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Farewell to Sicily

from Side By Side By Side 1977 by McCalmans

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Where to start. This was almost very good. The tune is, of course, "Farewell to the Creeks" by James Robertson and the full title of the song is: "The 51st Highland Division's Farewell to Sicily" by Hamish Henderson. It's a great song but we get one word wrong, "Senoritas" instead of the correct "signorinas".
Look, there was no Google then, therefore the oral tradition and gross ignorance let us down. OK we could have asked Hamish Henderson in one of the Sandy Bells sessions, but we didn't.
Also, I don't think the voices in the background at the end works. It might have worked if they had been further back in the mix perspective. A lot further back. No, further than that.
There exists a BBC "Nationwide" news feature with "Farewell to Sicily" playing in the background as the three of us, looking tired and grim, flew in an RAF Chinook helicopter across a Belizean rainforest to a gig in an ant-infested, rain-sodden, corrugated iron hut full of 400 mad, drunken soldiers. That's where a well-meaning, smiling Sergeant said: "if you don't sing Flower of Scotland, they'll break your legs".
Showbiz eh?
"Oh Flower of Scotland.........."!

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from Side By Side By Side 1977, released April 2, 2021

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McCalmans Edinburgh, UK

Formed 1964, Edinburgh, studying Architecture. Ian McCalman, Derek Moffat, Hamish Bayne, for 18years.Then McCalman, Moffat, Nick Keir for 27yrs. Then McCalman, Keir, Stephen Quigg for 9yrs. 27 albums, multiple TV series. World tours. "Best live act" award, "Hall of Fame", "Hamish Henderson award", recorded 400 songs, retired 2010. folk singers, writers, talkers, travellers, Love Scotland. Friends! ... more

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