Roy Gullane of the Tannahill Weavers

The Fan

I’ve seen Bob Dylan perform live twice in my life: once at Memphis in May on Cinqo de Mayo on Beale Street along the Mississippi River in 2002 and the other at the Missouri State Fair in Sedalia along the dirt racing track a few weeks later. Now, I've seen Roy Gullane twice in my life also: once in Tulsa at the performing arts center years ago and then in Forest Park in St. Louis at the 2007 St. Louis Highland Games. For me, both Dylan and Gullane have voices that have become symbols of two distinct genres of music: the American Folk and the Scottish Folk scenes. Both voices have been instrumental in my perception of what it takes to make a brilliant songwriter and vocalist.

My perception of songwriting and singing has, no doubt, become biased by many years of listening to the music of the Tannahill Weavers, who were formed almost forty years ago in Paisley, Scotland. (Paisley is a district know for weaving - think "Paisley Pattern" - and the Tannies take their first name from the Scottish Romantic poet Robert Tannahill.) I have learned many more of the songs performed by Roy Gullane over years of listening and singing along, but have only recently begun to appreciate Bob Dylan after seeing him live. Furthermore, Gullane's fantastic vocal range, powerful ethos and tender pathos would be enough to make Dylan envious even on his best days. Yet, both singers share the unique gift of being able to make a personal connection with the entire audience.

The Concert

The Tannies first performance of the highland games was a wonderful cross section of 40 years of music together: at least one sing along ("The Final Trawl"), lots of excellent piping, flute, fiddle and bouzouki instrumentals PLUS those fantastic bass pedals! I realize now how much Les Wilson's use of the drone-like bass pedals has influenced my idea of how a perfect folk-rock song is brought to a dramatic crescendo.

When I approached Gullane after the set, I fumbled with words – where do I begin to converse with a person whose songs have taught me more about Scottish history than my 20+ years of playing highland bagpipes? Finally, I was able to carefully enunciate words between mumbles "I would like to talk to you between sets tomorrow. Did you get the email from your manager?" He nodded and seemed agreeable to the idea. "See you tomorrow," he affirmed.

"I'll be here," I enthusiastically replied, and then I was compelled for some reason to add, "the hair really makes you look like Dylan!"

"We have the same hairdresser," he piped without missing a beat.

The Interview

B.B.: You were talking about your grandfather onstage. Is music in your family?

R.G.: Not really, when I mentioned my grandfather, it was more for his dialect. He spoke the language that we sing in.

B.B.: Broad Scots? Was music something that you did with your grandfather?

R.G.: No, but I learned the language through him, so I knew what I was singing about whereas people don't anymore, as if it's a dead thing. The younger kids speak what they learn on television.

B.B.: Would you consider yourself more of a songwriter, musician, or poet? Cause I know you've written a lot of songs.

R.G.: If anything, I'm not a poet. Anything I write that rhymes always ends up as a song!  In broad terms, I suppose that I'm more of a musician than a writer, because I don't write prolifically.

B.B.: In terms of poetry, is that something that you are familiar with?

R.G.: Not really. For me poetry was something that we had to learn in school. That said, I appreciate it, but not when it got too academic.

B.B.: Well, I'm thinking of this song Land of Light. That was one you wrote, right?

R.G.: That's right.

B.B.: Where did that come from?

R.G.: The origins of that were we had been asked to do music for a movie. I went to meet the producer in London, and I wrote Land of Light on the train on the way back. Just wrote it in my head. It was one I made for a movie.

B.B.: It seems like really a hopeful song.

R.G.: Yeah, it was kind of a finale. The story of the movie was it was about a guy named Sawney Bean, who was a factual Scottish character, and was the last person to be burnt for his crimes. He was a cannibal. He and his family lived in Ayrshire and they used to eat passersby. And the premise of the movie was that in the end, of course, they get caught and burned. And this was when the Land of Light came in.

B.B: So was it used in the movie?

R.G.: The movie never happened.  They never got the financing. But periodically, I see articles in the newspaper about people trying to revive this story and make a movie about it.

B.B.: It's sort of ironic that it's this hopeful, loving song but in terms of the context of the movie, it was a pretty dark subject! Maybe the light and dark go together.

R.G.: Yes, exactly! It's a song for the happy ending.

B.B.: Hollywood likes to do that!

R.G.: You've got to get an inspirational message at the end.

B.B.: A feature of your vocal-style is your range. I'm thinking of Mary Morrison where it goes way down and way up. Do you have a particular approach to your vocal style? Have you ever taken voice lessons?

R.G.: No, I just sing it and see what happens. It's trial-and-error. That's what I have and that's all I've got.

B.B.: Do you identify with the idea of being a troubadour? Like singing love songs and spreading good will?

R.G. Not really. But, I do think in another era, in a different time, maybe. I'm just born for the travelling and the public appearances. I don't entirely enjoy doing anything else.

B.B.: How has technology changed the way that you approach music?

R.G.: Not a great deal. It's just that you expect to sound better. The equipment is so much better than it used to be, but the way we do it is the way that we'd be doing it around the table or the way that we'd be doing it onstage. It doesn't make any difference to the way we'd approach it.

B.B.: I've been on your Myspace account and on a couple of different websites. Were those fans who set those up?

G.R: The websites are something that we don't always know about. The Myspace is something we set up. My girlfriend set that up and takes care of it. It's her baby.

B.B. It's very content rich.

R.G.: Figure that you've got the capabilities there, why not try to make it as interesting as possible? You know, stick video and music on it so that people will come and see what's happening. They come and visit it quite regularly. Good marketing, that's the idea.

B.B.: I saw that the Dixie Chicks were your friends.

R.G.: Ahhhhh. {Quietly} We don't know them. But it looks good, doesn't it {laughing}?

B.B.: It does! You've got friends in high places!

Originally published in The Tartan Telegraph in December 2007.