"LET me take you now to the most fabulous island in the world; my island; the island of Y’Hup,” says Ivor Cutler, his unmistakable burr introducing a vast new tribute album recorded by a galaxy of Scottish music stars.
Though Cutler was born in Govan in 1923 and spent much of his life in London, he frequently claimed to be a citizen of Y’Hup, a lush, imaginary island where he held the title of “oblique musical philosopher”.
Now, a decade and a half since his death in 2006, Cutler’s fantasy home is re-imagined by a host of modern-day Scottish musicians including Karine Polwart, Kris Drever, Emma Pollock, Franz Ferdinand’s Alex Kapranos, Mogwai’s Stuart Braithwaite and Belle and Sebastian frontman Stuart Murdoch.
Released on Chemikal Underground on January 24, Return To Y’Hup: The World of Ivor Cutler features new versions of all the songs on Cutler’s 1959 debut EP Ivor Cutler Of Y’Hup as well as songs from his later catalogue which further explored his unusual, often surrealist take on the natural world and everyday life.
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“Though Cutler doesn’t mention Y’Hup in his later work, it helps you understand where he was coming from,” says Matt Brennan, maker of “unabashed geek pop” as Citizen Bravo and a member of the core team behind the album with Raymond MacDonald of Glasgow Improvisers Orchestra and producers Malcolm Benzie and Andy Monaghan, best known for his work with Frightened Rabbit.
Brennan continues: “Y’Hup was clearly very important to him. When he introduced himself to the public, he was very explicit in claiming to be not from London where he was living, or from Scotland where he was from, but from this invented island. He was saying he was an outsider everywhere.”
Generations since have found affinity with Cutler’s sense of alienation and playful, off-the-wall humour. He was admired by The Beatles, in whose Magical Mystery Tour he played eccentric bus conductor Buster Bloodvessel, and he became the only artist to record more sessions for John Peel than the late broadcaster’s beloved band The Fall.
Alan McGee even signed a septuagenarian Cutler to Creation Records at the height of Britpop and in 2014, Sandy Grierson’s convincing performance for the National Theatre of Scotland and Vanishing Point’s Beautiful Cosmos of Ivor Cutler drew packed houses.
Corralling almost 30 musicians for the album was remarkably easy, says Brennan. From Duglas Stewart of indie veterans BMX Bandits to stalwarts such as Rachel Sermanni, Adam Stafford, Future Pilot AKA and youngsters such as Zoe Graham, each featured artist says Cutler has influenced their work.
“Almost everyone immediately said yes,” says Brennan. “We would have liked to have asked more people but a vinyl EP only has 45 minutes of music.”
He adds: “We’re all massive fans. That’s super-important to emphasise, as well as it being a really collaborative project. It was about getting a wee community together of people who are really into Ivor Cutler, to celebrate his music and also to do something positive.”
Also visiting Y’Hup are two very distinguished guests who collaborated with Cutler himself: English poet Phyllis King and Robert Wyatt. Back in the early 1970s, Wyatt asked Cutler to play his wheezing, pedal-powered harmonium and sing on two tracks of his Rock Bottom album, a collaboration which led to Cutler being signed to Virgin Records.
“I guess you have the gumption just to ask,” says Brennan of Wyatt, who sings Out Of Decency, a wry song Cutler wrote in 1997 at the age of 74.
“I thought it would be great to have someone who is a septuagenarian now, doing that piece.”
Though Wyatt and Monaghan won’t be present at the live album launch at Celtic Connections next week, the celebratory concert will feature Brennan, McDonald and Benzie alongside guests such as Drever on guitar, flautist Diljeet Bhachu, percussionist Signy Jakobsdottir, Suze Bear from Tuff Love on drums and Sarah Hayes on keys.
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Also featuring will be Cutler’s own harmonium, now owned by Celtic Connections director Donald Shaw.
“It lives in the Royal Concert Hall,” says Brennan. “It’s on the album too, which was such a treat.”
As per the wishes of Cutler’s son, proceeds from the album will be donated to a registered mental health charity called the Philadelphia Association, founded by Scottish psychiatrist RD Laing. Though it’s unclear whether the two ever met, Brennan, who is originally from Canada, says they shared a sense of resoluteness.
“Cutler, like Laing, obviously had a lot of self-belief,” Brennan says. “When I try to tell my Canadian friends about him, they just don’t get it.
“While there may be something uniquely Scottish about him, the important thing about Ivor Cutler is that he makes his own world. You can dive right in and live there for a bit if you want.”
January 29, Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, 7.30pm, £24.20. Tel: 0141 353 8000. www. celtic connections. com www. citizenbravo. com. Return To Y’Hup is released on January 24 via Chemikal Underground
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