Jimmy McCulloch
Encyclopedia
James 'Jimmy' McCulloch (4 June 1953 – 27 September 1979) was a Scottish
musician
and songwriter, born in Dumbarton and raised in Clydebank
and Cumbernauld
, Scotland, who was best known for playing lead guitar
in Paul McCartney
's Wings
from 1974 to 1977. McCulloch was a member of the Glasgow psychedelic
band One in a Million
(formerly known as The Jaygars), Thunderclap Newman
, and Stone the Crows
. He also made appearances on many album
s, including John Entwistle
's Whistle Rymes
in 1972, as lead guitarist playing alongside Peter Frampton
on "Apron Strings" and "I Feel Better"; and on Roy Harper's album, Bullinamingvase, and Ricci Martin's album, Beached, both in 1977. McCulloch was a friend of The Who
and a member of the band Thunderclap Newman, which was created and produced
by his mentor Pete Townshend
. At age 11, he was also a protégé of The Shadows' Hank Marvin.
. One in a Million performed live in support of The Who during The Who's tour of Scotland in 1967. That year, One In A Million released their "Fredereek Hernando / No Smokes" single. Double Sight, a CD compilation of these and other songs written and recorded by the band, was released in 2009.
In April 1967, McCulloch played lead guitar for The Utterly Incredible, Too Long Ago To Remember, Sometimes Shouting At People during the 14-Hour Technicolour Dream event, which was held on the grounds of the Alexandra Palace in London. That year, he played guitar for One in a Million, which performed live at The Upper Cut and other London venues.
McCulloch first rose to fame in 1969 when he joined Pete Townshend's friends, Andy 'Thunderclap' Newman (piano) and songwriter John 'Speedy' Keen (vocals, drums), to form the band Thunderclap Newman
. The band enjoyed a UK #1 hit with Something in the Air
that year. Thanks to "Something In The Air", McCulloch is the youngest person to date to have performed on a number one hit song in the U.K. Thunderclap Newman's album, Hollywood Dream, on which McCulloch's titular instrumental then and his song "I See It All" later appeared, sold well but was not as successful as their hit single. From January 1971 until mid-April 1971, the band had toured England, Scotland, Holland, and Scandinavia before they disbanded in late April of that year.
In October 1971, McCulloch played guitar in concert with John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers in England and Germany. On 31 October 1971 McCulloch's band Bent Frame made its performance debut in London. The band subsequently renamed itself the Jimmy McCulloch Band and toured England and Scotland in support of Leslie West's Mountain in February 1972. By then, McCulloch had done session work for Klaus Voorman, Harry Nilsson, Steve Ellis, John Entwistle, and others.
In June 1972, McCulloch joined the blues rock band (and fellow Mayall-school alumni) Stone The Crows to replace guitarist Les Harvey
, who had been electrocuted
on stage. McCulloch helped Stone The Crows to complete their Ontinuous Performance album by playing on the tracks "Sunset Cowboy" and "Good Time Girl". Stone The Crows disbanded circa May 1973.
In 1973, McCulloch played guitar on John Keen's album, Previous Convictions, had a brief stint in Blue
and he played guitar on Brian Joseph Friel
's debut album under the pseudonym 'The Phantom' before he joined Wings in April 1974. McCulloch's debut track with Wings was "Junior's Farm
".
McCulloch composed the music score of the anti-drug song "Medicine Jar" on Wings' Venus and Mars
album and the similar "Wino Junko" on the band's Wings at the Speed of Sound
album. Colin Allen, former drummer for Stone The Crows, wrote the lyrics of both songs.
During his time with Wings, McCulloch formed White Line with his brother Jack on drums and Dave Clarke
on bass, keyboards and vocals. They played several impromptu gigs and released a single, entitled "Call My Name" / "Too Many Miles". A 13-track album, White Line – Complete, was released in 1994 on Clarke's Mouse Records. Jimmy McCulloch and White Line had appeared on the British T.V. programme Supersonic on 27 November 1976. In addition, McCulloch recorded and produced two unreleased songs by The Khyber Trifles and had occasionally performed live (in London and their native Glasgow) with the band. Finally, as noted above, he played guitar on Roy Harper's album, Bullinamingvase, and Ricci Martin's album, Beached, in 1977.
In September 1977, McCulloch left Wings to join the reformed Small Faces during the latter band's 9-date tour of England that month. He played guitar on the Small Faces' album, 78 In the Shade. In early 1978, McCulloch started a band called Wild Horses
with Brian Robertson
, Jimmy Bain
and Kenney Jones
, which he had left that Spring. In 1979, McCulloch joined The Dukes
. His last recorded song
, "Heartbreaker", appeared on their only album, The Dukes.
