Jack the Lad
Jack the Lad was a folk rock band from North East England , formed in 1973 by three members of the Lindisfarne group , when they had just split up. They have occasionally been compared to the band Fairport Convention .
history
Rod Clements (bass, violin, guitar, vocals), Simon Cowe (guitar, mandolin, banjo, vocals) and Ray Laidlaw (drums) formed one with Billy Mitchell (guitar, banjo, vocals), who had also previously been with Lindisfarne new group. At first they wanted to call themselves "Corvettes", but then decided on "Jack the Lad", which can be roughly translated as "loudmouth".
Their music was more traditional than the progressive way of playing Lindisfarne. Clements initially wrote most of the group's pieces. Despite good reviews, her first album It's Jack the Lad in 1974 failed to make it into the charts, and neither did the two singles from it.
At the end of 1974 Clements left the band, and there came Ian 'Walter' Fairbairn (guitar, mandolin, violin, banjo, vocals) and Phil Murray (bass, vocals), both of whom had previously been with the group "Hedgehog Pie". The second album The Old Straight Track (1974) contained mostly traditional pieces and was named "Folk Album of the Year" by Melody Maker .
When the third album, Rough Diamonds, did not enter the charts in 1975, they had to leave their record company Charisma Records and switched to United Artists Records . But even the more pop- oriented album Jackpot did not bring the desired success in 1976. Clements, Cowe and Laidlaw performed with their former Lindisfarne colleagues at Christmas concerts, which were so successful that the original group reunited in 1977 and remained active until 2003. From 1993, Jack the Lad appeared again alongside Lindisfarne.
Discography
- Singles
- 1973: One More Dance / Draft Genius (Polka)
- 1973: Why Can't I be Satisfied / Make me Happy
- 1975: Home Sweet Home / Big Ocean Liner
- 1975: Gentleman Soldier / Oakey Strike Evictions
- 1975: My Friend the Drink / Rocking Chair
- 1976: Eight Ton Crazy / Walters Drop
- 1976: Trinidad / Let It Be Me
- Albums
- 1974: Its Jack the Lad (Charisma)
- 1974: The Old Straight Track (Charisma)
- 1975: Rough Diamonds (Charisma)
- 1976: Jackpot (United Artists)
- DVD
- 1993: On the Road Again
Web links
- Jack the Lad on Allmusic (English)
- Jack the Lad at Discogs (English)
- Website of Lindisfarne (English)