Lindisfarne

Newcastle Natives - guitarist Simon Cowe , ex-Aristokats, multi-instrumentalist Ray Jackson, bass player and violinist Rod Clements , ex-Zulus, Autumn States Impact) and drummer Ray Laidlaw ( born Ray Laidlaw , ex-Aristokats, Druids, Impact) formed the band in 1968 . First it was called Downtown Faction, then Brethren. At the same time, singing guitarist and pianist Alan Hull, along with entrepreneur Dave Wood, managed the affairs of the Rex Hotel Folk Club in Wheatley Bay. In 1969, Hull (already known on the folk stage for performing with bands with Dean Ford & The Crestas, High Five, Clik and The Chosen Few - the latter released two singles and was invited twice to Radio Luxembourg ) became a member of Brethren ^[3] .

The repertoire of the collective (which called itself alternately - Alan Hull & Brethren and Brethren & Alan Hull) consisted of cheerful, “festive” songs borrowed (directly or indirectly) from the pub repertoire and presupposing the indispensable choral participation of the audience ^[1] . The group recorded several tracks for the sample album: it was released on the Rubber Records label formed by Dave Wood, and was called Take Off Your Head And Listen - as a release by Alan Hull & Bretheren ^[3] . In 1970, the band signed a contract with Charisma Records , a leading English progressive label run by Tony Stratten-Smith and made his debut on the stage of the Newcastle City Hall in July ^[3] .

Then, learning about the existence of an American group called Brethren, the musicians renamed their ensemble Lindisfarne - in honor of the “holy island”, located near the Northumberland coast, famous for its medieval monasteries, the castle, as well as the ancient manuscript found here of the so-called “Lindisfarne Gospel ". The new name ideally corresponded to the new, folk-rock direction of the group's development ^[3] .

In November 1970, Nicely Out of Tune's debut album was released - it was entitled so because the members of the group believed that they were in a “pretty mismatch” with all the styles and trends prevailing in the musical culture. In the music of the plate, the initial optimism of early pub-rock , folk-rock hippy ( Fairport Convention , early Grateful Dead ), as well as elements of proletarian song culture of the late XIX - first half of the XX century were combined.

The album and singles from it, “Clear White Light” and “Lady Eleanor” (which became the central thing in the ensemble’s repertoire) did not have success on the charts, but the group’s concert performances changed the situation: its popularity began to grow rapidly. The second album, Fog On The Tyne (1971), composed mainly of light and melodic, elegantly arranged folk / pub numbers, entered the British hit parade in October 1971 and began to slowly rise. In February, the single “Meet Me On The Corner”, released with some delay, rose to 5th place, and immediately the album suddenly soared to the top. Within a month, the debut Nicely Out Of Tune climbed to 8th place. Released in June 1972, the single Lady Eleanor reached number three. By mid-1972, Lindisfarne became one of the leading English groups; all of their concerts were sold out, and performances at festivals were central ^{[2] [3]} .

The excitement in the press, declaring Lindisfarne "heirs" of The Beatles, did not benefit the group. The American producer Bob Johnston , known for working with Bob Dylan, was invited to work on the third Dingly Dell album, but in the process of working with the group, he had a conflict, and the participants finished mixing the films on their own. As a result, the sound was closer to hard - than to folk rock. Critics who expected Lindisfarne to go along the path of complicating the arrangements and eventually become the English model of prog- folk, criticized the album. Meanwhile, in spirit and style, Lindisfarne has always been closer to the pub scene and to its performers such as Brinsley Schwarz and Bees Make Honey . To emphasize this fact, they released their third album in brown cardboard without any design, which caused great bewilderment by overseas distributors ^[1] .

Despite the negative reaction of the music press, the album rose to 5th place. The first single from it, “All Fall Down” (on an environmental topic) entered the Top 40, the second, “Court in the Act,” was unsuccessful. The band flew on tour to America, but it seemed to everyone “too English” (unlike the Genesis label mates, who were enthusiastically taken overseas and went over to Atlantic Records immediately after their contract with Charisma).

Friction as a part of Lindisfarne began after an unsuccessful tour in Australia. At first, Hull wanted to leave the composition, but the rest of the musicians persuaded him to stay. Then it was decided that Hull and Jackson would retain the right to the name of the group, and the other three members would be able to work on the side. In 1973, Cowie, Laidlaw and Clements formed Jack The Lad : a group that performed tougher and simpler music similar to pub rock released three albums on Charisma.

