As I asserted in an earlier piece, string arrangements – when appropriate or called for – have the potential to enrich a song (reggae included) Given Jackie Mittoo‘s fundamental role in the development of Jamaican music as both a founding member of The Skatalites and music director at Studio One since the recording studio/label’s inception, I think it’s fair to assume that his decision to utilize a 32-piece orchestra on his 1971 album Wishbone was coming from, artistically speaking, “a good place” (“Right Track” would be the A-side of a 45 released in Canada, where Mittoo had emigrated).
But what about this 45 – a reggaefied take on an unofficial Scottish national anthem. Artistically speaking, do you support Tony King‘s decision to marry “Scotland the Brave” to a breezy early reggae backing track embellished with marimba? Is this an inspired cross-cultural “mash-up” or rather, cloying crass commercialism? Perhaps neither or both?
“Reggae Bagpipes“
The Magnificent Seven (1972)
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The single would find release in the UK, Turkey, and New Zealand. Says the person who uploaded this YouTube audio clip:
“South African group that evolved from The Vikings, formed in Johannesburg in the 1960s. The group [Magnificent Seven] consisted of Emil Dean (Zoghby) (vocals); Paul Ditchfield (keyboards); Peter Michael (trumpet); Barry Jarman (trumpet); Harold Miller (bass); Jimmy Kennedy (guitar); and Doug Abbot (drums).”
You will find a fair number of comments about this release on the 45Cat website.
Produced by Clive Crawley
LINK
to
Pop +/- Strings Reggae on Zero to 180
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Music History Lesson:
“Scotland the Brave“
The Fiddler’s Companion dates “Scotland the Brave” to the turn of the 20th-century or just before — the tune sounds much more ancient than that, don’t you think?
“Scotland The Brave” from The Fiddlers Companion
The oldest appearance of the melody Campin has seen was in a Boys’ Brigade pipe tune book from about 1911 where the title appeared as ‘Scotland, the Brave!!!’ Charles Gore say the tune appears to date from about 1891-5, when it was published in Keith Norman Macdonald’s Gesto Collection of Highland Music under the title ‘Brave Scotland’ and/or ‘Scotland for Ever.’
- Brody (Fiddler’s Fakebook), 1983; pg. 252.
- S. Johnson (The Kitchen Musician No. 4: Collection of Fine Tunes), 1983 (revised 1991, 2001); pg. 10.
- Reid, pg. 5. Reiner (Anthology of Fiddle Styles), 1979; pg. 16 (includes variations).
- Sweet (Fifer’s Delight), 1965; pg. 50.
- Wade (Mally’s North West Morris Book), 1988; pg. 18.