We all know of one or more singers or bands that we all love either live or on disc, but somehow they never get past that station in showbiz life of ‘underground’, (although that’s usually reserved for the off-beat stuff I know), or perhaps more accurately, they get their main and perhaps limited success, through word of mouth, and yet - we know they are worth much more. Here is one such person - (and his band mates) along with his various bands, from his early Liverpool based days right up to the present. The main singer’s name is Ian Lindsay, and he currently splits his time between bassing and singing with Merseybeat / tribute band - the Silver Searchers, does much fill-in work with The Shakers, is in a duo - Modern Moods, has - with much prompting from his main collaborator - resurrected his pop/rock band - The Herbs; and even finds time to go solo for some projects. It is unfair not to mention the others who play and work alongside Ian, mainly this is Dave Laing, Crosby / Liverpool based song writer and guitarist and producer, which he fits in alongside his latent profession - psychic guru (along the lines of Paul McKenna.) There’s fellow Herbs members - ace axe-man, oh ok, great guitarist - Barry Lloyd, and skins-walloper, Mal James. Last but far far from least - his oppo in his duo - Modern Moods - Tony Barter. There are more of course, but they’ll have to forgive me for not knowing their names.

There are a great deal of sites and videos and downloads, some free, some priced such as on Itunes. I can’t put all the links here, in fact I don’t think I even know them all, but here I think are the most relevant for those who wish to go on themselves and delve into the treasure-trove of music that Ian and the lads have written and recorded over the years. Give them a listen : if the pop don’t suit then I am sure the skiffle will, if that don’t float your boat try Ian’s solo stuff. Meself - I like the lot, and play them often. Onwards and upwards …

Ian Lindsay’s own site

http://www.ianmlindsay.com/

The Herbs band site

http://www.theherbsliverpool.co.uk/

A selection of videos (although you can probably get some or all from the above links also)

Don’t Pass me By - The Herbs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ybnFHGXuUyE&list=FLxJP0m1ZYmsPSUK4IpbLLVA

Shades of Susan - Ian Lindsay & the Black Diamonds

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qfF_68370po

Bad Moon Rising - The Black Diamonds

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKyM-G14ElI

Freight Train - The Black Diamonds

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OpvUD6sFoPQ

Jane - The Herbs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T9tsZ2ZFqD4

Big Yellow Taxi - Modern Moods

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32XstuojbHY

Slip Slidin’ Away - Modern Moods

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jsZPyFuMeMM

Sink or Swim - Modern Moods

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xc4BK3sBajE&playnext=1&list=PL0C85DE747EF275AC

Anyone fancies a nice little lot of two watches? There’s an X-Data watch, and a Philip Cartier cross style watch and bracelet. Here’s the link to the auction on EBay, it ends today (Jan 15), later on this afternoon. The watches are not valuable as such, but they are nice watches all the same.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/281051429468?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649

Southport area. Strictly collection by buyer. Payment by Paypal at end of auction, and before pick-up.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/281050727635?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649

It’s Kindle Promo time for some of my books, the following are all free until at least this Friday (Jan 11 ), but they always seem to run over a tad, so it may stretch to Saturday. So, here’s the links, grab ‘em while you can. Virtually all are family-friendly / kids stories, but the Ballad of Old Windrush Cave and perhaps the Old Man’s Trousers are not suitable for infants, though they’re fine for the next bracket up. 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B004QTOSYK The Old Man’s Trousers

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B005BYFJM4 The Marble

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B005BE332M Ghosting in on the Blind Side

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0073XIE3W The Ballad of Old Windrush Cave

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0074RMR1C Happy Harold goes on Holiday

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0074PMC8W Happy Harold and the Great Give-Away

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0074T1KUO Happy Harold and the Atomic Apple

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0074AQOXQ Happy Harold and his Friends

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0074PMBRY Happy Harold goes on the Wagon

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0074SS0Z8 Happy Harold and the Cold Ghost

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0074PMHX2 Happy Harold and the Marsh Lizards.

Happy (and free) reading.

T O S P

Apparently, this has been around two years, how the hell I never even heard the song upon release, let alone see the video is beyond me, but this is absolutely brilliant. The paganish / wassailing theatrics are mesmerising to the point of wanting to jump in the video, take over the drum banging duties and swagger down the lane behind Annie. Regardless of the pagan feel, it’s still trad’ Christmassy too, (best of both worlds, clever girl!) Anyone who doesn’t like this, well, corwumph! You’d best just jolly well like it! That’s all.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZlsJD8RlhbI&feature=my_favorites&list=FLxJP0m1ZYmsPSUK4IpbLLVA

First, a little music to set the scene…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-mZLpDuuf40&feature=my_favorites&list=FLxJP0m1ZYmsPSUK4IpbLLVA

Is it playing nicely? Good. Here’s some clocks, so light, so subtle … so buy some, to rip off an old ad, and not even for clocks. ( A drink of some sort, but can’t recall which, Babycham or Potin or something.)

http://www.zazzle.com/classicalgas/gifts?cg=196787058045903195

Here’s the final two Kindle Select promo 5 day freebies. Free up to Wednesday July 3.

