The Bonnie Banks O' Loch Lomond - Arrangements and Recordings

Arrangements and Recordings

"Loch Lomond" has been arranged and recorded by many composers and performers over the years, in styles ranging from traditional Scottish folk to barbershop to rock and roll.

• In 1921, the English composer Ralph Vaughan Williams, a keen collector and arranger of English folk music, arranged "Loch Lomond" as a part song for an unaccompanied four-part male voice choir with baritone solo.
• At his 1938 Carnegie Hall concert, Benny Goodman swung this song with Martha Tilton singing. The audience demanded an encore so heartily that, none being ready, Goodman announced that Tilton would be back later with another song.
• In 1957, Bill Haley & His Comets recorded a popular rock and roll version retitled "Rock Lomond".
• In the early 1960s, The Ramrods (instrumental group) an American instrumental rock group, recorded a rocked-up version called "Loch Lomond Rock".
• Noted concert band composer Frank Ticheli composed a song called "Loch Lomond", based on the original, in 2002.
• The song is featured in the 1946 film The Green Years, based on the novel of the same title by Scots author A. J. Cronin.
• "Loch Lomond" was featured on the American television program The Lawrence Welk Show in 1972, in which it was sung by Jack Imel, Bobby Burgess, Mary Lou Metzger and Cissy King.
• The Australian hard rock group AC/DC, whose members have Scottish origins and roots, released an instrumental version of the song titled "Fling Thing" on the B-side of the "Jailbreak" single in 1976. They also performed it live as "Bonny", in which the band plays the music while the crowd sings the verse.
• "Rhythm of My Heart" is a rock song written by Marc Jordan and John Capek for Rod Stewart's 1991 album Vagabond Heart. The melody is an adaptation of "Loch Lomond". The meter, stanzas and lyrics are also based on the poem, a nod to Stewart's own Scottish heritage.
• The progressive rock band Marillion played the song with their former singer Fish in the 1980s, as part of a medley called "Margaret" which also featured another traditional song, "Marie's Wedding" (usually played as an encore at Scottish shows). A live version can be found on B'Sides Themselves, recorded at Edinburgh Playhouse in December 1983.
• The melody is used at the beginning of the song "El Hijo del Blues" from the 1994 self-titled album by Spanish folk metal group Mägo de Oz.
• Scottish folk-rock band Runrig have made the song their unofficial anthem, closing their concerts with a rendition for over 25 years. They also had a top ten hit with a re-recorded version in 2007, released for BBC Children in Need, hitting number 9 in the whole of the UK and number 1 in Scotland.
• Canadian punk band Real McKenzies recorded their own version of "Loch Lomond" on their 1995 debut album The Real McKenzies in their own Scottish-influenced Celtic punk styling.
• The lyrics are parodied by Tenacious D at the end of their song "Wonderboy".
• The lead singer of American group The Fray has also been known to do the chorus at gigs in Edinburgh while supporting The Feeling, and most recently their gig in Glasgow in October 2007. The reason for this appears to be that his grandfather is Scottish.
• Dan Zanes' album Catch That Train features a version of the song in which he splits the vocal credits with Natalie Merchant.
• The film the Last King of Scotland features the song sung by the Nyzonga Singers.
• Serbian band Orthodox Celts recorded a version which featured Serbian actress Ana Sofrenović, released on their album The Celts Strike Again.
• The song is featured in the track "A Very British Tribute" on the Royal Celebration album by the band of the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards and the Band of the Coldstream Guards.
• The series Smallville used the tune for a non-existent folk song called "The Birks of Saint Kilda" played by a clock as a clue for finding a relic that activated a piece of alien technology.
• The science fiction television programme Farscape used the song in part of the score.
• The Celtic rock band Off Kilter included a version on their 2005 album Kick It!.
• Mark Knopfler played the tune as an intro to his Scottish-inspired song "What It Is" in 2001, then in the middle of the song in 2002 and 2005.
• Canadian rock band the Mudmen covered the song on their album The High Road released in 2009.
• The tune is used in a song sung by the Scottish terrier Jock in the Disney film Lady and the Tramp.
• The song is sung by Mr. Scheck (Paul Sorvino) in Hey Arnold!: The Movie.
• The tune is used by German football club 1. FC Köln in their anthem "Mer stonn zo dir F.C. Kölle". The song is in Ripurian dialect.
• The German folk metal band Suidakra used "Loch Lomond"'s melody in their 2005 song "Dead Man's Reel".
• The song is sung by Monty (Edward Norton) and his father in Spike Lee's film The 25th Hour.
• The song is referenced in HBO's Boardwalk Empire; Eli's friend sings "and I'll be in Scotland before ye".
• The song is played by the University of Notre Dame Marching Band's baritone horn section before every home game.
• The band Emily's Army covered the song, which is featured on their album Don't Be A Dick.

Other performers include: Paul Robeson, with Harriet Wingreen on piano; John Barrowman; The Corries; John McDermott; Moira Kerr and the King's Singers.

• The American Celtic rock band Prydein (band) recorded a version of the song on their 2010 release Heads Up.
• In the 5th part of a BBC produced mini-series entitled Cranford (TV series) Major Gordon and his bride-to-be Jesse Brown sing this song in duet with Jesse playing the tune on the piano.