A melodic, heavily Blues-infused guitarist, McCulloch's rig normally consisted of a Gibson SG
and a Gibson Les Paul
and he occasionally played bass guitar
when McCartney was at the piano
or acoustic guitar
.
McCulloch died of heart failure caused by a heroin overdose on 27 September 1979 in his flat in Maida Vale
, North West London
. He was 26.
Scottish people
The Scottish people , or Scots, are a nation and ethnic group native to Scotland. Historically they emerged from an amalgamation of the Picts and Gaels, incorporating neighbouring Britons to the south as well as invading Germanic peoples such as the Anglo-Saxons and the Norse.In modern use,...
musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
and songwriter, born in Dumbarton and raised in Clydebank
Clydebank
Clydebank is a town in West Dunbartonshire, in the Central Lowlands of Scotland. Situated on the north bank of the River Clyde, Clydebank borders Dumbarton, the town with which it was combined to form West Dunbartonshire, as well as the town of Milngavie in East Dunbartonshire, and the Yoker and...
and Cumbernauld
Cumbernauld
Cumbernauld is a Scottish new town in North Lanarkshire. It was created in 1956 as a population overspill for Glasgow City. It is the eighth most populous settlement in Scotland and the largest in North Lanarkshire...
, Scotland, who was best known for playing lead guitar
Lead guitar
Lead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
in 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...
's Wings
Wings (band)
Wings were a British-American rock group formed in 1971 by Paul McCartney, Denny Laine and Linda McCartney that remained active until 1981....
from 1974 to 1977. McCulloch was a member of the Glasgow psychedelic
Psychedelic
The term psychedelic is derived from the Greek words ψυχή and δηλοῦν , translating to "soul-manifesting". A psychedelic experience is characterized by the striking perception of aspects of one's mind previously unknown, or by the creative exuberance of the mind liberated from its ostensibly...
band One in a Million
One in a Million (band)
One in a Million were a 1960s psychedelic rock band from Glasgow, Scotland, that included Jimmy McCulloch, later a member of Paul McCartney's Wings, as their lead guitarist. They released two singles , "Use Your Imagination" / "Hold On" for CBS, and "Double Sight" / "Fredereek Hernando" for MGM...
(formerly known as The Jaygars), Thunderclap Newman
Thunderclap Newman
Thunderclap Newman were a British one-hit wonder band that Pete Townshend of The Who and Kit Lambert had formed circa December 1968 - January 1969 in a bid to showcase the talents of John "Speedy" Keen, Andy "Thunderclap" Newman and Jimmy McCulloch....
, and Stone the Crows
Stone the Crows
Stone the Crows were a blues band formed in Glasgow in late 1969.-History:The band were formed after Maggie Bell was introduced to Les Harvey by his elder brother, Alex Harvey...
. He also made appearances on many 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, including John Entwistle
John Entwistle
John Alec Entwistle was an English bass guitarist, songwriter, singer, horn player, and film and record producer who was best known as the bass player for the rock band The Who. His aggressive lead sound influenced many rock bass players...
's Whistle Rymes
Whistle Rymes
Whistle Rymes is the second solo album by John Entwistle, bassist for The Who. The album, his most successful solo output, features work by a then lesser known Peter Frampton and Jimmy McCulloch. The album title itself is a play on how his last name is often misspelled...
in 1972, as lead guitarist playing alongside Peter Frampton
Peter Frampton
Peter Kenneth Frampton is an English musician, singer, producer, guitarist and multi-instrumentalist. He was previously associated with the bands Humble Pie and The Herd. Frampton's international breakthrough album was his live release, Frampton Comes Alive!. The album sold over 6 million copies...
on "Apron Strings" and "I Feel Better"; and on Roy Harper's album, Bullinamingvase, and Ricci Martin's album, Beached, both in 1977. McCulloch was a friend of The Who
The Who
The Who are an English rock band formed in 1964 by Roger Daltrey , Pete Townshend , John Entwistle and Keith Moon . They became known for energetic live performances which often included instrument destruction...
and a member of the band Thunderclap Newman, which was created and produced
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
by his mentor Pete Townshend
Pete Townshend
Peter Dennis Blandford "Pete" Townshend is an English rock guitarist, vocalist, songwriter and author, known principally as the guitarist and songwriter for the rock group The Who, as well as for his own solo career...
. At age 11, he was also a protégé of The Shadows' Hank Marvin.
