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News From People Back Then
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2000 - Ron Geschwind
Hi,
I’m Ron and I was one of the original guitar players with the group. I started this site for fun and
from my fond memories of Thurso Scotland.
I still play the guitar and keyboard now and then, but I no longer play in a band. I sing with a Concert Choir and have for several years. I work in the world of electronics and computers. Currently I do computer consultant work and web site design and development.
Thanks for visiting this site.
Ron
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October 4th. 2000 - Ian Thompson
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Hi Ron,
I just checked out your Opium Trail site. What great memories, great pictures. As
a Thurso teenager in the 1960s I remember it all so well.
I saw Graham Walker & Roger Niven a couple of months ago at a high school reunion in Thurso. We exchanged lots of happy memories &
couldn't believe so much time had gone by.
How did the Navy reunion go? Did anyone have any news of Bruce Bartow (old friend of mine)?
I send you best wishes from Düsseldorf, Germany.
Ian Thompson
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March 2nd. 2002 Jim Zorman
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Enjoyed the site though the pics of me were a surprise. It seems like only yesterday that we were tromping through
Thurso taking those group pics. Geez how time flies.
The Opium Trail music sounded good and a lot like the early Beatles recordings from Hamburg - before they became
famous. It was there that they got their sound "tight" playing night after night for a year or so. The Trail had that same twangy sound.
Thanx again,
- Jim Z.
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March 25th. 2002 Roger Niven
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I'm alive and kicking in Inverness. Still playing a lot.
I have a 7 piece salsa/ latin soul band , "Latitude57",which I formed with a girl from Ecuador last year. I also have a classical guitar teaching diploma. I play lute and cittern in a renaissance music group called Coronach (check our site).
(I think this is the Link Roger mentioned: http://www.coronach.co.uk/
)
Graham and Dick Levens and I played together in London for 3 years in "A Million People" from 1971 to 1974. We all met up in 2000 at a school reunion in Thurso. Dick lives in
Orkney and I still see him a lot. Your site has brought back a lot of fond memories. I have accumulated
lots of guitars including a 57 strat, SG, 12 string Rickenbacker (the one in
that very silly picture you have of me (on the desk on the web site) a 335 and my latest baby, a Paul Reed Smith. Current amp is a Mesa Boogie.
I have more info on musicians from our era if you are interested.
Best wishes for the future,
Roger
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Click to enlarge
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March 25th. 2002 Monica ( Rogers ) Watt
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The Opium Trail did live on and I was the lead singer... I’ve got some photos somewhere.
I now live in Australia but I’ve recently met up with some of the old Opiates at a school reunion!!!!! Graham and Roger looked good still... but a wee bit different! The Wilson’s didn’t appear and other blokes from assorted other bands like “Uncle Fester’s Night House” and Eilleen and Jonnie Fats were still around.
I travel back to Thurso, Wick, Dunnet and assorted sites quite regularly. I am now the Deputy Headmaster of a
private Episcopalian School in Australia, just south of Sydney. The weather is great the surf is gorgeous.
I left the way of rock and roll far behind me.
Monica
Note: Monica sang on the “State of Flux” Record.
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State of Flux
Click Record for Samples
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March 29th. 2002 Duncan Gray
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Ron,
Roger has contacted me re contributions to your Opium Trail site as I was a member (keyboards) of Opium Trail & its successor
'Gale Force 8' in the late 60s before being shipped off to boarding school in Edinburgh.
I don't think I know you so I presume I came later...
Regards
Duncan Gray
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April 9th. 2002 Roger Niven
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Ron,
Hope you enjoy these,
“Band 3 Pic” you will
remember was taken in Wick Assembly Rooms. We were playing “Hold on I’m Coming”. I was playing the rife and you were playing a C cord (the 2nd. in the 3 cord sequence) The guy in the background is
Sam who was the barber in Thurso and also promoted gigs in the Town Hall and Assembly Rooms.
“Band 2 Pic” You and I at the American Base. Great close up of the Duo Sonic in original
condition. After you left Angela Campbell, Graham’s girlfriend, painted the front psychedelic with acrylic paint (inspired by Clapton’s SG Les Paul that we saw). She similarly painted
Graham’s ;drum head. I will try and get you a pic of that. Note also the classic Reslo mic that was so commonly used by bands of that era but looks so dated now. I don’t know why I looked so
unhappy, maybe you were standing on my foot? Or I was getting electrocuted from the badly earthed mic?
“Band 1 Pic” Taken at Thurso Beach shows the lineup after you left. Fred’s brother Jim
came in on rhythm. He had a small bodied Burns guitar I seem to remember. He was very blues influenced and was into John Lee Hooker, Muddy Waters etc. Cant remember why he left...I think work
related. Then we got Monica, Duncan and Jimmy Hamilton (sax) and that lineup lasted for a while(?) until Johnny Sutherland formed “THE BLEND” with ex Talismen Andy Munro, (drums), Dick Leven’s
(bass) and our Monica. They went off to tour Germany (US bases too) for the summer. That was the end of the “TRAIL” ( literally!)
But Graham, Duncan, Jimmy and I went on to form “GALE FORCE
EIGHT” an exciting 8 piece soul band in the style of Geno Washington & the Ram Jam Band, who we had seen in Nairn! Other members were ex Tailsmen Ian Sinclair
(guitar & bass - we
alternated), his brother Donny (baritone sax) Will Murray(trumpet) and Dennis Thomson, who you may remember was the singer with “THE ACTUAL FAKTS” and then “JIGSAW PUZZLE” with Billy Moore. Cant remember
why “GALE FORCE EIGHT” split but Graham, Dennis, Johnny Gray(bass) (no relation to Duncan) and I formed Spiggy Topes which was very successful in Caithness terms.
Roger
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Click on Pictures
“Band 3 Picture”
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“Band 2 Picture”
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”Band 1 Picture”
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April 11th. 2002 Roger Niven
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Ron,
Pleased you enjoyed the info.
I have press cuttings and more photo’s from the “TRAIL” days and
later, so I will get some more stuff to you.
Are you aware that Graham features on Gary Moore videos (DVD’s?)
“LIVE BLUES” and “BLUES FOR GREENY”? Well worth trying to get a hold of.
Not for publication.
Also from Tony Carberry, who you might remember says that Mike Sutherland now lives in Denmark. I know you were interested in them so thought you would appreciate this info.
There is already a lot of interest in your site from former Thurso School pupils.
So expect a lot of hits.
Roger
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April 27th. 2002 Roger Niven
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Hi Ron
Hi Ron,
Thanks for your energy and enthusiasm on the Trail.
I 'll get some stuff together and send it over .
Have you tried the Gary Moore web site for Cd dvd video info? Graham played on all the blues cd's GM released a few years
ago. He has also been playing with Blodwyn Pig ( ex Jethro Tull guitarist Mick Abrahams) and I think there is a site for BP which may have more recent info on him. I don't have his e-mail .
I'll be in touch
Cheers,
Roger
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Graham Walker plays with “BLODWYN PIG”
1990 - 2000 +
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August 6th. 2002 Susan Aitchison
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I’ve been in touch with Susan and her family since 1967. She ran the Music Shop in Thurso when I was there in the 60’s. From time to time
she sends cuttings from the Cathness Courier. Some are updates about musicians that I played with or knew when I was over there and some are about the U.S. Navy Base Forss and what has happened to it
since I was there. And then I may have a few pictures or texted base cuttings about the area in general that she sent. If your interested click on the More Info Button to view and I will try to add stuff
as I find it from time to time.
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Susan 1990
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