Richard Gilpin.com

"I rarely listen to music these days, a little radio in the mornings (Gerry Anderson) and trad. with a bit of classical during Sundays. I've got C.Ds at home, unopened, and some I would have recently played on. Today I broke the rules and put on Richard Gilpins C.D. "Beautiful Mistake", and I'll tell you, this young man of 32 years is one of the most original singer-songwriter guitarists I've heard in a long long time, and it was a privilege to have been part of his new and first C.D. "Beautiful Mistake". With his openness, energy, and musical gift Ireland has a new star - Richard Gilpin. The best mistakes are always beautiful, and this is one of them."
Henry McCullough Nov. 2001

"Richard Gilpin has just released, a fantastic new cd entitled 'Beautiful Mistake' . Richard was one of the performers who recently performed in a night of Americana in the Memorial Hall to raise almost �800 for the New York fire department fund. Make no mistake Richard is one to watch."
Frank Galligan, Belfast Telegraph Nov. 15 2001

Beautiful Mistake, the debut CD by Richard Gilpin really does makes beautiful music! The fusion of traditional, country rock and folk was written and performed by Gilpin in collaboration with some of Ireland's foremost musicians.

Based in Convoy having settled there three years ago Gilpin has been writing songs since he was eleven. His talent was honed by a musical family in Belfast; a brother and sister who taught him to play the guitar and his mother, a music
teacher, and accomplished pianist. Later guitar lessons are attributed to Victor Mc McCullough, Ian Smith and Ted Ponsonby,"but I don't see myself as primarily a guitarist" he explains, "rather a writer of songs Dreaming".

The single released from the CD is described as an alternative Christmas record. It's the story of a woman I knew who was struggling to make ends meet, especially at Christmas when there is so much pressure and also about her hopes and dreams.

A well-worn path of gigs and tours provided his musical apprenticeship. As lead singer of the Northern Irish band Green Grass he described their 1999 tour of Scandinavia as very Spinal Tap, "We missed the boat not only once but three times having lost the roof rack en route along with the
mandolin player's bag. All we could see was Paul's trousers flapping around the car then flying down the M5". It was the same person who panicked when he'd realised he'd left his passport in the last town they'd played in.

They returned fifty miles later just as Paul discovered his passport in his pocket. When they drove back they ran out of petrol and were stranded in the middle of stark Swedish landscape. The car also came to an abrupt halt when they realised that the bridge they were travelling across hadn't been completed. The mishaps did not dim their popularity. When they were invited back the following year "the agency", Gilpin said wryly,"flew us out directly and organised all travel arrangements.

Beautiful Mistake "is the accumulation of a sweet and sour mix of perceptions and experience, a deft and well-crafted work of light, shade and tone. Gilpin acknowledges the contribution of the seasoned musicians who worked with him on the recording.