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     
                         

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

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

August 6th. 2002 Susan Aitchison

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.

July 6th. 2006 Jim Hamilton

Hello Ron,

Congratulations on your website which was pointed out to me recently. This note is from the last (brief) member of the Opium Trail to contact you. I think we must have met sometime in those early days but I can't remember where or when. Roger and Graham asked me to join the group after I had left the Coasters dance band early in 1968. I only played a few gigs with the Opium Trail when Monica and Duncan Gray were also in the band before it finally faded away into history. Roger, Graham, Duncan and I then had a short summer of glory with Gale Force Eight which included the Sinclair brothers Ian and Donnie, Will Murray and Dennis Thompson (see attached grainy pics).

I then went back to a succession of bands including the last one I played with - Five a Side in the early seventies. The band included David Alexander (drums) Alisdair Wordie (guitar) Maurice Dodd (bass guitar) and William Wilson (various keyboards!). After that I moved away from Thurso to Glasgow and then to the south of England to pursue my "day job" as a professional engineer and, as Monica said, left the way of rock and roll far behind.

Regards

Jim Hamilton (*Jim is deceased now but his memory lives on)

October  2006 Alistair Macleod

Hello Ron,

This web site brings back loads of good memories. Haven’t played since.
I still have a great interest in local music groups in Thurso and I try to
support the young bands here.

Alistair,

ex Trail Base Player

April  2011 Roger Niven

Hi Ron

Hope all well with you.

Thought you would  be interested to see these pics recently arrived from
Andy Munro – see link below.

Great days!

Cheers
Roger

CLICK TO VIEW BAND PICTURES