Musical innovation, commercial success and playing on the frontline
First commercial musical success for the Regiment occurred following the amalgamation of 3rd Carabiniers and The Royal Scots Greys in 1971. Traditionally, the military bands and the pipes and drums of the British Army never played together but the bands of The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards did just that for the 1971 album entitled ‘Farewell to the Greys’. The album included the bands’ own version of ‘Amazing Grace’, a co-orchestration which, when pressed as a single record, had sold over 1 million copies by April 1972. Eventually, the bands earned eight ‘gold discs’ for this innovation in military music.
Further albums were recorded in the 1980s, with ‘Parallel Tracks’ appearing, to great acclaim, in 2001. ‘Spirit of the Glen’ followed in 2007 and then, in 2008/09, ‘Spirit of the Glen: Journey’ appeared: it was recorded while the Regiment was on an operational posting to Basra in Iraq, which makes that album the first musical recording by a regiment on active service. ‘Spirit of the Glen: Journey’ won the Classical Brit. Awards 2009 ‘Album of The Year’.
The tracks on ‘Spirit of the Glen: Journey’ that were recorded in Basra were ‘Abide With Me’, ‘Dear Lord and Father of Mankind’, ‘In Flanders Fields’ and ‘For the Fallen’. The piper playing ‘For the Fallen’ was recorded live, in the open and at the base where the Regiment was stationed: the hum of Basra can be heard in the background. In a moment evocative of the Oscar-winning score of the film ‘Atonement’, ‘Dear Lord and Father of Mankind’ was sung by men from the Regiment in Basra. The album also features recordings of ‘Greensleeves’, ‘Unchained Melody’ and ‘Auld Lang Syne’.
The CD booklet contains photographs from Basra and the CD is enhanced by filmed footage showing the recording in Basra.
Purchase a copy of the CD online in our shop!