps on his box and couldn’t play a thing. The band managed to carry on without him almost doubled up with laughter.
The band was very busy in those years. They travelled all over the country often playing in the north of Scotland on the Friday night and down south in the Borders on the Saturday. They regularly toured the West Coast of Scotland playing gigs in Skye, Kyle of Lochalsh, Beauly, Inverness, Aultbea and many more stops in between. It was a butcher called Willie McLean who first invited them to play in Aultbea at the famous village hall. Jack said there used to be a grand piano in the Aultbea village hall which was amazing because good pianos were always hard to find. What was even more amazing was that Willie often had a bottle of whisky hidden under the lid - just for emergencies!
Gigs like these ones would often start at midnight and carry on until 5 in the morning when the band would get a couple of hours sleep then load up and drive back down the road for a broadcast usually followed by a gig that evening. It was after one such dance in Strathpeffer that the band was heading home when the dynamo on their Vauxhall Velox packed in. They made it to Kingussie with no lights and spent a sleepless few hours in the station waiting room where they had been installed by a kindly Stationmaster. Jack recalls Bobby Christie always had trouble sleeping and so he had wandered off for a walk only to return to tell the rest of them to get a move on – the Co-op Bakery was open! So there they were all dolled up in their dinner suits sitting in the back of the bake house eating pies and drinking tea at a big floury table at 6 in the morning. When they emerged into the street their black suits had turned grey with all the flour floating about. As well as pies, their steady diet of fish suppers on these tours doesn’t seem to have done Jack (80) any harm. Jack did also mention the incredible spreads put on by the generous people who organised many of the dances, a tradition which he’s delighted to say continues at many of the Accordion and Fiddle Clubs which he attends regularly to this day.
There used to be a certain friendly rivalry between bands back then. Jack recalls a night when Bobby MacLeod, Ian Powrie and Andrew’s band were all staying in an Inverness Hotel but playing at different venues. Powrie’s band had to leave for their gig first so, seeing an unmissable opportunity for mischief, the Rankine band turned their rooms upside down and hid some of the Powrie band’s belongings in the gutters of the hotel’s roof. All was quiet for a while after this and they thought all had been forgiven until they met the Powrie band on the streets of Edinburgh one day. They did have a good laugh about the Inverness Hotel incident together and again thought they were got away with it until they returned to their Volkswagen to find the spark plugs had been nicked!
Bands could also get on pretty well too if the occasion called for it. For instance, the Rankine band was booked to play at Friockheim in Angus one evening. They duly turned up (probably a wee bit late as was usual with Andrew) and found that the Lindsay Ross Band was already set up and playing. There had been a mix up with the bookings and the man in charge was very apologetic. Seeing this and not wanting them to have travelled so far for nothing, he and Lindsay invited them to join them on stage, resulting in 3 box players, 2 fiddlers, 2 bass players, 2 drummers and 1 piano player all crammed in and belting it out together…now there is value for money!
Jack initially spent five years with the Andrew Rankine Band, broadcasting with them regularly and enduring Andrew’s Rankine’s awful time keeping, terrifying driving and sometimes intimidating personality. He developed a great friendship with him and they always enjoyed making good music together.
It was during 1959 that Jack met my Gran Leslie and they were married in September 1960. She was the perfect wife putting up with him being away so much and having to wash white shirts all the time. She supported him unquestionably and even forgave him (just!) when he accidentally arranged a gig in the Lake District for someone’s silver wedding party – on the day of his own silver wedding!! They had a very warm and loving relationship, living in ‘perfect harmony’ for 53 years. Jack and Leslie encouraged all the family with their music and Leslie in particular was very proud of them all.
During the sixties and seventies Jack played second box with lots of bands making records and doing broadcasts frequently. At that time Jim Johnstone was broadcasting with an excellent five piece band and Jim asked Jack to play with him on his first six piece broadcast. Shortly after, Jim asked Jack to do a series of country dance recordings with him at the Craighall studio in Edinburgh for Bryce Laing. Jack also recorded with Jimmy Shand Jnr and Bert Shorthouse on the same series.
In 1960, Jack joined the Hamish Menzies band and played with them until 1972. This band consisted of Hamish Menzies on fiddle, Dochie McCallum on Shand Morino, Bert Leishman on drums, Walter Sinton on piano and Robert Anderson on bass. They would travel all over the country in the Bedford van with a dodgy heater playing in Balquhidder, Lochearnhead, Crianlarich, Killin, Kilmartin, Lochgilphead and Dalmally as well as many venues on the west coast, in the borders and the north of England. This was one of the best working bands he had been in and Jack really enjoyed playing with these fellows. He reckons that Hamish and Dochie are two of the finest gentlemen in the band business. They had many happy times together and are still very close friends. In 1965, Gus Miller joined the band and did his first broadcast with them. Believe it or not, Jack says that Gus was a very shy and quiet fellow in these days but look at him now!
