- Barry Ryan (aka Barry Sapherson) -- vocals

- Paul Ryan (aka Paul Sapherson) (RIP 1992) -- vocals

- Matayo (Paul Ryan)

- Paul Ryan (solo efforts)

- Barry Ryan (solo efforts)

Genre: pop

Rating: 3 stars ***

Title:  Hey Mr. Ryan

Company: Decca

Catalog: ND 244

Year: 1967

Country/State: Leeds, UK

Grade (cover/record): VG / VG

Comments: German pressing

Available: 1

Catalog ID: 5478

Price: $75.00

Twin brothers Barry and Paul Ryan were born into a musical family (their mother was UK singer Marion Ryan and their step father was English show business manager Harold Davidson).     

The brothers first brush with success came as models for Vidal Sassoon, but interested in a musical career they were seasoned musical performers by the time they were teenagers.  With support from their step-father Decca Records decided to take a shot at capitalizing on their good looks, trendy attire and nice harmonies and signed them to a recording contract in 1965.  Teamed with producer/writer Les Reed, they were one of the few UK acts that made little effort to find American success, instead focusing their attentions on the UK and the rest of Europe (particularly then-West Germany where they were major stars).  Their efforts were immediately rewarded with a string of British and European hits:

- 1965's 'Don't Bring Me Your Heartaches' b/w 'To Remind You Of My Love' (Decca catalog number F-12260)

- 1966's 'Have Pity On The Boy' b/w 'There You Go' (Decca catalog number F-12319)

- 1966's 'I Love Her' b/w 'Gotta Go Out To Work' (Decca catalog number F-12391)

- 1966's 'I Love How You Love Me' b/w 'Baby I'm Sorry' (Decca catalog number F-12445)

- 1966's 'Have You Ever Loved Somebody' b/w 'I'll Tell You Later' (Decca catalog number F-12494)

- 1966's 'Missy Missy' b/w 'Rainbow Weather' (Decca catalog number F-12520)

- 1967's 'Who Told You?' b/w 'Keep It Out of Sight' (Decca catalog number F-12657)

- 1967's 'Claire' b/w 'I'll Make It Worth Your While' (Decca catalog number (F-12633)

Released by the German Decca label, 1967's "Hey Mr. Ryan" essentially served as a 'best of' set compiling most of their earlier singles.  Easy going top-40 pop material like 'Don't Bring Me Your Heartaches', 'Tonight's the Night' and 'Love You Don't Know What It Means'' wasn't much different from what was being marketed by such competitors as Chad and Jeremy, or Peter and Gordon, though to my ears it's actually far more commercial and memorable than much of those other acts' catalogs.  Elsewhere the campy 'Missy, Missy' and ''twas On a Night Like This' could have been Herman's Hermits releases.  The brothers certainly had nice voices and when paired with a killer song like 'I Made Her That Way' (love the la-la-la chorus)  their harmonies were quite memorable. The brothers also took some interesting tentative steps at hipper material, including the psych--tinged 'Hey, Mr. Wiseman'.   Highly orchestrated tunes that were clearly written with an ear for MOR audiences and top-40 radio, this was pop as product.  That's not to say it wasn't quality product.  Had some of the MOR arrangements been dropped and the songs been framed with slightly more rock oriented arrangements and this could have been a monster seller.  In spite of the MOR orientation I'll readily admit that this stuff was far better than I would have expected.  Certainly not the most original LP I've heard this year, but more fun than virtually anything else that's been on my turntable the last couple of months.

"Hey Mr. Ryan" track listing:
(side 1)

1.) Don't Bring Me Your Heartaches   (Conrad - Les Reed) - 

2.) I Made Her That Way   (Callander - Barkan) - 

3.) Tonight's the Night   (Les Reed - Mason) - 

4.) Missy, Missy   (Leander - Mills) - 

5.) Love You Don't Know What It Means  (Callander - Murray) - 

6.) Am I Wasting My Time   (Roberts - Rooms) - 

(side 2)
1.) Hey, Mr. Wiseman   (Leander - Mills) - 

2.) 'twas On a Night Like This   (Les Reed - Mason - Stephens) -     

3.) Claire   (Les Reed - Stephens) -  

4.) Comedy Girl   (Leander - Mills) - 

5.) You Don't Know Like I Know  (Isaac Hayes - David Potter) - 

6.) Pay You Back with Interest   (Allan Clarke - Terry Hicks - Graham Nash) - 

The brothers subsequently switched to the MGM label, releasing at least a  couple of non-LP singles:

- 1967's 'Heartbreaker' b/w 'Night Time' (MGM catalog number MGM 1354)

- 1967's 'Have You Ever Told Somebody b/w ''I'll Tell You Later' (MGM catalog number K-13609)

- 1967's 'Madrigal' b/w 'Pictures of Today' (MGM catalog number K-13911)

Paul reported suffered a nervous breakdown in 1968; essentially ending his performing career.  He then turned his attention to writing, with brother Barry going on as a solo artist.  Interestingly Barry's first solo LP was entitled "Barry Ryan Sings Paul Ryan" (MGM catalog number CS 8106).  

Sadly Paul died of cancer in 1992.

And thanks to YouTube you can see a couple of television performances by the brothers:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OrU0iRqtzeU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EhpJuPOqGJU&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_fl2mn9fjKQ&feature=related

There are a couple of retrospectives out there.  Probably the best of the lot is 1998's "The Best of Paul & Barry Ryan".  Released by the German Repertoire label (catalog number  RR7090), the 47 track double CD set has pretty much everything including  their radio hits, a couple of rare German language tracks and some Barry solo singles.

"The Best of Paul & Barry Ryan" track listing:

CD1
1.) Don't Bring Me Your Heartaches   (Conrad - Les Reed) - 
2.) To Remind You of My Love
3,) Have Pity On the Boy
4.) There You Go
5.) I Love Her
6.) Gotta Go Out To Work
7.) I love how you love me
8.) Baby I'm Sorry
9.) Have You Ever Loved Somebody?
10.) I'm Telling You Later
11) .Missy Missy
12.) Rainbow Weather
13.) Keep It Out of Sight
14.) Who Told You?
15.) Claire
16.) I'll Make It Worth Your While
17.) Heartbreaker
18.) Night Time
19.) Pictures of Today
20.) Madrigal
21.) Glad to Know You
22.) So laß uns Leben
23.) Carry the Blues
24.) Reincarnation Games

CD2
1.) Eloise (Ryan solo side)
2.) Love Is Love
3.) The Colour of My Love
4.) The Hunt (Ryan solo side)
5.) Magical Spiel (Ryan solo side)
6.) Kitsch (Ryan solo side)
7.) Red Man
8.) Zeit Macht nur vor dem Teufel Halt (Time Only Stops at The Devil) (Ryan solo side)
9.) It Is Written
10.) Can't Let You Go
11.) From My Head To My Toes
12.) Sanctus Sanctus Hallelujiah
13.) I'm Sorry Susan
14.) Love I Almost Found You
15.) I'll Be On My Way Dear
16.) Give Me a Sign
17.) When I was a Child
18.) Alimony Honey Blues
19.) L.A. Woman
20.) We Did it Together
21.) Today
22.) Show Me the Way
23.) Storm Is Brewing