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View Full Version : More On Mick Kluczynski obituary



Bill Fernie
03-Mar-09, 00:41
Bill Mowat the well known journalist from Caithness has written an obituary following the death of Mick Kluczynski that can be seen at
http://forum.caithness.org/showthread.php?t=69578

He has asked that further section be placed in the music section as follows -

Spiggy Topes were originally guitarist Roger Niven, Thurso, who later co-founded 'Wolfstone'; Johnny Gray, Thurso (brother of Caithness amateur football successful manager Duncan and Inverness's current Lord Provost Councillor Jimmy; has a had life-time career in live music; and drummer Graham Walker, also Thurso, who subsequently played on stage with blues legends incl BB King and is a successfull session-man in London of several decades experience and was/is also member of Gary Moore's Midnight Blues Band, with record sales over over 5 million. Gray also later played with an ex-Thin Lizzy musician; Brian Robertson.

Mick's brother Marek from Inverness replaced Dennis Thomson, Thurso, who did not want to turn full-time. As well as singing, Marek played flute, harmonica and sax on stage with band.

Perhaps Mick's efforts with no/low budget on Spiggy Topes amplification were not fully appreciated at the time. He promised no unintended 'feedback' and delivered! Unique on those days?

Spiggy Topes were voted 'world band of the year' in Faroe Islands c 1971, following their second 'tour' there; previous winners were Ireland's Taste (Rory Gallagher) and Canada's Steppenwolf. (Born to be Wild)

Following Franz Ferdinand winning the Brits, Mick had a word with drummer Paul Thomson, talking of his Caithness roots; Paul's mother is Mowat aunt/ cousin of the Mowat family of Quoynee Farm, Gillock, and he used to have summer hols there as a school-boy.

Mick's father's best friend was Bruno Soboroski, also a Polish Aberdeen trawlerman, who swam for dear life through heavy breaking seas to the shore when his boat 'George Robb' ran aground in a violent SE storm at Stack of Duncansby; Bruno was the only one to survive the wreck (out of 12), but he perished of hypothermia (exposure) above the high water line on Queenicliff Beach. Locals volunteered to form a Coast Rescue Company, with climbing gear etc to enable then to get down cliffs in almost any weather; MCA CG Duncansby Rescue Company still active.

As you can read, Mick's contribution to the music industry from this humble base was immense.

Spiggy Topes were bootlegged c. 1996 in American: Album is called 'Dustbin Full of Rubbish' and concept idea dating back to Alan Lomax's search for American 'blues roots' performers in jails, slums in the Deep (still segregated) South in 1940s/50s (incl Robert Johnston as in 'Crossroads')