MCGUINNESS FLINT
''HAPPY BIRTHDAY, RUTHY BABY''
1971
46:36
1/Happy Birthday, Ruthy Baby
Benny Gallagher / Graham Lyle
2/Conversation
Benny Gallagher / Graham Lyle
3/When I'm Alone With You
McGuinness Flint
4/Fixer
Benny Gallagher / Graham Lyle
5/Faith and Gravy
Benny Gallagher / Graham Lyle
6/Klondike
Benny Gallagher / Graham Lyle
7/Reader to Writer
Benny Gallagher / Graham Lyle
8/Changes
Benny Gallagher / Graham Lyle
9/Friends of Mine
Benny Gallagher / Graham Lyle
10/Piper of Dreams
Benny Gallagher / Graham Lyle
11/Jimmy's Song
Benny Gallagher / Graham Lyle
12/Sparrow
Benny Gallagher / Graham Lyle
Dennis Coulson /Guitar, Keyboards, Vocals
Hughie Flint /Drums, Vocals
Benny Gallagher /Bass, Guitar, Guitar (Electric), Harmonica, Ocarina, Piano, Vocals
Nicky Hopkins /Keyboards
Jimmy Jewell /Arranger, Saxophone
Graham Lyle /Banjo, Bass, Guitar, Guitar (Electric), Mandolin, Vocals
Tom McGuinness /Bass, Guitar, Guitar (Electric), Vocals
John Mumford /Arranger, Trombone
Brian Rogers /Arranger
REVIEW
by James A. Gardner In the early '70s, Capitol had both the Band and McGuinness Flint on their roster, with both bands producing the best work of their careers. Like the Band, McGuinness Flint excelled by ignoring trends in rock music and drawing on styles with deeper roots. Also like the Band, Happy Birthday, Ruthy Baby is a follow-up that often surpasses their exceptional debut album. Where Dylan's former backup band was making the cover of Time magazine, though, McGuinness Flint remained largely unknown outside their native England. Happy Birthday, Ruthy Baby, with solid production by Glynn Johns and the gifted Nicky Hopkins on piano, expands on the rustic tone of the band's first album. The title track is a rousing pub rock tribute to one of the band's supporters, a touching picture of life as a struggling musician. Jazz influences permeate the propulsive "Reader to Writer" and "Fixer," with its stunning trombone solo. "Klondike" is a slice of Americana that could easily pass for a Robbie Robertson composition, and the acoustic "Sparrow" is as moving as any ballad to come out of the '70s. From beginning to end, Happy Birthday, Ruthy Baby is a gem, full of promise for the group. It's unfortunate that the album, and the band, were not more widely appreciated. Principle songwriters Gallagher and Lyle left after this album. Although McGuinness Flint rebounded in style with Lo and Behold, lead singer Dennis Coulson soon started a solo career, and the band folded in 1975.
BIOGRAPHY
by Bruce Eder McGuinness Flint's history was a study in frustration, for the band and its fans alike. For seven years in various forms, they earned a loyal following in England, but in the United States they were scarcely more than a cult act, despite a top-flight lineup and a sound that should have been a natural for the era. In 1970, following the breakup of Manfred Mann, rhythm guitarist/bassist Tom McGuinness teamed up with drummer Hughie Flint, previously a member of John Mayall's band. They were joined by keyboard man/singer Dennis Coulson and the songwriting/multi-instrumentalist team of Benny Gallagher and Graham Lyle. They were, in many ways, a highly unlikely quintet -- McGuinness had been a skiffle enthusiast before moving into blues and jazz and joining Manfred Mann on bass before switching back to guitar and Flint had been one of the top drummers on the British blues scene (and, oddly enough, each had worked with Eric Clapton at very different points in his career), while Gallagher and Lyle had been pop songwriters who were actually signed to Apple Records at one point. The band scored its first time out with "When I'm Dead and Gone," which reached number two on the British charts late in 1970. That same song, however, only got to number 47 in America. Their self-titled debut album was a Top Ten LP in England.
