Sheep Purple (2002 )

 Wattie's sleeve for Sheep Purple's concept EP about Sunday Flights rams the message home.

Personnel :

• Jason Ritchie Blackmore Dun Ringle (Guitar)
• Wattie Iain Gillan Dun Ringle (Vocals)
• Dead Thingme Glover Guirean (Bass)

This special Guireans/Dun Ringles supergroup collaboration recorded the "Hades for Sheep Purple in Knock" 3-track EP at Knock Studios on 6 December 2002. Hence the "...in Knock" bit in the title.

"Hades for Sheep Purple in Knock" was intended to be released as a limited collector's edition concept EP, commemorating the introduction of Sunday passenger flights to Stornoway Airport through the medium of Deep Purple cover versions. Hence the "Hades for..." bit.

The EP's subsequent failure to appear in the record shops is rumoured to be the result of a powerful curse cast upon the band by a leading member of the Continuity Free Church (Spells agus Buidseachd Division). Indeed, the session itself was plagued by problems from the beginning, when a divine power smote all the tape recorders in the house so that they had no microphones. A second plague of Wattie's sprogs then descended upon the band, tweaking volume controls, unplugging things, screeching and brandishing pictures of the Forth Bridge. Finally, the cursees were afflicted with a plague of lassitude, as a result of which the band gave up and went home before the remaining 6 plagues arrived.

 Sheep Purple in Knock : Jason "Noel Gallagher" Dun Ringle (right), Dead Olac "Where's them Biscuits" Guirean (left) and Wattie "Frightened of the Continuity cailleachs" Dun Ringle (hiding)

Consequently, it took 8 months before anyone could be bothered copying it to CD or doing a sleeve for it, by which time the big Sunday Flights controversy had settled down.

Now that their topical appeal has faded, it looks like the band's dream of playing in the Whaler's Rest to an adoring audience of Sunday "diners" and people "out to buy a paper" will never come to pass.

Tracks :

1. Black Flight
2. Smoke On the Runway
3. (Cheap) Flight on Time

 

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Bod Strummer and the Dun Guireaneros Pronounced Roddy Huggan (2002)

Robin Dun Ringle's winning entry in the "Bod Strummer" sleeve design competition...

Personnel

• Wattie "Strummer" Watson (Vocals, tin whistle)
• Robin "Topper" Watson (Prog Rock keyboards, mandolin)
• Roddy "Mick Bones" Morrison (Guitar and Thespian Scarf)
• Iain "The other cove" Livingstone (Bass)
• Jason "There was only four in The Clash" Laing (Guitar)

 Enough to make the Cl*sh frontman turn in his grave except he wasn't in it yet; The Dun Guiraneros at Knock Studios   (l-r) : - Robin Dun Ringle, Wattie Dun Ringle, Jason Dun Ringle, "Sir" "Rod" "Morison", Dead Olac Junior Guirean

Recorded the "Pronounced Roddy Huggan" EP at Knock Studios on 28 December 2002, as a special commemorative edition to mark the AGOFR community's respect for the late J** Str*mmer.  

Unfortunately nobody knew how to play any Clash songs very well, but this is undoubtedly the way the big posturing ceard would have wanted it if he'd ever heard of the AGOFR community and considered the possibility of them recording a posthumous tribute.

Roddy Huggan tried to avoid being dragged into things by suggesting that the EP be titled "Sandimathesonista", but this was rejected for being too clever.

Speculation is rife regarding the inclusion of the incongruous Lyn*rd Skyn*rd cover "Freechurch", which demolished the carefully constructed Clash theme. A Tape Records source suggested that shadowy CEO CJ Mitchell had called from his Chigago penthouse half way through the session, demanding an Album's worth of material and threatening that the band would find themselves "sleeping with the sgadann" if this were not forthcoming. "Freechurch" may therefore have been hastily added in order to make the recording longer in accordance with the sinister pop mogul's demands. It certainly did the trick - it feels like it goes on for hours.

Co-producers Alasdair "Bod Spector" Mackay and Roddy "GEORGE Martin. Not Calum, OK?" Huggan attempted feebly to link "Freechurch" to the Cl*sh tribute songs in subsequent press interviews, claiming that it made sense to record a combined Str*mmer/Skyn*rd tribute because news of the deaths of both artistes had just reached Lewis that day. 

These claims were, however,  dismissed by a sceptical media. J*e Ell*ot, fine arts correspondent of the "Parkend Chronical", wrote: "That's f*&^ing s**te, man - everybody knows Skyn*rd Lives - it says so on thon big rock on Gallows Hill"

Keen-eared fans will notice that Rod Morison Guirean's guitar playing is not up to its usual standard on this recording. Evidently up-and-coming luvvie phenomenon Roddy was distracted due to the imminent publication of the New Year's Honours list, and kept listening to his portable radio to see if it had come out yet. "One has every expectation of a knighthood for one's Macduff at the Ramshorn", the often-resting thespian was reported to have told fellow band members. His non-appearance at the after-session session in the Crown was rumoured to be due to his staying at home practising being the Baron of Barony Square. Or being skint.

This EP and Sheep Purple's "Hades for Sheep Purple in Knock" were released on Tape records on a single CD in a snazzy yet confusing DVD cover, primarily because Wattie didn't want to have to pay the postage for 2 separate discs.

Tracks :

1. I Fought The Maws/I Fought The Lord
2. Should I Stay or Coi*n*ach Go**a (Straight To Dell)
3. White Marag
4. Rock The Ceards (Baaa)
5. Freechurch

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Coinneach & CJ's Accountants of Rock (2003/4)

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