Words. Poetry and more from father and daughter, John and Alexandra Haines, known as JandA when they collaborate.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B004RWI6CQ

The Ballad of Old Windrush Cave. A many stanzad poem of life on the wrong side of the law in the days of pirates and highwaymen. Although this is also the very last poem in the above - ’ Words ‘, it is lolng enough to merit also being a standalone offering.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0073XIE3W

Two more of my ebooks have started a 5 day free promo; this ends on Tuesday Jul 3.

The Old Man’s Trousers. Kids’ light-heated sci-fi. A pair of nuclear trousers terrorise part of rural Wiltshire.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B004QTOSYK

The Marble. Young Joey Thomas from Burnley, loses his marble, literally. It plops down the grid and is away on an adventure all of its own. Out and out for young kids, but big kids of any age will enjoy it too.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B005BYFJM4

Just gone live today - the Amazon version of our book. At the moment there is of course only the basic Amazon listing, but give it time, then the discounted price will show, and then around the same time the plethora of third-party vendors will do their stuff at their own discounted prices. But if you want it now, then there is at least free super saver to keep the cost down a tad.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Liverpool-Lyrics-Black-White-Edition/dp/1471687333/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1340622598&sr=1-1

Full colour Book : http://www.lulu.com/shop/gerry-jones-and-john-haines/liverpool-lyrics-the-book-the-dots/paperback/product-20069877.html

Black and White / Greyscale Book : http://www.lulu.com/shop/gerry-jones-and-john-haines/b-and-w-edition-liverpool-lyrics-the-book-the-dots/paperback/product-20084427.html

Download : http://www.lulu.com/shop/gerry-jones-and-john-haines/pdf-liverpool-lyrics-the-book-the-dots/ebook/product-20073674.html

(Some links may only show as plain text or part-live, in this case, please copy and pate the entire URL instead.)

Liverpool Lyrics - The Book - The Dots! is a book that has been a long time in the making, and that’s not just a reference to the time it has taken both editors to complete it, but the fact is, the world of folk music on Merseyside needs this book, and here’s why…

In the 60s, the two giants, the Liverpool Spinners and Jacqui and Bridie (that makes seven giants but we’re talking about their respective units!) had their own folk song books; other writers and performers published their works, too including of course the late Pete ‘In my Liverpool Home’ McGovern, (RIP Pete), the singular genius that is Stan Kelly-Bootle, and more; but time has moved on. Nowadays both the Spinners and Jacqui and Bridie song books are hard to come by, not impossible of course, but not readily on the shelves any longer. Plus, for someone wanting now to pay tribute to the best songs and indirectly the best exponents of Merseyside folk from the 1960s folk boom, a book is needed which brings together the best of the songs from the era, maybe not the respective entire back-catalogues of the best known artistes, as tempting as that may be, but - the best and the most well known songs, although we would hope these last two aspects are synonymous!

As well as songs which were newly written in the late 50s and 60s, it cannot be forgotten that many traditional folk songs were repopularised during the folk boom, and we include a few of these too.

We hope the book allows older folk fans to reacquaint themselves with the songs they may have last heard in a club setting where the audience actually dutifully listened, but then on cue (usually from Tony Davis), joined in the more gustier and lustier of the verses. We also hope the songs find a new younger audience, and in time more than that - new performers, both of these golden oldies but of new songs new performers and writers have been inspired to write and sing. But more than this - we would like to do our part in respect of the very essence that is folk; yes, of course the sound is more rustic, but its total definition does not just mean someone yodelling the Wild Rover in a bar on Slater Street in 1959 and then that’s it - folk music is more music that is passed on from generation to generation, formally by sheet music and books, informally by blagged sheet music and books! Or by word of mouth: “‘Ow’s that go, lad? Is Darra C or a C7 der, or wha’? Augmented 7th wha’!!? Sod off, just chuck a C in there, that’ll do.’ This is our ‘passing it on’, and we hope you benefit from the book and then pass the music on yourselves.

So, here we are then. Liverpool Lyrics - The Book - The Dots! 

(PS : Those who have added the total members up of the Spinners and Jacqui and Bridie and got 6, we’re including the Spinners’ bass player, so there.)

Gerry Jones and John Haines, April 2012 - Merseyside

Facebook Group / Page

https://www.facebook.com/groups/202944253156358/

This is from the dinner time news.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10150763796309549&set=vb.665234548&type=2&theater