Allan Johnston

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(updated Mar 2009)

Scottish singer and songwriter Allan Johnston's songs are strongly influenced by the Scots and Irish traditions and over forty years of participating in the Scottish folk scene.

Living in Edinburgh since 1971, Allan was introduced to the scene through Ayr Folk Club in the late Sixties and, his father being from Coleraine in County Derry, his frequent visits to Ireland since childhood have led to Ireland being the inspiration for many of his songs.

An accomplished singer and guitarist Allan's songs have been covered by many other artistes with Irish band Craobh Rua recording and adopting his song The Shore 'Neath The Tide as their band anthem and the late Paddie Bell of Corries fame having performed a number of his songs. Since taking up playing the bouzouki a few years ago Allan is now the proud owner of a custom built arch top bouzouki built by Nigel Forster of Newcastle Upon Tyne and generally uses this and his George Lowden spruce top guitar for live performances.

Read about Allan's albums Hey You, Voicecall and North of the Border and check out the free mp3s and song lyrics. Buy them securely online from www.musicscotland.com or direct from Allan.

Free mp3 clips from Hey You (each 1.83Mb):
Hey You * Paddy Fahey's / The Ship In Full Sail * Tae The Beggin' *Dreamtime

Allan recorded a 4th album "Tapselteerie O" for his very successful 2009 tour of Australia but it has not yet been released in the UK. A solo album this is a mix of traditional songs and tunes plus some new self penned songs backed by guitar, bouzouki and moothie.

At the end of February 2009 Allan wrote a protest song in support of the campaign against Forth Ports renaming part of Leith docks Edinburgh Harbour. Two days following Allan and his song being featured on the BBC TV news the campaign ended in victory for the protesters. Home and world events of the past 3 years or so have led to many of Allan's new songs featuring question and comment on the same and one of these is available here for free download. Titled "Fanfare For Tommy" it was written a couple of weeks prior to the Tommy Sheridan perjury trial. Like many others Allan has been greatly disappointed by all the bad press the Tommy Sheridan saga has brought on the socialist movement in Scotland and by the split that one individual's private and personal affairs have managed to cause in the rank and file of the socialist left. As the song says the socialist cause is far greater than any one individual and we must march onward together.

Fanfare For Tommy - MP3

As well as his solo tours Allan's recent musical collaborations have involved touring with Tom Napper the Leeds based banjo, mandolin, octave mandolin musician and singer (see www.napperbliss.co.uk), touring and session playing with fiddler and long term friend Mike Slessor and gigs with his brother Johnny (also a singer guitarist and songwriter) in their four piece, The Posse. Other musicians that Allan has collaborated with since 1999 include Aidan O'Rourke (fiddler), with Blazing Fiddles and Lau, John Martin (fiddler), with the Tannahill Weavers, Leo McCann (button box), Tim O'Leary (fiddler, multi instrumentalist and singer), Laurence McElhinney (button box), Harry Lawson (Irish pipes/multi instrumentalist), Gavin Pennycook (fiddler), Mike O'Malley (button box) and Kathryn Nicol (fiddler).

Allan served as secretary of the Leith Folk Club for its first two and a half years and is now an honorary member of the committee. Leith Folk club presents high quality main acts every Tuesday in The Village Bar, South Fort Street, Leith. See www.leithfolkclub.com for full information on past and forthcoming acts.

Photographs by Norman Chalmers & Paul Turner.

Allan can be contacted at: Cora-Linn Records 23 Dudley Terrace Edinburgh EH6 4QQ telephone +[44] (0)131 553 3271 or by email to: allan.johnston@blueyonder.co.uk