Martin & Lynn Craig profile picture

Martin & Lynn Craig

About Me


Martin & Lynn have been singing together for over 40 years... we met at art school in Newcastle in 1964 and discovered common musical interests ranging from traditional Scots/Irish ballads through blues, R&B, jazz and country to early rock'n'roll.

After moving to Liverpool in 1965, we formed an acoustic folk-rock group called the Bo-Weevils. The UK folk circuit was developing then, but we also played in places like the Merseyside Artistes Association, competing with jugglers and comedians in ruthless talent contests.

When we moved back to Newcastle in the late 1960s, we fell straight into the 'Jesmond scene', living in that bohemian area of Tyneside for 17 years; playing our music, working and raising a family. During the 1970s, Martin's band The Sabrejets were signed to Blueport Music, releasing several of Martin's compositions on vinyl. Radioland reached Time Out magazine's Top 5, it received extensive Radio One airplay and was picked up in the USA by Greg Shaw; the Britbike anthem Rockin' at the Ace Cafe charted in Ireland and in the Sounds Rockabilly Chart, At the Quayside was a Radio Luxembourg Powerplay and Voodoo Cave was popular in Germany & Scandinavia. All the Sabrejets singles were broadcast into the former Soviet Union from clandestine radio stations in Norway & Sweden.

Although Martin has played in several bands as well as recording and performing solo, we have always sung together, as folk singers and as the acoustic duo MG & LYNNETTE with our show 'The Acoustic Roots of Rock'n'Roll'.

My Interests

Music:

Member Since: 04/04/2006
Band Website: http://www.the-craig-family.co.uk
Band Members: Martin Craig (Vocals/guitars/harmonica)

Lynn Craig (Vocals)


Influences: (Martin) Howard Keel, Lonnie Donegan, Chris Barber, Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly, Jerry Lee Lewis, Ersel Hickey, Gene Vincent, Carl Perkins, Billy Fury, Joe Meek, The Everly Brothers, The Flamingos, The Moonglows, Johnny Cash, The Temperance Seven, Kid Ory, Jack Kerouac, John Steinbeck, Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, Leadbelly, Woody, John Lee Hooker, Lightnin' Hopkins, Robert Johnson, The Animals, Mississippi John Hurt, T-Bone Walker, The Beatles, Phil Spector, William Burroughs, Lenny Bruce, The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Bert Jansch, John Renbourn, ISB, David Bowie, Ewan McColl, The Velvet Underground, Charlie Parker, Chet Baker, Joe Strummer/The Clash, Tom Waits, Martin Carthy, Warren Zevon, Pete Dodds, Shane MacGowan, Dick Gaughan, Brian Willoughby

(Lynn) Betty Hutton, Doris Day, Alma Cogan, Nancy Whiskey, Ruby Murray, Patsy Cline, Elvis Presley, The Everly Brothers, Connie Francis, Brenda Lee, The Flamingos, The Moonglows, The Carter Family, Billie Holiday, Tammy Wynette, Loretta Lynn, Carolyn Hester, Joan Baez, Buffy St Marie, Elizabeth Cotten, June Carter Cash, Marianne Faithfull, Joni Mitchell, Dolly Parton, The Ronnettes, Darlene Love, Ronnie Spector, Ketty Lester, Brian Wilson, William Burroughs, Lenny Bruce, Bob Dylan, Bonnie Raitt, Bert Jansch, Martin Carthy, ISB, Emmylou Harris, Ricky Lee Jones, Eddi Reader, Beverley Knight, Norma Waterson, Cathryn Craig


Sounds Like: Martin: previously described in print reviews as sounding like...

"...a cross between Hank Williams and Bob Dylan."

"...Mississippi John Hurt.""...Bob Dylan after a night in the gutter.""...a mix of Bert Jansch and Lou Reed." "...he wouldn't have sounded out of place opening for Elvis or Jerry Lee Lewis.""...Lloyd Cole's older brother."

Lynn: has been described as sounding like... Wanda Jackson, Dolly Parton, Karen Carpenter, Joan Baez, Maddy Prior + more...

The Leaving Of Liverpool

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Record Label: Goldmist Productions Ltd
Type of Label: Indie

My Blog

Rockin' at the Ace Cafe

Martin says, " I first visited the original Ace Cafe in North London as an awestruck 15 year-old would-be rocker in 1961. The experience stayed in my mind and inspired me to write the song, 'Rockin' a...
Posted by on Sun, 29 Apr 2007 06:10:00 GMT

Lynn's labour of Love

We've been busy over the Christmas holidays, recording 16 traditional songs sung by Lynn.It was a real labour of love as these are all long-term favourites of ours; some dating back to our teenage yea...
Posted by on Sat, 06 Jan 2007 15:09:00 GMT

Our Music

We love all the music played by our many influences, and more, so when we come to make our own we don't want to be limited by a single style or genre. Lynn tends to be the main singer for traditional...
Posted by on Wed, 29 Nov 2006 09:16:00 GMT