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BENNY GALLAGHER

Oldflattop.com presents

BENNY GALLAGHER

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For sheer quality and distinction you need look no further than the career of Benny Gallagher. One half of hit makers and blue chip songwriters Gallagher & Lyle; he began his career as a staff writer with the Beatles Music Publishing Co. Apple writing songs for Apple Records biggest artist Mary Hopkin.

Benny has always considered his “formative” days at Apple, and, especially, the constant encouragement of Paul McCartney, as one of the most important factors in his development as a songwriter.

In 1970 it was his and Graham Lyle’s astute composing abilities that propelled the band McGuinness Flint to the top of the charts with their hit songs “When I’m Dead and Gone” and “Malt and Barley Blues”.

Then came the duo’s own string of successes – the richly romantic ” Heart on my Sleeve ” and ” I Wanna Stay With You “. Their Breakaway album was a huge success – with even more accolades to follow when the ttitle track was recorded by Art Garfunkel for his biggest selling solo Album.

On record he has worked with: Paul McCartney – Eric Clapton – Pete Townsend – Ronnie Lane – Ronnie Wood – Gary Brooker – Georgie Fame – Mary Hopkin – Elkie Brooks – Ralph McTell – Sandy Denny and Fairport Convention, as well as Blues legends Arthur “Big Boy” Crudup (who wrote ” That’s Alright Mama ” for Elvis Presley), and Champion Jack Dupree.

Over the last few years, in between song-writing visits to Nashville, and composing soundtracks for film and television he has toured Australia, the Middle and Far East, Europe, and the U.K. as bassist and vocalist with The Manfreds, and more recently.. performed at The Belfast Nashville Songwriters Festival with Don Schlitz, Nanci Griffiths, and Pat Alger, played an “In the Round Concert” with Beth Nielsen-Chapman, Ricky Ross and Charlie Dore to celebrate the opening of the new BBC Scotland Headquarters in Glasgow, performed at SXSW in Austin, Byron Bay Blues Festival Australia , Canterbury Folk Festival N. Z. – as well as a couple of special guest appearances with Dougie MacLean at his Perthshire Amber Festival and at Jazz Guitar Legend Martin Taylor’s string of sell-out shows during the London Jazz Festival.

It is a testament to the enduring quality of Benny Gallagher’s song-writing that:

1. Simon & Garfunkel and Garth Brooks both performed “A Heart in New York “ in their Concerts in Central Park to audiences of approx. 500,000 and 750,000

2. Don Williams had a No.1 Country Hit with “Stay Young” which generated well in excess of 1,000,000 airplays on US Radio.

3. The hugely popular UK cult dance band Lemonjelly chose to record and release a version of ‘I Wanna Stay With You’.

4. Benny and Graham Lyle were recipients of the 2010 Tartan Clef Lifetime Achievement Award 2010.

5. The songs he and Graham Lyle composed for Apple Record’s biggest solo artist Mary Hopkin feature in this released.

Come and Get It: The Best of Apple Records

The First Commercial Multi-Artist Compilation in Apple’s History

Released Oct. 25th 2010

A selection of artists that have recorded and released Benny Gallagher songs:

Art Garfunkel – Bryan Ferry – Colin Blunstone – Don Williams – Donovan Frankereiter – Elkie Brooks – Fairport Convention – Garth Brooks – Judith Durham – Little Anthony and the Imperials – Mary Hopkin – Phil Everly – Ricky Nelson – Ringo Starr – Rita Coolidge – Simon and Garfunkel – Status Quo – The Fureys and Davey Arthur – LemonJelly and Jim Capaldi to name but a few….

TICKETS

€18.50 available online from WAV Tickets [Lo-Call 1890 200 078] (50c per ticket service charge applies on phone or creditcard bookings)

Strictly over 18′s, I.D. may be required.

AFTER THE GIG

Whelan’s DJ w/ Late Bar from 10:30pm (Free Entry)