SB&Q Fanmail

Be warned! When you e-mail me, your (edited) jottings and musings could end up on this page. That's what has happened to these people. They are printed in the order received, most recent ones nearest the top.

This page has not been updated at the same time as the others (December, 2004). I do plan to add all your e-mails as soon as possible, but it is a major task, so please bear with me.

Bernt Bakken: Thanks for your splendid work on the Sutherland Brothers home page. I was a very dedicated fan back in the seventies and every now and then I have wondered what happened to Ian and Gavin. A few weeks ago I sat down a did a search on the www and found some answers. One of those was your homepage.

Hans-Erik Bergvall (Sweden): I wish there had been video recorders around in the middle of the seventies as I stumbled upon The Sutherland Brothers at that time when they made a rare Swedish television appearance on one of those summer, outdoor tv shows. It was circa the Dream Kid or Beat of The Street period and they performed a couple of songs. I recall being impressed by the melodic material, brisk harmonies and tight live performance, e.g. Tim Renwick's guitar playing. I suppose the appearance was for promotional purposes and at least it made me go look for some SB & Q albums. I look forward to any rarities that you can put on your site (with or without permission!). Speaking of rarities, I guess the chances of seeing Iain's solo albums on cd are slim or have you heard anything to the contrary?

Sandie: Just visited your site - great - thought I was the only fan left !! - been devoted fan since I saw them 'play' at the Capitol in Aberdeen back in '75 I think it was - pure magic !! Keep up the good work.

Lou Dubnow: I noticed there wasn't any mention of any of the songs from "When the Night Comes Down". I love that album. I was goofing around on the Internet and did a search for The Sutherland Bros. because I can't find them in any music store. "Easy Come, Easy Go" is an excellent song.

Tim Joseph: I was idly browsing the Internet, thinking I'd never find a site for the Sutherland Brothers, and lo and behold I come across yours. I'm just writing to say how much I enjoyed it, and how nice it is that somebody has bothered to put themselves out to create the site. So thank you very much! I was interested to see you mention the BBC concerts that the band did. I have been hoping some enterprising record company may put these out one day, but no luck yet. Anyway, thanks again for creating such an interesting site.

Terry B: How are you doin there? I have been looking at your SBQ site...really interesting. I have to admit I know nothing about these guys apart that they made some great music such as the pie ,and laying in the arms of mary...i remember when the pie was being played on radio here in australia,Im sure it was a s hortened version about 3 1/2 minutes but im sure i remember hearing a much longer version..was that the album track?I would love to get hold of a version of that and listen to other music that these guys made....but it seems nearly impossible to get hold of any of their stuff here....anyway keep up the good work...great site......

Bruce Widing: Your site was a wonderful discovery for my brother and I. We've been big fans of SB&Q since the mid 70s!

Roy: HI!!!! Love your site!!! While I won't take issue with your top ten, I was especially glad to see "Dr. Dancer" and flummoxed to note "Love On The Moon" and "Mad Trail" were not. Just my opinion, of course!!! I caught SB&Q live in Portland, Oregon around 1974 or 1975 and they are so cool in concert. I keep wishing for a reunion tour WITH Tim Renwick.

Fil Denton: I thoroughly enjoyed your web site, as I am a big big fan of SB&Q. I was hooked from the moment I heard The Pie on the radio 18 years ago at the tender age of 12/13. I didn't investigate them further until the following year when Sailing came out and my first serious girlfriend bought me the single which I still own and treasure to this day. I still find it hard to believe the song was not a hit. It seemed to get endless airplay back in '72. Years later when the song was crucified by Rod Stewart, I kept telling everyone - "this is that great song by the Sutherlands I was telling you about - yes I know it sounds like some horrible anthemic football terrace fodder in the hands of Rod - but listen to this! After Sailing I bought the first album, which to me is still their finest moment, although Dream Kid comes close. Your discography was a revelation - as I said - I have all their albums up to When the Night Comes Down but was completely unaware of the solo albums - where can I get them? In addition to SB&Q I also like Scottish Pop Music generally and some years ago purchased Brian Hogg's book The History of Scottish Rock & Pop (Guinness 1993). Amazingly enough, the Sutherlands don't get a single mention. Incredible, seeing as how 1) They released 8 excellent to merely enjoyable albums 2) wrote a No1 single for another fellow Scot. Another criminally overlooked Scottish band, from the 80s, were The River Detectives . Have you heard/heard of them - they remind me greatly of the Sutherlands. They had a minor hit in '89 with Chains - very reminicent of Gavin & Iain - try their albums Saturday Night, Sunday Morning (WEA) and Elvis Has Left The Building (Vital) - see if you agree. Do you know any details about SB&Q's CD reissue program? I've recently managed to get the first five albums on the CBS/Sony Rewind series. The Lifeboat track listing substitutes Sailing for Sorrow - and I concur, how could they do a substitution on an album lasting 37 minutes - half a CD wasted? BTW - I have the single Lady Like You b/w Annie Island WIP6147 1972 The picture sleeve features a shot obviously taken around the same time as the Lifeboat album. The A side is of course on the self same album - Annie doesn't appear for another two years before turning up on Beat of The Street ! Is it the same take? Unfortunately I can't tell you - It's sometime since I played it and I can't lay my hands on it at present - it's buried in the loft along with all my other singles. I had a half-hearted search but couldn't find it - when I do I'll let you know. Anyway, keep up the good work - any info on the availibility of the solo albums and SB&Q reissues would be of great assistance.

