Sad news came through yesterday that the singer and songwriter, Willy Finlayson had died. You may know him best for his solo single On The Air Tonight, from 1984, which made it onto the soundtrack of the film Nightmare On Elm Street 2.
However, I knew him from several years before that – 1977 to be precise – when Willy was the lead singer in a band called Meal Ticket. They had grown out of the pub-rock circuit and had several weapons in their armoury. Apart from Willy’s wonderful, gravelly voice, they had guitarist and singer, Steve Simpson, guitarist Ray Flacke and keyboard player, writer and singer, Rick Jones. Simpson worked with everyone, and has continued to be a valued session player and band member with Ronnie Lane, Roger Chapman and Joe Brown – many of the members of Ronnie Lane’s Slim Chance are back out touring Ronnie’s songs, with Steve Simpson on vocals and guitar.
Ray Flacke went to Nashville after Meal Ticket and became one of the most sought-after Country session-players around; an incredible honour for an Englishman.
Rick Jones was already a well known TV ‘star’ when he started Meal Ticket; yes, Rick was the Canadian guy with the beard on Play School, Play Away and Fingerbobs. What most people didn’t know about Rick was that his first love was songwriting. He wrote wonderful ‘story-songs’ about the native Americans, cowboys, fishermen and this one, about the Mexican and his mysterious friend who appeared in town, saved the day and then disappeared again.
Meal Ticket were a red-hot band; a six-piece with three lead-singers, great harmonies and brilliant musicians. They played what today would be Americana – I listen back to their three albums now and think they were way ahead of their time – and gigged around the university and college circuit in the U.K and Europe. They almost had a hit single off their first album, a cover of the song Yesterday’s Music by David Clayton-Thomas.
Sadly, the record sales did not match their live popularity and they were dropped by EMI after the third album, in 1979, and went their separate ways.
The band were so important to me and my friend Des. We loved their music, saw them live and, over the next thirty years, always played their songs when we got together. A few weeks after Des’s 50th birthday, I spotted that Willy and Steve from the band were playing a Sunday afternoon gig at a pub near Kingston-on-Thames, and were billed as Meal Ticket. My wife and I picked Des up from his home and drove to the pub in time for lunch. We sat outside in the sun and he was completely unaware of what was going to happen. After lunch, I went inside to get another round of drinks and the band were just setting up. I introduced myself to Willy and told him the story of a 32-year friendship which had built itself around music, some of which was his. His eye lit up and he and Steve were delighted that there were three people in the room who knew who Meal Ticket were. At the allotted time we brought Des into the pub, just as the band struck up the first song, This Could Be The Town.
The grin on my friend’s face was so wonderful to see and we sang every word to every song. Willy dedicated The Man From Mexico to us and we sang the harmonies, just like we had done since 1977, perfectly. After the gig, Willy spent time with us, so grateful that we’d come and knocked out that we were such fans. He posed for photos and was really lovely.
Des cherished the day for the rest of his life which ended, sadly and unexpectedly, in 2018, at just 62 years of age. I have a photo of the two of us, just after Man From Mexico had finished, with our arms around each other, on my desk. It’s a wonderful memory of my friend of 44 years.
So, Willy passing away floored me yesterday. He was a lovely, lovely man, with a fantastic voice, who made great music which my friend and I loved. RIP Willy. xx
The only Meal Ticket song I knew was Day Job (and I’m not it’s Will on vocals – it might be?),
But, now I have some whole new albums to explore on a Friday Evening.
Thanks for the pointer Niall
Great live band – I saw them in Glasgow, think it was 1977 or 78, can’t remember who they were supporting. I bought their album the weekend after that gig, think I’ve still got it.
Meal Ticket and Clover – two bands who slipped through the cracks, by playing Americana during the punk years.
They toured with Frankie Miller’s Full House in ‘77. It was a terrific billing.
Exactly. I think all of us of a “certain age” saw those good-time early Americana bands supporting someone heavier and more unsuitable as they travelled the Odeons and larger theatres of your typical mid-to-late-70s concert tour.
“It’s a shit business” might have been their motto.
Lovely post, Niall and thanks for sharing those fantastic memories
Thanks 🙏
Just listened to the tracks.
They sound good so I will explore further, thanks for sharing.
Don’t know Meal Ticket at all but I did see Ray Flacke at a songwriter show in Nashville and he was excellent. We had a chat after and he was a complete gent. I had his tuition tape for country lead guitar and he showed me a few things. Easy when he did it.
The Balham Alligators were “my” band of under the radar faves, along with the brief surge of Chilli Willi & the Red Hot Peppers. Country could be cool in the punk years. Or post pub rock years, as I prefer to define that time. There was another band around that time, Ron Kavana was a member before he went solo a decade or so later. Anyone remember the name?
@retropath2 Juice On The Loose?
Bloody hell, @niallb , been racking my brain for yonks! That’s the fellas. I do love me a bit of UK country rock. (Loads of that around at the moment, which is good. Are you trying for Rambling Roots this year? I see that that nice Mr Poole has Starry Eyed& Laughing booked and billed, hoping his health up to it this year. I’m trying to blag a ticket.)
I’ll get a day-ticket for Tony Poole Day, once confirmed. Fingers crossed for TP’s health, then.
Joe Ely was a good example of a Country act doing well in the punk years. The support from the Clash helped obviously.
Hi Niall
I set up a Meal Ticket group on Facebook, you are very welcome to become our 500th member!
Link here: https://www.facebook.com/share/jQeGNhC5nLdvaYFg/?mibextid=K35XfP
Graham