Biography
Jimmy McCulloch began to play the guitar at the age of 10½ and at age eleven he made his performance debut as the guitarist for The Jaygars, which was later known as One in a MillionOne in a Million (band)
One in a Million were a 1960s psychedelic rock band from Glasgow, Scotland, that included Jimmy McCulloch, later a member of Paul McCartney's Wings, as their lead guitarist. They released two singles , "Use Your Imagination" / "Hold On" for CBS, and "Double Sight" / "Fredereek Hernando" for MGM...
. One in a Million performed live in support of The Who during The Who's tour of Scotland in 1967. That year, One In A Million released their "Fredereek Hernando / No Smokes" single. Double Sight, a CD compilation of these and other songs written and recorded by the band, was released in 2009.
In April 1967, McCulloch played lead guitar for The Utterly Incredible, Too Long Ago To Remember, Sometimes Shouting At People during the 14-Hour Technicolour Dream event, which was held on the grounds of the Alexandra Palace in London. That year, he played guitar for One in a Million, which performed live at The Upper Cut and other London venues.
McCulloch first rose to fame in 1969 when he joined Pete Townshend's friends, Andy 'Thunderclap' Newman (piano) and songwriter John 'Speedy' Keen (vocals, drums), to form the band Thunderclap Newman
Thunderclap Newman
Thunderclap Newman were a British one-hit wonder band that Pete Townshend of The Who and Kit Lambert had formed circa December 1968 - January 1969 in a bid to showcase the talents of John "Speedy" Keen, Andy "Thunderclap" Newman and Jimmy McCulloch....
. The band enjoyed a UK #1 hit with Something in the Air
Something in the Air
Something in the Air was an Australian television soap opera transmitted by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation between 2000 and 2002. It was one of the first programs in Australia that was filmed in widescreen.-Cast:...
that year. Thanks to "Something In The Air", McCulloch is the youngest person to date to have performed on a number one hit song in the U.K. Thunderclap Newman's album, Hollywood Dream, on which McCulloch's titular instrumental then and his song "I See It All" later appeared, sold well but was not as successful as their hit single. From January 1971 until mid-April 1971, the band had toured England, Scotland, Holland, and Scandinavia before they disbanded in late April of that year.
In October 1971, McCulloch played guitar in concert with John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers in England and Germany. On 31 October 1971 McCulloch's band Bent Frame made its performance debut in London. The band subsequently renamed itself the Jimmy McCulloch Band and toured England and Scotland in support of Leslie West's Mountain in February 1972. By then, McCulloch had done session work for Klaus Voorman, Harry Nilsson, Steve Ellis, John Entwistle, and others.
In June 1972, McCulloch joined the blues rock band (and fellow Mayall-school alumni) Stone The Crows to replace guitarist Les Harvey
Leslie Harvey
Leslie Cameron "Les" Harvey was a guitarist in several Scottish bands of the late 1960s and early 1970s, most notably Stone the Crows....
, who had been electrocuted
Electric shock
Electric Shock of a body with any source of electricity that causes a sufficient current through the skin, muscles or hair. Typically, the expression is used to denote an unwanted exposure to electricity, hence the effects are considered undesirable....
on stage. McCulloch helped Stone The Crows to complete their Ontinuous Performance album by playing on the tracks "Sunset Cowboy" and "Good Time Girl". Stone The Crows disbanded circa May 1973.
In 1973, McCulloch played guitar on John Keen's album, Previous Convictions, had a brief stint in Blue
Blue (Scottish band)
Blue is a Scottish pop/rock musical band, which was formed in Glasgow in 1973.-Original band members:*Hughie Nicholson — Guitarist / vocalist / keyboardist...
and he played guitar on Brian Joseph Friel
Brian Joseph Friel
Brian Joseph Friel is a Scottish folk, country and rock singer-songwriter and guitarist.-Biography:He released two albums on the Dawn Records label , Brian Joseph Friel, otherwise known as Second Hand Dealer and Arrivederci Ardrossan...
's debut album under the pseudonym 'The Phantom' before he joined Wings in April 1974. McCulloch's debut track with Wings was "Junior's Farm
Junior's Farm
"Junior's Farm" is a song written by Paul and Linda McCartney and performed by Paul McCartney and Wings. A number-three hit single in the United States, it was recorded in Nashville, Tennessee in 1974, while the band was staying at the farm of Curly Putman Jr., which accounts for the title. The...
".