Geoff Hunt: I did write in last year some time and promised to follow up with more info on the Suths, but you know how things are - completely slipped my mind. I rediscovered the site the other day and it reawakened my interest. So, first things first. Great site . Great band. saw them loads ( probably 30 or more times over a 5 year period) .Didnt know about the solo albums at all though! Highlights to remember: First time I saw them was at Twickenham College (Queens Hall?) where they were support for Stone the Crows ( Remember Maggie Bell?). They were just the two of them, very young, sitting on the edge of the stage, playing acoustic only. Brilliant. Saw them in London the night Quiver joined them on stage for the 1st time at the Marquee Club. Saw them loads of times at the Marquee club in Wardour Street. Even remember them giving all of the audience free one of those flimsy singles that was a Xmas single called something like 'A Christmas Everyday and a Happy New Year' - where the Happy Xmas chorus was sung to the tune of Sailing. Great days and many happy memories of those times.( Wish I still had the single - One of my mates assures me that he still has it along with all of their other singles in his loft!) - I've just phoned him to check and yes he has still got it the sad old git! along he says with an original NME cutting of the report of the gig the night that Quiver joined then onstage at the Marquee for the first time! He will dig it out and if its any good I will scan a copy in and send it to you if you like! I can also remember being in the Gents when Gavin Sutherland came in and had a piss next to me at a gig in Welwyn Garden City! I dined out on that for ages- having a piss next to Gavin, like being famous!! Also saw some sad gigs, one in particular where they were being heckled from the audience - I think that it was the Rainbow but I'm not sure where. A section of the crowd kept shouting Bring Back Muff Winwood!! Saw them at the Shaw Theatre also - we were in the front row and suddenly realised that Rod Stewart and the Faces were sitting next to us!! This was before he made Sailing. Some months later, (4th July 1974 to be exact) we then met Rod and the Faces in a pub (our local) near Shepperton Studios where they were rehearsing for the Knebworth Festival and we told them that we had been next to them at the Suths concert. Rod remembered the gig (we remembered it as one of our crowd fell over Kenny Jones outstretched legs!) Anyway Rod told us that he liked the Suths but couldn t see them making it big. He said he was working on one of their songs and we gave great encouragement in this direction.( I was very pro him doing The Pie, which I still think is magnificent and one of the best singles never to have been a No 1 monster success.) . One of my mates to this very day still swears blind that it was he that recommended Sailing to Rod! ( And has been known to claim complete responsibilty for it!) Who knows if we had any influence at the end of the day? For us that particular evening was very eventful as we were later invited by Rod and the Faces ( including Ronnie Wood but sadly not Ronnie Lane as he had left and they had that Japanese guy -Tetsu, I think his name was) back to Shepperton Studios to watch them rehearse for Knebworth. A night we will never forget , but that is another story. Thinking about it now we would also claim some responsibilty over them rerecording Annie. As you probably are aware the origi nal Annie was a B side of the single Lady Like You . It was a lovely version with brass on it. Whenever we saw the Suths we would shout and holler at the tops of our voices for 'Annie' - really loud. After a year or so of this they got the message and rerecorded it as an album track with Quiver, so now they could do it live on stage! I think it was on the Beat of the Street album which ironically is what I was surfing for when I rediscovered your web site! I will E mail you further if we come up with anything else that may be of interest. Keep up the good work [Geoff subsequently sent the NME report on that Marquee Club gig that first featured the combination of the two bands.]

