Andy Stewart

Andy Stewart (1933-1993) was a Scottish singer, mimic, comedian and entertainer. He based his style on music hall and in particular Harry Lauder (recording an album of hs material in 1969), consistently wearing tartan on stage, and recorded songs that veered from the patriotic to the broadly comic. He originally wanted to be a vet, then studied acting at the Scottish equivalent of RADA. Stewart moved into television in the 50s, presenting the White Heather Club for BBC Scotland for 11 years, both as a New Year's Eve party programme and during the weekdays. In the 1970s Scotch Corner and Andy's Party were networked in the UK on daytime TV, attracting large audiences.

His two biggest hits illustrated the contrasting sides of his personality. A Scottish Soldier was based on a folk song. The Green Hills OF Tyrol, and in 1961 set a record for spending 36 weeks in the UK top 40 without ever entering the top 10 (it rose no higher than #19). Donald, Where's Your Troosers?, an amusing ditty allegedly written by Stewart in 10 minutes while using a recording studio lavatory scraped the top 40 at the end of 1960 but was rediscovered by Simon Mayo on daytime Radio 1 in 1989, with consistent airplay sending it to #4. In the original, Stewart ut his mimicry to good effect by including an Elvis Presley impression mid-song, which bizarrely was reworked on the 1989 12 inch into an acid house mid-section.

Ill health dogged his career, and after a series of operations he retired to Arbroath, only to return to performing in 1991. He died shortly after giving a charity concert.

To date, the only known play of his material by Peel is a truly remarkable oddity given to John while at a gig in Scotland: Cowboy Jock From Skye attempts to straddle the country and Scottish folk genres (with a hint of Lonnie Donegan). JP admitted before playing it, "You'll probably not like this," and said after it had finished, "Something of an own goal there."

Festive Fifty Entries

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Sessions

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Other Shows Played

 * 13 November 1984: 'Cowboy Jock From Skye (7")' (Top Rank International)