Ivor Cutler.....lest we forget....a blog by Ralph's Old Man

So there I was sitting in my room listening to John Peel back in 19(coff) when Ivor Cutler came on what can only be called The Tranny (back in 19(coff) that did actually only mean a radio) with the Dandruff LP and I was transfixed.  Now given that my normal listening at that time was anything from Stone The Crows to Wishbone Ash it would seem strange that the gentle Mr Cutler would have such an effect, but such was the power of the surreal wit, humour and harmoniuming of the man. 


Next day I went out and visited my local purveyor of vinyl, Muirs Records (sadly no more these many moons) and the aforesaid not being in stock (she was taken aback a bit when I asked her with hopeful voice....."Do you have Dandruff") but being used to my requiring vinyl not necessarily of a popular nature, the very nice lady behind the counter ordered it in for me (They were a subsidiary of Muirs Dunfermline run by Sandy Muir who kicked off The Skids career launching their single Charles).


Ivor was born in GLASGOW on 15th January 1923 100 yards from the Glasgow Rangers football ground, Ibrox, to a Jewish middle-class family, the descendant of Eastern European Jews who arrived in Scotland three generations before him. His grandfather was a pedlar of working men's caps and his father branched out into furniture and cutlery. Victimised by anti-Semitic teachers at school for not being a "real Scot" he got the strap (also known as The Lochgelly as it was made there by George Dick and then by his son John Dick another link being I went to school with his son Malcolm Dick who continued the family business) 200 times for not being able to write. 

                



Sadly Ivor Cutler left us on the 3rd March 2006 but left us a wealth of material from which his followers, myself included take much enjoyment.  I've included but a jot of his work for you to get a taste and hopefully, like me become transfixed.  I'll leave you with Ivor's own words.....

"When I do die I shall be glad to get away from loud pop music and motor cars, but I shall miss - insofar as when one is dead one can miss anything - the beautiful kindnesses of those people to whom courtesy comes naturally. Unfortunately there are fewer of those people than of the other kind who deal with their problems in a very anti-social way."