Silly Wizard
Encyclopedia
Silly Wizard was a Scottish folk
band that began forming in Edinburgh
in 1970. The founder members were two like-minded university students—Gordon Jones
(guitar, bodhran
, vocals, bouzouki, mandola) and Bob Thomas (guitar
, mandolin, mandola, banjo
, concertina). The as-yet-unnamed band was sometimes joined by thirteen-year-old schoolboy Johnny Cunningham
(fiddle
, viola
, mandola
, vocals), who began more extensive touring with the band in 1972.
. In February 1973, vocalist Chris Pritchard left the band and was replaced by Madelaine Taylor (guitar, bodhran
, vocals). In October 1973, the band was signed to Transatlantic Records
XTRA label. An album was recorded but before it could be released, Madelaine Taylor left the band in December 1973. The master tapes were subsequently lost and the album has never been released.
Bob, Gordon and Johnny began touring as a trio in January 1974, and went on the first of many French tours in April 1974.
The band added Neil Adam (bass
, harmonium) in September 1974 and Andy M. Stewart
(vocals, tin whistle
, tenor banjo) in December 1974. In March 1975, Silly Wizard began work on their next album. The band was then joined by Freeland Barbour (accordion
, bouzouki) and Alastair Donaldson (bass
, flute), who replaced Neil Adam in July 1975 when the latter decided to return to university. Their first eponymous LP Silly Wizard was released on the XTRA label and the band began touring throughout the UK and Europe.
In late 1976, Freeland Barbour left the band and was replaced by Johnny Cunningham's younger brother, Phil Cunningham
(accordion
, tin whistle
, harmonium
, synthesizer
, octave mandolin
, vocals), then sixteen years old. At the same time Alastair Donaldson left and was replaced by Martin Hadden (bass
, guitar, piano). This six-member lineup then recorded the band's second LP, Caledonia's Hardy Sons
(Highway/Shanachie, 1978). Founding member Bob Thomas left just as the group began work on their third LP, So Many Partings (Highway/Shanachie, 1979).
Cunningham departed the band for New York in 1980 and was replaced for six months by Dougie MacLean
of the Tannahill Weavers. MacLean had once been in a band with Andy Stewart and Martin Hadden, and contributed to Silly Wizard's fourth album, Wild and Beautiful (Highway/Shanachie, 1981) before returning to the Tannahill Weavers.
Silly Wizard played a variety of Scottish folk music, both instrumental and vocal, from fast jig
s and reels
to slow airs. While the majority of the items they played were traditional songs or tunes, the band did write many compositions of their own. Phil Cunningham generally wrote instrumental music centered on the accordion, and Stewart wrote several songs in a style often distinctly traditional. Once Andy's singing and the driving, impassioned instrumentals of the Cunningham brothers had established themselves at its centre, the group's overall sound changed little until their final album, A Glint of Silver
, which introduced the synthesizer as a prominent part of the band, giving them a slightly New Age
sound. It can be said, though, that certain albums (e.g. So Many Partings and Wild and Beautiful) show a thematic or musical development that makes them more than an arbitrary succession of tracks—in fact the last five tracks on Wild and Beautiful were often played as an opening set to their live performances.
They continued recording until the late 1980s, when the band decided to dissolve after performing for seventeen years and releasing nine albums. The band played its final performance in Voorheesville, New York
in April 1988. Johnny Cunningham
died on December 15, 2003 in New York
.
. Wolfstone
covered the Silly Wizard song "The Queen of Argyll" on their album Almost an Island
in 2002.
Music of Scotland
Scotland is internationally known for its traditional music, which has remained vibrant throughout the 20th century, when many traditional forms worldwide lost popularity to pop music...
band that began forming in Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
in 1970. The founder members were two like-minded university students—Gordon Jones
Gordon Jones (folk musician)
Gordon Jones is a Scottish folk musician playing guitar, bohdran, bouzuki and autoharp as well as composing and producing music and albums for Silly Wizard. He was born November 21, 1947 in Merseyside, England. He has a son, Christopher, of optometrical fame. Christopher continues working to this...
(guitar, bodhran
Bodhrán
The bodhrán is an Irish frame drum ranging from 25 to 65 cm in diameter, with most drums measuring 35 to 45 cm . The sides of the drum are 9 to 20 cm deep. A goatskin head is tacked to one side...
