Ralph McTell

The Profile

English folk singer-songwriter and guitarist, born Ralph May. He took his stage name from bluesman Blind Willie McTell and rose from the late-1960s British folk scene. Best known for the song Streets of London, with acclaimed albums including You Well-Meaning Brought Me Here and Sand in Your Shoes.

Born 1944 as Ralph May in England; stage name inspired by Blind Willie McTell; debut album Eight Frames a Second (1968); leading figure of the British folk revival; renowned for fingerstyle guitar and the song Streets of London (1969).

Four reviews spotlight McTell’s folk craft beyond his signature Streets of London. They praise the maturity and scope of You Well-Meaning Brought Me Here and the late-era depth of Sand in Your Shoes. Streets... is framed as a cohesive, autumnal return to acoustic essentials, while the Streets of London/Spiral Staircase material shows range without monotony.