Jo Lustig - Steeleye Span

Steeleye Span

After the departure of Martin Carthy and Ashley Hutchings, Steeleye Span were eager for commercial success. They sacked Sandy Roberton and signed up with Jo Lustig. He brought them a lucrative contract with Chrysalis, and lavish studio time. Within a year they had a hit, “Gaudete”. Somewhere along the line, Jo Lustig managed Irish harpist Mary O'Hara, who emerged after a decade in a convent to become a popular easy listening act. He also managed folk singer Richard Digence and, for a while, Jethro Tull (during the "Songs from the Wood" period). In 1974, the Chieftains were still semi-professional, despite having released “Chieftains 4” in 1974, to worldwide praise. In 1975 they became full-time musicians and took Jo Lustig as their manager. He brought them a contract with a major label, Island Records. By 1982 Richard and Linda Thompson were also managed by Jo, but it is not clear when this started. About 1980 Jo Lustig created his own record label called Luggage, but only one act is known to have appeared in it – the Home Service. Jo financed the first Home Service single in 1981. Despite containing talented musicians, the Home Service were not commercially successful. Perhaps this was the reason that he gave up folk bands, and became a film producer.