Transatlantic Sessions I

Director: 
Mike Alexander
BBC Scotland
5 Apr 1996

Brief TV appearances in Scottish series of 30 minute films. "Musicians Aly Bain from Shetland and Jay Ungar from New York are joined by top country singers, musicians and songwriters from Scotland, Ireland and Norht America." The series was a Pelicula Films production for BBC Scotland, "filmed on the Atlantic Coast of Scotland" at the Montgreenan Mansion House Hotel, Kilwinning, Ayrshire.

Program 1
Recorded 1 May 1995, broadcast 5 April 1996
Spencer The Rover in a larger setting than usual.

  1. Wheels of Love (Emmylou, Iris DeMent, Mary Black)
  2. MacIlmoyle (Aly Bain, Jay Ungar, etc)
  3. Ready for the Storm (Kathy Mattea w/Dougie MacLean)
  4. Spencer the Rover (John Martyn)
  5. Big Big Shuffle (Russ Barenberg)
  6. Black Diamond Strings (Guy Clark w/Emmylou Harris)
  7. Guitar Talk (Michelle Write w/Karen Matheson)
  8. A Spoken Farewell (or Ungar’s Lament?) (Aly Bain, Jay Ungar, etc)

Program 2
Recorded 19 April 1995, broadcast 12 April 1996
John is amused by Kathy's own approach of harmony vocals.

  1. May You Never (John Martyn, Kathy Mattea)
  2. Big Scioty (Aly Bain, Jay Ungar, etc)
  3. Ta Mo Chleamhnas (Mairead Ni Mhaonaigh, Donal Lunny)
  4. Grey Eagle (Mark O’Connor)
  5. Talk to Me of Mendocino (Kate & Anna McGarrigle, Karen Matheson)
  6. Mexican Monterey (Savourna Stevenson)
  7. By the Time It Gets Dark (Mary Black, Emmylou Harris)
  8. Auld Lang Syne (Rod Paterson, Mairead Ni Mhaonaigh, Martyn Bennett)

Program 3
Recorded 1 May 1995, broadcast 19 April 1996

  1. The Loving Time (Mary Black, Emmylou Harris)
  2. Goodbye Liza Jane (Aly Bain, Jay Ungar, etc)
  3. Iain Ghlinn Cuaich (Karen Matheson, Donald Shaw)
  4. Turning Away (Dougie MacLean, Kathy Mattea)
  5. Bon Lavogue/ Mrs MacLeod (Davy Spillane)
  6. Let the Mystery Be (Iris DeMent)
  7. Wild Mountain Thyme (Dick Gaughan, Emmylou Harris, Kate & Anna McGarrigle, Rufus Wainwright)
  8. Far From Home/ Big John McNeill (Aly Bain, Jay Ungar, etc)

Program 4
Recorded 19 April 1995, broadcast 26 April 1996

  1. Going Back to Harlan (Kate & Anna McGarrigle, Emmylou Harris)
  2. Daire's Dream (instrumental, flute/dobro, guitar, etc) (Davy Spillane)
  3. (Gaelic duet) (Karen Matheson, Mairead Ni Mhaonaigh)
  4. (instrumental, accordion/drum)
  5. Farewell, Farewell (Mary Black)
  6. (instrumental) (Mark O’Connor, etc)
  7. Our Town (Iris DeMent, Emmylou Harris)
  8. (instrumental) (Aly Bain, Jay Ungar, etc)

Program 5
Broadcast 7 May 1996
Big Muff on an electric guitar: nice provocation of the acoustic mafia.

  1. I Will (Kathy Mattea)
  2. Will The Circle Be Unbroken (Michelle Wright, Iris Dement & Mairead Maonaigh)
  3. You Lowdown Dirty Dog (Jay Ungar, Aly Bain, Molly Mason and others)
  4. (Kate & Anna McGarrigle, Rod Paterson)
  5. Jesse Polka (Mark O’Connor with Phil Cunningham)
  6. Green Rolling Hills (Emmylou Harris, Mary Black)
  7. The Dark Women Of The Glen (Cathal McConnell)
  8. Big Muff (John Martyn, Danny Thompson)

Program 6
Broadcast [14 May] 1996
Interesting version of Don't Want To Know that sticks in one's head.