David: Hi, just stumbled across your page on the lads - still one of my favourite bands. Why don't the record companies reissue and market the stuff? I've tried to order Gav's new CD - do you know if it's available yet. And now - a real long shot. Do you have a tape of their performance at Cropredy - the Fairport bash - in the mid 80's. I've been trying to track down a copy for years.

Tony: Hi, I've just bought dreamkid on CD and two tracks are wrong. Bluesy world has been replaced by Don't Mess Up, and unbelievably the title track has been replaced by Silver Sister, although the correct tracks are listed on sleeve and label. I know now from your page that both these tracks originally appeared as B sides of Dreamkid singles. Whilst I am sure these are rare and desirable tracks, it would be nice to see them added to the end of the CD and not replacing key tracks. Do you know anything about this cock up? Do Sony rewind know, I have been unable to locate a contact address for them on the web. Anyway hope this is as useful to you as your page was useful to me.

Gordon McCall: I am at present moving all my Albums and Singles of the band on to CD in MP3 format, and found your site while looking for new information on the band. It is good to see that their work is still appreciated.

Hans-Erik Bergvall (Sweden):Thanks for an interesting and informative site on one of my all-time favourite bands.You have managed to make me dig deep into my old vinyl collection to hear all those wonderful Suthe rland Bros albums once again and reminisce about long, musically flavoured nights in the 70s. Also, you have certainly shed some light for me on the early 80s solo efforts from Iain and Gavin, which I knew very little about and, unfortunately, missed picking up when they were around. I would like to invest in some good cd-reissues of the Sutherlands but it is a shame how they have been treated in that respect. Only a few of the albums available on cd and in very unimaginative versions, e.g. as in your comment on "Sorrow" being omitted in favour of "Sailing" on the Life Boat album. There must certainly be interest for a kind of "Sutherland Brothers Complete"-box, or reissuing the albums as either twofers or including bonus tracks like single b-sides that were not on the albums. Perhaps there is even some unissued material of interest in the vaults!? To select just ten favourite tracks makes me "quiver" with anxiety. That is certainly a hard task and just like yourself I could just as well pick twenty, thirty or..well, just about everything they recorded. Anyhow, below is my top ten in chronological order: Real Love, I Don't Wanna Love You, Dream Kid, World In Action, Devil Are You Satisfied, Arms of Mary (Yes, one of my first choices!), Ain't Too Proud, Ice In The Fire, Dark Ship, Easy Come Easy Go As you may notice(!), my listing is rather more "mainstream" and "hit" orientated than your list, but it is hard to resist the melodic strength and pure attractiveness of the above tracks, at least for yours truly. However, to make justice to both Iain and Gavin, I must mention a few (er..well, actually quite many) strong contenders to my top ten namely: Medium Wave, The Pie, Sailing (I agree with your comment on this track!), Lady Like You, Love Is My Religion, Seagull/Lonely Love, Champion The Underdog, Laid Back In Anger, Annie, When The Train Comes, Dirty City, Dr Dancer, Dark Powers, Midnight Rendezvous, The Prisoner, Fun of The Farm, Where Lies Your Soul, One More Night With You, Natural Thing, When The Night Comes Down. I must admit to being very fond also of their two last albums, especially "Down To Earth" (the U.K. version), which together with "Dream Kid" and "Beat of The Street" make up my favourite Sutherland Brothers & Quiver threesome. But, as with the top ten, on a bad day any of their albums will do to relieve one's distress. Finally, many thanks again and credit to you for providing me with a catalyst to recover so many, not forgotten but lately rarely heard gems!

Alan Nixon: Congratulations on the fine work. I've been trying to find out when Gavin's CD comes out to end a 20-year craving. I was in contact a while back but they don't seem to reply any more. I suppose a tour is out of the question. Why don't we start a movement and get them to do a one-off gig...ideal venue Strathclyde University, site of one of the finest concerts ever. I would pay for the hall if they wanted. I take it it was from that night that your ears rung to the awesome Real Love. Thought your biography was great, makes you realise where old musicians go when they hang up the guitars. Talking about litigious action, by the way, is Take That's Want You Back not Easy Come, Easy Go by another name. Better still, get them to sue and then they can pay for Strathclyde Uni for the night. On the Top Ten list - make that 100 - I think you forgot Neverending Dreams of You from the last album. Still gets me. And the Tony Blackburn Record of the Week - honest - One More Night.