They followed this up with the rootsy "Malt and Barley Blues," which reached number five in England. But the demands of a second album, along with extensive touring, took its toll on the group -- the follow-up album, Happy Birthday, Ruthy Baby, although more ambitious than its predecessor, lacked a hit single to drive its sales and ended up a commercial failure. At the end of 1971, Gallagher and Lyle quit, and went off to record on their own, as Gallagher & Lyle. McGuinness and Flint carried on, however, with bassist Dixie Dean, and recorded -- as Coulson, Dean, McGuinness, Flint -- the Lo and Behold album; unlike their previous records, which had scarcely found any audience in America, that album became a cult item, built as it was around Bob Dylan songs that Dylan had not yet officially released in his own renditions. The group's lineup changes weren't over, however, as Dennis Coulson quit, succeeded by Lou Stonebridge on keyboards, and Jim Evans joined as a second guitarist. They recorded two further LPs, Rainbow (1973) and C'est la Vie (1974), but it was clear by then that even in England their moment had passed, and they ended their run in 1975. Four year later, McGuinness and Stonebridge recorded together and enjoyed some modest success in England with the single "Oo-Eeh Baby" (number 54 in the U.K.), which was enough to get them an opportunity to do an LP, Corporate Madness, released on RCA Records in 1980.
McGuinness and Flint later crossed paths professionally in the 1980s as members of the Blues Band, fronted by ex-Manfred Mann lead singer Paul Jones -- that group, which landed a contract with Arista Records after cutting a very successful album on its own, lasted into the mid-'80s, though Flint exited in 1982. McGuinness and Jones, along with Flint's replacement, Rob Townsend (formerly of Family), ended up forming the core of the Manfreds, a successful effort to revive the Manfred Mann sound and repertoire (without the participation of keyboard player Manfred Mann himself, hence the name change). Because of its Dylan-authored repertoire, Lo and Behold became the group's first album to be issued on compact disc (with bonus tracks, no less).
''HAPPY BIRTHDAY, RUTHY BABY''
1971
46:36
1/Happy Birthday, Ruthy Baby
Benny Gallagher / Graham Lyle
2/Conversation
Benny Gallagher / Graham Lyle
3/When I'm Alone With You
McGuinness Flint
4/Fixer
Benny Gallagher / Graham Lyle
5/Faith and Gravy
Benny Gallagher / Graham Lyle
6/Klondike
Benny Gallagher / Graham Lyle
7/Reader to Writer
Benny Gallagher / Graham Lyle
8/Changes
Benny Gallagher / Graham Lyle
9/Friends of Mine
Benny Gallagher / Graham Lyle
10/Piper of Dreams
Benny Gallagher / Graham Lyle
11/Jimmy's Song
Benny Gallagher / Graham Lyle
12/Sparrow
Benny Gallagher / Graham Lyle
Dennis Coulson /Guitar, Keyboards, Vocals
Hughie Flint /Drums, Vocals
Benny Gallagher /Bass, Guitar, Guitar (Electric), Harmonica, Ocarina, Piano, Vocals
Nicky Hopkins /Keyboards
Jimmy Jewell /Arranger, Saxophone
Graham Lyle /Banjo, Bass, Guitar, Guitar (Electric), Mandolin, Vocals
Tom McGuinness /Bass, Guitar, Guitar (Electric), Vocals
John Mumford /Arranger, Trombone
Brian Rogers /Arranger
REVIEW
by James A. Gardner In the early '70s, Capitol had both the Band and McGuinness Flint on their roster, with both bands producing the best work of their careers. Like the Band, McGuinness Flint excelled by ignoring trends in rock music and drawing on styles with deeper roots. Also like the Band, Happy Birthday, Ruthy Baby is a follow-up that often surpasses their exceptional debut album. Where Dylan's former backup band was making the cover of Time magazine, though, McGuinness Flint remained largely unknown outside their native England. Happy Birthday, Ruthy Baby, with solid production by Glynn Johns and the gifted Nicky Hopkins on piano, expands on the rustic tone of the band's first album. The title track is a rousing pub rock tribute to one of the band's supporters, a touching picture of life as a struggling musician. Jazz influences permeate the propulsive "Reader to Writer" and "Fixer," with its stunning trombone solo. "Klondike" is a slice of Americana that could easily pass for a Robbie Robertson composition, and the acoustic "Sparrow" is as moving as any ballad to come out of the '70s. From beginning to end, Happy Birthday, Ruthy Baby is a gem, full of promise for the group. It's unfortunate that the album, and the band, were not more widely appreciated. Principle songwriters Gallagher and Lyle left after this album. Although McGuinness Flint rebounded in style with Lo and Behold, lead singer Dennis Coulson soon started a solo career, and the band folded in 1975.
