There was always music around
Recorded 8 years ago
About this recording
Robert Cameron has been part of the Caithness music scene for 55 years. For much of that time has been drummer with the enduringly popular Manson Grant and the Dynamos. In this interview he recalls that his earliest musical memories were of his father, a shepherd, playing the pipes and fiddle. Robert’s first band was the Aces before he joined the Dynamos, influenced by the Irish showbands who enjoyed great success in the 1960s. The Dynamos went on to tour throughout the UK and in Ireland and they continue to perform today. Robert also recalls a memorable trip to play in Nashville, the home of country music, while also giving an insight into life on the road and the band’s gruelling travelling commitments.
In recent times Robert has been guiding the young Caithness accordion star Brandon McPhee in his entertainment career, including the touring show The Jimmy Shand Story.
The track which features in part at the start of the recording, and in full at the end, is The Key’s in the Mailbox, written by Harlan Howard. The song was originally recorded by Manson Grant and the Dynamos in 1980, and the track featured on Noel Cannon’s show Cannon’s Country, broadcast on BBC Radio Scotland from Aberdeen; the band later received a trophy from the BBC as the most requested artiste on Cannon’s Country for two consecutive years. The version included here is a re-recording celebrating the Dynamos’ 50 Years and More CD and DVD recorded in 2014.
Wick Voices is grateful to Manson Grant and the Dynamos for allowing the track to be featured.
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