McCulloch composed the music score of the anti-drug song "Medicine Jar" on Wings' Venus and Mars
Venus and Mars
Venus and Mars is the fourth album by Wings. Released as the follow-up to the enormously successful Band on the Run, Venus and Mars continued Wings' string of success and would prove a springboard for a year-long worldwide tour...
album and the similar "Wino Junko" on the band's Wings at the Speed of Sound
Wings at the Speed of Sound
Wings at the Speed of Sound is the fifth album by Wings and was recorded and issued in 1976 in the midst of a large world tour as the follow-up album to the popular Venus and Mars.- History :...
album. Colin Allen, former drummer for Stone The Crows, wrote the lyrics of both songs.
During his time with Wings, McCulloch formed White Line with his brother Jack on drums and Dave Clarke
Dave Clarke (musician)
Dave Clarke is a singer, guitarist and keyboard player.-Biography:Clarke started playing piano at the age of 4 and guitar at 9. His first record in 1963 was produced by Luigi Creatore at New York’s Roulette Records. Often confused with his Dave Clark Five namesake, his 1971 solo album Pale Horse...
on bass, keyboards and vocals. They played several impromptu gigs and released a single, entitled "Call My Name" / "Too Many Miles". A 13-track album, White Line – Complete, was released in 1994 on Clarke's Mouse Records. Jimmy McCulloch and White Line had appeared on the British T.V. programme Supersonic on 27 November 1976. In addition, McCulloch recorded and produced two unreleased songs by The Khyber Trifles and had occasionally performed live (in London and their native Glasgow) with the band. Finally, as noted above, he played guitar on Roy Harper's album, Bullinamingvase, and Ricci Martin's album, Beached, in 1977.
In September 1977, McCulloch left Wings to join the reformed Small Faces during the latter band's 9-date tour of England that month. He played guitar on the Small Faces' album, 78 In the Shade. In early 1978, McCulloch started a band called Wild Horses
Wild Horses (British band)
Wild Horses were a British rock band, active during the late 1970s and early 1980s.-History:Wild Horses was formed in the summer of 1978 by ex-Thin Lizzy guitarist Brian Robertson and ex-Rainbow bassist Jimmy Bain...
with Brian Robertson
Brian Robertson
Brian "Robbo" David Robertson is a Scottish rock guitarist, best known for his work with Thin Lizzy and Motörhead.-Early life:...
, Jimmy Bain
Jimmy Bain
James Stewart 'Jimmy' Bain is a Scottish bassist most famous for playing in the bands Rainbow and Dio with Ronnie James Dio. He has worked with Thin Lizzy frontman Phil Lynott, co-writing on his solo albums....
and Kenney Jones
Kenney Jones
Kenneth Thomas "Kenney" Jones is a veteran English rock drummer best known for his work in Small Faces, Faces, and The Who.-Small Faces to the Faces:...
, which he had left that Spring. In 1979, McCulloch joined The Dukes
The Dukes (band)
The Dukes were a band formed in the late 70s. The members included singer Miller Anderson, guitarist Jimmy McCulloch, Ronnie Leahy and bassist Charles Tumahai. They toured supporting Wishbone Ash and recorded one album. The band broke up soon after Jimmy died of an overdose.The Dukes also recorded...
. His last recorded song
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
, "Heartbreaker", appeared on their only album, The Dukes.
A melodic, heavily Blues-infused guitarist, McCulloch's rig normally consisted of a Gibson SG
Gibson SG
At the launch of the SG in 1961, Gibson offered four variants of the SG; the SG Junior , the SG Special, the SG Standard, and the top-of-the-line SG Custom. However, Gibson's current core variants as of 2010 are the SG Standard and the SG Special...
and a Gibson Les Paul
Gibson Les Paul
The Gibson Les Paul was the result of a design collaboration between Gibson Guitar Corporation and the late jazz guitarist and electronics inventor Les Paul. In 1950, with the introduction of the Fender Telecaster to the musical market, electric guitars became a public craze. In reaction, Gibson...
and he occasionally played bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
when McCartney was at the piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
or acoustic guitar
Acoustic guitar
An acoustic guitar is a guitar that uses only an acoustic sound board. The air in this cavity resonates with the vibrational modes of the string and at low frequencies, which depend on the size of the box, the chamber acts like a Helmholtz resonator, increasing or decreasing the volume of the sound...
.
McCulloch died of heart failure caused by a heroin overdose on 27 September 1979 in his flat in Maida Vale
Maida Vale
Maida Vale is a residential district in West London between St John's Wood and Kilburn. It is part of the City of Westminster. The area is mostly residential, and mainly affluent, consisting of many large late Victorian and Edwardian blocks of mansion flats...
, North West 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 was 26.