Gavin and Iain Sutherland out of Aberdeen, Scotland were a sibling folk/rock duo who’d had a couple of minor hits (most memorably “Sailing” which later became a big hit for Rod Stewart) prior to joining forces with a local rock band named Quiver in 1973.  Not unreasonably the collaborating entities began to record and tour under the new name of The Sutherland Brothers & Quiver.

Although the brothers would eventually return to being a duo when Quiver decided to go its own way, it was as a six-piece conglomeration that both groups had their greatest success, with the biggest hit of all first appearing as a track on their fourth concerted album, “Reach for the Sky” in 1975.

Written by Iain Sutherland and released as a single the following year, today’s selection peaked on the UK Charts at Number 5 and was also a big hit in much of Europe.  Surprisingly (for such a memorable song) it only made it to the Number 81 spot in the U.S. before falling off the Billboard charts…and softly back into the “Arms of Mary”

LISTEN TO TODAY’S SELECTION – Wednesday 25 July

 Arms Of Mary

The lights shine down the valley

The wind blows up the alley

Oh, well I wish I was lying in the arms of Mary

 She took the pains of boyhood

And turned them in to feel good

Oh, how I wish I was lying in the arms of Mary

 Mary was the girl who taught me all I had to know

She put me right on my first mistake

Summer wasn’t gone when I learned all she had to show

She really gave all a boy could take, Oh

So now when I get lonely

Still looking for the one and only

That’s when I wish was lying in the arms of Mary

Mary was the girl who taught me all I had to know

She put me right on my first mistake

Summer wasn’t gone when I learned all she had to show

she really gave all a boy could take

 The lights shine down the valley

The wind blows up the alley

Oh, well I wish I was lying in the arms of Mary

Lying in the arms of Mary, Lying in the arms of Mary

Lying in the arms of Mary