Gallagher and Lyle

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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 the 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 hits "When I'm Dead And Gone" and "Malt And Barley Blues".

They went as 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 the title track "Breakaway" was also a hit at the time, and the duo penned and performed "A Heart In New York", later popularly 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 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.

[edit] Personnel Details

Benny Gallagher (born 21 January 1944, in Blaimore, Argyll, Scotland).
Graham Lyle (born Graham Hamilton Lyle, 11 March 1944, in Bellshill, Scotland).