Lindisfarne

Most rock encyclopedias assign Lindisfarne scarcely more than a passing reference. Yet during the opening years of the 1970s the Newcastle-based ensemble stood among England’s most prominent folk-inflected rock acts, securing album-chart rankings that matched those of Jethro Tull and prompting observers to hail the group as one of the decade’s defining bands. Their blend of wistful folk-derived melodies, robust yet tuneful vocal harmonies, and a mixture of acoustic and electric instrumentation positioned them for global recognition, until a string of misguided creative choices and an eventual split among the members left the original lineup without either audience or momentum.

Vocalist and guitarist Alan Hull (b. Feb. 20, 1945), guitarist Simon Cowe (b. Apr. 1, 1948), mandolin player Ray Jackson (b. Dec. 12, 1948), bassist and violinist Rod Clements (b. Nov. 17, 1947), and drummer Ray Laidlaw (b. May 28, 1948) all originated from Newcastle-on-Tyne and its environs. Previously known as Downtown Faction, the musicians adopted their established musical identity under the name Brethren. On the college circuit they became a fixture with upbeat, participatory material drawn from or modeled on pub sing-alongs, typically propelled by Jackson’s harmonica. Hull’s prior immersion in folk music allowed him to integrate that sensibility freely, and he functioned as the principal songwriter and lead vocalist.

When an American act already using the name Brethren came to light in 1968, the Newcastle musicians renamed themselves Lindisfarne after the Northumberland island (also called Holy Island), famed for its medieval monastery, castle, and the illuminated “Lindisfarne Gospels.” The new appellation aligned with the period and with the ensemble’s growing emphasis on folk-inflected material. In 1970 the band signed with Tony Stratton-Smith’s Charisma Records, then England’s leading progressive-rock imprint.

That same year they issued their debut and most accomplished long-player, Nicely Out of Tune. The album showcased the group’s strengths in a buoyant, optimistic set of hippie-folk songs positioned stylistically between Fairport Convention and the early Grateful Dead, suffused with an urban, working-class English character. That very Englishness, together with occasional unevenness in the songwriting, may account for the band’s failure to progress beyond a modest American cult following. The record included the wistful “Lady Eleanor,” which quickly became a concert staple and appeared poised for wider success. Neither the album nor the single charted, yet live demand continued to rise; by the close of 1970 the group could command £1500 per night, a sharp increase from the £300 previously earned on the college circuit.

Their second album, Fog on the Tyne, arrived in 1971 and delivered the commercial breakthrough. A set of earthy, folk-styled pub songs, it entered the British charts in October and began a gradual ascent. In February 1972 Charisma finally released the single “Meet Me on the Corner,” which reached number five the following month; Fog on the Tyne simultaneously climbed to number one. Within weeks Nicely Out of Tune appeared on the charts for the first time, ultimately peaking at number eight, while the reissued “Lady Eleanor” attained number three in June 1972.

At that juncture media attention intensified, inflating expectations for a band that, four months earlier, had been regarded merely as an appealing folk-rock outfit with a loyal following. Journalists labeled Hull the most significant new songwriter since Bob Dylan and branded Lindisfarne “the 1970s Beatles.” Until then the musicians had performed only in England and Wales, with single excursions to Scotland, Paris, and Holland; international prospects had scarcely been considered. The surge proved fleeting.

Later in 1972, after capitalizing on successive triumphs, the band delivered its third album, Dingly Dell. Producer Bob Johnston, previously responsible for Bob Dylan’s John Wesley Harding and for Fog on the Tyne, oversaw the sessions. Disagreements with Johnston prompted the members to remix the record themselves shortly before release, resulting in a brighter, more direct sound leaning toward mainstream hard rock rather than the textured folk approach of the earlier albums. Critics, anticipating a richer, more progressive folk orientation akin to Fairport Convention, rejected the shift; songwriting was also judged inferior, and comparisons between Hull and Dylan ceased. Although the album reached number five and yielded the modest hit “All Fall Down,” the critical backlash was severe. An American tour revealed that U.S. listeners and reviewers found the band’s pronounced English character unappealing. Unlike label-mates Genesis, who were quickly acquired by Atlantic once their Charisma contract ended, Lindisfarne never secured comparable traction.

Cowe, Laidlaw, and Clements departed in early 1973 to form Jack the Lad, a harder-edged pub-rock outfit that issued three albums on Charisma. Charisma released a live album documenting the original lineup later that year, yet it served chiefly as a stopgap. Hull and Jackson subsequently reassembled Lindisfarne with Ken Craddock (guitar, keyboards, vocals), Charlie Harcourt (guitars), Tommy Duffy (bass, vocals), and Paul Nichols (drums). Their first effort with the new configuration, Roll on Ruby, met with commercial and critical indifference. Hull simultaneously pursued a solo career, further eroding the band’s original audience.

Lindisfarne next moved to Warner Bros. for Happy Daze, which fared no better. By 1977 Jack the Lad had disbanded, allowing Cowe, Clements, and Laidlaw to rejoin Hull. Hull also recorded with Laidlaw and Craddock as Radiator on the Rocket label, releasing the album Isn’t It Strange. The band switched to Mercury and issued the double live set Magic in the Air, drawn from the first three studio albums. Two further Mercury releases followed—Back and Fourth (1978), which contained the modest hits “Run for Home” and “Warm Feeling,” and The News (1979)—without restoring significant commercial momentum. The group retained a solid regional following, particularly around Newcastle, into the early 1980s and continued periodic recording and reunion performances thereafter. In the early 1980s they established Lindisfarne Musical Productions and began issuing material on the LMP imprint, including a 1983 live album. Live recordings revisiting the early-1970s repertoire consistently attract the strongest audience response. Hull maintained a parallel solo career until his death in 1995; admirers are directed to his Back to Basics CD, which presents acoustic live renditions of key songs dating back to 1970.