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Past Times

Andy Stewart came out of retirement in Arbroath to battle Band Aid II for the Christmas number one

Andy Stewart found himself back in the spotlight after hanging up his tartan trousers when Donald, Where's Your Troosers? found a whole new generation of admirers 35 years ago.
Graeme Strachan
a collage showing a young Andy Stewart, Bob Geldof, Bros, Kylie Minogue and Jason Donovan
Andy Stewart and the stars of Band Aid II went head-to-head in 1989. Image: Shutterstock.

When Andy Stewart dropped out of showbusiness and retired to Arbroath in 1989 that seemed to be the end of the story.

But any hopes he may have nurtured for a clean break turned out to be short-lived when he found himself in the race for the Christmas Number 1 with Band Aid.

Stewart moved to Arbroath in 1946.

It was at Arbroath High School that his talents began to show themselves.

He took part in the debating, literary and dramatic societies and, towards the end of the second year, he got a part in a small play called No Hawkers.

Timely advice from Arbroath High teacher

Stewart was smitten by the stage.

He performed at the Webster Theatre in three one-act plays in sixth year.

He never seriously thought about showbusiness as a career and was swithering between becoming a vet or taking English literature at university.

Urged on by his teacher, John Hutchison, he chose to become an actor and began studying at the College of Dramatic Art in Glasgow.

Andy Stewart pictured in a kilt during filming
Andy Stewart became an international star in the 1960s. Image: Shutterstock.

Success followed quickly.

By 1955 he had a London agent and work was coming quick and fast.

He became compere of BBC Scotland’s The White Heather Club in 1959.

His big recording break came in 1960 with A Scottish Soldier and Donald, Where’s Your Troosers? which was written in a London recording studio toilet.

Stewart impersonated Elvis Presley in one verse.

In 1969 Elvis said it was the best mimic of his voice he had ever come across.

Simon Mayo brought song to new audience

Once the song left the chart, it was largely forgotten about until November 1989 when DJ Simon Mayo played it one morning on the Radio 1 Breakfast Show.

It caught on and the DJ was inundated with requests.

Radio 1 kept playing it.

A deal was quickly negotiated and Sonet records purchased the rights from EMI.

The song was re-issued on its Stone subsidiary label.

By the time of the re-issue, Stewart had retired, living with his wife Sheila in Inchcape Road after ill health and his first heart by-pass operation.

He was struggling to take it all in.

Stewart found himself back in the front line for interviews and phone calls.

“I really can’t believe that this is all happening,” he said.

“It’s like a fairytale.”

The bookies gave odds of 16/1 on Stewart taking the Christmas Number 1.

Donald, Where’s Your Troosers? entered the charts on December 3 at Number 30.

The song gained a new teenage following.

A disco version became a nightclub favourite in the Big Smoke.

“I am told it’s played in clubs in London, which amuses me,” said the 55-year-old.

“There is a disco version with gimmicks thrown in.

“I suppose I opened the door by doing the Elvis bit in the middle.

“They can do all they want electronically but in the end the essence of the record comes through and that is good for me.”

Bob Geldof brought Band Aid classic back

The re-release took on a life of its own.

It seemed like it was being played everywhere.

He found a whole new generation of admirers.

Stewart wasn’t feeling all that well again and had to resist the offer of an appearance on Top of the Pops after making the Top Ten on December 10.

Let’s Party by Jive Bunny and the Mastermixers, When You Come Back to Me by Jason Donovan and Get a Life by Soul II Soul held the top three positions.

Bros, Kylie Minogue and Jason Donovan before Band Aid II recording.
Bros, Kylie Minogue and Jason Donovan before Band Aid II recording. Image: Shutterstock.

But they had to contend with Do They Know It’s Christmas?

Bob Geldof asked Pete Waterman to produce another version of the Band Aid single, which raised £8 million for famine relief in Africa in December 1984.

Same song, new stars, repeated the feat on the 1989 version by Band Aid II.

Bananarama were the only artists from the original release to appear.

Pray for the other ones?

A commendable and now forgotten effort included Big Fun, Bros, Jason Donovan, Kylie Minogue, Chris Rea, Cliff Richard, Sonia and Wet Wet Wet in the line-up.

Andy Stewart spent six weeks in the Top 40

Do They Know It’s Christmas? entered the chart at Number 1 on December 17.

Donald, Where’s Your Troosers? moved up one place to Number 9.

The song hit a high of fourth on Christmas Day.

Band Aid II predictably took the festive top spot and sold over 600,000 copies.

Donald, Where’s Your Troosers? remained in the Top 40 until January 13.

It was an unlikely chart success.

The rebirth of the record brought the name of Andy Stewart back to the fore.

Stewart had his eye on the chart once again in May 1990.

He was approached by Edinburgh-based Rabble FC to lend his vocal talents to Scotland Scotland after Andy Roxburgh’s team qualified for the World Cup in Italy.

Stewart was persuaded to provide three talking comedy verses in cod-Italian, an affected English accent and a cockney patois.

Andy Stewart dressed in a kilt and raising a glass beside a roaring fire
Andy Stewart recorded his verses in Arbroath in 1990. Image: DC Thomson.

He couldn’t make the recording session in Edinburgh.

Producer Kenny Denton took a digital tape recorder to Arbroath.

Stewart recorded his verses from his bedroom.

Scotland Scotland failed to catch fire, much like the team, and, once again, the World Cup turned into the Tracks of my Tears for the Tartan Army.

A date in Belfast with Rowdy Roddy Piper

Sadly, the pace at which he had always worked was beginning to tell once more on his health and, by 1991, a second heart by-pass operation was deemed necessary.

After the operation he set about the task of getting himself back to full fitness.

He returned to the stage despite not being 100% fit.

Stewart was a workaholic but he just loved what he was doing.

In 1992 he toured Canada and released Andy Stewart’s Scotland on VHS tape.

He was much in demand.

Rowdy Roddy Piper in the ring wearing a t-shirt and kilt
Stewart joined another famous kilt wearer in Rowdy Roddy Piper. Image: Supplied.

The obligatory round of chat shows included meeting people he wouldn’t have otherwise have met, which was the reason he said yes.

He shared a Belfast talk show sofa with newsreader Martin Lewis, wrestler Rowdy Roddy Piper and Princess Diana’s biographer, Andrew Morton.

He appeared in the Robinson Crusoe pantomime in Kelso with Screaming Lord Sutch in December 1992 before going on tour in Australia in 1993.

Stewart suffered a fatal heart attack the day after a performance at the Usher Hall in Edinburgh in October 1993 to raise funds for a children’s hospice.

He was 59.

Shortly before he died, he gave a small concert at Arbroath High School for the pupils.

Curtain came down at St Andrew’s Church

More than 500 mourners packed St Andrew’s Church to pay their last respects to the all-round entertainer described as “the natural successor to Harry Lauder”.

Hundreds more lined the streets of Arbroath.

Mourners leaving the church after the singer's funeral service
Mourners leaving the church after the service for Andy Stewart. Image: DC Thomson.

He would have been thrilled at the turn-out for his last show.

The Rev Martin Fair told the congregation: “Today a town is in mourning.

“Today there are people the length and breadth of this country, and people in far-flung corners of the world in mourning.

“We have lost a very special person.”

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