Gallagher and Lyle, the Scottish pairing of Benny Gallagher and Graham Lyle joined forces in 1964, initially as songwriters. They began by writing "Mr Heartbreak's Here Again" for Dean Ford and the Gaylords (later to become Marmalade). Their first recognition came in 1968, when they were signed by The Beatles to write for Apple Records artists like Mary Hopkin ("Sparrow"). By 1970, they had joined McGuinness Flint, and penned the folkish UK Top 10 hit singles "When I'm Dead and Gone" and "Malt and Barley Blues". They formed the duo Gallagher and Lyle in 1972, but not until their fifth album, Breakaway in 1976, did they chart again with the hits "Heart on My Sleeve", and "I Wanna Stay with You", both of which reached Number 6 in the UK Singles Chart. Art Garfunkel's cover of "Breakaway" was also a hit at the time, and the duo penned and performed "A Heart in New York", later covered by Simon and Garfunkel on The Concert in Central Park. Their mellow sound was only briefly in vogue, elusive further success (another minor hit in the UK was "Every Little Teardrop"), prompting their split in 1979. Lyle formed a new songwriting partnership with Terry Britten, their hits including "What's Love Got to Do with It?" and "We Don't Need Another Hero" for Tina Turner. He also recorded an album with Tom McGuinness, credited to Lyle McGuinness: Acting on Impulse (1983). Gallagher was later briefly a member of The Manfreds, a group featuring several former members of Manfred Mann. They have also worked with Jim Diamond.
Personnel details
- Benny Gallagher (born 21 January 1944, Blaimore, Argyll, Scotland).
- Graham Lyle (born Graham Hamilton Lyle, 11 March 1944, Bellshill, Scotland).
Discography
- Gallagher and Lyle (1972)
- Willie and the Lapdog (1973)
- Seeds (1973)
- The Last Cowboy (1974)
- Breakaway (1976)
- Love on the Airwaves (1977)
- Showdown (1978)
- Lonesome No More (1979)
- The Very Best Of Gallagher & Lyle (compilation album) (1991)
- Live In Concert (live album, recorded by the BBC Radio) (1999)
- The River Sessions (recorded for Radio Clyde 1974) (2004)
External links
- Gallagher and Lyle at All Music Guide
- Gallagher & Lyle's career on A&M Records with gallery and international discography
- Video interviews and 'fly on the wall' feature with Graham Lyle