  1. Hard Times (Kate & Anna McGarrigle, Rufus Wainwright, Emmylou Harris, Mary Black, Karen Matheson, Rod Paterson)
  2. Macrimmons Lament (Martyn Bennett)
  3. The Dublin Blues (Guy Clark, Karen Matheson)
  4. Sweet Is The Melody (Iris Dement)
  5. A Maiden’s Prayer (Aly Bain, Jay Ungar)
  6. I Don’t Want To Know (John Martyn and others)
  7. For No One (Emmylou Harris)
  8. Scotland (Instrumental)

Program 7
Broadcast [21 May] 1996, Scotland only

  1. Old-Fashioned Waltz (Emmylou Harris w/ Kate & Anna McGarrigle & Davy Spillane)
  2. Clyde To Sandyhook (Savourna Stevenson)
  3. Dark As A Dungeon (Guy Clark, Rod Paterson)
  4. Lovers Waltz (Molly Mason)
  5. Both Sides Of The Tweed (Dick Gaughan, Emmylou Harris)
  6. The Reason Why I’m Gone (Michelle Wright)
  7. Uncle Sam/ Rain on Olivia Town (Jerry Douglas)
  8. This Love Will Carry (Dougie MacLean, Kathy Mattea)

Participating musicians
Russ Barenberg: guitar, mandolin, fiddle, vocals
Martyn Bennett: scottish pipes
Mary Black: vocals
Guy Clark: guitar, vocals
Travis Clark: electric bass
Phil Cunningham: accordion
Iris DeMent: Guitar, vocals
Jerry Douglas: dobro
Dick Gaughan: guitar, vocals
Emmylou Harris: guitar, vocals
Donal Lunny (from Planxty, The Bothy Band): bouzouki
Dougie MacLean: guitar, vocals
John Martyn: guitar, vocals
Molly Mason: bass, piano, guitar, vocals
Kathy Mattea: guitar, vocals
Karen Matheson (of Capercaillie): vocals
Cathal McConnell: flute
Kate and Anna McGarrigle: guitar, vocals
Charlie McKerron: fiddle
Mairead Ni Mhaonaigh (of Altan): fiddle, vocals
Mark O’Connor (of The American Music Shop band): fiddle
Rod Paterson:
Donald Shaw: piano
Declan Sinnott: guitar, vocals
Davy Spillane: whistle, uilleann pipes
Savourna Stevenson: scottish harp
Jim Sutherland: percussion
Danny Thompson: double bass
Simon Thoumire: concertina
Michelle Wright: vocals
Rufus Wainwright: vocals

Production credits
Musical Directors: Aly Bain & Jay Ungar
Producer: Douglas Eadie
Executive Producer: John Archer
Director/ Producer: Mike Alexander
Camera: Martin Singleton, Dick Johnstone, Oliver Cheeseman, Andy Ford, Mark Raeburn, Lewis Buchan, Francis Todd.
Lighting Camera: Mark Littlewood
Sound Supervisor: Louis Kramer
Sound Recordist: Phil Croal, Mark Kay
Music Remix: Palladium Studios
Dubbing Mixer: Bronek Korda
Film Editor: Bert Eeles
Sound Editor: Ian Adams
1st Assistant Director: Eric Coulter
Continuity: Anne Coulter
Production Team: Margie Littlewood, Liz Wright, Sasha Mann, Stephen Docherty
Make-up: Kate Elliot-Muir, Emma Kotch
Graphic Designer: Catriona Davis

We left the catering out.

Credits: 
Hosts: Aly Bain, Jay Ungar
Production: Douglas Eadie
Director: Mike Alexander