, vocals, bouzouki, mandola) and Bob Thomas (guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, mandolin, mandola, banjo
Banjo
In the 1830s Sweeney became the first white man to play the banjo on stage. His version of the instrument replaced the gourd with a drum-like sound box and included four full-length strings alongside a short fifth-string. There is no proof, however, that Sweeney invented either innovation. This new...
, concertina). The as-yet-unnamed band was sometimes joined by thirteen-year-old schoolboy Johnny Cunningham
Johnny Cunningham
Johnny Cunningham was a Scottish folk musician. He was a founding member of Silly Wizard, as well as a member of Relativity, The Raindogs, and Nightnoise. Throughout his career, Cunningham was also a fiddler, composer and producer. His younger brother, Phil Cunningham, is a multi-instrumentalist...
(fiddle
Fiddle
The term fiddle may refer to any bowed string musical instrument, most often the violin. It is also a colloquial term for the instrument used by players in all genres, including classical music...
, viola
Viola
The viola is a bowed string instrument. It is the middle voice of the violin family, between the violin and the cello.- Form :The viola is similar in material and construction to the violin. A full-size viola's body is between and longer than the body of a full-size violin , with an average...
, mandola
Mandola
The mandola or tenor mandola is a fretted, stringed musical instrument. It is to the mandolin what the viola is to the violin: the four double courses of strings tuned in fifths to the same pitches as the viola , a fifth lower than a mandolin...
, vocals), who began more extensive touring with the band in 1972.
Career
Thomas credited the name of the band to a flatmate who was writing a book of children's stories, and the group first performed as "Silly Wizard" in summer 1972. Chris Pritchard (vocals) replaced Bill Watkins (vocals, guitar) in 1972. From September 1972 until March 1974, the band organized the Saturday night bookings, and regularly performed at, the Triangle Folk Club in EdinburghEdinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
. In February 1973, vocalist Chris Pritchard left the band and was replaced by Madelaine Taylor (guitar, bodhran
Bodhrán
The bodhrán is an Irish frame drum ranging from 25 to 65 cm in diameter, with most drums measuring 35 to 45 cm . The sides of the drum are 9 to 20 cm deep. A goatskin head is tacked to one side...
, vocals). In October 1973, the band was signed to Transatlantic Records
Transatlantic Records
Transatlantic Records was a British independent record label. It was established in 1961. It started began primarily as an importer of American folk, blues and jazz records - by many of the artists who influenced the burgeoning British folk and blues boom. Within a couple of years, the company had...
XTRA label. An album was recorded but before it could be released, Madelaine Taylor left the band in December 1973. The master tapes were subsequently lost and the album has never been released.
Bob, Gordon and Johnny began touring as a trio in January 1974, and went on the first of many French tours in April 1974.
The band added Neil Adam (bass
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, harmonium) in September 1974 and Andy M. Stewart
Andy M. Stewart
Andy M. Stewart is a Scottish singer and songwriter, formerly the frontman for Silly Wizard.Stewart toured with Silly Wizard until the band broke up in 1988. Since then, he has recorded four solo albums, as well as three with Manus Lunny...
(vocals, tin whistle
Tin whistle
The tin whistle, also called the penny whistle, English Flageolet, Scottish penny whistle, Tin Flageolet, Irish whistle and Clarke London Flageolet is a simple six-holed woodwind instrument. It is an end blown fipple flute, putting it in the same category as the recorder, American Indian flute, and...
, tenor banjo) in December 1974. In March 1975, Silly Wizard began work on their next album. The band was then joined by Freeland Barbour (accordion
Accordion
The accordion is a box-shaped musical instrument of the bellows-driven free-reed aerophone family, sometimes referred to as a squeezebox. A person who plays the accordion is called an accordionist....
, bouzouki) and Alastair Donaldson (bass
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, flute), who replaced Neil Adam in July 1975 when the latter decided to return to university. Their first eponymous LP Silly Wizard was released on the XTRA label and the band began touring throughout the UK and Europe.
In late 1976, Freeland Barbour left the band and was replaced by Johnny Cunningham's younger brother, Phil Cunningham
Phil Cunningham (folk musician)
Phil Cunningham, MBE, born 1960 in Edinburgh, Scotland is a Scottish folk musician and composer.-Biography:Phil played accordion and violin from a very young age. He attended school in Portobello, and was raised Mormon, attending church regularly and playing organ...
