b. 1936 d. 1998
From the world of busy factories, crowded streets, tenement and public houses, come these five songs of Glasgow, sung by young twenty-two year old Robin Hall.
An itinerant folk singer, or as he prefers to be called “a singer of folk songs”, he has learned much of his large repertoire from their original sources; the factories and docklands of his home town Glasgow, and the farms and villages around the countryside of Scotland.
In his travels and search for songs, Robin has worked at many jobs ranging from farms to factories, and remained in each only until such time as he had absorbed the local folklore.
Robin started his musical career, as so many young people do today, by playing jazz, which gave him an interest in American Negro folk music. However, he has folklorist Hamish Henderson, from the Edinburgh University School of Scottish Studies, to thank for his present interest in Scottish folk music. Hamish showed him the wealth of song that was his own heritage, and indeed, taught him many songs from his own collection.
Whilst Robin has a great liking for the “Muckle Sangs” or “Big Ballads” of Scotland, his love lies with the songs of “Dirty auld Glesca” which, even to this day, are constantly being made and absorbed into the folk tradition of Scotland.
Bruce Dunnet 1958
Rantin Rovin Robin
Recorded 1958.
The Bleacher Lassie o’Kelvinhaugh
From record Robin Sings Glasgow Street Songs. JES.2 Recorded London 1958.
Ludgin wi’ Big Aggie
From record Robin Sings Glasgow Street Songs. JES.2 Recorded London 1958.
Dundee Weaver
Recorded 1958
Yer ma wee gallus bloke nae mair
From record Robin Sings Glasgow Street Songs. JES.2 Recorded London 1958.
Coulter’s Candy
The day we went tae Rothesay, O
From a 1959 single on Collector Records JDS1.
My love she’s but a lassie yet
The Ballad of Johnny Ramensky
A song by Norman Buchan. From a 1959 single on the Collector Records label JDS1.
A man’s a man for a’ that
For Dick Gaughan on Robin see:
See also:
Robin Hall Remembered
rareTunes 