Shortly after the release of the live album, Hull and Jackson introduced the public to a new line-up, which included Ken Craddock (guitar, keyboards, vocals), Charlie Harcourt (guitar), Tommy Duffy ( Tommy Duffy , bass, vocals) and Paul Nichols ( English Paul Nichols , drums). Jackson almost persuaded Phil Collins to go to Lindisfarne from Genesis. The Roll On Ruby and Happy Daze albums recorded by the quintet were unsuccessful. Hull's decision to start a parallel solo career also did not help strengthen the group. In 1977, Cowie, Clements and Laidlaw dissolved Jack The Lad and returned to Lindisfarne. During the transition period, Hull, Laidlaw, and Craddock recorded Isn't It Strange under the label Lindisfarne, but on the Radiator on the Rocket label.

The transition to Mercury Records brought the group temporary luck (the singles “Run For Home” and “Warm Feeling” from the albums Back & Fourth and The News, respectively, visited the charts), but then it became clear that it would not be possible to rise to the lost positions. In the 1980s, the group continued to attract a lot of spectators to their concerts and record regularly - especially after it created its own company Lindisfarne Musical Productions and signed a contract with LMP Records . But the greatest success has always been concert collections, containing versions of the earliest things. Alan Hull continued to perform and record solo: his most important release is Back to Basics CD, which contains acoustic versions of the best Lindisfarne songs since 1970.

In 1984, the band performed with Bob Dylan and Santana at St James's Park , where Newcastle United FC plays, a club its members have always supported. Soon after this concert, saxophonist and vocalist Marty Craggs joined the lineup.

In the 1990s, a new generation of fans learned about Lindisfarne: their joint version with Paul Gascoigne 's “Fog on the Tyne Revisited” became a British hit (# 2) ^[4] . Soon after, Jackson, having quarreled with Hull, left the roster; Cowie also left, but quite peacefully: he opened a brewery in Canada.

After the death of Alan Hall on November 17, 1995, the group performed in a changing composition until the concert at the Newcastle Opera House on November 1, 2003 , which was announced last. Under the name Lindisfarne that evening came on the scene: Dave Hull-Denholm, Billy Mitchell, Rod Clemets and Ray Lidlow. A recording of this concert was released under the title Time Gentlemen Please .

Clements continued to perform and record with the new band The Ghosts of Electricity .

On November 19, 2005, Alan Hall's friends performed at a memorial concert in the Newcastle City Hall. Among them were Alan Clark , Simon Cowie, Marty Scraggs, Steve Cunningham, Steve Daggett, Tommy Duffy, Mike Elliot, Frankie Gibbon, Charlie Harcourt, Brendan Healy, Tim Healy, Ray Jackson, Ray Lidlow, Minn McArdle, Ian Wallum, Billy Mitchell, Terry Morgan, The Motorettes, Jimmy Neil , Paul Nichols, Tom Picard, Prelude, Bob Smeaton, Paul Smith and Katherine Tickell.

Albums

• Nicely Out of Tune (1970, No. 8 UK)
• Fog on the Tyne (1971, No. 1)
• Dingly Dell (1972, No. 5)
• Lindisfarne Live (1973, No. 25)
• Roll on Ruby (1973)
• Happy Daze (1974)
• Lindisfarne's Finest Hour (1975, 55)
• Lady Eleanor (1976)
• Back and Fourth (1978, No. 22)
• Magic In The Air (1978, Concert, No. 71)
• The News (1979)
• Sleepless Nights (1982, No. 59)
• Lindisfarntastic! Live (1983)
• Lindisfarntastic! Two (1984)
• Dance Your Life Away (1986)
• C'mon Everybody (1987)
• Amigos (1989)
• Caught In The Act (1992 - Live, 1983)
• Buried Treasures Volumes 1 (1992)
• Way Of The Jackal (1993) (EP)
• Live 1990 (1993 - Live 1990)
• Elvis Lives on the Moon (June 1993)
• Lindisfarne On Tap - A Barrel Of Hits (1994)
• Another Fine Mess (1996 - Live 1995)
• City Song (1996, BBC sessions)
• Untapped & Acoustic (1997)
• The Cropedy Concert (1997 - Live 1994)
• Blues From The Bothy (1997, EP)
• We Can Swing Together (1998, The BBC Concerts 1971)
• Dealers Choice (1998, 1973 concert and sessions 1974)
• Here Comes the Neighborhood (1998)
• Live At The Cambridge Folk Festival (1999, 1982 and 1986 live recordings)
• BT3 - Rare & Unreleased 1969-2000 (2000)
• Promenade (2002)
• Acousti (2002)
• Time Gentlemen Please (2003)
• The River Sessions (2004, concert in Glasgow Apollo, 1982)

• www.lindisfarne.co.uk , the official website of the group