(accordion
Accordion
The accordion is a box-shaped musical instrument of the bellows-driven free-reed aerophone family, sometimes referred to as a squeezebox. A person who plays the accordion is called an accordionist....
, tin whistle
Tin whistle
The tin whistle, also called the penny whistle, English Flageolet, Scottish penny whistle, Tin Flageolet, Irish whistle and Clarke London Flageolet is a simple six-holed woodwind instrument. It is an end blown fipple flute, putting it in the same category as the recorder, American Indian flute, and...
, harmonium
Harmonium
A harmonium is a free-standing keyboard instrument similar to a reed organ. Sound is produced by air being blown through sets of free reeds, resulting in a sound similar to that of an accordion...
, synthesizer
Synthesizer
A synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
, octave mandolin
Octave mandolin
The octave mandolin is a fretted string instrument with four pairs of strings tuned in 5ths, G, D, A, E , an octave below a mandolin. It has a 20 to 23 inch scale length and its construction is similar to other instruments in the mandolin family...
, vocals), then sixteen years old. At the same time Alastair Donaldson left and was replaced by Martin Hadden (bass
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, guitar, piano). This six-member lineup then recorded the band's second LP, Caledonia's Hardy Sons
Caledonia's Hardy Sons
Caledonia's Hardy Sons is an album by Silly Wizard originally released in 1978, and re-released in 1989 under Shanachie Records Corp label.-Track listing:#"Mo Chuahlag Laghach "#"The Isla Waters"#"The Twa Brithers"...
(Highway/Shanachie, 1978). Founding member Bob Thomas left just as the group began work on their third LP, So Many Partings (Highway/Shanachie, 1979).
Cunningham departed the band for New York in 1980 and was replaced for six months by Dougie MacLean
Dougie MacLean
Dougie MacLean OBE is a Scottish singer-songwriter, composer and multi-instrumentalist.His career started with a traditional band, The Tannahill Weavers, in 1976. His solo career started in 1981 and since then he has recorded numerous albums...
of the Tannahill Weavers. MacLean had once been in a band with Andy Stewart and Martin Hadden, and contributed to Silly Wizard's fourth album, Wild and Beautiful (Highway/Shanachie, 1981) before returning to the Tannahill Weavers.
Silly Wizard played a variety of Scottish folk music, both instrumental and vocal, from fast jig
Jig
The Jig is a form of lively folk dance, as well as the accompanying dance tune, originating in England in the 16th century and today most associated with Irish dance music and Scottish country dance music...
s and reels
Reel (dance)
The reel is a folk dance type as well as the accompanying dance tune type. In Scottish country dancing, the reel is one of the four traditional dances, the others being the jig, the strathspey and the waltz, and is also the name of a dance figure ....
to slow airs. While the majority of the items they played were traditional songs or tunes, the band did write many compositions of their own. Phil Cunningham generally wrote instrumental music centered on the accordion, and Stewart wrote several songs in a style often distinctly traditional. Once Andy's singing and the driving, impassioned instrumentals of the Cunningham brothers had established themselves at its centre, the group's overall sound changed little until their final album, A Glint of Silver
A Glint of Silver
A Glint of Silver is an album by Silly Wizard released in 1986 on the Green Linnet Records label. This is final studio album recorded by the band.-Track listing:#"Roarin' Donald/The Man Who Shot the Windmill/A Glint of Silver "...
, which introduced the synthesizer as a prominent part of the band, giving them a slightly New Age
New Age music
New Age music is music of various styles intended to create artistic inspiration, relaxation, and optimism. It is used by listeners for yoga, massage, meditation, and reading as a method of stress management or to create a peaceful atmosphere in their home or other environments, and is often...
sound. It can be said, though, that certain albums (e.g. So Many Partings and Wild and Beautiful) show a thematic or musical development that makes them more than an arbitrary succession of tracks—in fact the last five tracks on Wild and Beautiful were often played as an opening set to their live performances.
