Exclusive:The 'lost era' of music by iconic and 'powerful' Scottish folk singer

A "lost era" of music by an iconic Scottish folk singer is set to be re-released by a fellow musician in a project of "preservation, celebration and remuneration".

Music by Dick Gaughan, who recorded more than a dozen albums between 1972 and 2008, was largely lost after never being re-released in CD or digital format.

Now Colin Harper, an Irish author and musician in band Legends of Tomorrow, has launched a £30,000 crowdfunder that will allow him to release Mr Gaughan's work.

Mr Gaughan, who is legally blind, is to work with Mr Harper on the project.

Scottish folk musician Dick Gaughan. | Ian McCalman

Mr Harper said: “I found myself thinking about this late last year. It felt alarming – upsetting, in fact – that such an incredible artist who had seemed to be a powerful, righteous, invincible performer when I saw him at concerts in the ‘80s and ‘90s had faded almost completely from view. I had to do something about it.”

He added: “I’ll be thrilled if the target is reached. It will allow to happen a project of preservation, celebration and remuneration around a largely ‘lost era’ of work from one of the great artists of the 20th century, in my view.”

The box set of Mr Gaughan's work will be released in January next year, with a launch concert dedicated to his music at Celtic Connections in Glasgow. An extensive booklet will accompany the box set, written by Edinburgh biographer Graeme Thomson.

Mr Gaughan told The Scotsman he had never believed he would hear the vast majority of his music again.

Dick Gaughan and Aly Bain in the Netherlands in 1972. | Colin Harper

He said: “You sign things when you’re just starting out, with no legal experience and you don’t realise what a silly thing that is to do.”

Mr Gaughan said he estimated he had travelled more than a million miles on tours around the US, Australia and New Zealand throughout his career.

The recordings include performances as diverse as at a gig at the Waverley Bar in Edinburgh in 1981, to Mr Gaughan’s first solo concert in Berkeley, in the US, in the same year - as well as a recorded session on John Peel’s BBC Radio 1 show in 1978.

The musician said: “It was great doing it at the time and now to get it back is just amazing.”

Irish musician Colin Harper has launched a crowfunder campaign. | Colin Harper

He added: “I’m amazed at how different everything about it sounded [to what I remembered]. I listen back to it and I think ‘did I sound like that? Did I look like that?’”

As well as being visually impaired, Mr Gaughan suffered a stroke ten years ago, which has left him unable to play guitar.

Mr Harper has sourced 126 audio and 31 video tracks recorded by Mr Gaughan between 1969 and 1991, mainly recorded during live gigs and performances, as well as BBC session and concert recordings. The music includes over 100 distinct pieces of repertoire.

He plans to compile his findings into an eight-disc box set.

Of the recordings, 83 audio tracks are previously unreleased, including many compositions never commercially recorded by Mr Gaughan. All video performances are previously unreleased.

A Kickstarter promo video was filmed in Edinburgh at the home of Ian McCalman with Mr Harper, Barbara Dickson and Karine Polwart – described by Mr Harper as “two generations of Scottish folk royalty”.

The crowdfunding campaign is live here.