| The Hunt | |
| Cover: | Barry Ryan The Hunt.jpg |
| Type: | single |
| Artist: | Barry Ryan |
| Album: | Barry Ryan |
| B-Side: | Oh, for the Love of Me |
| Genre: | Baroque pop |
| Label: | Polydor |
| Producer: | Bill Landis |
| Prev Title: | The Colour of My Love |
| Prev Year: | 1969 |
| Next Title: | Magical Spiel |
| Next Year: | 1970 |
"The Hunt" is a song by Barry Ryan, released as a single in September 1969. It peaked at number 34 on the UK Singles Chart.
"The Hunt" was Ryan's first single for Polydor. His previous few singles "Eloise" and "Love Is Love" had been very successful and like them "The Hunt" was written by Barry's brother Paul. However, Barry was "bitterly disappointed... with the relative failure of "The Hunt" in Britain and could only really put it down to the fact that the number was too complicated", with Paul adding that it "was not an easy number for people to catch on to".[1]
Reviewing for New Musical Express, Derek Johnson wrote that "on the debit side of this disc, we have the fact that it's another Paul Ryan song is in much the same expansive style as "Eloise", and lacking the melodic content that would enable the youngsters to whistle it in the streets. On the credit side is an incredible dynamic performance by Barry; a scorching up-tempo pace; and a magnificently-scored arrangement that's almost overpowering in its impact".[2] Peter Jones for Record Mirror wrote that "though there are signs of yet another massive production, in fact this Is a much simpler sort of sound – and for me, it has hit written all over it. Barry is sometimes much-maligned, but fact is that Paul writes good stuff for him, and no expense is spared in making his singles "complete" productions. Once this gets over the first over-done bit, it's a jogging impacty piece".[3] Reviewing for Melody Maker, Carl Wayne of the Move described it as "a tremendous performance. The whole record, and the song, is just a stepping stone away from being a great record. But it tends to fall into a position of uncertainty. The production seems too light and not dramatic enough for what is going on".[4]