Ray Jackson from Lindisfarne still playing "Maggie May"

[@derekstocker6661]

MUCH admiration guys! What a fabulous performance, absolutely brilliant and the vocals were amazing as well! Love this and thanks for the wonderful experience!

[@bigtom1001]

I'm not the first to call rod stewart a bastard,but not crediting ray for his incredible contribution to one of the greatest songs ever made, makes rod an extra special bastard!!

[@helenkillarney6654]

That song would have been nothing without Jackos input - then they paid him a pittance - and then add insult to injury - couldn't even remember his name. Thank you Lindisfarne for all your music x

[@kyte4201]

Yes true. Stewart is so overated

[@skylarkman2000]

Treated awfully by Rod .

[@malcolmstockbridge2569]

Only a small point....he hates being called 'Jacko'....its 'Jacka'

[@barrymckay1879]

While Rod Stewart is incredibly talented the fact remains that if not for Ray Jackson, the unfinished Maggie May would never have even made it onto Rod’s EVERY PICTURE TELLS A STORY album let alone been released as a single. The worldwide success of Maggie May turned Rod Stewart into a superstar and that was down to Ray Jackson saving the rejected track by writing that vital musical hook. When Ray Jackson arrived at the studio to perform his mandolin session on Mandolin Wind, Rod Stewart and co-producer/engineer Mike Bobak also asked him if he could think of anything for a track which they had given up on. Rod and Mike Bobak played the unfinished Maggie May track to Jacka which was going nowhere until Ray Jackson sat down and composed and then performed the vital ‘hook.’ Rod Stewart does not deny that Jacka wrote the hook however he wrongly claims that Jacka’s transforming contribution was a ‘work for hire’ as Jacka was paid £15. In fact that £15 payment was for performing a mandolin session and certainly not for also writing the hook. Writers of key parts of a song are entitled to both a credit and a share of the publishing. The ‘Maggie May’ situation remains one of the worst musical injustices that I have ever encountered. Then to add insult to injury, Rod Stewart could not even remember Ray Jackson’s name for the album cover credit! At the time Maggie may was recorded Ray and Lindisfarne were managed by the founder of Charisma Records, Tony Stratton-Smith. In 1975 after I first met Jacka, he asked me if he was entitled to a writer's credit. He had only just signed to Chappell Music and I asked Chappell's MD, the legendary Mr Roland Rennie if Ray Jackson's mandolin composition qualified him to a writer credit. At the time Chapell Music published Maggie May. However I still believe that Roland Rennie made a genuine and honest mistake. Barry McKay, London. December 2018

[@chriskelly7531]

Hi Barry. Go Jacka!

[@FMHammyJ]

Full disclosure.....Im a big fan o' Rod Stewart....but that tight Scots bastid should do the right thing and pony up what is rightfully Mr. Jackson's share of that career making song. By his own admission, Mr. Stewart has said that if not for a DJ in the states turning the 45 over and playing the "B" side, "Maggie May", he'd still be digging graves....

[@brendanoleary8854]

@@FMHammyJ In this situation, we prefer to remember that Rod is London born and bred! London, ENGLAND. :-)

[@peterbyrne178]

Worse still they had John Peel miming the mandolin part when they were on top of the pops. Loads of session players down the years have been treated terribly but this was the worst injustice of all

[@laveritaforza108]

Well documented Barry , thank you. Lindesfarne were a class act.

[@digitalclock]

Ray is amazing. Great guy with an amazing story, couldnt be prouder of us geordies and our families.

[@barryhill363]

Ray is a legend back in his home town Newcastle , top bloke , no edge , a true Geordie

[@newjack2166]

and that kid has a great voice. Great video--glad I found it. Sweet.

[@danielstephens9748]

I host a radio show and never fail to name check Ray every time I play this song. Let's not forget that Rod is 'scottish' tight as a fish asshole! This is the most famous AND the greatest mandolin solo of all time! One of the reasons I even started to listen to that style of music and begin to play that instrument....thanks Ray!

[@gregoryflynn3781]

So great! Literally my favourite instrumental ever.

[@LesleyTanMortyMortisha]

Met you late 60's in the Percy, Tynemouthm still follow you now Ray x

[@nootlivemusic9809]

As always, the mandolin king.

[@TarmacMcAdam]

Great to see Jacka still playing.

[@deandee8082]

vocals are pretty darn good despite a few flat spots.. great work fellas 👍

[@MrTomd58]

And a sharp drummer there

[@chriskelly7531]

One of the top 10 records of ALL TIME IN THE WORLD and Jacka was there. Proud of him.

[@sryburn641]

Ray Jackson!! I’m finally getting a replica mandolin like his. Gettin xcited. The band members did a great job! Nice singing.

[@mandolinic]

What make is his mandolin? It looks somewhat similar to my beautiful Godin A8.

[@clivehoneyman7516]

@@mandolinic this one looks like an Ovation, but the one he plays in the BBc interview looks like a Bat Wing

[@mandolinic]

@@clivehoneyman7516 Thanks, Clive. I reckon you're right. It's an Ovation. Sure looks a very pretty mandolin.

