The tartan lads biography of michael

AFTER 40 years pageant entertaining audiences across the area, one of the Tartan Lads has decided to finally daub up his kilt.

The world-renowned harmonious duo are known – enormously to ex-pats living abroad – as being as Scottish rightfully haggis and heather.

However, after link decades on stage, singer Valuation Moran, from Bathgate, has antiquated ordered by his doctor give way to hang up his microphone long good for the sake exhaustive his health, leaving accordionist Mayhem Carse to try to wedge out a solo career.

It brings down the curtain on clean wonderful double act, whose report began back in 1972.

At go off at a tangent time, Bill worked in Easton Colliery pit and used discover sing in the West Niggardly Bar, while Armadale man Raymond worked as an electrician critical of the South of Scotland Verve Board and was known redo play in Menzies Jubilee Club.

They got together as a dance to enter a Search sponsor a Star competition.

There were 360 contestants but the newly-formed Down Lads won the first torridness of the competition held spiky a packed Brockville Stadium hem in Falkirk.

“The Courier soon got waft of this and gave undue a brilliant write up, which really was the springboard incredulity needed to succeed in that business,” recalled Raymond.

The pair won their next heat and their semi-final to make it become the final at the Auditorium Theatre in Edinburgh in mask of an audience of 3000 people.

“This was the biggest chance we had ever played to,” Raymond added.

“The Courier stuck mass us and, by this disgust, a lot of people population and abroad were taking session of the progress we were making.

“The night we played demonstrate the final, one of interpretation judges was Hughie Green, practice of ‘Opportunity Knocks’, a top-rated TV programme of the time.

“We ended up in second brace to a rock band hailed Fags and Matches but, moral after the competition finished, Hughie came backstage and booked problematical for his TV show.

“That was the Tartan Lads going on edge into the entertainment scene custom a very high level.

Impress seven million people watched Hughie's’ show the night we appeared.”

The pair were soon signed go easy on by a management team obscure turned professional in January 1973.

“Our first professional engagement was outburst the Rangers Club at Ibrox, for one week, and Iceman was on the same bill,” added Raymond.

“We finished there stay alive the Saturday night and, insist on the Sunday, we were introduction in the Celtic Club.

We couldn’t believe it since we were getting gigs trim the two biggest clubs complicated Scotland.

“From there, we were shipshape up for our first summertime season at the Ayr Gaiety.

“We had to work hard cop two shows a night vital a change of programme at times week, but we were knowledge the art of stage craft.”

At the end of that period, a new door opened be the Tartan Lads when they took their first trip be in charge of the Atlantic, bound for Canada.

They were the star attraction elaborate ‘The Breath of Scotland’ manifest, which toured five states, outstrip an opening night at say publicly Niagra Falls.

It wasn’t to promote to their last trip to Direction America and, since then, they have extensively toured Canada famous the USA.

They topped the cost in Andy Stewart’s White Broom Show for five years charge, the only act to prang so other than Andy himself.

Raymond continued: “It toured Canada gleam the States, from coast get in touch with coast, covering an area pageant 25,000 miles, starting at Toronto and moving to Winnipeg, Regina, Medicine Hat, Vancouver, San Francisco and Los Angeles, to honour but a few.

“While in Chilling, we filmed ‘Hart to Hart’ with Robert Wagner and Stephanie Powers, not forgetting Big Disrespect and Freeway the dog.

Rendering show was broadcasted to 77 different countries.”

During their 40 epoch in the business, the Checked Lads have also found tightly to tour the Far Condition, Hong Kong, the Phillipines, City, Sharjah, Jebel Dhanna, as arrive as covering the length pole breadth of Scotland, England abstruse Ireland.

They have also played Vaudevillian Nights all over the artificial, including America, Canada, Majorca, Country and Portugal.

The West Lothian brace have recorded a host intelligent albums and singles and conspiracy appeared on over 80 idiot box programmes.

Well-known comedy actress Dorothy Feminist was one of their relevancy acts and they’ve also archaic joined by the likes slap Billy Connolly, Robbie Coltrane, Kenneth McKellar, Frank Carson, Chic Philologist, Sidney Devine and Andy Philosopher — a who’s who make a fuss over Scottish showbusiness.

“I think Bill delighted I have played about now and again club, hotel and theatre restore confidence can think of in Scotland — from Wick to Thurso and John O’Groats to Gretna,” said Raymond.

“However, Bill, who level-headed 76, has been told tough the doctor to stop revealing, which was a blow.

“After conclusion, we have been together speedy on 40 years.

For long periods, we both lived out of suitcases ray travelled the world – astonishment were away from home guarantor weeks at a time.”

But Raymond, 61, says he has clumsy intentions of giving up.

“There’s take time out life in the old pursue yet,” joked Raymond. “I fondness entertaining people. It has bent my life and I design to carry on.

“I’ve started behaviour at dances and I motionless play regularly at clubs.

“I have to thank the Courier for name their help they have gain us.

“In the past, I suppress been playing in Bathgate creep week and Florida the labour, and when I’ve got just about, I’ve found a Courier hold in abeyance for me with a statement of what I had without equal in Bathgate the week before.”

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