The band played in the hall at Lochearnhead every Saturday for a number of years and had some great fun there. After closing time in the Lochearnhead Hotel the locals all piled into the hall to dance for about two hours and many stories could be told about that period. There were two worthies, who shall remain nameless, who were always up to mischief and they frequently caused mayhem. On one occasion they decided that another local farmer who was very drunk was badly in need of a haircut. “It’s time to set the heather on fire” was the comment they made as they used a lighter to set fire to his hair. The drunken farmer never even noticed it happening and the smell of burned hair lingered in the hall all night.
On another occasion the two worthies were both fairly fu’ and at the evenings end one of them had difficulty in locating his key into the lock on his van door. Of all people, the local ‘bobby’, who knew him well, assisted him to get the door open and into the driver’s seat and turned a blind eye when he drove off. Then there was the night when the two of them decided to race each other back to Balquhidder, one in the old van and the other on an old motor bike. The challenge was that they mustn’t put on their lights while driving home. Fortunately, they made it home safely. These were the days!
In 1969, the band moved from Lochearnhead village hall to the Trossachs Hotel where they played for dancing every Saturday evening. This was a very popular venue for dancing and people travelled from as far as Glasgow, Stirling and Alloa to join in the fun.
It was in 1972, when Hamish Menzies took over as Postmaster in Callander, that Jack started his own band. The original line-up was Gus Miller, Neil McMillan, Ricci Franci and Graeme Burns plus Elaine Anderson singing. Elaine was later replaced by Jean Thom. Jean and her husband John became close friends with Jack and Leslie and she still sings with Jack every Thursday at a voluntary group in Stirling.
During the late seventies Jack was once again invited to play with Andrew Rankine when he came up to Scotland to do broadcasts for the B.B.C. and Radio Forth on Robin Brock’s programme.
Over the years Jack has played second box for many different artists’ recordings and broadcasts. He continues doing broadcasts to this day. He has played alongside many of the top bands including Bert Shorthouse, Sir Jimmy Shand and Jimmy Shand Jnr., Jim Johnstone, Alex MacArthur, Robin Brock, Iain MacPhail, Sandy Nixon, Neil Barron, Colin Dewar and many others.
Jack has always been keen to see traditional Scottish music survive and be enjoyed by as many people as possible. For many years Jack helped tutor bands of young people in an organisation called ‘The Clachan Ceilidh’. ‘The Ceilidh’ was set up by Matt McCabe in Alloa, Clackmannanshire and it provided an opportunity for youngsters to learn skills in Scottish dance, song, and a variety of musical instruments. The young people could then come together to perform for the public at concerts and ceilidhs.
On occasions the group would go on exchange visits to Germany where they were once involved in a TV broadcast. Jack remembers that at one point he was on stage playing a large Hohner Morino V while Forbes MacFarlane was playing his Hohner Black Dot Double Ray melodeon. The German producers thought it was hilarious to see a tiny man playing a massive accordion and a large man playing a tiny melodeon.
It was through the Clachan Ceilidh that many of today’s musicians did their apprenticeship including Gus Miller, Neil McMillan, Walter Sinton, John Sinton, Marissa Bryce, Robert Ramsay, Graham Miles, Bert Fullerton, Ian Thomson, Gordon Shand and many more. It was during this period that Jack met Graeme Burns who began to play with his band and became his best friend.
Most recently, he was involved with Iain MacPhail in making a CD for Logan MacGregor called ‘Reflecting On Rankine’, an album of Andrew Rankine compositions and sets with Iain MacPhail taking the lead and Grandad on second box. Jack really enjoyed working with Iain and they have become very good friends.
Playing with so many different people means that Jack has managed to travel the length and breadth of Britain reaching north to Wick and south to London and across the seas to France and Monte Carlo. Whoever said that playing the accordion wasn’t glamorous? He has even played for Royalty in Edinburgh, Balmoral and Stirling. The Queen commented to Grandad that she was most concerned that they had to carry so much heavy equipment around with them!
One of the highlights in his career was receiving the Caithness Bowl from the N.A.A.F.C. as one of their Guests of Honour in 2006 at their Annual AGM and Luncheon.
The line up in Grandad’s band has changed over the years as musicians have come and gone. The current band members are Grandad on lead box, Alastair McGirr on keyboard, my dad John Delaney on Bass, Melanie Dutton on drums and myself on fiddle. Alastair started in 1981 and in Jack’s words he “couldn’t have found a better pianist, bandsman and friend”. Alastair’s fine arrangements and superb musicianship have really been the core of the band and this still continues today. In addition, Jackie Raeburn and James Gunn are drafted in when a second box is required. We still play at ceilidhs and Accordion & Fiddle Clubs. For the past ten years the band has played at the Pitlochry Street Party which is held on New Year’s Day. What an experience it is playing in the open air in freezing conditions for two or three thousand very enthusiastic dancers.
My Grandad has enjoyed every minute of his 65 playing years and wouldn’t have changed a minute of it. He still “enjoys the tune and the crack” as much as ever. He says he wouldn’t have been doing guest artiste spots at Accordion and Fiddle Clubs now if it wasn’t for me playing with him in the band – so I’d like to say a big ‘Thank You’ to him. I always enjoy and look forward to being able to play with a full six piece band of experienced musicians and this is something I will never forget.
Box and Fiddle
October & November 2015