Five Hand Reel

[1] Five Hand Reel was formed originally in 1975 from the remnants of UK electric folk band Spencer's Feat: bassist Barry Lyons (ex Mr. Fox & Trees), Tom Hickland on fiddle and keyboards, and drummer Dave Tulloch.

Enlisting two Scottish musicians, fiddler Chuck Fleming and singer/guitarist Bobby Eaglesham, they decided to call themselves Five Hand Reel.

As Dick Gaughan says in his notes to the album: "It seems odd in these days when it is now perfectly normal to sing Gaelic songs in a contemporary fashion that this was regarded as extremely daring and adventurous in 1977.

Much of Five Hand Reel's live work was on club, college, and folk festivals of England and Northern Europe.

In 1978, Five Hand Reel's third RCA album, Earl O'Moray,[1] was recorded in Rockfield Studios in Monmouth, Wales and produced by Simon Nicol of Fairport Convention.

In late 1978, Dick Gaughan decided to leave the band, after his young daughter was involved in a road accident, and he realised he needed to be at home at this time to support his family.

Barry Lyons played both in a duo and band with Paul King from Mungo Jerry and later with Jamie Marshall & Grahame White until his departure to Canada in 1996.