FOG ON THE TYNE
Recorded c.1971, this clip features Alan Hull, Ray Jackson, Simon Cowe, Rod Clements & Ray Laidlaw... and not a footballer in sight.
Taken from the classic No. 1 album of the same name.
HISTORY
1969 sees the formation of Brethren - an amalgamation of most previous members of Downtown Faction (who had already recorded one unreleased album). Personnel being Simon Cowe (guitar)- ex Aristokats, Rod Clements (bass)- ex Impact, Ray Jackson (harmonica/vocals)- ex Zulus, Autumn States and Ray Laidlaw (drums)- ex Aristokats, Druids, Impact.
Around this time, entrepreneur Dave Wood and singer songwriter Alan Hull ran a folk club at the Rex Hotel, Whitley Bay. Brethren soon join forces with Alan- ex Dean Ford & The Crestas, High Five, Clik, and The Chosen Few (who had some years previously released two singles, and had a series of shows on Radio Luxembourg). It was at this venue that the Lindisfarne sound was born - sometimes billed as Alan Hull and Brethren, or Brethren and Alan Hull - depending on who secured the gig! Meanwhile tracks for a sampler LP were recorded for Dave Wood's new Rubber Records label. This album Take Off Your Head And Listen would be released a little while later, with the tracks credited to Alan Hull & Bretheren (note the spelling!).
1970, and they are signed to the Charisma record label in June, making a debut appearance at the Newcastle City Hall in July, and after a name change to Lindisfarne, their first album Nicely Out Of Tune is released in the November.
1971 the touring starts in earnest, and they prove popular on the festival scene. Famous producer Bob Johnston collaborates with their second LP Fog On The Tyne - released in October of that year.
1972 – now things are hotting up! The Rod Clements penned single Meet Me On The Corner enters the top five. ‘Fog’ is biggest British album of the year. After two U.S. tours a third album Dingly Dell is released in September. A re-release of the single Lady Eleanor is also a hit (having made little impact a year previously).
The following year proves too much for the band and after touring abroad they decide to call it a day. The band splits into two with Si, Rod and Ray Laidlaw forming Jack The Lad - importing from Canada expat. Billy Mitchell (strings, vocals)- ex Callies/ session work; and a new Lindisfarne featuring Ray Jackson and Alan Hull, joined by Kenny Craddock (keyboards/ vocals), Charlie Harcourt (guitar/ keyboard), Tommy Duffy (bass/ vocals), with drums by Paul Nichols. Most of this talent was roped in for the first Alan Hull solo LP Pipedream (1973).
Two albums later Roll On Ruby (1973), Happy Daze (1974) and somewhat disillusioned, Lindisfarne mark 2 call it a day in early 1975. Also released this year was Alan's second solo LP Squire, the title influenced by a TV play of the same name in which Alan had a starring role.
1977 saw the demise of Jack The Lad following their final LP Jackpot (Previous albums being It's Jack The Lad (1973), The Old Straight Track (1974), and Rough Diamonds (1975). Rod had left this band in 1974, being replaced by Ian Walter Fairbairn (violin) and Phil Murray (bass). They would temporarily re-form and tour twenty-odd years later! Amazingly, the tail end of the year has a reunited original-line-up-Lindisfarne playing three sell out concerts at the Newcastle City Hall - the Lindisfarne Christmas Concerts were now to be a long running institution (in no small part due to the business skills of local businessman Barry McKay). By the end of 1977, despite some half hearted denials, Lindisfarne were now back in business!
Around this time, Alan had headed a band called Radiator. They released one album Isn’t It Strange. Most material was repackaged a little later as a solo album entitled Phantoms (1979). A later album of new material was released in 1983 called On The Other Side. Jacka would release his solo In The Night album in 1980.
Back to Lindisfarne: 1978 and their Back And Fourth album (they are now signed to Mercury Records) is a success, spawning the hit single Run For Home. A year later they release another LP The News. The marriage to Mercury only lasts a couple of years, and in 1982 they release Sleepless Nights, this album recorded on their own LMP label.
