Barry Ryan – Love Is Love – 1968

Barry Ryan (born Barry Sapherson, 24 October 1948, Leeds, Yorkshire) is an English pop singer. The son of pop singer Marion Ryan, Ryan and his twin brother Paul began to perform at the age of 16. In 1965 they signed a recording contract with Decca and, under the name of “Paul & Barry Ryan”, brought out singles such as “Don’t Bring Me Your Heartaches” (1965), “Have Pity on the Boy” (1966) and “Missy Missy” (1966). His stepfather was the American agent and music promoter Harold Davison. When it turned out that Ryan’s brother was unable to cope any longer with the stress connected with show business, the brothers decided that Paul would write the songs which Ryan would interpret as a solo artist. Their greatest success as a composer-singer duo, now for MGM Records, was “Eloise” (1968), melodramatic and heavily orchestrated. It sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc. Later singles included “Love Is Love” (also 1968), “The Hunt” (1969), “Magical Spiel” (1970) and “Kitsch” (1970). “Love Is Love”, written by Paul Ryan and released in the United Kingdom during February 1969, was not a great success in his own country. However combining sales from Germany, Austria and the Netherlands, “Love is Love” sold a million copies by August 1969, the second million-seller for Ryan. Ryan was also popular in Germany. Promoted by Bravo, the German youth magazine, he also recorded a number of songs in German, for example “Die Zeit macht nur vor dem Teufel halt” (“Time Only …