BIOGRAPHY
by Bruce Eder McGuinness Flint's history was a study in frustration, for the band and its fans alike. For seven years in various forms, they earned a loyal following in England, but in the United States they were scarcely more than a cult act, despite a top-flight lineup and a sound that should have been a natural for the era. In 1970, following the breakup of Manfred Mann, rhythm guitarist/bassist Tom McGuinness teamed up with drummer Hughie Flint, previously a member of John Mayall's band. They were joined by keyboard man/singer Dennis Coulson and the songwriting/multi-instrumentalist team of Benny Gallagher and Graham Lyle. They were, in many ways, a highly unlikely quintet -- McGuinness had been a skiffle enthusiast before moving into blues and jazz and joining Manfred Mann on bass before switching back to guitar and Flint had been one of the top drummers on the British blues scene (and, oddly enough, each had worked with Eric Clapton at very different points in his career), while Gallagher and Lyle had been pop songwriters who were actually signed to Apple Records at one point. The band scored its first time out with "When I'm Dead and Gone," which reached number two on the British charts late in 1970. That same song, however, only got to number 47 in America. Their self-titled debut album was a Top Ten LP in England.
They followed this up with the rootsy "Malt and Barley Blues," which reached number five in England. But the demands of a second album, along with extensive touring, took its toll on the group -- the follow-up album, Happy Birthday, Ruthy Baby, although more ambitious than its predecessor, lacked a hit single to drive its sales and ended up a commercial failure. At the end of 1971, Gallagher and Lyle quit, and went off to record on their own, as Gallagher & Lyle. McGuinness and Flint carried on, however, with bassist Dixie Dean, and recorded -- as Coulson, Dean, McGuinness, Flint -- the Lo and Behold album; unlike their previous records, which had scarcely found any audience in America, that album became a cult item, built as it was around Bob Dylan songs that Dylan had not yet officially released in his own renditions. The group's lineup changes weren't over, however, as Dennis Coulson quit, succeeded by Lou Stonebridge on keyboards, and Jim Evans joined as a second guitarist. They recorded two further LPs, Rainbow (1973) and C'est la Vie (1974), but it was clear by then that even in England their moment had passed, and they ended their run in 1975. Four year later, McGuinness and Stonebridge recorded together and enjoyed some modest success in England with the single "Oo-Eeh Baby" (number 54 in the U.K.), which was enough to get them an opportunity to do an LP, Corporate Madness, released on RCA Records in 1980.
McGuinness and Flint later crossed paths professionally in the 1980s as members of the Blues Band, fronted by ex-Manfred Mann lead singer Paul Jones -- that group, which landed a contract with Arista Records after cutting a very successful album on its own, lasted into the mid-'80s, though Flint exited in 1982. McGuinness and Jones, along with Flint's replacement, Rob Townsend (formerly of Family), ended up forming the core of the Manfreds, a successful effort to revive the Manfred Mann sound and repertoire (without the participation of keyboard player Manfred Mann himself, hence the name change). Because of its Dylan-authored repertoire, Lo and Behold became the group's first album to be issued on compact disc (with bonus tracks, no less).
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