MacGregor's Trap - The Album

In 1991 Brian created a new piece of work called "MacGregor's Trap". It was a musical version of Robert Louis Stevenson's Kidnapped, a tale of Davie Balfour, a young lad who never knew his father, who grows up very quickly after landing himself into trouble.

It was designed to be a stage musical, however, it was not until August 1995 that the album moved from being a concept to a real stage musical as part of the Edinburgh Festival. However, this page is about the album, not the stage show. If you want more information about that click on the link on the navigation bar to the left of click here. MacGregor's Trap - The Show.

Below is the information from the cassette tape (the album was only released in this format) with some additional information, by me, as to who sung the tracks.

16 July 1761

I want to take you on a trip to Bonnie Scotland . . .

The boat leaves from Edinburgh and we travel up the East Coast past Dundee and Aberdeen and going farther North we will give a wide berth to the treacherous rocks surrounding the Orkneys. Now we go West, then South calling close to Cape Wrath and then sail past the lonely but beautiful Hebrides where few people talk Scots never mind English, and to this day they still cling jealously to their beloved Gaelic.

I really wanted to take you all the way to America, but we will never reach there. By the time we get to the Isle of Mull everyone will have perished, for this is a very dangerous trip full of murder, war and eventually a shipwreck where any who have survived will be forever silenced in that cold bleak Atlantic sea, everyone except our hero David, young and highly principled, and his mother’s ex-lover MacGregor.

Pimp, pirate, slave trader, smuggler, kidnapper, killer. I thought MacGregor would be a suitable guide for your journey. He will take you to see David’s mother and later on, his long lost father. He will introduce you to David’s only but ill fated love affair with the beautiful Catriona. He will show you the streets where Mary the once stunning but now ragged and haggard prostitute used to walk. He will try to justify his killing of David’s father and a nine year old cabin boy. All this and other adventures - so put on your life jackets and let MacGregor take you on the trip of a lifetime.

Have a safe journey

Brian Spence

The Music

The tracks are performed by various performers with MacGregor narrating all the way through the record, explaining what is happening.

Side 1

Track Name	Track Sung By
Oh Lord	Mother
One Of The Best	Mary
Fake Love	Mary and Mother (with MacGregor)
Bad Man	MacGregor
Some Men	Mother
Rode A River	Mother and Father
Sometimes I Wonder	David
He Was No-One	David
Killer	David with MacGregor
We Want War	Captain with David

Side 2

Track Name	Track Sung By
Father's Day	Father with David and MacGregor
When You Daddy Weren't There	MacGregor
I Believe In Love	David and Catriona
Trap Of The Heart	David and Catriona
It's Too Late To Love You	Father

The Performers

BRIAN SPENCE (David)
After recording two solo albums for Polydor, the second of which ‘Reputation’ yielded the important title track which later became a success for Dusty Springfield, Brian has spent the last year and a half preparing his musical adventure THE TRAP. It is fulfillment of his long term vision and keen sense of musical invention and gave him the opportunity to work with many of his favourite singers.

TAM WHITE (MacGregor)
Tam’s career is varied to say the least. He did the vocals for Robbie Coltrane as the Big Jazzer in BBC’s "Tutti Frutti", played the starring role in BBC’s highly acclaimed play "Wreck on the Highway" and last year headlined the Scottish Jazz Festival. A wild man and character on and off stage, he was born for the part of MacGregor.

JACKIE HAYES (Mother)
The Jackie Hayes Band is one of the most popular on the Irish rock scene. Her plaintive emotional voice commands you to listen to every word she sings. From Belfast, where her roots are based in folk, the has had her own songs recorded by bands in Northern Ireland.

COLIN CHISHOLM (Father and Captain)
Colin and Brian were signed to CBS in the States as 'Chisholm and Spence’. He is currently Scotland’s busiest session singer, singing on the tracks for the film ‘Comfort and Joy’ and Channel Four’s 'Propects' series as well as countless commercials. A powerful and emotional singer, he recently recorded an album with Runrig.

MAGGIE REILLY (Catriona)
Brian first saw Maggie with Cado Belle back in Scotland. Since then she has worked with various other artists but is best known for her stint with Mike Oldfield. Brian needed someone with a pure yet powerful voice which is an unusual combination. When three different people recommended Maggie for the part he was delighted to finally meet Catriona.

DEBBIE McKENNA (Mary)
Debbie is an Eastender whose unsubtle power has an energy and strength that belies her tiny five foot frame. A powerful stage performer, she has a large following for her shows on the London circuit as well as having recorded for various independent labels.

Album Credits

Produced by Brian Spence

All songs written by Brian Spence

© 1991 Clermiston Music

Graphic Design by WAM graphics

Little Big Foot Records

Footnote:

For those wanting to read about David Balfour's adventures should read both "Kidnapped" and "Catriona" by Robert Louis Stevenson. Catriona continues straight on from where Kidnapped finishes and, in some ways, should be viewed as Kidnapped part 2. There are two sections to Catriona, "The Lord Advocate" and "Father and Daughter". The first section, "The Lord Advocate", introduces us to Catriona, daughter of MacGregor, whilst the second section, "Father and Daughter" is the tale of MacGregor's treachery against David Balfour and his own daughter.

Page Last Updated: 4th March 2010

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