Album review: THE HOOTENANNY – Plays The Songs Of Ron Ryan

Think Like A Key Music [Release date 02.09.22]

By all accounts, Ron Ryan was the writing force behind several of The Dave Clark Five’s hits in the sixties. He was introduced to Clark via his brother, early band member Mick Ryan. According to Ron his 50/50 royalty share wasn’t honoured by the bandleader and he then pursued a lower key life in country music. More recently, he hooked up with Joe Montague via Joe’s sixties music-based podcast. Montague’s band performs a selection of Ryan’s material.

The master stroke of these reworked songs is the use of a female lead vocal (Louie McDonald) which gives it a link to Dusty and even Kiki Dee. What could have been a fairly trite nostalgic exercise is elevated by Ryan’s good songwriting and McDonald’s soulful vocals.

The chronology of the songs is not clear, Montague comments “some from the 60s and some more recent, but every single track gleamed with the polished songwriting assocated with the 1960s.” The standout, which apparently gives Ryan goosebumps, is really a meld of sixties torch singer and the more contemporary: ‘The Thought Of Never Seeing You Again’.

Whatever, this is a worthwhile project that shines a light on a talented writer who might have forever remained a footnote in the sixties storybook. And on ‘The Light’ there is a cameo performance by Ryan himself on vocals.

This nicely annotated release is bolstered by half a dozen original recordings featuring Ryan with his band The Walkers from sessions in 1964 further attesting his pop credentials. ****

Review by David Randall

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