Steve Chapman: Dear Brian, my turn to apologise for taking so long getting back to you. I've been busy writing a textbook and it just slipped my mind. How do I know the Suths? Well, about two years ago, after getting rather cheesed off waiting for Sony to release the back catalogue, I applied to Sony for a licence to release the stuff myself on a York based label called Fatcat. Sony turned us down but I got a call later from the head of Rewind, Sony asking me for a list of the Suths material - interestingly he didn't know that Sony owned the rights to the Island catalogue until I told him. Since then, Sony have sent me CD refs for The Sutherland Bros Band, Lifeboat and Beat of the Street to check. For some reason,they didn't send me Dreamkid hence the cock-up. I think it was because I disagreed with them over Lifeboat because they missed out a track to include Sailing. I told them this was ludicrous considering the length of the album. Anyway since the Dreamkid debacle, I seem to be acceptable again. During the early negotiations for the licence, I contacted Iain to seek his permision which he duly gave and I am in regular contact with both him and Gavin to keep them informed of Sony's progress. Interestingly, Sony have no contact with them and don't let them know of the reissues or future plans. Recently Sony contacted me for Iain and Gavin's addresses in order to make contact for a possible article in Mojo and Record Collector in the near future. Anyway that's the story. By the way, thanks for the nice SBQ tribute site. I kinow Gavin likes it. By the way, I'm sure you know but Gavin has his own site now.

Mark (Victoria, Canada): Hello Brian, thanks for the reply! Actually, I too have been doing a lot of emailing around the world (wife thinks I'm losing it!) I almost forgot about my email to you! Gavin Sutherland replied to my email a couple of weeks back, as well as the site offering the cd. It had been delayed for a few weeks and the release was more towards the end of month. It was a real shock getting an email from Gavin! I was like a young kid around my household (I'm 40 now), I couldn't stop talking about it. Got to get to Scotland one day, me being a "Wallace" and all. My sister has been and loved it! My family out here all kind of take pride in our long ago past with Scotland (although I am true, true Canadian, born here in Victoria bc.) Love my hockey etc.

Colin Barrett (Milton Keynes): Feeling bored this evening, I was thinking of something to search for in my browser (now there's an example of technology for the sake of it) and, after putting on the Sutherland Bros & Quiver album "Beat of the Street" earlier, I decided to try and catch up on what they're doing nowadays (the brothers, that it is). Blow me down if the Excite search didn't throw up your site. It's really good to see any kind of mention of a band that was one of the finest and most excitable bands from my college days of the early/mid 70s. Well done for giving them space. I actually did an interview with the Suths and Quiver during rehearsal for a gig at Plymouth Polytechnic just as Beat of The Street was coming out, and they were a really nice bunch of guys (I was meeting my then heroes - so it was special). I recorded it on tape for later transcribing for a print-based feature for a music mag I was writing for in my spare time. I have still have the tape - and the transcription. I'd love to see them perform again. Recently, on BBC Radio 2, they re-ran an "In Concert" special from Radio 1, and I recorded it. It takes me right back..... Thanks again, and good on yer mate! Keep in touch.

Mark Wallace (Canada): Hi, just thought I would drop you a little note in appreciation of the Sutherland Brothers. My name is Mark Wallace - I live in Sidney, bc, Canada. I am 40 years old and have been a fan of them since their 1st album appeared (I even have a bootleg of their 1st band "the new generations". Anyways - I just wanted to say you have a neat site and it is great that someone is dedicating a site or two to their great music. I still have their albums and now have 5 on cd plus a bootleg! Their music is so refreshing and like another fave of mine, Badfinger, just do not seem to sound dated! Thanks again for a great site - if there is anything I can do to help out, let me know.

Evert Wilbrink: I compiled The Best Of SB&Q, which was released on Island 27767 ET, manufactured in the Netherlands through Ariola Benelux BV: Side 1: You Got Me Anyway, Sailing, Saviour In The Rain, Bad Loser, The Pie, Real Love. Side 2: Have You Had A Vision, Lifeboat, Not Fade Away, Midnight Avenue, Lady Like You, World In Action, Dream Kid. Great picture shot by Claude VanHeye with Gav holding a seagull. Tim, Ian, Gav and Willie signed the cover - can't figure out why Bruce and Peter didn't sign. I loved Peter and his wife and was very sad finding out they both died. SB&Q were my all-time favourite band for many years. I released Gav's solo album in '82 and will sign him for his new venture to Corazong Records: http://www.corazong.com or www.music-management.com

