www.jackielynton.com

Born John Bertram Lynton in Shepperton, Middlesex on February 27th 1940 Jackie Lynton got bitten by the Rock & Roll bug early on – his first idol was Elvis. Backed initially by the Plect-Tones - including guitarist Roger Brown (who later turned up in Mike Berry’s Innocents, and would go on to be the founder member of Stealer’s Wheel in the 70’s) and future keyboards wizard Mike Pinder; the band soon changed name to the Teenbeats. Jackie established a residency at the famous Two I’s Coffee Bar in Soho (and Two I’s proprietor Tom Littlewood took over as his first professional manager). On the Larry Parnes one nighters / package tour circuit, he worked alongside early rockers like Billy Fury, Vince Taylor & the playboys, Wee Willie Harris, Terry Dene, Lance Fortune, Screaming Lord Sutch & his Savages, Nero & the Gladiators, John Leyton, Freddie Star & the Midnighters etc. etc. Radio sessions on Saturday club and Music with a Beat followed and signing to Pye’s new Piccadilly label. His first disc – a Tony Hatch produced revival of Over The Rainbow. Hailed by New Musical Express as a “Most Promising Newcomer”, Jackie was given an original song to tackle for his second single: Les Read & Johnny Worth (aka Les Vandyke)’s “Wishful Thinking”.

“All Of Me” his next release, issued in August 1962, was a landmark disc in that it marked the recording debut of Albert Lee, one of the UK’s most talented and enduring blues guitarists; Albert continued to work with Jack until 1965. The single was well reviewed, and went to gather considerable radio air play that summer and autumn. The next single was an up tempo revival of “I Believe”. This was in turn followed by Teddy Bears Picnic - a record still occasionally played today on BBCs Sounds of the Sixties. Then a couple of R & B standards, Chuck Berry’s “I’m Talkin’ ‘Bout You” and Lloyd Price’s “Lawdy Miss Clawdy”.

His unlikely, soulful reading of Lennon/McCartney opus Little Child came next,

featuring a fine solo from Jimmy Page. The BBC brought it out for an airing as recently as May 2009 on Sounds of the Sixties.

Jackie had been one of the early British Rock & Rollers to visit Hamburg, back in ’62. He also recorded in Hamburg. Jackie in fact cut 16 tracks in Hamburg in ’64, backed by a session band including Rikki Barnes (sax), Roy Mills (drums) and Emmerdale Farm actor Fraser Hines’ brother on keyboards. These sides did all eventually turn up on Beat Group compilations, credited to the unlikely pseudonym “Boots Wellington & His Rubber Band”. They include a rousing version of Ray Charles’ “What’d I say”, from an LP colourfully entitled 16 Beat Groups from the Hamburg Scene, (NB: Jacko’s running mates on this LP included the Beatles, Kingsize Taylor & the dominoes, Tony Sheridan & the Beat Brothers, and Alex Harvey.)

His last single for Piccadilly was a revival of “Laura” from the old Gene Tierney movie. During 1965 he cut a number of independently-produced sides with Ray Horricks (who’d produced Teddy Bear’s Picnic) - a couple of which were paired up on a Decca single, Three Blind Mice/Corrina Corrina - following which he signed with EMI’s Columbia label in 1966. Jackie cut three singles for Columbia, revivals of “He’ll Have To Go” and “Answer Me”, and a Tony Colton/Ray Smith original “Decision”, all produced by Mark Wirtz. He himself penned a couple of his Columbia B-sides, “Sporting Life” and “I Never Loved A Girl Like You”, the latter featuring Zoot Money on piano.

In 1969 Jackie hooked up with former Casuals producer David Pardo. During these sessions he also recorded Ennio Morricone’s The “Ballad Of Hank McCain”, the theme tune to the John Cassavetes movie Gli Intoccabili, which was released in Italy on the Joker label. A further spin-off of the sessions was a pair of obscure UK Decca singles, on which Jackie duetted with Pardo’s wife Andee Silver: in May ’70 they teamed up under the heading “Spring Fever” for My World Could Be Your World/You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’ and a couple of months later - now renamed as Purple Heart on a cover of Bacharach & David’s (They Long To Be) Close To You. Released in August ’70, on its flip was “Audrey”, one of Jackie’s own songs.

The “Purple Heart” billing was retained for at least one further single - certainly, for a cover of Rare Bird’s “Sympathy” (which appears only have been issued in Germany and Italy) - whilst a further trading style was “People”, under which name Jackie’s version of the Cook/Greenway song “I Am The Preacher” appeared in 1970

In 1972 Dave Walker left Savoy Brown when they were due to tour the USA, and

Jackie, as a British rock veteran, was asked to join that band. By his joining, lead guitarist and founder-member Kim Simmonds, drummer Dave Bidwell, bassist Andy Pyle and keyboard/guitar-doubler and second vocalist Paul Raymond, Savoy Brown maintained their favoured quintet status. However, he achieved more than that.

