One of these was Jason And The Scorchers (I know because we religiously checked them all out) and that almost seems to be the thread through this. And they had a b-side back in the last millennium where he basically listed all his favourite bands. It’s at this point that I am contractually bound to explain that Ginger was the singer in my favourite band. Not least because Neil Ivison sings the latter and is the de facto co-leader of the group – certainly it felt like that when I saw them live a few months ago. In many ways, those two sum up The Sinners. I’ve seen them do it on the “Frantic Four” tour and it’s country fried, barbecue flavoured Credence Clearwater-isms are perfect here. Only because that lo-slung lead, so perfected by Rick Richards has always been there in Ginger’s playing too, and you knew they’d nail it. TGA (and anything their leader, Dan Baird, did) always had a mark of genius and the fact that Ginger And The Sinners cover “Six Years Gone” gladdened my heart. Marillion’s “Incommunicado” (it began a lifelong love of the band) was one, and two that are pertinent to this: Status Quo’s “In The Army Now” and The Georgia Satellites “Battleship Chains”. Indeed, three songs – not hyperbole – changed my tastes. It was ace, and I wore it out over the next year or two. I’d have been 13 years old in 1988 when mine bought me “The Chart Show – Rock The Nation” (I Googled when this was released, oh the irony). In fact, it’s probably been ruined by the Internet like everything else (I know hating the internet is an odd standpoint for a website!) but back in the 1980s, if you told your Nan you liked music you got a compilation tape in your Christmas Stocking. I don’t know what it’s like for kids these days.

Never too late album by status quo