This bittersweet celebration of life on the dole in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne was written by Alan Hull, the lead singer of Tyneside folk rockers Lindisfarne. He originally performed it during his solo folk club shows.
When Lindisfarne learned they would be working on their second album with Bob Dylan producer Bob Johnston, they were delighted. However this rousing number was originally not intended for the record. During recording, that band played a date at the Royal Festival Hall, at which they performed "Fog." "It went down a storm at the Festival Hall," drummer Ray Laidlaw recalled to Uncut magazine, "and when we came back, Bob said, 'How come you haven't played me that?' We said, 'We don't think much of it...' It wouldn't have been on the album if it hadn't been for him."
The song not only became the title track of Lindisfarne's breakthrough album in England, it also became the band's signature tune.
A heavily reworked version of the song with vocals by Geordie footballer Paul Gascoigne was recorded in 1990 under the title "Fog on the Tyne (Revisited)." Released in the wake of Gazza's renown after the 1990 World Cup, it peaked at #2 in the UK singles charts.
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