Jimmy Hughes (musician)
Encyclopedia
James Hughes is an English
bassist
who has played with many punk rock
and New Wave
bands, and whose career as a rock musician and writer continues to this day.
Born to Irish parents in London, Hughes, inspired by the glam rock sensibilities of his hero, Ziggy Stardust
, and the bass playing of Free's Andy Fraser
, began his career in music at the birth of punk rock with The Banned
, enjoying immediate success as their first single "Little Girl" broke into the UK Top 30. After The Banned dissolved, Hughes joined Cowboys International
, forming a rhythm section with drummer Terry Chimes
, formerly of The Clash
, together playing a on the album
The Original Sin
in 1979, and the subsequent tours, television and radio appearances of the band. However, a year later he and Chimes left due to internal friction, leading to the band's demise.
In 1980, having turned down audition requests from Woody Woodmansey, Alex Chilton
's Big Star, and Marco Pirroni
of Adam and the Ants, he joined Ian Broudie
's band, Original Mirrors, playing on an album and two singles including "Dancing with the Rebels". Later, he played alongside the NME
journalist, Nick Kent
and Johnny Thunders
' drummer, Chris Musto, in the short-lived band, The Subterraneans, before joining Department S
, in time to record the album Substance, produced by David Tickle
.
His subsequent work includes taking part in the first rock tour of the Middle East with the theatre rock band, Famous Names; guesting on tracks for the rockabilly
band, Whirlwind; Alan Wilder
's solo album Hydrology Parts 1 and 2; as writer and performer on Paradise Now for the Norwegian rock band, Oceans Apart; television appearances with Latoya Jackson; and playing with a diverse range of musicians including members of Cameo
, and Greg Phillinganes
.
His audition for Mick Jagger
's world tour in 1989, formed part of his autobiography, Clouds in my Coffee.
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...
bassist
Bassist
A bass player, or bassist is a musician who plays a bass instrument such as a double bass, bass guitar, keyboard bass or a low brass instrument such as a tuba or sousaphone. Different musical genres tend to be associated with one or more of these instruments...
who has played with many punk rock
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
and New Wave
New Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
bands, and whose career as a rock musician and writer continues to this day.
Born to Irish parents in London, Hughes, inspired by the glam rock sensibilities of his hero, Ziggy Stardust
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
, and the bass playing of Free's Andy Fraser
Andy Fraser
Andy Fraser is an English songwriter and bass guitarist whose career has lasted over forty years and includes a notable period as one of the founding members, in 1968, at age 15, of the rock band Free.-Peak years :...
, began his career in music at the birth of punk rock with The Banned
The Banned
The Banned are a fictional band in the BBC soap opera EastEnders. The storyline aired in 1986 and although it was considered to be a failure on-screen, it nevertheless became a successful part of the serial's extensive merchandising industry that year, as it spawned two Hit singles in the UK Music...
, enjoying immediate success as their first single "Little Girl" broke into the UK Top 30. After The Banned dissolved, Hughes joined Cowboys International
Cowboys International
Cowboys International were a New Wave and synthpop band formed by vocalist and songwriter Ken Lockie that put out one album in 1979, the influential The Original Sin, and a handful of 45s before dissolving in 1980...
, forming a rhythm section with drummer Terry Chimes
Terry Chimes
Terry Chimes was the original drummer of punk rock group The Clash. He originally played with them from July 1976 to November 1976, January 1977 to April 1977, and again from May 1982 to February 1983. He was the drummer for Hanoi Rocks in 1985, before the band broke-up that same year...
, formerly of The Clash
The Clash
The Clash were an English punk rock band that formed in 1976 as part of the original wave of British punk. Along with punk, their music incorporated elements of reggae, ska, dub, funk, rap, dance, and rockabilly...
, together playing a on the 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...
The Original Sin
The Original Sin (album)
The Original Sin is an album by Cowboys International, from the British post-punk New Wave era. The band's lone album made Melody Maker's Top 20 poll in 1979 and received rave reviews from Rolling Stone magazine.-Description:...
in 1979, and the subsequent tours, television and radio appearances of the band. However, a year later he and Chimes left due to internal friction, leading to the band's demise.
In 1980, having turned down audition requests from Woody Woodmansey, Alex Chilton
Alex Chilton
William Alexander "Alex" Chilton was an American songwriter, guitarist, singer and producer, best known as the lead singer of the Box Tops and Big Star...
's Big Star, and Marco Pirroni
Marco Pirroni
Marco Francesco Andrea Pirroni is an English guitarist, songwriter and record producer...
of Adam and the Ants, he joined Ian Broudie
Ian Broudie
Ian Broudie is a British singer-songwriter, musician and record producer from Liverpool, England. After emerging from the post punk scene in Liverpool in the late 1970s as a member of Big in Japan, Broudie went on to form the short-lived groups Original Mirrors and Care in the early 1980s as well...
's band, Original Mirrors, playing on an album and two singles including "Dancing with the Rebels". Later, he played alongside the NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
journalist, Nick Kent
Nick Kent
Nick Kent is a British rock critic and musician.-Career:Along with writers including Paul Morley, Charles Shaar Murray and Danny Baker, Nick Kent is seen as one of the most important and influential UK music journalists of the 1970s. He wrote for the British music publication New Musical Express,...
and Johnny Thunders
Johnny Thunders
Johnny Thunders, born John Anthony Genzale, Jr. , was an American protopunk guitarist, singer and songwriter.He came to prominence in the early '70s as a member of the New York Dolls...
' drummer, Chris Musto, in the short-lived band, The Subterraneans, before joining Department S
Department S (band)
Department S were a British new wave band formed in 1980, who took their stage name from the 1960s TV series Department S. They are best known for their debut single, "Is Vic There?", which was originally released in December 1980.-1980s:...
, in time to record the album Substance, produced by David Tickle
David Tickle
David Tickle is a British record producer and engineer. As a producer, he is most noted for his work with Split Enz, and in Canada, for his mid-80s work with Red Rider, Platinum Blonde and Gowan...
.
His subsequent work includes taking part in the first rock tour of the Middle East with the theatre rock band, Famous Names; guesting on tracks for the rockabilly
Rockabilly
Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of rock and roll music, dating to the early 1950s.The term rockabilly is a portmanteau of rock and hillbilly, the latter a reference to the country music that contributed strongly to the style's development...
band, Whirlwind; Alan Wilder
Alan Wilder
Alan Charles Wilder is a British musician, formerly of Depeche Mode. His current musical project is called Recoil, started as a side project to Depeche Mode. When he left the latter in 1995, it became Wilder's primary project...
's solo album Hydrology Parts 1 and 2; as writer and performer on Paradise Now for the Norwegian rock band, Oceans Apart; television appearances with Latoya Jackson; and playing with a diverse range of musicians including members of Cameo
Cameo (band)
Cameo is an American soul-influenced funk group that formed in the early 1970s. Cameo was initially a 13-member group known as the New York City Players; this name was later changed to Cameo to avoid a lawsuit from Ohio Players, another group from that era. Since then, Cameo has recorded several...
, and Greg Phillinganes
Greg Phillinganes
Greg Phillinganes is an active session keyboardist in Los Angeles, California. He is a graduate of Cass Technical High School, Detroit Michigan....
.
His audition for Mick Jagger
Mick Jagger
Sir Michael Philip "Mick" Jagger is an English musician, singer and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist and a founding member of The Rolling Stones....
's world tour in 1989, formed part of his autobiography, Clouds in my Coffee.
External links
- Cowboysinternational.com Official page of his former band, Cowboys International
- MySpace:Cowboys International
- Department S web page