Marty Craggs (saxophone, flute, accordion)- ex Harcourt’s Heroes, is billed as the sixth man during the 1984 Christmas tour.
Dance Your Life Away LP released in 1986, produced by one Steve Daggett- ex Stiletto, who plays with the band for a short period. The year culminates with the British biggest tour undertaken by anyone so far (at that time) - 47 shows!
1987 saw the release of C'mon Everybody (also produced by Daggett), a controversial double album consisting mainly of '50s and '60s rock & roll covers - plus a reworked version of Lady Eleanor (’88) – released as the band's first CD single, available a year later.
1989 and as the band tour Italy it is decided to produce a totally new album. This was to be called Amigos, which saw light of day in 1989 issued by the Northumbrian Black Crow label. Steve Daggett bows out (he still records, and presently tours with our very own Mr & Mrs Bailey as The Steve Daggett Trio!). Later in the year temporary use of Steve Cunningham on bass frees Rod for a more prominent guitar role.
1990 was the year Ray Jackson left the band. A collaboration with footballer Paul Gascoigne produced a top three single with a reworked version of Fog On The Tyne.
Old pal Brendan Healy also helps briefly during a Far Eastern tour in 1991. Temporary female backing vocals were provided by Liz Wilson and Amanda Charles-Vincent around this period.
Kenny Craddock is involved in the making of Elvis Lives on The Moon (1993). Si Cowe had an interest in a microbrewery business over in Canada - he soon emigrated, the band now reduced to Alan, Ray Laidlaw, Rod, and Marty.
Post ‘Elvis’ two newcomers arrive, namely Ian Thomson (bass)- ex Coal Porters / Archie Brown/ Arthur Two Stroke, and Dave Denholm (guitar)- ex Cunningham -yes, the same! -, Proud, Denholm. Dave had worked as a guitar roadie for the group before he was asked to join the band, at first only for a few numbers on stage, but his position soon became permanent! Dave was later destined to marry Alan's youngest daughter Francesca.
On 17th November 1995 the sudden death of James Alan Hull is announced. The decision to continue as a band is taken almost immediately and a live album is released, featuring the new/old permanent member Billy Mitchell (who still works as half of the comedy duo ‘Maxie & Mitch’) on vocals and strings.
An Alan Hull CD Statues & Liberties is released posthumously in 1996 (ironically on the Transatlantic label – Alan had started out with them as a solo artist in 1969). The excellence of the finished product is due in no small part to the expertise of Dave Hull-Denholm and Frankie Gibbon.
The four track CD single Blues From The Bothy is released in 1997; the following year heralds a new Lindisfarne studio album Here Comes The Neighbourhood.
In June 2000 Marty leaves and is founder member of a new musical trio The Happy Cats. Rod releases a solo album Stamping Ground closely followed by release on CD of a previous cassette-only album One Track Mind.
2002 heralds the release of another studio album Promenade, which earned enthusiastic reviews. During the summer, circumstances dictate that the band streamlines temporarily as Lindisfarne Acoustic - a three piece set consisting of Dave, Rod and Billy. It is successful, and they release a live Acoustic CD in time for their American tour. Also in this year comes news of the untimely death of Kenny Craddock.
All good things come to an end, and during the 2003 autumn tour it is announced with short notice that Lindisfarne is to disband. Their final gig was played to a packed Newcastle Opera House on the 1st. of November, the whole of which was captured on DVD, video and CD as Time Gentlemen Please. Lindisfarne Acoustic would honour their commitments and would tour on until their last gig on the 17th. May 2004, at Chesham near London.
All however is not lost! Dave, Ian & Rod continue in their own right as The Ghosts Of Electricity (Rod gigging solo as well); Billy continues touring, while Ray (still making an occasional appearance with the drums) is heavily involved in film and media production. To quote Derek Walmsley,
“Lindisfarne is dead- long live Lindisfarne!”