Yes the The spinners were more popular than Bert Jansch when it came to filling biggish venues. Indubitably. so far as I know they were the only act to sing The Bleacher lass of of kelvinhall on Pebble Mill at one which I thought was pretty cool, for a group that some folkies get very snotty about.

The thing about Bert was though, he brought some fairly obscure traditional songs to prominence in the minds of guitarists. (in so much as we can be said to have minds). You only have to check the internet and the guitar magazines to see some character trying to invent a tab explanation of Blackwaterside, or any of the others I mentioned. Diane tells me that it was Martin Carthy who did these songs first and made them popular.

if she says so, I wouldn't argue, but it has been Bert's versions that have held a lasting fascination for us guitar anoraks. Trouble is, theres no tablature that can explain that touch.