Jack The Lad

Plain Dealing; Fast Lane Driver; Why Can't I Be Satisfied; One More Dance.

When Lindisfarne split in 1973, Rod Clements, Simon Cowe, and Ray Laidlaw went on to form Jack The Lad along with old friend and fellow Geordie Billy Mitchell. The new band underwent numerous line-up changes in the course of its existence. Only Billy went the full distance.

The CD sleeve notes are somewhat reticent about who played what exactly, but I have it from Rod that he played bass throughout, as well as fiddle, electric slide guitar, acoustic lead guitar, and a little bit of mandolin on various tracks.

Rod only stuck around for the debut album, to which he contributed four outstanding compositions. However, his crucial importance to Jack The Lad as a songwriter in the intial phase of the band's existence is further underscored by the fact that he penned the first two singles, One More Dance, included here as a CD bonus track, and the enduring classic Why Can't I Be Satisfied.

In connection with his early departure from the line-up, Rod is quoted as saying:

'I also wanted to try my hand as a freelance player, not tied to any band, and hopefully making a reputation of my own.'

A further Rod Clements composition, Home Sweet Home, recorded after Rod's departure, was also released as a single. This song and its b-side later provided the two bonus tracks for the CD version of JTL's second album, The Old Straight Track.

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