Jackie Lynton I Nearly Made It, Then I Fell Over… review

What a barrelful of chuckles and memories

Cover art for Jackie Lynton I Nearly Made It, Then I Fell Over...But I Always Get Back Up Again

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The fun-loving reputation of Jackie Lynton the former Savoy Brown frontman who in 1982 seduced the Reading Festival with a singalong slice of smut called The Hedgehog Song, leaps out from these enjoyable 93 pages. Lynton’s writing style is a splatter-gun of random quick-fire gags and reminiscences (“I left my wife a note: ‘Just popping over to Ritchie Blackmore’s house’. That was on the Friday. I finally arrived home on the Monday”), and this autobiography is filled with tales of Lemmy, Stevie Wonder, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Phil Collins and, above all, Status Quo, who Lynton famously introduces on their 1977 live album (he also co-wrote Again And Again with Rick Parfitt, and fronted John Coghlan’s Diesel Band).

Run-ins with the taxman, tales of groupies, divorces, working on building sites, painting houses between gigs… it’s all here.

At 76, Lynton still performs with his band.

Dave Ling

Dave Ling was a co-founder of Classic Rock magazine. His words have appeared in a variety of music publications, including RAW, Kerrang!, Metal Hammer, Prog, Rock Candy, Fireworks and Sounds. Dave’s life was shaped in 1974 through the purchase of a copy of Sweet’s album ‘Sweet Fanny Adams’, along with early gig experiences from Status Quo, Rush, Iron Maiden, AC/DC, Yes and Queen. As a lifelong season ticket holder of Crystal Palace FC, he is completely incapable of uttering the word ‘Br***ton’.