 Memories of Bobby MacLeod by his children Duncan, Robert, Alasdair and Rhoda.
Alasdair Robert Campbell MacLeod or Bobby as he soon became known, was born in Tobermory, Isle of Mull in 1925. His parents, Duncan and Anne, were both from Wester Ross. Anne had a great knowledge of Gaelic song and Duncan was a keen piper. They passed on their knowledge to their son. With additional tutoring from Pipe Majors William MacLean and William Ross, he soon became a competent piper, good enough in fact to be playing pibrochs by the age of twelve. He was regularly paraded in the family hotel, the Mishnish by his proud father.
Melodeons were very much in vogue at that time and Bobby, our Dad, soon acquired a taste for that instrument, being greatly influenced by the regular visits to Tobermory of William Hannah. Dad's Hohner Black Dot is still on display in the Mishnish. Once able to knock out a few tunes, Dad formed a band with other local musicians. Dancing was very popular in Mull at this time, ranging from Quadrilles and the Lancers through modern dance like the Tango and Fox-Trot to Schottisches and Two-Steps. The band also regularly played at Mull's stately homes in the summer season, so that those attending could practice their manoeuvres before the real thing - the Argyllshire Gathering Ball in September. Dad always maintained that he could not have had a better environment in which to learn how to play for dancers. A good dancer himself, he placed the utmost importance in setting the appropriate tempo which at all times had to be the one with which the dancers were most comfortable. This could vary from place to place - a Schottische in Stornoway would have to be played much quicker than in the Borders for example. Check out The Man from Tobermory, Bobby MacLeod's Original Compositions for Accordion & Fiddle in our book store and The Genuine Article CD
The formative years were therefore predominantly influenced by Gaelic, pipe music and Scottish dance music.
In the late 1940s as the band became ever more popular they began playing further afield at dances throughout the West Coast. Eventually the decision was made to go full time, remaining so until 1958.
The Band's style of playing - fresh, enthusiastic, pipe influenced, innovative - soon acquired a wide audience. As well as being in demand on the dance circuit, Dad made a series of recordings for Beltona, Parlophone and Phillips. TV appearances also followed, notably on the "White Heather Club", as well of tours of Canada and the USA, and in 1956 an appearance at a World Youth Fair in Moscow.
Through the years, the band regularly performed on The BBC's Saturday night Scottish dance music programmes, which in the pre-television days of the 1950s commanded a huge audience. The popularity of the band, and the demands placed upon it are reflected in the following excerpt showing a week's bookings from the time:
Monday: Duart Mull Ball
Tuesday: Peterhead Warder's Annual Dance
Wednesday: Lochcarron Concert & Dance
Thursday: Rothsay Shinty Club Dance
Friday: Kyle of Lochalsh Hall Dance
Saturday Munlochy Dance for Inverness Thistle FC
All this at a time when in Dad's own words "motorways were roads, and bridges were ferries"
The band's sound developed, due in no small part to the brilliant arrangements of Hugh Mallarky, originally a church organist from Bute and second accordionist in the band. Dad himself was musically innovative, always looking for new ways to interpret existing tunes as well as composing tunes himself, many of which have become
Scottish dance music classics - "Murdo MacKenzie of Torridon", Finlay J MacDonald", John Robertson's Strathspey", "The Lothian Waltz" and "Jean's Reel" to name but a few.
Probably his most famous arrangement is "After the Games", with the slow air, march and reel representing the deserted field, the activity of the Games and finally the post Games Ceilidh in full swing. Of course in real life Dad was an enthusiastic supporter of the Mull Highland Games and took a full part in the ceilidh and dance which followed the Games.
A regular feature after each Games dance, was the impromptu "Strip the Willow on Tobermory Pier around sic o'clock in the morning, Dad having picked up the pipes, and led the dancers along Main Street, with bacon and eggs in Mishnish for afters!
Eventually in 1958 Dad gave up the itinerant life of the full time musician and returned to the family hotel in Tobermory. He continued to make records, assembling bands for specific recordings. Many fine musicians took part in these including (in alphabetical order), Angus Cameron, Charlie Cowie, George Hill, Ian Holmes, Jim Johnstone, Fenwick MacDougall, Pibroch MacKenzie, Jimmy Ritchie, Billy Thom and two of his sons, Robert and Alasdair.
As well as playing most nights in the hotel, Dad still did the occasional gig at accordion clubs and other functions. One that gave him particular pleasure was at the Caledonian Hotel, Oban during the Mod in the !980's, where he was booked to play at lunchtimes and evenings for assorted Gaels, many of whom he had known for over 30 years. Little were the hotel management to know that he would have gladly played for free! He so much enjoyed playing to that particular audience in that unique atmosphere.
Dad had many interests, with Tobermory and Mull playing a huge part in his life, and he pulled all these things together as often as possible using his contacts in the world of entertainment. He was involved in Mull Week in the late sixties, then helped to initiate the Mull Festival. These events reflected his attitude to music - total informality, complete enjoyment, and a means of making new friends and meeting old ones, you and old alike, united in their love of the music. Who present could ever forget Jim Johnstone, Bobby Colgan and Bobby Brown "holding court" in the back bar of the Mishnish, or the visit from the legendary Shetlanders, Willie Hunter, Jim Halcrow and Ronnie Cooper? Dad would visibly perk up every April at the thought of meeting and playing with so many musicians, their ability didn't matter to him, and for many, these visits became an annual event.
Many wonderful evenings in the back of the Mishnish just happened when a visitor would join in spontaneously, and for many, these visits became an annual event.
There were many other facets to Dad's life apart from music, he was a keen sailor, he was involved in local council work for many years, and was proud to have served a Provost of Tobermory for 14 years. In the Mishnish Hotel he was an attentive host and loved meeting people (and dogs), and of course he was a husband, father and grandfather.
He was a man who enjoyed life, and music gave him the ideal means of communicating the enjoyment.
Bobby MacLeod died in January 1991.
Bobby MacLeod Vintage 78's on CD Vol One and Vol Two
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