This name has been used by more than one artist.
1. An English Folk-Rock… Read Full Bio ↴This name has been used by more than one artist.
1. An English Folk-Rock band.
2. An American Punk band.

1. Jack the Lad were a folk rock (or electric folk) band from north-east England. The band was formed in 1973 by three former members of the most successful band of the period from the region, Lindisfarne. Jack the Lad moved from the progressive folk rock of Lindisfarne into much more traditional territory and were in the mid-1970s something of a northern counterpart to bands like Fairport Convention. They have also been seen as part of an important roots movement, rediscovering traditional Northumbrian music.

Lindisfarne’s third album, Dingly Dell (released in 1972), was a commercial and critical failure and the band split with main song-writer Alan Hull going off to perform solo projects and eventually reforming Lindisfarne with a new line up later that year. The remaining members: Rod Clements (bass, violin, guitar, vocals), Simon Cowe (guitar, mandolin, banjo, vocals), and Ray Laidlaw (drums) formed Jack the Lad with former Lindisfarne member Billy Mitchell (guitar, banjo, vocals).

Jack the Lad retained much of the folksy spirit, warmth and good humour of the original group. Rod Clements, who had penned Lindisfarne's first hit single 'Meet me on the Corner', continued to write most of the material, which in the view of some fans and critics was the equal of anything Lindisfarne produced at around the same time.

Clements left in late 1974 and was replaced by two former members of northern electric folk band Hedgehog Pie, Ian 'Walter' Fairbairn (guitar, mandolin, violin, banjo, vocals) and Phil Murray (bass, vocals), which inevitably, together with the loss of their main songwriter, gave the band a much more traditional focus.

The band split in 1976.

In 1978, the original five of Lindisfarne reformed and continued to record and perform until 2003. In 1993 Jack The Lad re-formed, with both the original line-up running side-by-side with their Lindisfarne commitments, and as a festival act which included Mitchell, Fairburn and Murray.

2. Jack The Lad was a Punk / Oi! band from Atlanta, active in the late 1980's and early '90's.