Five Hand Reel was formed originally in 1974 from the remnants of UK electric folk band Spencer's Feat: bassist Barry Lyons, Tom Hickland on fiddle and keyboards, and drummer Dave Tulloch. Enlisting two Scottish musicians, fiddler Chuck Fleming and singer/guitarist Bobby Eaglesham, they decided to call themselves Five Hand Reel. They started gigging in late 1974, playing their first London show at King's Cross Cinema.
In early 1975, Chuck Fleming returned to his previous band. His replacement was legendary Scottish singer and guitarist Dick Gaughan, an ex member of Boys of the Lough. The live debut of the renewed band was at the Half Moon in Putney in summer 1975.
Five Hand Reel signed with Rubber Records in 1976 and recorded their first album, "Five Hand Reel", at Impulse Studios in Newcastle on Tyne. It was voted as "Folk Album of the Year" for 1976 by Melody Maker.
The second album, "For A' That", was recorded now in courtesy of RCA Records in July 1977, at the height of the punk summer of discontent. The opening "Bratach Bana" was one of the first Gaelic songs to be recorded using rock elements. The Irish band Horslips had recorded the same song in Gaelic on their album "Happy To Meet - Sorry to Part", also in a rock arrangement. As Dick Gaughan says in his notes to the album:"It seems odd in these days when it is now perfectly normal to sing Gaelic songs in a contemporary fashion that this was regarded as extremely daring and adventurous in 1977. We've come a long, long way since those days."
Much of Five Hand Reel's live work was on club, college, and Folk festivals of England and Northern Europe. They were very popular in Scandinavia and recorded an album of traditional Danish songs "Ebbe, Dagmar, Svend og Alan" with Danish folk singer and radio presenter Alan Kiltgaard. In England they were rather less popular, though appreciated in the Punk clubs as a live act.
In 1978, Five Hand Reel's third RCA album, "Earl O'Moray", was recorded in Rockfield Studios in Monmouth, Wales. It was rather different from the two previous LPs: a darker sounding, more seriously-minded album with a rich passionate undercurrent. Creatively speaking, it was probabely their finest album.
In late 1978 Dick Gaughan decided to leave the band because of the personal situation and later resumed his solo career. His replacement was Sam Bracken, a guitarist and singer from Belfast. Bracken's Irish accent sounded fresh on front and the rejuvenated band recorded one more album, 1979's "A Bunch Of Fives" for Topic Records before finally splitting in 1980. RCA also issued a compilation, "Nothing But The Best", that year.
After the break-up, the members of Five Hand Reel pursued various solo projects. Bobby Eaglesham released his second (after 1973's "Bobby Eaglesham") album, "Weather The Storm" in 1982. He contributed backing vocals on Dick Gaughan's 1988 solo album, "Call It Freedom", started "Festival Folk" at the Royal Oak Pub in Edinburgh and toured with Chuck Fleming. Later he became an art teacher at Polmont Young Offenders' Institution, near Falkirk. Bobby Eaglesham died on October 14th, 2004.
Drummer Dave Tulloch rejoined forces with Dick Gaughan on "A Different Kind Of Love Song". Tom Hickland played in a trio called The Pub Band doing The Beatles/Buddy Holly/folk-rock material. Sam Braken recorded with his wife Elaine, a singer/flautist, a duet CD "Once More Around The Block" in 2003.