Susan Favata (New York): Hey there, I've been surfing the net looking for a copy of Lifeboat (the version with "You Got Me Anyway;" I think that's the USA one). Anyway, I used to play that to death back in '74 in my high school days, and I've been dying to find it. I've found the UK import, but am interested in the USA version. Any suggestions? I love your site, by the way. Any help would be appreciated. - - - Hi, I just wrote a moment ago, then looked back at your web page. It's so strange, because back when I was around 14 or 15, my older brother, who had an extensive music collection, bought me David Ackles, Tim Hardin, SBQ. I used to play those but forgot all about them! Along those lines, I'd love to find another from that era by Iain Matthews, and the song was "Rhythm of the West." The album cover had a drawing of him I think in a convertible with the top down and maybe his scarf blowing behind him? Anyway, I'm trying to find that too. Thanks again!

Peter: Hi, I'm an SBQ fan. There's so little on these guys, I'm wondering if you'd consider parcelling off the SBQ page to a dedicated URL address. I've gotten the one linked to http://www.ubl.com and thought maybe you could do the same. There are fans here in the U.S., and I think you could do us and others worldwide, a service by doing so. I've e-mailed Jeanie Jones at Gavin's site, offering encouragement. THANKS FOR THE SBQ PAGE, really.

Wayne Callais (USA): I e-mailed Gavin and was surprised he replied. He said he was coming out with some new music soon. Sounds like a real person, so don't be afraid to talk to him. How about the Kursaal Flyers? Bar band or not , I felt they had some good rock and roll going. Especially Golden Mile, which I would very much like to get my hands on in cd format. I would also like t o see International by Cafe' Jacques on cd, also one of my favorite bands ever. Need ALL of The Suths material on cd.

Chris Ellis: G'day from Australia... Do you have an email address for Gavin or Iain Sutherland? I knew them well when I lived in Stoke, and would like to keep in touch. Congrats on the Suths web page, nice to see -- and brought back a few memories. Kind regards.

Geoff Thompson: Thanks!! I am living in Papua New Guinea, and have been for a long while, but will never forget the Suths and Quiver. I must have seen them 20 or so times in the mid 70s. I will try and think of a top ten songs for you but no promises! Is it still possible to get that great second Quiver album, Gone in the Morning??

Pete Gozzard: Hello Brian My copy of Dream Kid has arrived today.Not played it all yet but the two missing tracks are there and the two B sides are also uncredited tracks 11 &12. I suppose Sony have now got it right!! Still waiting for my friend to forward the SBQ lps. I am really looking forward to hearing Down To Earth to see if my opinion back in the 70s has changed. I know I will enjoy Beat & Slipstream. I promised you details of UK dealers: www.netsounds.com 100+ dealers & over 500,000 items. Easy to use - most are UK based but 1 or 2 are German. Be sure to check postal rates! One German Company is very cheap but post is £3.50 per order. Obviously ok if ordering a few items.

James R. Farlee: Dear Mathieson, I appreciate your write up on the Sutherland Brothers. They were a terrific group. Another band "Nasty Pop" out of the UK were another wonderful good time rock and roll band not much unlike the Sutherlands that have yet to appear on any CD catalog website that I've seen. I feel that Columbia Rewind did a fantastic job in remastering the four Sutherland Brothers CDs that are available. Keep up the good work. Sincerely a true fanatic of forgotten 70's bands.

Howard Minto (Australia): Hi Fellow Music lover, A quick note. I have enjoyed the music of the Sutherland Brothers for many years, notably "The Pie" and "Sailing" ( a far better version than Mr Stewart's) Do you kno w of any CD releases containing both of these songs? I have emailed CBS (no reply), Island records (no reply) and several others (no reply [sounds like a Beatle song?]). Any help you can give me would be greatly appreciated.

Andy (USA): Hi Brian. I came across your page when doing a search on The Sutherland Brothers. I have been trying to track down any old SBQ albums, especially two early ones called "The Pie" and "Lifeboat", with no luck. I managed to get a copy of "Slipstream" from a used record dealer in Ohio. This of course means I have to buy myself a turntable as it''s the only vinyl record I own. You may already know that there is a SBQ site, but just in case, here it is: http://www.regionlink.com/grampian/sutherland/ If you know of anywhere I can get hold of any Sutherland Brothers music, I'd appreciate the help. Just to give you a little background, I am originally from Glasgow, but now live in LA. Thanks. .