McGuinness Flint
| Company type | Rock band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1970 |
| Founder | Tom McGuinness, Hughie Flint |
| Products | Music albums, singles |
McGuinness Flint was a rock ensemble established in 1970 by Tom McGuinness, known for his work as bassist and guitarist with Manfred Mann, and Hughie Flint, previously the drummer for John Mayall. The group also included vocalist and keyboard player Dennis Coulson, along with multi-instrumentalists and singer-songwriters Benny Gallagher and Graham Lyle.
Career
Their first single, "When I'm Dead and Gone", climbed to No. 2 on the UK Singles Chart in 1970 and also charted in the United States, Ireland, and Canada. The album McGuinness Flint secured a spot within the UK Top 10. In 1999, this track was featured on the soundtrack of the film East is East.
The succeeding single, "Malt and Barley Blues," reached No. 5 in the UK and No. 15 in Ireland during 1971. Despite this success, the band encountered difficulties handling rapid fame, including problems replicating their studio sound during live performances and health issues that led to cancellations of many tour dates. Internally, two groups formed within the band: McGuinness, Flint, and Coulson concentrated on touring efforts, while Gallagher and Lyle focused more on songwriting and studio work.
Their sophomore album Happy Birthday Ruthy Baby did not chart; its title song also failed to gain traction despite featuring compositions by Gallagher and Lyle such as "Sparrow," which later received covers from other artists. By late 1971, Gallagher and Lyle left to pursue a duo career, eventually achieving significant acclaim with their 1976 release Breakaway. Nevertheless, McGuinness Flint continued to perform some of their songs live.
Following several personnel shifts—including the addition of comedian Neil Innes on piano—the lineup solidified with bassist Dixie Dean joining permanently. In 1972, they recorded Lo and Behold, an album comprising unreleased Bob Dylan tracks credited to Coulson, Dean, McGuinness, and Flint. The single "Let The People Go" was prohibited by the BBC due to its politically sensitive content linked to the Ulster conflict.
After Coulson departed to record a solo album under Elektra Records, Lou Stonebridge (formerly of Paladin) replaced him on keyboards, with Jim Evans joining on guitar. This formation released two additional albums that failed commercially, culminating in the band's dissolution in 1975. A derivative group named Stonebridge McGuinness achieved minor UK chart success with "Oo-Eeh Baby" in 1979 and issued Corporate Madness through RCA Records in 1980 before disbanding.
Following the breakup, McGuinness and Flint became members of The Blues Band, which included former Manfred Mann vocalist Paul Jones. Meanwhile, Stonebridge later joined The Dance Band, associated with the early '80s soul revival movement.
In 1983, McGuinness briefly reunited with Lyle to form the Lyle McGuinness Band, releasing a single titled "Elise" along with the album Acting on Impulse on Cool King; it received a major label release in Germany via Polydor. Lyle’s subsequent songwriting achievements—most notably penning "What's Love Got to Do with It?" for Tina Turner—effectively ended further prospects for this group. The album was reissued on CD in 1997 as Elise, Elise, including bonus tracks.
McGuinness remains active in recording and performing with both The Blues Band and The Manfreds, a reunion project of Manfred Mann members from the 1960s that has been ongoing since 1992.
Dennis Coulson passed away on 15 January 2006.
Studio albums
| Album Title | Details | Highest Chart Positions |
|---|---|---|
| UK | ||
| McGuinness Flint |
|
9 |
| Happy Birthday, Ruthy Baby |
|
— |
| Lo and Behold |
|
— |
| Rainbow |
|
— |
| C'est la Vie |
|
— |
| "—" indicates albums that did not chart or were not issued in that market. | ||
Compilation albums
| Compilation Title | Details |
|---|---|
| The Capitol Years |
|
| Malt & Barley Blues | |
| McGuinness Flint in Session at the BBC |
|
Singles
| Single Title | Release Year | Highest Chart Rankings | Associated Album | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK | AUS | BE (FLA) | BE (WA) | CAN | GER | IRE | NL | NZ | NOR | US | |||
| "When I'm Dead and Gone" | 1970 | 2 | 39 | 14 | 21 | 31 | 6 | 5 | 12 | 14 | 9 | 47 | McGuinness Flint |
| "Malt and Barley Blues" | 1971 | 5 | 38 | — | — | — | 37 | 15 | —[lower-alpha 1] | — | — | — | Template:N/A |
| "Happy Birthday Ruthy Baby" | — | 49 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Happy Birthday, Ruthy Baby | ||
| "Let the People Go" | 1972 | align=center |— | align=center |— | ||||||||||
| -scope=row-"Lay Down Your Weary Tune"(credited to Coulson, Dean, McGuinness, and Flint) | align=center |- | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | Lo and Behold | |
| 1973 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | Rainbow | |
| 1974 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | C'est la Vie | |
See also
References
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