[1] The band began as a skiffle group with a mainly American repertoire,[2] until they were prompted by Redd Sullivan, a seaman, to include sea shanties and English folk songs.

They started out as the Gin Mill Skiffle Group, which included guitarist Tony Davis and washboard player Mick Groves.

Although sounding like traditional English folk songs, some of their material was in fact composed by Jones, such as "The Ellan Vannin Tragedy" and "The Marco Polo".

They retired in 1988, after thirty years together, although they led the community singing at the 1989 FA Cup final and played some Christmas shows in the early 1990s.

[8][9] Their version of the Ewan MacColl song, "Dirty Old Town", was included in the Terence Davies' 2008 memoir/documentary of Liverpool, Of Time and the City.

A biography of the group Fried Bread and Brandy-O (the title of their signature tune) was written by Liverpool journalist David Stuckey (with a foreword by Pete Seeger and an introduction from Deryck Guyler) to coincide with their 25th anniversary.

[11] The surviving members of the group, often with bass player/musical director John McCormick, continued playing at various venues such as Exeter, Buxton, London Olympia, Orpington and Liverpool as the "Spinners Legends".