You Can't Hold Me Close When You're Holdin' The Bottle

We were preparing to re-release my “I Can’t Remember To Forget You” album and wanted to add a new song. Ian and I a had exchanged CDs. After listening and becoming a fan of his music, I asked if he might be interested in singing the lead background part on the song. He enthusiastically agreed!

Ian is very well known as a singer/songwriter in the Scottish Folk Movement. His most recent release “Young Territorial,” which he describes as a “labour of love,” is a re-imagined, rewrite of works from a book titled “Gray Kilts” by Duncan Tovey, a storyteller of the Regiment during World War 2. The music was written and performed by Ian along with the “tartan spiders,” a 13-piece roster of guest singers and musicians. He has quite a number of albums and downloads available and I encourage you to check out his website:

www.ianbrucemusic.com/

Jeff’s nearly 40 years of experience in the music industry has included working on
Emmy and Grammy-nominated projects. He has also produced, mixed, mastered,
co-written, edited and performed on a number of gold, platinum and award-winning
projects for artists such as Rick Springfield and Michael Peterson. Jeff is co producer
and co-writer of the recently released “From The Vault (A Collection of works by Rick
Springfield & Jeff Silverman)”. He has also been a staff songwriter at Motown/LA and
is the owner operator of Palette (MSP).

www.palettemusic.net

He played fiddle on our 1st 45 Record and then I moved to Nashville and we lost touch. Many years later I found him again on Facebook and he was the natural choice to play on this song.

Ray Legere is a world-renowned fiddle and mandolin player and a household name for music lovers across the Maritimes (Canada). His astonishing technique and boundless musical energy enthrall and excite musicians and audiences alike, and continue to garner what is already a lifetime of justly deserved accolades. From Sackville, NB, Ray tours the world and records with the top musicians in many musical genres. He has played with most of the great North American bluegrass players, including legends like Tony Rice, Alison Krauss, David Grisman, and Doc Watson. In 1982, he even filled in for Bill Monroe— the father of bluegrass—when Monroe took ill before a concert. Ray has toured internationally with artists such as Rita McNeil, John McDermott, Bowfire, and Michelle Shocked. In 2017-present he has been seen touring with hit NB acts Tomato/Tomato, Laurie LeBlanc, Christian ‘Kit’ Goguen, and classical woodwind quintet Ventus Machina.

Ray is the 2019 recipient of the Lieutenant Governors Award for High Achievement in the Arts and is a multiple ECMA award winner. He has won numerous awards for his fiddling and mandolin playing, including 2 National Mandolin Championships (1983 and 1986) and was recently inducted into both, the NB and the NS Country Music Hall of Fame.

www.raylegere.com

You will hear him on nearly every song on our “I Can’t Remember To Forget You” album. He was voted the Academy of Country Music, “Steel Guitar Player of the Year” for 2006 and 2012. He was nominated for this award each year from 2004 – 2015. “Music Row Magazine” honors the Studio Musicians who have played on the Top Records each year and Mike has consistently been on that list since 1998. Mike is a member of The Alabama Steel Guitar Hall of Fame and The Nebraska Country Music Hall of Fame. Mike is currently the Music Director & Steel Guitarist for the RFD-TV show, “Country’s Family Reunion” since 1997. He has also played on recordings for the ABC TV series, “Nashville.” In addition to Mike’s current session work, he is also touring with Reba McEntire.
Mike Johnson Productions

NOTE: I was saddened to find out that we just lost Billy to a short illness. Although I never actually met him, you can feel like you get to know someone just through interactions on sites like Facebook. He will be missed and our thoughts are with his family and friends.
facebook.com/wbrownsell

He has a album out entitled “What’s Not To Like?”
www.garycarey.com

Ami’s sound is Acoustic Indie, Rock, Pop although she loves to experiment with many different genres and is forever evolving. Ami is constantly pushing the boundaries of her sound and this shows in the noticeable maturing growth of her tracks.
facebook.com/amileighmusic

and event organiser with The Acoustic Yard.
facebook.com/DavidDeeMoore

in a few groups and local community choirs as well as with a local community theatre group. She was “Mum” to two young adult children and wife to David Chamberlain. She worked with parents at a day job she loved as the Participation Officer at The Parent Network.

Very sadly, Siân passed unexpectedly in October 2022. Tributes and stories are still being shared by her friends and family on her Facebook page.
facebook.com/sian.northey

His new release is “New Buryin’ Ground” with The Grace Machine. Influenced by the turmoil of uncertainty that the last two years brought, the Grace Machine felt drawn to revisit a number of old blues influenced spirituals. They wanted to find songs that convey a powerful mixture of trial, agony and hope.

Although he is classically trained in piano, violin and musical theorgy, his growing frustration with the “notes on the page” philosophy eventually led to him picking up a guitar, emulating blues legends by ear instead. After years of performing what he describes as “extra-ordinary covers”, he has clearly experienced enough joy and heart-ache to allow him to write genuine and honest, nontrivial lyrics.

He draws on a wide range of musical genres from blistering electric blues to agonising acoustic singer-songwriter tracks, from beautiful and expansive Celtic landscapes, back to traditional folk. Every track is unique, with a different style, yet flows from one medium to another with a sense
of shape and purpose.
www.mattsteady.com

She might have lived there in the past life (if you believe in that sort of thing). Being fascinated by meaningful lyrics all her life, it’s no wonder she makes listeners think and pay attention to what she sings.

She’s building a strong reputation by working with the likes of Liam Ó Maonlaí (Hothouse Flowers) or Colm Mac Con Iomaire (The Frames), supporting The Hills Mover (BE), sharing the stage with many talented artists in UK, Ireland and Czech Republic. She is currently working on her debut album, the recording starts in Ireland in mid December.
www.yanamusic.eu

Eric is a former member of the Bay City Rollers, who now has a successful solo career. Karin works with Eric and answered my message. I had asked if I might be able to send some music to Eric. Karin told me to “email a song” as she had a radio show she was involved with. Instead of one song, I emailed a download link to my “Blue Sun Rises” album. Fortunatly, she did not take offense to me sending so many songs and actually listened. Karin played “Wayfaring Stranger” on “The Sunday Getherin'” in October 2020 and continues to play my music on the show.

The Getherin’ is a radio show airing on TD1 Radio on Sunday evenings 8.00-10.00 pm UK time and on Blues & Roots Radio. It broadcasts from Galashiels in the Scottish Borders. The music covers Scottish Traditional, Celtic, Folk ‘n’ Roll, Acoustic and Singer/Songwriter material. This show is where I first heard Ian Bruce and is my connection to a number of the vocalists on “You Can’t Hold Me Close When You’re Holdin’ The Bottle.” The song made its debut on “Sunday Getherin'” this summer.

You can listen on TD1 Radio FM and participate in the Facebook chat.