The BATTLEFIELD BAND

BIOGRAPHY:

Legendary Scottish folk act formed in 1969 by Falkirk born Brian McNeill (vocals / fiddle / mandolin / bouzouki / cittern / concertina), along with John Gahagan (whistle / concertina), Jamie McMenemy (vocals / citern / guitarra) & Alan Reid (vocals / organ / guitar). The act played around folk clubs in Scotland until 1977 when they released their debut eponymous album on Topic Records.
Gahagan left and was replaced by Pat Kilbride (vocals / bodhran / guitar / cittern) for the follow up, "At The Front" the following year. By the time 1979's "Stand Easy" was released Kilbride & McMenemy had been replaced by Jenny Clark (vocals) & Duncan McGillivray (pipes). Clark was replaced by husband and wife duo Jim Barnes (guitar) & Sylvia Barnes (dulcimer / bodhran) for 1980's "Home Is Where The Van Is", but their stay was brief and soon after the line-up expanded to include Martin Colledge (banjo / guitar), Ged Foley (guitar / mandolin) & Robin Morton (bodhran). These new members were replaced by Dougie Pincock (pipes / flute / saxophone / percussion) for 1982's "There Is A Buzz" album, after which McNeill left for a solo career.
The band continued with various line-ups until 2001 when they were joined by another local, Banknock born Karine Polwart (vocals). Polwart was a member of Edinburgh based folk acts Malinky and MacAlias, and she joined Mike Katz (bagpipes / bass / guitar), John McCusker (fiddle / piano / whistle / accordian / cittern / mandolin, ex-Parcel Of Rogues), Iain MacDonald (bagpipes / flute / whistle / vocals, ex-Ossian), Alan Reid (vocals / organ / guitar) & Alastair Russell (guitar / vocals) in The Battlefield Band. This line-up released "Happy Daze" in 2001, and then added Alasdair White (fiddle / whistle / bouzouki) the following year for "Time & Tide". After this Polwart left for a solo career.

RELEASES:

With McNeill:
"The Battlefield Band" (vinyl album, Topic Records, 1977)
"At The Front (Battlefield Band 2)" (vinyl album, Topic Records, 1978)
"Stand Easy" (vinyl album, Topic Records, 1979)
"Preview" (12 inch vinyl, Temple Records, 1980)
"Home Is Where The Van Is" (vinyl / cassette album, Temple Records, 1980)
"The Story So Far" (vinyl / cassette album, Temple Records, 1982)
"There's A Buzz" (vinyl / cassette album, Temple Records, 1982)

With Polwart:
"Happy Daze" (cd album, Temple Records, 2001)
"Time & Tide" (cd album, Temple Records, 2002)