Andy Mackay
Encyclopedia
Andrew "Andy" Mackay is an English
multi-instrumentalist
, best known as a founder member (playing oboe
and saxophone
) of the art-rock group Roxy Music
.
In addition, he has taught music and provided scores for television, while his CV as a session musician
encompasses some of the most noteworthy and recognisable names in the music business.
, Cornwall
, England
, and grew up in central London
. He studied music and English literature at Reading University, where he played with a band called The Nova Express, formed part of a performance art group called Sunshine
with future Roxy PR guru Simon Puxley, and struck up a friendship with Winchester art student Brian Eno.
At the beginning of 1971 in January, Mackay became a member of the art-rock band Roxy Music
(formed November 1970) after answering a Melody Maker
advertisement placed by singer Bryan Ferry
; he soon brought Eno
into the group to handle "Synthesiser and Tapes". Prior to signing with EG Management, Mackay taught music full-time at Holland Park School
to support himself. Initially, guitar
ist David O'List
(from The Nice
) was part of the group, but he was replaced by Phil Manzanera
in February 1972, just as the band's first album was about to be recorded. Percussionist Paul Thompson
completed the band.
Mackay played oboe
and saxophone
in Roxy Music, becoming known for his Chuck Berry
-inspired duckwalk
during saxophone solos, notably on the raucous track "Editions of You". With his pronounced quiff
, Star Trek
sideburns
and outlandish Motown-inspired stage costumes, Mackay made a vital contribution to the unique Roxy Music "look"—much of which functioned as a retro-futurist throwback to 1950s rock and roll
performers.
His songwriting credits for Roxy Music include the Top Five hits "Love is the Drug" (1975) and "Angel Eyes" (1979), plus "A Song for Europe", "Three and Nine", "Bitter-Sweet", "Sentimental Fool", "While My Heart is Still Beating" and "Tara", together with the early experimental B-sides "The Numberer" and "The Pride and the Pain". He also learned to play the violin
while a member of Roxy Music.
He released two instrumental solo
album
s in the 1970s: In Search Of Eddie Riff (1974), an exploration of his musical roots, and Resolving Contradictions
(1978), based on his impressions of a trip to China
. He also composed
and produced the music
for the hit television series Rock Follies
and Rock Follies of '77, with lyrics by playwright and screenwriter Howard Schuman. Both series sired specially recorded soundtrack albums, the first of which reached Number One in the UK Album Chart in March/April 1976. The second contained a hit single in the form of "OK?", which reached Number Ten in the UK Singles Chart
in May/June 1977.
Mackay has also worked with Duran Duran
, Mott the Hoople
, John Cale
, Pavlov's Dog
, Johnny Cougar, Mickey Jupp
, Yukihiro Takahashi
, Paul McCartney
, Godley & Creme
, Eddie and the Hot Rods, Arcadia
and 801
.
In 1981, his book Electronic Music: The Instruments, The Music & The Musicians was published by Phaidon
.
After Roxy Music's dissolution in 1983, Mackay joined with Roxy guitarist Phil Manzanera
to form The Explorers, featuring Bryan Ferry soundalike James Wraith on lead vocals. The group released a self-titled album in 1985, and three years later resurfaced as Manzanera and Mackay. Under this name, they released a further two albums which combined new material with reissued tracks from the Explorers album.
From 1988 to 1991, Mackay largely abandoned music to take a three-year Bachelor of Divinity
course at King's College London
. During this time, he played on and produced a Christmas
album with The Players, a group of English folk musicians.
He has written several themes for British television and radio, such as the memorable theme music for the late 1970s series Armchair Thriller
and Hazell
.
With Ferry, Manzanera and Thompson, he took part in the Roxy Music reunion concerts of 2001, with further scattered live dates in 2003, 2005/6 and 2011.
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
multi-instrumentalist
Multi-instrumentalist
A multi-instrumentalist is a musician who plays a number of different instruments.The Bachelor of Music degree usually requires a second instrument to be learned , but people who double on another instrument are not usually seen as multi-instrumentalists.-Classical music:Music written for Symphony...
, best known as a founder member (playing oboe
Oboe
The oboe is a double reed musical instrument of the woodwind family. In English, prior to 1770, the instrument was called "hautbois" , "hoboy", or "French hoboy". The spelling "oboe" was adopted into English ca...
and saxophone
Saxophone
The saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
) of the art-rock group Roxy Music
Roxy Music
Roxy Music was a British art rock band formed in 1971 by Bryan Ferry, who became the group's lead vocalist and chief songwriter, and bassist Graham Simpson. The other members are Phil Manzanera , Andy Mackay and Paul Thompson . Former members include Brian Eno , and Eddie Jobson...
