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Robin Morton Biography

robin-morton
  • Born: December 24, 1939
  • Years Active: 1960s-2000s
  • Member of: The Boys of the Lough
  • Genre: World & Reggae

A founding member of Irish folk group the Boys of the Lough, Robin Morton has continued to influence Celtic music as a record producer and owner of Midlothian, Scotland-based label, Temple Records. Morton's involvement with traditional Celtic music traces back to the early '60s when he formed a Folk Music Society at the University of Belfast. An avid folk song collector, Morton compiled and edited two books Folksongs Sung In Ulster and Come Day, Go Day, God Send Sunday. Together with Cathal McConnell and Tommy Gunn, Morton formed the Boys of the Lough in 1967. With the departure of Gunn, McConnell, and Gunn continued to perform as a duo. While performing at the Falkirk Folk Festival in 1969, the two musicians met Scottish fiddler Aly Bain and vocalist/guitarist Mike Whellans. Informal jam sessions sparked a lasting friendship that culminated with Bain and Whellans teaming up with Morton and McConnell two years later. By that time, Morton had moved to Scotland, to attend Edinburgh University. As a quartet, the Boys of the Lough began to tour throughout the world in 1972. Morton remained with the Boys of the Lough until 1979. The group, however, went through several personnel changes. In 1972, Whellans was replaced by Dick Gaughan, who was subsequently replaced by Dave Richardson. Leaving the band to concentrate on record producing, Morton was replaced by Richardson's brother, Tich. After leaving the Boys of the Lough, Morton worked as a producer for Topic Records. His dedication to hard work paid off. Within two years, he had opened a recording studio and launched his own label, Temple Records. One of the label's first acts was the Battlefield Band, a group he managed. Morton served as director of the Edinburgh Folk Festival from 1986 to 1988. ~ Craig Harris, Rovi

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