Taken from the LP ‘Dancin’ On A Saturday Night, the best of Barry Blue’ | (Pickwick SHM 922) 1977

A leopard may never change his spots but a certain pop artist named Barry Blue certainly changed his colour!

The musical career of this artist began in the shade of Green at the age of 13. Barry and his school mates formed a pop group that came top in a TV pop competition held by ‘The Silver Star Show’.

“We only knew how to sing and play two songs”, says Barry. “After winning we were booked to appear for the following 16 weeks with a new tune every time.”

Quite a feat for this budding pop group and the first taste in writing top quality tunes for Barry.

Barry Blue | “Do You Wanna Dance” | (Pickwick)

After Barry left school he spent a lot of time travelling with some of England’s most popular groups and rock bands including Uriah Heep. He enjoyed the touring life but after a few years he decided to learn about the publicity and management side of the business which he achieved through joining a large Record Company.

Barry’s next step in his career was to take all the yellow from his last name and call himself Barry Blue! He began his own publishing company, managed various pop stars, and got back to the talent he was born with — to write and record his own songs.

Barry has written and sung many smash hits and to date five million recordings of his sounds have been sold. He has written great numbers for people like The Brotherhood of Man, Acker Bilk, Dana, Sandie Shaw and it’s not surprising to know that he’s also writing material with Lynsey de Paul.

“Dancin’ On A Saturday Night” is just one example of how well they work together.

So here are some of Barry’s favourite numbers and as there isn’t room to give you all the tracks we know you would like to hear, there will be another Barry Blue LP released later in the year to add to this colourful collection!

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cost of record: £2
from: The Children’s Society

Barry Blue’s Not So Green

Article published in Record Mirror, 25th August 1973

HE DOES everything, this Barry Blue. He’s a singer, songwriter, bass guitarist, guitarist, producer and arranger. Course you will not after all that be surprised to learn he has a few other names as well.

Currently hit-parading with “Dancin’ (On A Saturday Night)” his name is as mentioned Barry Blue but, turn to Lyndsey De Paul and “Sugar Me” and what do you find, Barry Blue?

No. Barry Green, yes. Barry co-wrote most of the songs on Lyndsey’s album, ‘Surprise’, and with Miss De Paul put down the Brotherly Love near-hit “Tip Of My Tongue. Not doing bad is he?

Call him pop’s Jack Of All Trades, though when you talk to him he likes to stress: “Basically I’m a writer, however it’s only the last two or three years that I’ve taken it all seriously.”

Barry, the guitarist, began at the age of fourteen. He joined a group called Dark Knights and they found themselves on a junior TV talent show. They only knew one song or Barry did anyway.

“I was pretty familiar with “The Breeze And I” and so we sang that. Won first prize, quite incredible!”

He went on to join several other bands including The Riot Squad. He was offered a job on Granada’s pop show ‘Lift Off’, and Barry realised they needed a theme tune and offered to write it and did. Thus was born Barry Green, songwriter.

His songwriting activities expanded and he offered material to people like Gene Pitney. The song was “Rainmaker Girl” and Gene recorded the song on four of his albums and twice as a single.

Then, of course, there has been the profitable time with Lyndsey De Paul but to her name should be added the material Barry has now written for Desmond Dekker, Dana, Tony Christie, Acker Bilk, Geno Washington and the Young Generation.

Barry Blue’s Not So Green

Running concurrently with this has been Barry the producer and arranger and come to that, Barry the talent-spotter.

“I am always looking for new talent and I would like to say I will be more than pleased to receive tapes from anyone and promise each will be listened to and returned.”

“Dancin’ (On A Saturday Night)” has of course made us conscious of one aspect of this jack of all trades, Barry Green, the singer.

“You know my last four records have been bubblers so with this current entry I’ve broken an almost jinx! Admittedly I did little or no promotion on the last ones for it’s not too easy to slot everything in.

“I do in any case spend some time on the continent for my records have always done well in France and Holland and have been in the top three there.

“What I think helps to make my current hit is the bouzouki instrument. I spent some time in Greece and grew up to really like the instrument.

“There’s no chance of duetting vocally with Lyndsey. Too many problems there. Each of us has so much happening and we can only manage as it is to get a couple of weeks together to put down some new song material.”

It took Gary Glitter 16 weeks to make it with his first disc. Coincidence lies here for Barry, for his disc took the same time to hit the charts.

Barry with all his other trades can justifiably now add, singer. The thing is to remember which name to remember! Barry White, nope, but Barry Blue and Barry Green, yes, just don’t mix him up with the group, Blue and . . . . . . (Tony Jasper)