Category: Dick Gaughan

Richard Peter Gaughan usually known as Dick Gaughan (born 17 May 1948, Glasgow) is a Scottish musician, singer, and songwriter, particularly of folk and social protest songs.

He has been making music most of his life, with his first LP dating back to 1972 since which time he has released at least 26 records either as a solo artist, as part of a fully-fledged band or in collaboration with other performers.

His is a style of music with which I’m not too familiar and indeed although I had heard his name mentioned many a time over the years as someone who was incredibly important and influential in the story of modern music in Scotland, the first I ever knowingly heard anything he had been involved in was when Billy Bragg covered his song Think Again on the Help Save The Youth of America EP in 1987 and then again three years later when the two of them worked together on the recording of The Red Flag for Billy’s LP The Internationale LP.

I finally saw and heard Dick Gaughan many years later, and again it was courtesy of Billy Bragg as the two of them co-headlined on a gig at the annual Celtic Connections festival in Glasgow in January 1997. There were a few left-wing anthems such loudly that night……

Drew who of course writes so brilliantly at From Across The Kitchen Table is an admirer of Dick Gaughan and it is from his place that I first heard and downloaded this song:-

mp3 : Dick Gaughan – No Gods and Precious Few Heroes (live)

It’s not a Gaughan original – the words and lyrics are by Brian McNeill.

If you like the sound of today’s featured artist and want to find out more, I think his official website is the perfect place to start.

JC

Hi JC,

Hope all is good with you. Glad to see you bouncing back in such a positive manner.

Political protest songs, jesus where to start. Growing up in the 80s,  of a left wing persuasion and a member of CND I have tons of them. Some subtle, Shipbuilding, some not so subtle Tramp The Dirt Down and not to mention all of the 60s songs that the older hippies I hung about with were into. But the one I would choose and which is very pertinent up here in the north of the UK with the referendum coming along next year is No Gods and Precious Few Heroes by Dick Gaughan, a man known for his political songs, you have to hear his version of World Turned Upside Down, it knocks Billy Bragg‘s version into touch, not an easy feat.

No Gods was written by Brian McNeil of The Battlefield Band, but it’s Gaughan’s voice and the abuse he inflicts upon his guitar that make this song so special. It’s kind of hard to pick an outstanding lyric from the song,  as the whole song is so incisive  but if I had to it would be “try going doon the broo wae yir Claymore in yir hand and count all the princes in the queue”. Anybody thinking about voting “yes” in next year’s referendum should listen to this song and in the words of another sung by Gaughan, they should think again.

So there is my contribution JC.

All the best

Drew

mp3 : Dick Gaughan – No Gods And Precious Few Heroes

Bonus song:-

mp3 : Dick Gaughan – World Turned Upside Down

PS from JC : For what it’s worth….at the risk of maybe alienating a few readers…..my sentiments re the ballot scheduled for September 2014 are similar to those expressed above by Drew.