.
In addition, he has taught music and provided scores for television, while his CV as a session musician
Session musician
Session musicians are instrumental and vocal performers, musicians, who are available to work with others at live performances or recording sessions. Usually such musicians are not permanent members of a musical ensemble and often do not achieve fame in their own right as soloists or bandleaders...
encompasses some of the most noteworthy and recognisable names in the music business.
Life and career
Mackay was born in LostwithielLostwithiel
Lostwithiel is a civil parish and small town in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom at the head of the estuary of the River Fowey. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 2,739...
, Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, and grew up in central London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. He studied music and English literature at Reading University, where he played with a band called The Nova Express, formed part of a performance art group called Sunshine
Sunshine
Sunshine is sunlight, the electromagnetic radiation emitted by the Sun, especially in the visible wavelengths.Sunshine may also refer to:-Film and television:*Sunshine , a historical film directed by István Szabó...
with future Roxy PR guru Simon Puxley, and struck up a friendship with Winchester art student Brian Eno.
At the beginning of 1971 in January, Mackay became a member of the art-rock band Roxy Music
Roxy Music
Roxy Music was a British art rock band formed in 1971 by Bryan Ferry, who became the group's lead vocalist and chief songwriter, and bassist Graham Simpson. The other members are Phil Manzanera , Andy Mackay and Paul Thompson . Former members include Brian Eno , and Eddie Jobson...
(formed November 1970) after answering a Melody Maker
Melody Maker
Melody Maker, published in the United Kingdom, was, according to its publisher IPC Media, the world's oldest weekly music newspaper. It was founded in 1926 as a magazine targeted at musicians; in 2000 it was merged into "long-standing rival" New Musical Express.-1950s–1960s:Originally the Melody...
advertisement placed by singer Bryan Ferry
Bryan Ferry
Bryan Ferry, CBE is an English singer, musician, and songwriter. Ferry came to public prominence in the early 1970s as lead vocalist and principal songwriter with the band Roxy Music, who enjoyed a highly successful career with three number one albums and ten singles entering the top ten charts in...
; he soon brought Eno
Brian Eno
Brian Peter George St. John le Baptiste de la Salle Eno , commonly known as Brian Eno or simply as Eno , is an English musician, composer, record producer, singer and visual artist, known as one of the principal innovators of ambient music.Eno studied at Colchester Institute art school in Essex,...
into the group to handle "Synthesiser and Tapes". Prior to signing with EG Management, Mackay taught music full-time at Holland Park School
Holland Park School
Holland Park School was opened in London, UK, in 1958. It became the flagship for comprehensive education, and in its heyday had over 2000 in the student body. It became known as the "socialist Eton", and a number of high-profile socialists sent their children to Holland Park School, adding to its...
to support himself. Initially, guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
ist David O'List
David O'List
David 'Davy' O'List is a rock guitarist, vocalist and trumpeter.Most notably, he played with The Attack, The Nice and Jet.- Career :...
(from The Nice
The Nice
The Nice were an English progressive rock band from the 1960s, known for their blend of rock, jazz and classical music. Their debut album, The Thoughts of Emerlist Davjack was released in 1967 to immediate acclaim. It is often considered the first progressive rock album...
) was part of the group, but he was replaced by Phil Manzanera
Phil Manzanera
Phil Manzanera is a musician and record producer. He is the lead guitarist with Roxy Music. In 2006 Manzanera co-produced David Gilmour's album On An Island and played in Gilmour's band for tours in Europe and North America...
in February 1972, just as the band's first album was about to be recorded. Percussionist Paul Thompson
Paul Thompson (musician)
Paul Thompson is the drummer for Roxy Music from 1971 to 1980 and from 2001 onwards.In between those stints with Roxy Music, he was drummer in the Oi! band, Angelic Upstarts and the American alternative rock band Concrete Blonde...
completed the band.
Mackay played oboe
Oboe
The oboe is a double reed musical instrument of the woodwind family. In English, prior to 1770, the instrument was called "hautbois" , "hoboy", or "French hoboy". The spelling "oboe" was adopted into English ca...
and saxophone
Saxophone
The saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
in Roxy Music, becoming known for his Chuck Berry
Chuck Berry
Charles Edward Anderson "Chuck" Berry is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter, and one of the pioneers of rock and roll music. With songs such as "Maybellene" , "Roll Over Beethoven" , "Rock and Roll Music" and "Johnny B...
