Songfacts®:

• In 1972, dissatisfied with the sound and critical reception of Lindisfarne's third album, Dingly Dell, vocalist Alan Hull temporarily broke up the group. During the hiatus, he recorded his debut solo album, Pipedream. This is the sixth track on the record.
• "Country Gentleman's Wife" is a ribald tale of cuckoldry across the class divide. It's derived from the days when Hull used to clean windows in one of Newcastle's richer sectors and was propositioned by the kind of lady described in the song. "He was a fit young lad, leaping up-and-down the ladders and he had a round somewhere posh on the other side of the Tyne," Lindisfarne co-vocalist Ray Jackson told Mojo magazine.
• "Country Gentleman's Wife" was recorded live in a studio, just vocal and acoustic guitar. Hull co-produced the track with Mickey Sweeney.
• Pipedream is a departure from the folk-rock sound of Lindisfarne, showcasing a more introspective and acoustic approach. It was a commercial success, reaching #29 on the UK Albums chart.
• Hull and Jackson formed a new Lindisfarne lineup in 1973, but the new band lacked the appeal of the original, and with Hull also pursuing a solo career they disbanded in 1975.
• Hull continued to release solo albums throughout the 1970s and 1980s but suffered a heart attack in 1995 and passed away aged 50.