History Flying Squad, named after a police department, was a Scottish hard rock band whose album was produced by Status Quo's Francis Rossi. The group was formed by guitarists Monty Monagle and Alex Calder, both from Milton in Glasgow. The first line-up was called Rogue and featured singer Joe Keogh, Jim Anderson on drums and Davey Gilmore on bass. The band went though a couple of evolutions resulting in the album's line-up of Jimmy Kelly, George Crossan, Monty McMonagle, Ian Muir and Alex Calder. An earlier incarnation called Boyz would have to change names in order to avoid conflicts with a US band.
The band enjoyed popularity on the Scotland and England live circuit, before being spotted by CBS which was impressed by Flying Squad's guitar-based rock and live work. They recorded three songs intended for a single, but the record company was impressed enough to invest in an album, entitled simply Flying Squad. This was recorded at IBC Studio in London, Threshold Studio London and at the Visilord Phonogram Studio in Hilversum, Holland. The album was produced by Francis Rossi, of Status Quo fame, and engineered by John Eden. The first single was Drive On, followed by Backroom Boys. The singles and album received some very good reviews; however, punk was breaking big time in the UK and the record company's focus was elsewhere.
Much to Rossi's surprise following management difficulties, the band split up and did not record a second album. Ian Muir (a.k.a. Finn Muir) went on to form Waysted. Monty McMonagle and George Crossan formed a band called The Difference and released three albums on the Big Ideas private label between 1979 and 1982. Alex Calder and Ian (Finn) Muir were putting together a band which would be playing at the Glastonbury Festival in 2005.
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