[@aderrrt]

Ray can still perform...great to see and hear him. I was a follower in the early days and well remember the Lindisfarne hits....one of my first ever 8-track tapes was their first album...ironically bought with "Every Picture Tells Story". Little did we know at the time that Ray wrote and performed on "Maggie May" . I hope you have and enjoy many more years, Ray!!

[@mclenonade3267]

my sister bought me a mandolin today. and the first song that i plan to learn is maggie may. scrollin around youtube til i found out that the person who brought out the mandolin piece on maggie may didnt credited for its masterpiece ☹️ so sad..

[@mrdunns3338]

Used to share the bar with Ray, many years ago in "The Granby" in Longframlington when he lived there, mid to late 70s. Always very approachable and not at all put off by being recognised. Unlike most of the so-called "stars" of today.

[@Rich-cq4gz]

God bless you Ray thank you for the memories

[@MpgExchange]

Met Ray in Royal hotel Whitley Bay ‘77 he did a couple of numbers with Harcourts heroes - great guy, down to earth and good fun

[@railwaystationmaster]

SUPERB !

[@JohnDurkin-mh4wn]

Love it

[@MrTomd58]

Who is this singer,anything more known of him.Class

[@alanoliver8712]

Hi, Yep he and his brother (the two on the right) are friends of mine.... as is Ray. What do you want to know? though I'll check with him first!

[@MrTomd58]

Fantastic, they would be too young to remember that when it came out first,put I do. Great music still going about.

[@glynnak]

Brilliant Jacka - Thanks

[@istemihanvarisli]

So beautiful :) Kudos and thanks people.

[@jimmyjam4371]

The two youngsters coped really well.

[@bigslav5043]

big part of lindisfarne for sure.

[@banjodeano2202]

brilliant..

[@graemeford2915]

Wowsa! Tremendous

[@woodeyelyegaming1401]

That drummer is pretty good!

[@skylarkman2000]

Ronnie Wood got it right. Stewart is tighter than two coats of paint !

[@pit2ryan3]

Every hair still in place...

[@mickbrown7578]

This sounds better to me than Rod the Sod

[@chrisbaker3900]

Oh c'mon - really? This is fine (even with all the wrong notes), but Stewart's version is out of the park.

[@stevenkramer6217]

If you mean the vocalist, he’s doing his best. He’s a descent singer and how often he looks at the lyrics, it’s clear he doesn’t know the song. So I can’t blame him.

[@ffrederickskitty214]

£15 was a decent day’s pay back in 1971

[@pigletjnr]

go on "jacka"

[@ramlinman2004]

Janna Jacobs strums the ending with mandolin also... Can't find a lesson on KZbin done that way, only picking the notes.

[@philmason8122]

Ha!ha! Class Jacka!! Tight wad Rod!! Cockney born but a true tight arsed jock!!! Ffs whats a million or two to him!!! Anyway WE know who was RIGHT on this one & it wasnt Rod the Nob!! Ray Jackson(thats his name Rod) MANDOLIN KING!!!👍😊

[@silver-hammer]

Guy sings better than Rod Stewart..!

[@marypetrie930]

err...No!

[@kyte4201]

Err yes "stewart" is do grossly overated

[@WilliamBrown-pq7eg]

Ray Class Act, Lot better Than Rod Stewart.

[@cliftonpoynter5605]

No Jacko no Lindisfarne

[@malcolmstockbridge2569]

No 'Jacka' no Lindisfarne.

[@mark_ducato2838]

It's a canny song but it's not a patch on some of Lindisfarne's finer compositions.

[@mandolinic]

But he's using his thumb to make D chords!! Mandolin players around the world collapse in shock ;-)

[@iananderson3799]

Whilst us normals dinae gie a shit.

[@mandolinic]

@@iananderson3799 Just toot your flute, Ian ;-)

[@iananderson3799]

@@mandolinic That's racist.

[@mandolinic]

@@iananderson3799 Is it? You mean you aren't the front man of Jethro Tull?

[@iananderson3799]

@@mandolinic Ah, right. No. You are thinking of my grandson.

[@nealbarton9289]

Ray was a member of the musicians union and the pay was what it was. The travesty was, RS not taking the time to look up his name for the liner notes. I assure you there is/was a log with who played on that famous song. All he had to do was ask.

[@albarnes6421]

Stewart knew exactly who he was, Lindisfarne had a a number eight and number one album by the time Every Picture Tells a Story was recorded. He was explicitly recruited to play mandolin on Mandolin Wind on the album. He was then requested to write and play the mandolin hook an Maggie May. Stewart isn't a nice bloke.

[@bigslav5043]

@@albarnes6421 well known RSis a selfish mean sod. ronnie lane knew it.

[@135Ops]

@@albarnes6421 Your naivety is for all to see, you really think RS was responsible for any lack of recognition?

[@kyte4201]

​@@135Ops no you are so économie with the truth on this. Stewart is so overated anyway!!!. Anyway he is a tight arsed Londoner

[@jamesokeeffe3216]

Fucking iPad,the things fixing the problems in life is causing the problems.

[@crystalfrancis3211]

The vocal sound is too soft.

[@johnstones7484]

Better singer than Rod!

[@slimturnpike]

Nice playing all around