Kim Simmonds: "Previously to Jack joining the band, most of the writing was done by Paul and myself. But Jack has a wealth of his own material which is both original and fits so well with the music we play." Resources were pooled, and for their next LP, to be named affectionately "Jack The Toad", Jack contributed no less than four copyrights wholly his own and joined all the other band members in scripting a fifth.

"Jack The Toad" was released on June 30th 1973, entered the US charts at # 84 and stayed for 14 weeks. To give a focal point to their inevitable tour, with ZZ Top, Lynton's "Coming Down Your Way" was issued as a single on July 19th (Three Dog Night revived that song Coming Down Your Way, as the title track of a platinum-selling 1975 album.) His stay with Savoy Brown lasted some 18-months, from September ’72 to February ’74.

On his return to the UK he formed “The Jackie Lynton Band”, and set about establishing himself on the burgeoning Pub-Rock circuit. He cut his first solo album later that year (guest muso’s included Rory Gallagher and assorted members of Heads, Hands & Feet) - whilst the following year he released an off-the -wall revival of “I Only Have Eyes For You”, which came out the same week as Art Garfunkel’s more traditional version. Jackie‘s gigs took on an increasingly surreal aura as he began incorporating monologues and poems into his set, alongside the self-penned head-down rockers that the band played with such quality. “The Hedgehog Song” , “Aint I Lucky” and “Nice One” soon won him a new, younger audience and eventually led to a publishing deal for a book of his written works - the book “If I Could Sing I’d Tell Jokes”

1974 saw him appearing on the Old Grey Whistle Test and BBC Radio 1 'In Concert', and releasing his first solo album, imaginatively entitled 'The Jackie Lynton Album'. In 1975 again with Albert Lee he recorded a 'one off single' for Bell Records. In 1976 Jackie gathered together the former members of the Stormsville Shakers and went out on the road as Jackie Lynton's Happy Days, gathering fans with each gig. After a change of line-up in 1978, Jackie Lynton's HD Band - then shortened to The Jackie Lynton Band - were featured on two Guildford based compilation albums, before recording their debut album 'Til We're Blue In The Face'. This was the year Status Quo scored a massive hit with 'Again And Again', (co-written by Jack and Rick Parfitt.) - Jackie’s homage to Chuck Berry, whom he’d supported on a highly successful mid-70’s tour.

In 1979 Jack assembled a host of musical buddies to record his second solo album, 'No Axe To Grind'. Status Quo's Ricky Parfitt , Clem Clemson (Humble Pie), Paul King (MungoJerry, King Earl Boogie Band), Chas & Dave, Colin Pattenden (Manfred Mann's Earth Band), Chris Slade (also ex Earthband and Later with AC-DC), Drew McCulloch and a host of others added their talents.

1981-82, saw the band through two Reading festival appearances being asked back for the second time because of the rapturous reception of the first. The Lynton band have two tracks on the 'Reading Album' of the same year.

His next album was released in 1980 called 'A Bit Near The Mark', a double album of three live sides and one studio

1983 saw the band taking a heavier approach with the album 'White Line' featuring the same now matured line up of Greg Terry-Short, drums; the late Graham White, lead guitar; Willie Bath, bass and Tony Leach, piano.

Jack continued to play London pub gigs and in 1987 released a 'Live In London' double album recording of a complete gig with the usual appearance of a few 'special guests'.

In 1994 Jackie was encouraged to return to the studio, the result being a studio album on cassette 'Sharp As A Donut'

1995 saw Jackie involved with a small record company 'A New Day Records'. Record company founder David Rees helped Jackie finance his rebirth with his first CD release 'Quick As A Roof' on Dave's A New Day Label. By 1996 the band were gigging regularly, so Jackie decided it was time to put another live album out, 'Alive At The Bleak House' a double CD, once again with A New Day records.

'Pin Board Wizards' released in 1998

Rick Parfitt, Mick Moody, Mick Abrahams and Big Jim Sullivan all turned up for the sessions. Also: bass player from Blodwyn Pig, Mick Summerland and Clive Bunker on drums( a founder member of Jethro Tull) - plus Dick Taylor (founder of some combo outfit called 'The Rolling Stones' and since then guitarist with the 'Pretty Things') joined Abrahams on lead guitar. To this line up, over dubs were added by guitarists Martin Barre and Al Hodge (from the Mechanics) and guitarist Chris Bryant. Ian Anderson added his magical flute playing to 'Let it Rock' and harmonica to 'You Gotta Go'

2001 'Cereal Thriller' (produced and mixed by Greg Terry-Short), is a double CD offering one studio CD with original material and one X rated CD of monologues poems and jokes

This was followed within eighteen months by 'Cereal Thriller 2' - featuring a mix of new songs and some standards - plus another X-rated archive disc. In 2007 he released another live album; 'Rockin' In Cornwall, Rollin' in Surrey, and in 2011, a studio album this time, entitled All's Fair in Love & Rock'nRoll .

See also Jackie Lynton facebook page / group

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