Bratach Bana
Five Hand Reel Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
a'mhic Iarla nam bratach bana
a'mhic Iarla nam bratach bana
Chunna mi do long air saile
Hilean beag hó ill óro
Hilean beag hó ill óro
Hilean beag hó ill óro
Hu oireann o hu o eileadh
Chunna mi do long air saile
Chunna mi do long air saile
Chunna mi do long air saile
Bha stiuir oir oirr 's da chrann airgid
Hilean beag hó ill óro
Hilean beag hó ill óro
Hilean beag hó ill óro
Hu oireann o hu o eileadh
Bha stiuir oir oirr 's da chrann airgid
Bha stiuir oir oirr 's da chrann airgid
Bha stiuir oir oirr 's da chrann airgid
Sioda reamhar ruadh na Spainne
Hilean beag hó ill óro
Hilean beag hó ill óro
Hilean beag hó ill óro
Hu oireann o hu o eileadh
Sioda reamhar ruadh na Spainne
Sioda reamhar ruadh na Spainne
Sioda reamhar ruadh na Spainne
'S cupaillaichean do shioda na Gaillmhinn
Hilean beag hó ill óro
Hilean beag hó ill óro
Hilean beag hó ill óro
Hu oireann o hu o eileadh
'S cupaillaichean do shioda na Gaillmhinn
'S cupaillaichean do shioda na Gaillmhinn
'S cupaillaichean do shioda na Gaillmhinn
Cha b'ann an Glaschu a bha e
Hilean beag hó ill óro
Hilean beag hó ill óro
Hilean beag hó ill óro
Hu oireann o hu o eileadh
Cha b'ann an Glaschu a bha e
Cha b'ann an Glaschu a bha e
Cha b'ann an Glaschu a bha e
Nan Dun-Bheagain 's beag o'n lar e
Hilean beag hó ill óro
Hilean beag hó ill óro
Hilean beag hó ill óro
Hu oireann o hu o eileadh
Nan Dun-Bheagain 's beag o'n lar e
Nan Dun-Bheagain 's beag o'n lar e
Nan Dun-Bheagain 's beag o'n lar e
Nan Dun-Tuilm nam bratach bana
Hilean beag hó ill óro
Hilean beag hó ill óro
Hilean beag hó ill óro
Hu oireann o hu o eileadh
The song Bratach Bana by Five Hand Reel tells the story of the son of the Earl of the White Banner, who sees his father's ship on the sea. The chorus of the song repeats several times throughout, with the lines "Hilean beag hó ill óro / Hu oireann o hu o eileadh". These lines seem to be a combination of Gaelic and nonsense syllables, possibly used to add rhythm and energy to the song.
The verses of the song describe various objects that are associated with the Earl's ship, such as the golden helm and silver mast, and the thick red silk from Spain that adorns the ship's captain. There are also references to fine silk cloths from Gaelic lands and the cups that are made from them. The final verse mentions the town of Glasgow and places the Earl's ship further north, away from the city.
Overall, the song seems to celebrate the wealth and power of the Earl of the White Banner, and his impressive ship that is adorned with fine materials from both Gaelic and Spanish lands.
Line by Line Meaning
a'mhic Iarla nam bratach bana
Oh son of the Earl of the white flags
Chunna mi do long air saile
I saw your ship on the sea
Hilean beag hó ill óro
Little Allan, hey ho! Cheerful and lively
Hu oireann o hu o eileadh
Hurray, oh Ireland! Hurray, oh Scotland!
Bha stiuir oir oirr 's da chrann airgid
It had a golden steering wheel and two silver masts
Sioda reamhar ruadh na Spainne
Thick red silk from Spain
'S cupaillaichean do shioda na Gaillmhinn
And cups of foreign silk
Cha b'ann an Glaschu a bha e
It wasn't in Glasgow
Nan Dun-Bheagain 's beag o'n lar e
Near Dunbeath and not far from the ground
Nan Dun-Tuilm nam bratach bana
Near Dun Tulliem with the white flags
Contributed by Jacob R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Dag Jakobsen
on Both Sides of the Forth
Both Sides of the Forth
##(from MacGintys Meal and Ale)##
This is nae a sang o' love, nor yet a sang o' money
Faith, it's naethin' very pitiful, it's naethin' very funny
But there's Hieland Scotch, Lowland Scotch, butterscotch and honey
If there's nane o' them for a' there's a mixture o' the three
And there's nae a word o' beef, brose, sowens, sauty bannocks
Na, nor pancakes, peas, eggs, for them wi' dainty stomachs
But it's a' aboot a meal and ale that happened at Balmunnocks
Aye, MacGinty's meal and ale whaur the pig gaed on the spree
For they were howlin' in the kitchen like a caravan o' tinkies
Aye, some were playing ping-pong, tiddly widdly winkies
For up the howe, doon the howe, ye never saw such jinkies
As MacGinty's meal and ale whaur the pig gaed on the spree
##(from Hey, Caa Thro)##
Up wi the carles o Dysart
An the lads o Buckhaven
An the kimmers o Largo
An the lasses o Leven
Hey, caa thro, caa thro
For we hae mickle ado
Hey, caa thro, caa thro
For we hae mickle ado
We hae tales tae tell
An we hae sangs tae sing
We hae pennies tae spend
An we hae pints tae bring
We'll live aa our days
An thaim that comes behin
Let thaim dae the like
An spend the gear thae win
##(from As I Gaed in by Fisherraw)##
As A gaed in by Fisherraw,
Musselburgh wis near me
A tuik aff ma musselpyock
An courtit wi ma dearie
Up stairs, doun stairs,
Timmer stairs fears me
A thocht it lang tae lie ma lane
Whan A'm sae near ma dearie
Had her apron bidden doun
The kirk wad ne'er hae kent it
But sin the talk's about the toun
Ma dear A cannae mend it
Bit ye maun tae the cutty stool
An A maun tae the pillar
That's the wey the puir folks dae
Because thae hae nae siller