The legendary producer Sandy Roberton has passed away. He produced both of Shelagh’s albums and she remembers him in the following tribute:
Today it was with great shock and sadness to hear of Sandy Roberton’s passing. He was THE seminal supporter of my music and my gratitude to him holds no bounds. A truly brilliant producer and innovator, he was, to us folk performer’s, what George Martin was to the Beatles. Fame, I suspect was never on Sandy’s personal agenda. His was not a spirit that sought the lime light. He chose instead to aim those prismatic beams on the artist’s he took under his wing, and to this end acted as producer, Manager, Agent
Publicist and crucially he undertook the difficult task of placing our recordings within the cynical realms of the recording companies, at a time when variety in the musical genres rarely strayed beyond the main stream. The sheer hard work and courage in this undertaking is nothing short of awe inspiring. I can still see him, a dashing figure (in both senses) briefcase in hand, Marcus his dog at his side, shooting off in his white car with that air of cautious optimism. He leaves a rich legacy of irreplaceable recordings, the potent aural aspic in which the hope and idealism of an entire generation has been preserved. It was a privilege to know him.
Shelagh McDonald 