They continued recording until the late 1980s, when the band decided to dissolve after performing for seventeen years and releasing nine albums. The band played its final performance in Voorheesville, New York
Voorheesville, New York
Voorheesville is a village within the town of New Scotland in Albany County, New York, United States. It is a suburb of Albany and part of the city's historic metropolitan area. The population was 2,789 at the 2010 census. The village is named after a railroad attorney, Alonzo B...
in April 1988. Johnny Cunningham
Johnny Cunningham
Johnny Cunningham was a Scottish folk musician. He was a founding member of Silly Wizard, as well as a member of Relativity, The Raindogs, and Nightnoise. Throughout his career, Cunningham was also a fiddler, composer and producer. His younger brother, Phil Cunningham, is a multi-instrumentalist...
died on December 15, 2003 in New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
.
- In Scots Trad Music AwardsScots Trad Music AwardsThe Scots Trad Music Awards celebrate Scotland's traditional music in all its forms and create a high profile opportunity to bring the music and music industry into the spotlight of media and public attention.-2010:...
2003 Silly Wizard were nominated for the best folk band award. - Members of Silly Wizard played at Celtic ConnectionsCeltic ConnectionsThe Celtic Connections festival started in 1994 in Glasgow, Scotland, and has since been held every January. Featuring over 300 concerts, ceilidhs, talks, free events, late night sessions and workshops, the festival focuses on the roots of traditional Scottish music and also features international...
in February 2007. - Live Again is a potential digitally remastered set of Silly Wizard's live recordings throughout the 1980s, with a release date still to be determined.
"Silly Wizard is not just another folk music group; they rank with the greatest creators and performers from any country from any time."—Niles J. Frantz at Allmusic
Influence
The band have become a very influential band on modern celtic band such as Peatbog FaeriesPeatbog Faeries
The Peatbog Faeries are a largely instrumental Celtic fusion band. Formed in 1991, they are based in Dunvegan on the Isle of Skye, Scotland.Their music embodies many styles and influences, including folk, electronica, rock and jazz, - but their main influence is traditional celtic music...
. Wolfstone
Wolfstone
Wolfstone are a Scottish musical group founded in 1989, who play Highland music combined with rock and roll. Their repertoire consists of both original songs and traditional folk pieces. To date, they have released seven studio albums, the latest, Terra Firma, in 2007. The band record on their own...
covered the Silly Wizard song "The Queen of Argyll" on their album Almost an Island
Almost An Island
Almost an Island is the seventh album by Scottish Celtic rock group Wolfstone, released in 2002. It was their first studio album to be released on their own label, Once Bitten Records.-Track listing:# "The Piper and the Shrew" – 3:32...
in 2002.
Discography
- 1976 Silly Wizard
- 1978 Caledonia's Hardy SonsCaledonia's Hardy SonsCaledonia's Hardy Sons is an album by Silly Wizard originally released in 1978, and re-released in 1989 under Shanachie Records Corp label.-Track listing:#"Mo Chuahlag Laghach "#"The Isla Waters"#"The Twa Brithers"...
- 1979 So Many PartingsSo Many PartingsSo Many Partings is an album by Silly Wizard released in 1979 on the Shanachie Records label. On this album the songs "The Valley Of Strathmore" and "The Highland Clearances" were written by Andy M. Stewart.-Track listing:...
- 1980 "Take the High Road" (single)
- 1981 Wild and Beautiful
- 1983 Kiss the Tears AwayKiss the Tears AwayKiss the Tears Away is an album by Silly Wizard released in 1983 on the Shanachie Records label. This album introduces the song "The Queen of Argyle" and "Golden, Golden" written by Andy M. Stewart.-Track listing:#"The Queen of Argyl "...
- 1985 Live in America
- 1985 Golden Golden
- 1985 The Best of Silly WizardThe Best of Silly WizardThe Best Of Silly Wizard is an album by Silly Wizard released in 1985 on the Shanachie Records label. This album has selections from previous recordings by the band.-Track listing:#"The Valley of Strathmore "...
- 1987 A Glint of SilverA Glint of SilverA Glint of Silver is an album by Silly Wizard released in 1986 on the Green Linnet Records label. This is final studio album recorded by the band.-Track listing:#"Roarin' Donald/The Man Who Shot the Windmill/A Glint of Silver "...
- 1988 Live WizardryLive WizardryLive Wizardry is an album by Silly Wizard recorded live in concert at Sanders Theatre, Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1985...