-inspired duckwalk
Duckwalk
The duckwalk is a stage an element of guitar showmanship popularized by Chuck Berry.While the origins of the duckwalk have been traced as far back as T-Bone Walker who already during the 1930s performed dance moves while playing his guitar, it was Chuck Berry who made the duckwalk popular and who...
during saxophone solos, notably on the raucous track "Editions of You". With his pronounced quiff
Quiff
The quiff is a hairstyle that combines the 1950s pompadour hairstyle, the 50s flattop, and sometimes a mohawk. The etymology of the word is uncertain but may derive from the French word "coiffe" which can mean either a hairstyle or, going further back, the mail knights wore over their heads and...
, Star Trek
Star Trek
Star Trek is an American science fiction entertainment franchise created by Gene Roddenberry. The core of Star Trek is its six television series: The Original Series, The Animated Series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Enterprise...
sideburns
Sideburns
Sideburns or sideboards are patches of facial hair grown on the sides of the face, extending from the hairline to below the ears and worn with an unbearded chin...
and outlandish Motown-inspired stage costumes, Mackay made a vital contribution to the unique Roxy Music "look"—much of which functioned as a retro-futurist throwback to 1950s rock and roll
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
performers.
His songwriting credits for Roxy Music include the Top Five hits "Love is the Drug" (1975) and "Angel Eyes" (1979), plus "A Song for Europe", "Three and Nine", "Bitter-Sweet", "Sentimental Fool", "While My Heart is Still Beating" and "Tara", together with the early experimental B-sides "The Numberer" and "The Pride and the Pain". He also learned to play the violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
while a member of Roxy Music.
He released two instrumental solo
Solo (music)
In music, a solo is a piece or a section of a piece played or sung by a single performer...
album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
s in the 1970s: In Search Of Eddie Riff (1974), an exploration of his musical roots, and Resolving Contradictions
Resolving Contradictions
Resolving Contradictions is an album by British musician Andy Mackay, released on Bronze Records in 1978.Andy Mackay was once Roxy Music's saxophonist, and some members of the group happen to play on this record. This opus is a "concept album" with references to the Chinese culture. The cover,...
(1978), based on his impressions of a trip to China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. He also composed
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
and produced the music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
for the hit television series Rock Follies
Rock Follies
Rock Follies, and its sequel, Rock Follies of '77, was a comedy musical drama shown on British television in the mid 1970s. The storyline, over 12 episodes and two series, followed the ups and downs of a fictional female rock band called the "Little Ladies" as they struggled for recognition and...
and Rock Follies of '77, with lyrics by playwright and screenwriter Howard Schuman. Both series sired specially recorded soundtrack albums, the first of which reached Number One in the UK Album Chart in March/April 1976. The second contained a hit single in the form of "OK?", which reached Number Ten in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
in May/June 1977.
Mackay has also worked with Duran Duran
Duran Duran
Duran Duran are an English band, formed in Birmingham in 1978. They were one of the most successful bands of the 1980s and a leading band in the MTV-driven "Second British Invasion" of the United States...
, Mott the Hoople
Mott the Hoople
Mott the Hoople were a British rock band with strong R&B roots, popular in the glam rock era of the early to mid 1970s. They are popularly known for the song "All the Young Dudes", written for them by David Bowie and appearing on their 1972 album of the same name.-The early years:Mott The Hoople...
, John Cale
John Cale
John Davies Cale, OBE is a Welsh musician, composer, singer-songwriter and record producer who was a founding member of the experimental rock band The Velvet Underground....
, Pavlov's Dog
Pavlov's Dog (band)
Pavlov's Dog is a 1970s progressive rock/AOR band formed in St. Louis, Missouri in 1972. Pavlov's Dog originally comprised David Surkamp, Mark Gahr on lead guitar, Mike Safron, Rick Stockton, David Hamilton, Doug Rayburn, and Siegfried Carver . Mark Gahr left the band and was replaced by Steve...
, Johnny Cougar, Mickey Jupp
Mickey Jupp
Michael 'Mickey' Jupp is an English musician and songwriter, mainly associated with the Southend music scene....
, Yukihiro Takahashi
Yukihiro Takahashi
Yukihiro Takahashi is a Japanese musician, who is best known as the drummer and lead vocalist of the Yellow Magic Orchestra, and as the former drummer of the Sadistic Mika Band.-Biography:...
