Guest DustyDeviada Posted June 18, 2007 Report Share Posted June 18, 2007 Just found out today that some guy called Marc Ellington who has worked with members of The Byrds and Fairport Convention is the Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Aberdeenshire!Pretty cool.I did a search on here but only found a couple of references from Alan Cynic about him, not much on the web either.So tell me more! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Cynic Posted June 18, 2007 Report Share Posted June 18, 2007 You know me, Dusty...probably repeating myself again!He had a few albums out in the 70s, with Fairport folks backing him....sort of soft folk-rock. I've a couple of his albums, 'A question of roads' and ' Marc Time'. They're OK-ish.He bought a castle up here (I think it was Towie Barclay, but I could be wrong), and opened studios there. I was told he had folk like Richard Thompson out there. Rumours abounded that he was matey with Dylan, and that Dylan was a regular visitor...might be true, might not. Rumours also abounded that it was Marc who started those rumours:laughing:From a personal viewpoint I liked the TV series he did for Grampian in the 70s, also called 'Marc Time', which had people like Sandy Denny, Richard & Linda Thompson, Loudon Wainwright etc appearing. I managed to see afew of those being recorded. The only downside was some musician's union ruling that the artists had to be backed by Alex Sutherland and his jazzy pals, which spoiled a lot of the songs Marc himself was a genial host ,and it was a pleasant series.He can often still be seen at folkish gigs in the Music Hall. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest DustyDeviada Posted June 18, 2007 Report Share Posted June 18, 2007 Ah, very interesting!I used to play in the Alex Sutherland Band for a while, doing weddings and that sort of thing. But I think I didn't get asked back because I wasn't "jazz" enough. Bah dip bop dip bop a doo.Good cash though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Cynic Posted June 18, 2007 Report Share Posted June 18, 2007 I recorded some of the shows onto cassette....it's bizarre hearing real 'middle of the road' backing to Sandy Denny! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KimyReizeger Posted June 19, 2007 Report Share Posted June 19, 2007 I was in a band a few years ago that he liked. We spoke to him on the phone, were going to go to his place and record (apparently), but it never happened. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Cynic Posted June 19, 2007 Report Share Posted June 19, 2007 That's maybe hecause he closed down the studio side of things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Cynic Posted August 16, 2010 Report Share Posted August 16, 2010 Just thought I'd mention that, as a direct result of this thread, one of the songs which I recorded from the 'Marc Time' show is being included in the forthcoming Sandy Denny box-set! Seems no video footage, or even audio recordings still existed, apart from mine. Wish I'd used a better quality cassette though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigsby Posted August 16, 2010 Report Share Posted August 16, 2010 Just thought I'd mention that, as a direct result of this thread, one of the songs which I recorded from the 'Marc Time' show is being included in the forthcoming Sandy Denny box-set! Seems no video footage, or even audio recordings still existed, apart from mine. Wish I'd used a better quality cassette though!Wow, so somebody putting together the set found this thread? I'm pleased to finally have contributed something worthwhile to humanity. Don't suppose you made a cine film of that BBC drama from the 60s starring Bob Dylan that they destroyed did you? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Cynic Posted August 16, 2010 Report Share Posted August 16, 2010 That's exactly what happened.....they contacted me to see what I had on tape, then checked with STV and Marc Ellington.Sadly I was too wee for that Dylan one......wish they'd repeat the documentary about that which was on a few years ago, as a snippet of the 'Seven swans' (I think it was) song was aired.Anyway...thanks go to you for starting this thread up!!! Apparently I'll get a name-check on the boxset. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigsby Posted August 16, 2010 Report Share Posted August 16, 2010 A name check? You should be getting a complimentary copy IMO, especially at 150 notes.Kris Kristoffersson gave Fred Foster a writing credit (and therefore half the roayalties) on Me and Bobby McGee. Foster had no hand in writing it but had suggested that KK write a song about someone called Bobby McKee. By that rationale, I should get a namecheck on the set too as the track wouldn't be there if I hadn't been bored at work one afternoon three years ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Cynic Posted August 16, 2010 Report Share Posted August 16, 2010 I could write a song called 'Me and Bigsby at tea' ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigsby Posted August 16, 2010 Report Share Posted August 16, 2010 I could write a song called 'Me and Bigsby at tea' ?Well I've been a bit constipated recently, but I'm sure that that would help me make it through the shite. