Meal Ticket


Meal Ticket were a country rock band that played the London pub circuit in the 1970s. Rick Jones, a Canadian-born performer known for his television appearances on Play School and Fingerbobs, wrote many of their songs. The band performed the theme to the BBC's Play For Today episodes, The Flipside of Dominick Hide and Another Flip for Dominick, entitled "You'd Better Believe It Babe". The band released three albums; Code Of The Road, Three Times A Day and Take Away in 1978.

Discography

Code of the Road (1977)

Side One
  1. Out of the Blue Vocal: Willie Finlayson
  2. Keepin' the Faith Vocal: Rick Jones
  3. OK Bar Vocal Willie Finlayson
  4. Last One to Know Vocal: Willie Finlayson
  5. Day Job Vocal: Rick Jones
Side Two

  1. The Man from Mexico Vocal: Willie Finlayson

  1. Snow Vocal: Rick Jones

  1. Golden Girl Vocal: Rick Jones; Willy Finlayson; Steve Simpson

  1. Standing on the Wrong Corner Vocal: Willie Finlayson

  1. Georgia Syncopator Vocal: Rick Jones

  1. The Code of the Road Vocal: Rick Jones
Meal Ticket are:

Steve Simpson: Guitar, Harmonica, Keyboards, Fiddle, Mandolin, Vocals

Willy Finlayson: Guitar, Lead Vocals, Electric Keyboard on The Man from Mexico

Rick Jones: Keyboards, Lead Vocals, Guitar on The Code of the Road

Ray Flacke: Guitar, Vocals

Jack Brand: Bass, Vocals

Chris Hunt: Drums and Percussion

Alby Greenhalgh plays saxophone on Day Job
Produced by Alan O'Duffy with Willy Finlayson

Engineered by Alan O'Duffy

Recorded January 1977 at The Point, London with assists from M Dunn and B Gaylor

Mixed at Advision, London with assists from Declan O'Doherty

Mastered at the Master Room, London

'Out of the Blue' recorded at Pebble Beach Studios, Worthing, August 1976, Produced by Meal Ticket and Tony Platt, engineered by Tony Platt
A Logo Records Production

Three Times A Day (1977)

Side One

  1. This could be the Town Lead Vocal: Willy Finlayson; Guitar solo: Ray Flacke
  2. Oh Sister Lead Vocal: Steve Simpson Slide guitar Solo: Ray Flacke
  3. Last Port of Call Lead Vocal: Rick Jones Mandolin: Steve Simpson
  4. Comes the Dawn Lead Vocal: Willy Finlayson Tenor Saxophone: Don Weller
  5. River Man Lead Vocal: Steve Simpson Dobro: Ray Flacke
Side Two
  1. Yesterday's Music Lead Vocal: Willy Finlayson Guitar Solo: Steve Simpson
  2. Rural Routes Lead Vocal: Rick Jones Guitar Solo: Ray Flacke
  3. I Wish, I Wish Lead Vocal: Rick Jones and Steve Simpson Guitar Solo: Ray Flacke Banjo: Keith Nelson
  4. Laughing Daughter Lead Vocal: Rick Jones
  5. This Dream I Have of You Lead Vocal: Willy Finlayson Guitar Solo: Ray Flacke String Arrangement: Ann O'Dell
Meal Ticket are:

Steve Simpson: Lead Vocals, Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Mandolin, Accordion

Willy Finlayson: Lead Vocals, Guitar

Rick Jones: Lead Vocals, Keyboards

Ray Flacke: Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, DobroVocals

Jack Brand: Bass, Vocals

Chris Hunt: Drums and Percussion
Produced by Ritchie Gold / Handle Artists

Recorded and Mixed at Threshold / Decca Studio 1

Engineer Derek Varnals

Assisted by Paul Cooper and Craig Thompson

‘This could be the Town' Recorded at Marquee Studio, Engineer Phil Harding, Mixed at Threshold

‘Yesterday's Music' Recorded and Mixed at Marquee Studio, Engineer John Eden

July and August 1977

Mastered at EMI Abbey Road by Chris Blair
A Logo Records Production