, Paul McCartney
Paul McCartney
Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100...
, Godley & Creme
Godley & Creme
Godley & Creme were an English pop music duo composed of Kevin Godley and Lol Creme. The pair began releasing albums as a duo after splitting from the pop band 10cc. In 1979 they directed their first music video for their own single "An Englishman in New York"...
, Eddie and the Hot Rods, Arcadia
Arcadia
Arcadia is one of the regional units of Greece. It is part of the administrative region of Peloponnese. It is situated in the central and eastern part of the Peloponnese peninsula. It takes its name from the mythological character Arcas. In Greek mythology, it was the home of the god Pan...
and 801
801 (band)
801 were an English experimental rock band that were originally formed in 1976 for three live concerts by*Phil Manzanera *Brian Eno...
.
In 1981, his book Electronic Music: The Instruments, The Music & The Musicians was published by Phaidon
Phaidon Press
Phaidon Press is a British publisher of books on the visual arts, including art, architecture, photography, and design worldwide.As of 2009, Phaidon's headquarters are in London, UK, though they were in Oxford for many years, with offices in New York City, Paris, Berlin, Milan, and Tokyo...
.
After Roxy Music's dissolution in 1983, Mackay joined with Roxy guitarist Phil Manzanera
Phil Manzanera
Phil Manzanera is a musician and record producer. He is the lead guitarist with Roxy Music. In 2006 Manzanera co-produced David Gilmour's album On An Island and played in Gilmour's band for tours in Europe and North America...
to form The Explorers, featuring Bryan Ferry soundalike James Wraith on lead vocals. The group released a self-titled album in 1985, and three years later resurfaced as Manzanera and Mackay. Under this name, they released a further two albums which combined new material with reissued tracks from the Explorers album.
From 1988 to 1991, Mackay largely abandoned music to take a three-year Bachelor of Divinity
Bachelor of Divinity
In Western universities, a Bachelor of Divinity is usually an undergraduate academic degree awarded for a course taken in the study of divinity or related disciplines, such as theology or, rarely, religious studies....
course at King's College London
King's College London
King's College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and a constituent college of the federal University of London. King's has a claim to being the third oldest university in England, having been founded by King George IV and the Duke of Wellington in 1829, and...
. During this time, he played on and produced a Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
album with The Players, a group of English folk musicians.
He has written several themes for British television and radio, such as the memorable theme music for the late 1970s series Armchair Thriller
Armchair Thriller
Armchair Thriller is a British television programme, broadcast on ITV in two series in 1978 and 1980. Owing something to some of the off-shoots of the earlier Armchair Theatre, the new series used scripts adapted from published novels and stories. Although not properly a horror series it included...
and Hazell
Hazell (TV series)
Hazell is a British television series that ran from 1978–1979, about a fictional private detective named James Hazell.-Overview:James Hazell was a cockney private detective character created by journalist and novelist Gordon Williams and footballer-turned-manager Terry Venables...
.
With Ferry, Manzanera and Thompson, he took part in the Roxy Music reunion concerts of 2001, with further scattered live dates in 2003, 2005/6 and 2011.
Solo albums
- In Search of Eddie RiffIn Search of Eddie RiffIn Search of Eddie Riff is an album by British musician Andy Mackay, first released on Island Records in 1974.The album was released during a brief hiatus from Roxy Music's recording schedule...
(1974) - Resolving ContradictionsResolving ContradictionsResolving Contradictions is an album by British musician Andy Mackay, released on Bronze Records in 1978.Andy Mackay was once Roxy Music's saxophonist, and some members of the group happen to play on this record. This opus is a "concept album" with references to the Chinese culture. The cover,...
(1978) - SAMAS Music For The Senses (2004)
- London! New York! Paris! Rome! (2009)
Explorers/Manzanera and Mackay
- The Explorers (1985)
- Crack The WhipCrack the WhipCrack the Whip is a simple outdoor children's game that involves physical coordination, and is usually played in small groups, either on grass or ice. One player, chosen as the "head" of the whip, runs around in random directions, with subsequent players holding on to the hand of the previous player...
(1988) - Up In Smoke (1988)
- The Explorers Live at the Palace (1997)
- The Complete Explorers (2001)
External links
- :VivaRoxyMusic.com: Comprehensive website on Roxy Music and the solo work including Andy Mackay
- www.themetaphors.com - The official website of Andy Mackay + The Metaphors
- Review of Andy Mackay and The Metaphors, Pigalle Club, London (18/11/08)