Annie McKelvie Again

[nigelgatherer]

I forgot to tell you that I met Annie McKelvie recently. She came along to a folk evening I was hosting with her husband, who sings, and told me the whole story! 

MEETING TUNE NAMES:

My friend was in a pub somewhere and someone pointed to a man sitting at the end of the bar. "That's Kenny Gillies of Portnalong!" she was told.

I was in the street in Crieff outside a session when someone spoke to me and said, "D'ye ken the tune "Andy Renwick's Ferret?" "Aye," says I. "Andy Renwick is ma brother!" came the reply.

What about you? Have you meant Short Coated Mary? Have you had a drink in The Famous Baravan? Have you passed out in Dornoch Links? Had a Trip to Pakistan?

[JAJ]

We have met the "Star O' The Bar" many times over the years at folk festivals. I'll not give personal details but she was a former fiance of the song's author in her younger days. True story.

Also, we went on a sail from Plockton once and the boatman claimed to be related to Kenny Gillies of Portnalong. His brother or cousin, if I recall.
It may have been this man https://calums-sealtrips.com/our-story/ but I can't remember. Maybe another boat?
I remember playing my mandolin on board and he was quite chuffed as it attracted the seals to the boat for the tourists.

I love passing all the places which have tunes named after them in my travels. Too many to mention.

[John Kelly]

Re Annie McKelvie, the story of who Annie actually was is one that circulates round the clubs and pubs where such songs and tunes are performed.  For around 50 years I have been a friend and colleague of GallusMoll (who regularly posted on the Mudcat site) and she also sang with Iain in their Kilts 'n' Co-op Sandals days when they also performed at the Edinburgh Fringe.  She was involved in correspondence on the Mudcat site many years back about the song and wrote this about who Annie most likely was: "The song was based on an experience Iain had in 1966, with a girl he met at Balloch Folk Club - her name was not Annie McKelvie!!!! (I believe he has actually forgotten what she was called)"

An accordion player I play with regularly here in Cowal visits Skye regularly and while playing in a pub session on Skye was introduced to someone who was related to Kenny Gillies.  We do inhabit a small world!

Like you, JAJ, I love visiting places that feature in tunes and songs, and we are so lucky in our small country to have so many sites to visit.

[JAJ]

We were discussing where the tune might have originated on the other thread. I suggested that it wasn't too dissimilar to "The Saffron Kilt", at least in part.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NpDQ_S0QitQ

However, nobody took me on. :-)

[nigelgatherer]

The real Annie McKelvie went into detail about her involvement with Iain Ingram, and said she still feels very guilty about standing him up. If she's delusional, she also very convincing.

[JAJ]

John says "I believe he has actually forgotten what she was called "

Or as the old saying goes "A gentleman never tells...."

[John Kelly]

(01-03-2020, 08:08 PM)nigelgatherer Wrote: The real Annie McKelvie went into detail about her involvement with Iain Ingram, and said she still feels very guilty about standing him up. If she's delusional, she also very convincing.

There is a lot of that about nowadays, Nigel.  I blame Reality Television.  There is obviously an actual female who was the inspiration for the song.  Will the real Annie please stand up - a bit like the famous Kirk Douglas "I am Spartacus".

JAJ, you are right about gentlemen never revealing...