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Cynic Posted August 17, 2010 Report Share Posted August 17, 2010 I remember that time you had the never-ending turd, and told me you had to spend hours on the bog.If you recall I gave you scissors and told you to cut the crap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Cynic Posted November 25, 2010 Report Share Posted November 25, 2010 To bring the Sandy Denny boxset story to a conclusion....having been told I'd get a namecheck I raided my pension money (leaving me somehat hard-up) to get the set...and, sad to say, not a mention, despite the 2 songs I copied being included (and it's my recordings..I can tell by a wee bit of bleedthrough on my cheap cassette). Also..the boxset says the 2 songs are from a Granada show, instead of Grampian. Even worse...poor Marc Ellington gets nary a mention either, despite the songs coming from his show, and his voice being heard introducing them!Still...the music is lovely though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigsby Posted November 25, 2010 Report Share Posted November 25, 2010 Bag o' shite. Copy the discs and take it back for a refund. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Cynic Posted November 26, 2010 Report Share Posted November 26, 2010 Almost tempted! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham Knight Posted November 26, 2010 Report Share Posted November 26, 2010 I remember when Marc Ellington used to play the Bobbin Mill in King Street - I really am ancient so he must be too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Cynic Posted November 26, 2010 Report Share Posted November 26, 2010 I remember that too.....Bunion too (and Alian, Frank Robb etc)But I was just a young'un though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chilli Posted December 2, 2010 Report Share Posted December 2, 2010 To bring the Sandy Denny boxset story to a conclusion....having been told I'd get a namecheck I raided my pension money (leaving me somehat hard-up) to get the set...and, sad to say, not a mention, despite the 2 songs I copied being included (and it's my recordings..I can tell by a wee bit of bleedthrough on my cheap cassette). Also..the boxset says the 2 songs are from a Granada show, instead of Grampian. Even worse...poor Marc Ellington gets nary a mention either, despite the songs coming from his show, and his voice being heard introducing them!Still...the music is lovely though.apparantly there's a brilliant track with a Sandy Denny duet with Robert Plant kicking about but Mr Plant didn't give permission for it to be used on the new box set. I'll stick to my beautiful 4LP box set Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Cynic Posted December 2, 2010 Report Share Posted December 2, 2010 I have that too! However there are quite a few CDs of great previously unreleased ones in this set. Her home demos of some of the songs from the last couple of albums are far superior to the over-produced versions which came out then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fatboy Posted October 22, 2015 Report Share Posted October 22, 2015 wow, just spoke to this gadji on the phone at work! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colb Posted October 22, 2015 Report Share Posted October 22, 2015 I used to work with his daughter - Rains/Reins of Changes is a decent enough album. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pinotarian Posted September 9, 2016 Report Share Posted September 9, 2016 I've always believed that this Marc Ellington is the same guy who - in 1966 - played the Cafe Espresso in Portland, Oregon, U.S. for a few months. He had short hair then, but the pictures on his albums really do look a lot like the guy I saw play 15 or 20 times. He had a strong baritone voice that matches up to what I've heard on record I got to talk to him between sets a few times...he didn't seem to have a Scottish accent even when talking back then. Marc left town soon after, with a girl-friend from my high-school named Karen. Rumor had it around the local scene that he had bought a castle in Scotland. So it all seems to match up, right? And here's a fact that might clinch things...he played guitar left-handed. If anybody has seen him play, could you confirm or deny this? And...if this is true...this may explain how few details he puts in his official biography.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drriddum Posted July 9, 2017 Report Share Posted July 9, 2017 On 09/09/2016 at 7:54 PM, Pinotarian said: I've always believed that this Marc Ellington is the same guy who - in 1966 - played the Cafe Espresso in Portland, Oregon, U.S. for a few months. He had short hair then, but the pictures on his albums really do look a lot like the guy I saw play 15 or 20 times. He had a strong baritone voice that matches up to what I've heard on record I got to talk to him between sets a few times...he didn't seem to have a Scottish accent even when talking back then. Marc left town soon after, with a girl-friend from my high-school named Karen. Rumor had it around the local scene that he had bought a castle in Scotland. So it all seems to match up, right? And here's a fact that might clinch things...he played guitar left-handed. If anybody has seen him play, could you confirm or deny this? And...if this is true...this may explain how few details he puts in his official biography.... It is indeed the same guy! I just ran into him and had a long chat with him and his wife Karen at Crovie on the northeast coast of Scotland. He said he put out 6 albums with Island Records and Fairport Convention were his backing band . I'd never heard of him before but he is a very nice guy - currently writing a book about smuggling on the coasts of historic Scotland .. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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