---

Angel of Habost (Single, unreleased, on a bit of a C90) (1990)

Personnel:

Alasdair (Bod) Mackay:  Guitar; Vocals

Roddy (Huggan) Huggan: Vocals

Iain (Deadstone) Livingstone : Bass; Chanter

Roddy (Never Mind the Oatcakes) Morrison : Guitar,  Vocals

Ken (Cecil B De Kenny Sticky’s Mill) Livingstone had been impressed either by a U2 video or by one of thon German guy's (is it Wim Wenders or Fassbinder?) films with U2 on the soundtrack, and decided the time was ripe for another video. Then he forgot about it so this song was never used – just as well because in 6 takes the fools didn’t manage to record one half decent version

Tracks:

1 Angel of Habost (6 takes!)

---

Cac Mix II EP (1990)

Personnel:

Alasdair (Bod) Mackay: Synth; Vocals

Iain (Deadstone) Livingstone : Synth; Vocals; Chanter

Recorded in the Livingstones’ kitchen. Deadstone's dad, a keen button key accordion "player" with the Sawmill Band (veritable Charlie Barlies among the butchers of traditional Hebridean music) had got a Casio keyboard in the vain hope of using it to train his left hand to play the bass part on "Kenag Mor". He soon cast it aside in frustration and returned to a "traditional/ethnic" monotone style.

Stumbling across the discarded Casio in the barn, and quickly finding the “Euro Disco 1” beat button, Bod and Deadstone decided to reinvent themselves as a synthesiser duo, sell out and storm the charts – just like Erasure, Soft Cell and err… Garry Hawthorn & Kenny Fags?

No-one ever got round to editing out the long and tedious bits in which the synth novices gleefully play around with the buttons like a bodach from Airidhbhruaich encountering his first electric lightswitch.  However, if Cac Mix II was condensed from 20 minutes down to about 30 seconds it might not be too bad. Top track is “The Maw-del”, on which Bod intones in a robotic Kraftwerk monotone:

“She’s a Maw-del und She’s Got - ze kuram

She’s thrown out ze rekords zat vere by – ze Guireans

She’s going out tonight to convert – ze flock

Und she’s been haffing ein extramarital affair mit ein elder - from Knock”

Tracks:

1.        Eoropie Disco Mix I

2.        Habba Gold (Dosing Me Dosing Ewes)

3.        Eoropie Disco Mix II (Ewes are Good/Wham Bam I am A Ram/Cut that Perfect Peat)

4.        2 Live Mucus for Brue People (There’s No Guireans)

5.        The Maw-del (Kraft Mucus for Werk Dairylea People).

6.        Some Unlistenable Rubbish about the Coffee Pot and Italian House Music

---

The Guireans – Unplucked EP (1992)

Personnel :

Alasdair (Bod) Mackay:  Guitar; Vocals

Iain (Deadstone) Livingstone : Guitar; Vocals

Recorded in the Livingstones’ sitting room. Having realised that the synthipop route wasn’t for them, the Guireans once again shamelessly jumped on the trend bandwagon with a short “Unplugged” show for the prestigious and world renowned MTV. Unfortunately for the band, Marvig Television folded the same day when the entire production staff  resigned half way through the session.

Apparently he left for the Free Church mission to Peru the next day.

Tracks:

1.        The One Eyed Blone

2.        Smells Like Tong Spirit (Pt 1)

3.        Smells Like Tong Spirit (Pt 2)

---

Wire Less - Luna29 Artists' Collective Compilation CD (2004)

 

Sleeve Notes for "Wire Less" - which all seem to be about the Guireans tracks with no mention of any of the other "artists" -  Pictures by The Hippy

Guireans Tracks:

1. Industry (Gut Factory) - From "Calan Bow Gets Run Over" (1984)
2. Walk on the West Side - From "Calan Bow Gets Run Over" (1984)
3. Todhar - Live version from The Midges of Rock 2003

This multi-artist compilation CD contains 3 Guireans tracks from previous releases, along with stuff by a variety of other people who were something to do with mysterious Dundee arts collective Luna and/or the Western Isles Association for Mental Health (WIAMH). Niall Hippy was behind it in some way, and organised a launch event in An Lanntair on 25/04/04 at which The Dun Ringles (but not the Guireans) were among the performers. The Hippy tells the story...

"The event took place on a mild and balmy night in An Lanntair, where the
lighting (for a change) was actually suitable for people on the wee stage
thing.  It consisted of an introduction to the "book" (actually a box of
writings and other items), performances by ten persons (about half from
Dundee and half from Lewis) of stories, poems, some things less describable,
and the old favourite "The Road Tae Dundee", after which the Dun Ringles
attempted to take the stage but it was nailed down.  Nevertheless they
played some other, not quite so old, old favourites and at least one new
song they couldn't quite remember the words to.  They cannot be blamed; I've
forgotten them too, except that there was something about crows, or rather
rooks, living on Gallows Hill.

The response to all this from the audience was, though a little bemused,
generally positive.  Most bemused of all was a certain ex-canadian talent
scout who looked as if he thought this was supposed to be a musical evening.
[fade out laughter]

Of the CD I have little to say, as Wo Ti Dun Ring Il will be reviewing it
and I'll be sending free copies to all and sundry and probably sundry again
since the Dundee contingent ran away leaving me with a ticking box of
"spares".  Suffice it to stick to bare facts:  320 "Books", each including a
CD, were produced, of which around half have been / will be distributed in
the Islands.  Around a further 150 (and falling) CDs are in my hands, and I
think many of these should go back to the safer side of the Minch asap.  The
CD turned out smaller than I expected, and contains total seven tracks,
three of them Guireans, some of them interesting.  "Cover notes" extended to
two full pages of Guireans material and a few other bits.  It looks like
nobody else made much of an effort.  In fact, it looks embarrasingly close
to a Guireans single, with additions. It is probably too late to disclaim all reponsibility"

More Late Period Singles and EPs ("Margrave of the Mointeach" & beyond)  ->