JSD Band

The JSD Band was an influential Scottish-based Celtic and folk rock band primarily active from 1969 to 1974 and then again briefly from 1997 to 1998. The band released five full-length albums, and numerous singles and special releases, many of which are still sought after by collectors from around the world.

The JSD Band formed in 1969 and derived its name from the first letter of the first name of each of its three founding members: Jim Divers, Sean O’Rourke, and Des Coffield.[1] Chuck Fleming and Colin Finn also joined the group rounding out the five-member lineup. Additionally, fiddle player Lindsay Scott temporarily filled in for Chuck Fleming in 1972. Initially, the band played the folk-club circuit with other artists such as Billy Connolly and Gerry Rafferty of the Humblebums and Barbara Dickson. After getting noticed for their lively electric-rock approach to traditional Scottish folk music when they won the Scottish Folk Group Championships at Edinburgh's Usher Hall, they made appearances on BBC Radio 1 with DJ John Peel and on BBC Two's Old Grey Whistle Test hosted by "Whispering" Bob Harris. In 1972, they were invited to be the support band for David Bowie during his UK-leg of the Ziggy Stardust Tour. (Read more at Wikipedia)

Links to Peel
John Peel rated the JSD Band highly enough to book them for seven Top Gear sessions and to write the sleevenotes for their eponymous 1972 LP on Cube Records. In the notes he expressed why he liked them, after having seen them perform at the Marquee Club in London:


 * The first thing you notice about them is that you are having difficulty understanding the announcements. These are lengthy and very Scottish. Neverthelsee with a few key words you can enjoy the atmosphere created by the band's presence music and good humour along with everyone else.[.....]....they have a fine old time on stage and the audiences have a fine old time right along with them. In a dark corner I danced with as much abandon as I ever allow myself and, for the umpteenth time blessed bands like the Faces and Lindisfarne who have brought joy and rowdiness back to our music. These two bands haven't done badly for themselves, nor for you and I, and the JSD Band will not be far behind them.

Sadly, Peel's prediction didn't come true. In 1974, according to Wikipedia, "pressure from various sources took its toll" and the JSD Band split up. But they remain one of the more intriguing folk-rock bands of the era, with a repertoire which included British, Irish and American traditional songs as well as their own material. They were also among the few Scottish (as opposed to English or Irish) folk artists to feature in Peel's 1970s playlists.

Sessions

 * Number of sessions? Any commercial release of sessions?

1. Recorded: YYYY-MM-DD. First broadcast: DD Month YYYY. Repeated: DD Month YYY 2. Recorded: YYYY-MM-DD. First broadcast: DD Month YYYY. Repeated: DD Month YYY etc
 * Song title / Song Title / Song Title / Song Title
 * Song title / Song Title / Song Title / Song Title

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Other Shows Played
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 * DD Month YYYY: Song (single/album) Label