Liz Clark in Conversation with Ivan Drever re AOW -‘Decade’……….
Ivan Drever – ‘Decade’ Album released March 2022 is CMR’s Album of The Week Sat 7th May 2022. Join Auntie Liz at 12pm on Celtic Music Radio when she will be in conversation with Ivan about the album or listen above to full recording
Ivan Drever and his nine siblings grew up on Sanday, one of the islands of Orkney in Scotland, and from an early age after winning youth talent competitions at the age of twelve, it was clear that the young Ivan was going places in the music world. In 1974 he founded the group Knowe O’ Deil and at the same time started to build an impressive solo career.
Much of his back catalogue is now being made available as digital downloads and limited-edition compact disks such as “Isles Ne’er Forgotten” and “Tradition”. His lyric song-writing, extensive traditional repertoire and virtuoso guitar playing have been part of the Scottish music scene for over 30 years and he continues to produce new material and perform live.
A live recording was made at the Orkney Folk Festival in 2016 when Ivan was invited to get together a group of musicians to perform at “The Gathering”, an annual event. This recording has now been released on Ivan’s Orcadian Recordings label. The album features the Kirkwall City Pipe band, The Orkney Song Shop singers and a host of Orcadian musicians of note, including Andy Cant, Stewart Shearer, Iain Tait, Billy Peace, Graham Peace and Dylan Pepper.
“It was a great honour for me to go back to a place I still regard as home and to perform with the cream of Orcadian musicians and some very good friends. We had a wonderful time”.
There are also guest appearances by Hazel and Jennifer Wrigley and Colin J Nicholson. In January 2017 the exercise was repeated with a sell-out concert at Glasgow’s Celtic Connections. The album (and others) is available via Ivan’s website at ivandrever.co.uk and at Ivan’s live performances.
Recordings were completed in March 2016 for Ivan’s studio album, “Revisited II” which was also released in 2016. The album features contributions by Leatherat’s fiddle player, Jono Watts and Iolair Sound Studios’, Stuart Shearer on guitars.
He has recorded a host of albums both solo and with other performers. Revisited (The Wolfstone Songs) was released in 2015 and covers songs and tunes originally recorded when Ivan was the frontman with acclaimed Scottish band Wolfstone. Ranging from the Bothy Ballad “Sleepy Toon” through to live favourites such as “Close It Down”, the tracks feature just Ivan and his guitar. Like Revisited II, the album was recorded in at Bainbridge studios in Edinburgh. Produced by Ivan, it was engineered, mixed and mastered by David Chisholm.
Having worked with the Knowe O’Deil and as a solo artist, Ivan joined Wolfstone in 1990, their work saw them perform worldwide. Ivan’s songs and tunes have been recorded by an impressive list of artists. Ivan composed the songs and music and performed for the Californian Dance Based Company “Celtic Fusion” which saw him working for the early part of 2001 in the States, touring with the Company throughout March on the East coast of the U.S.A.
He has also performed with the Ivan Drever Band who produced a self-titled 5 track EP for Nutshell Records. Ivan’s career has been long and fruitful as his extensive back catalogue and current projects confirm. “What You Hear” is an album of songs featuring just Ivan’s guitar and voice and was released in 2014. He used these songs as the core of his live shows during that year. Ivan released Volume 1 of “Music from The Vaults” a compilation of various recordings from over a decade in 2013. The thirteen tracks featured guest appearances by Charlie McKerron; his son, Kris Drever and Jim Hunter alongside live tracks, out-takes and never before heard tracks by the band Clueless (with pipers Gordon Duncan and Ross Ainslie).
He recorded “Keep on Keeping On” in Easter Ross in June of 2012. The album features 12 self-penned songs and was released on Ivan’s own Orcadian recordings label. The 2011 album, “Bless the Wind” (also recorded in Easter Ross) featured former Wolfstone band mate, Andy Murray on electric guitar as well as Paul Eastham, keyboard player with Coast. It was released on September 1st 2011. His 2010 album, “Notes from an Island”, on Attic records, was a reflection on his Orcadian heritage.
Ivan’s live set features songs chosen from all his albums alongside several as yet unreleased new songs. Now resident in Norway, Ivan regularly plays live. He has recently toured England, Scotland, Denmark and Norway, the USA and Russia with plenty more dates in the pipeline for the future!
Tracks and Artists
1 GIVE ME MINE / Ivan Dreaver Guitars & Vocals /. Iain Tait – Bass /. John Szymanski – Dobro. /. Andy Harrison – Backing Vocals
2 BRING IT BACK /Ivan Drever Guitars – Vocals & Bass /Rod Paul – Mandolin
3 FOLEY GOES FROM KEITH TO BEN NEVIS /Ivan Drever – Guitars /Andy Cant – Fiddles
4 THE WALL / Ivan Drever – Guitars & Vocals/ Andy Murray – Electric Guitars, Bass & Backing Vocals. /Ronny Watson – Drums. /Rich Young – Keyboards
5 THE GENTLE GIANT. /Ivan Drever – Guitars. /Fraser Fiffield – Low Whistle. /Gary Innes – Accordion. / Ronny Watson – Drums. /Rod Paul – Mandolin. /Rich Young – Keyboards & Bass
6 DARK WOOD GREY STONE. /. Ivan Drever – Guitars & Vocals. /. Dylan Pepper – Drums. /. Rich Young – Keyboards & Bass. /. Ross Ainslie – Bagpipes
7 SOREN’S SONG. /. Ivan Drever – Guitars & Vocals. /. Kris Drever – Guitars & Vocals. /. Duncan Drever – Slide Guitar
8 THE GRAFFHAM PEARL. /. Ivan Drever Guitars. /. Gary Innes – Accordion
9 TIME OF OUR LIVES. /. Ivan Drever – Guitars & Vocals. /. Ronny Watson – Drums. /. Daz Howie – Bass. /. Rich Young – Keyboards. /. John Szymanski – Dobro
10 COME UNDONE /. Ivan Drever – Guitars & Vocals /. Finlay Wells – Bass. /. Andy Cant – Fiddle. /. Rich Young – Keyboards. /. Stewart Shearer – Dobro
11 EVERY TIME YOU RUN. /. Ivan Drever – Guitars & Vocals. /. Dylan Pepper – Drums. /. Iain Tait – Bass
12 SNOWS THEY MELT THE SOONEST /. Ivan Drever – Guitars & Vocals.
Recorded, mixed and engineered by Andy Harrison.
This album was recorded in Andy Harrison’s hoose in Kristiandsand, South Norway
Upcoming Gigs:-
7th June – Star Folk Club – Avant Guard – King Street Glasgow
10th June – Arran Folk Festival