Henry McCullough
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Henry McCullough |
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Henry McCullough (born Henry Campbell Liken McCullough, 21 July 1943, Portstewart, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom) is a guitarist, vocalist and songwriter, who has played guitar in such bands as Spooky Tooth, Paul McCartney's Wings, and The Grease Band. He turned up in many different places as sideman or a performer in his own right. In 2008, he recorded Poor Man's Moon, featuring the single, "Too Late to Worry."
Early career
McCullough first came to prominence in the early 1960s as the teenage lead guitarist with The Skyrockets showband from Enniskillen. In 1964, with three other members of The Skyrockets, he left and formed a new showband fronted by South African born vocalist Gene Chetty, which they named Gene and The Gents.
In 1967 McCullough moved to Belfast where he joined Chris Stewart (bass), Ernie Graham (vocals) and Dave Lutton (drums) to form the psychedelic band The People. Later that year the band moved to London and were signed by Chas Chandler's management team, who changed the group’s name to Éire Apparent. Under Chandler's guidance, despite only having one single released, they toured with groups such as Pink Floyd, Soft Machine, The Move and The Jimi Hendrix Experience. Things went well until 1968, when McCullough was sent back to Ireland, from Canada because of visa problems, and Mick Cox took his place in the band.
Back in Ireland McCullough joined what was primarily a folk group called Sweeney's Men. Under his influence, however, they soon began to mix folk and rock, and are often regarded as the innovators of the folk/rock genre. After a year in Ireland, McCullough returned to London to work with Joe Cocker as a member of his backing group, the Grease Band (also playing on their eponymous album minus Cocker). With Cocker he toured the U.S. and performed at the Woodstock Festival.
1970s
In 1971 Paul McCartney asked McCullough to join his new band, Wings, alongside Denny Laine and Denny Seiwell. His guitar solo on "My Love" is regarded by many as one of rock music’s greatest solos.[citation needed] Musical differences with McCartney, however, saw McCullough move on the eve of the "Band on the Run" sessions. He spent two years in the band, playing lead guitar on "Hi Hi Hi", "Live and Let Die" as well as "My Love". McCullough also appeared as lead guitarist on the original 1970 recording of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar.
McCullough landed from his Wings experience into another two year gig alongside his friend Chris Stewart, keyboard player Mick "Wynder K. Frog" Weaver and drummer Stu Perry into the ironically very Joe Cocker sounding Frankie Miller Band. Miller's "Ain't Got No Money" featuring McCullough's guitar work inspired Bob Seger to write and record "The Fire Down Below".(cited Frankie Miller Band, "The Rock", Chrysalis Records 1975), Bob Seger (countless interviews, Capitol Records Publicity Department 1977-1979)
In 1975, McCullough released Mind Your Own Business, his only album on George Harrison's Dark Horse label.
McCullough then did some session work, and played concerts with Roy Harper, Frankie Miller, Eric Burdon, Marianne Faithfull, Ronnie Lane and Donovan. In 1977 he temporarily joined Dr. Feelgood, following the departure of Wilko Johnson.[1]
1980s
He also spent some time with progressive band Spooky Tooth. Recovering from an injury to his hand while visiting his family in 1980, McCullough decided to stay in Ireland. He began to sit in with some old friends, The Fleadh Cowboys, at their Sunday afternoon residency in The Lower Deck in Dublin, and soon decided to move back to Portstewart and put a new band together. He was joined by Percy Robinson on pedal steel guitar, Roe Butcher on bass and Liam Bradley on drums.
1990s
In 1998 McCullough went to Poland, where he rehearsed with a band of Polish musicians for an upcoming tour. After the tour, they went into a recording studio and recorded a 'live' album which was released as Blue Sunset. This was followed by a further Polish tour. On returning home, McCullough recorded and released "Failed Christian", a song that has since been covered by Nick Lowe on his album, Dig My Mood.
2000-2010
McCullough continued to record and perform and released solo material, including Belfast To Boston (2001) and Unfinished Business (2003). The latter contained his 1998 single, "Failed Christian". McCullough performed at concerts in Northern Ireland and Scotland, playing with a backing band (featuring Stephen Quinn on drums and Sean McCarron on saxophone).
McCullough's spoken words "I don't know; I was really drunk at the time" can be heard on Pink Floyd's album The Dark Side of the Moon, at the end of the song "Money". He was recalling a fight he had the night before with his wife.
McCullough contributed guitar on and organized the band for the Alaskan musician, The Rev Neil Down's, 2003 release, When A Wrong Turns Right.
The Henry McCullough Band - FBI Live was released in 2007 on Mundell music, from a recording at The Famous Bein Inn in 2006.
In 2007, Over the Rhine covered "Failed Christian" on their album, Live from Nowhere, Vol. II.
In late 2007 McCullough teamed up with Dave Sharp (ex Alarm) and together they enlisted Zoot Money on keyboards; Gary Fletcher on bass guitar; and Colin Allen on drums. In January 2008 The Hard Travelers performed their debut gig at The Cellars, Portsmouth.
In 2008 McCullough recorded Poor Man's Moon at Amberville Studios and was released in Ireland only on 5 September 2008. It featured new McCullough compositions, and a number of songs co-written with poet Eamon Carr (of Horslips) including the single, "Too Late to Worry". Among the musicians featured on the album were James Delaney on keyboards; Roe Butcher on electric bass guitar; Nicky Scott on double bass and electric bass guitar; Enda Walsh on keyboards; Adie McIlduff on drums; Percy Robinson on dobro and pedal steel guitar and Peter McKinney on drums/sequencing.
McCullough attended Paul McCartney's concert at the O2 in Dublin on 20 December 2009. McCartney publicly acknowledged McCullough's contribution to Wings.
On the 13 March 2010, McCullough played the Fifestock Festival at the Inn at Lathones, Scotland. This festival was the last one to undertaken at that venue, and McCullough's band headlined the event.
References
- ^ Moon, Tony (2002). Down By The Jetty - The Dr Feelgood Story (2nd ed.). Borden, Hants: Northdown Publishing Ltd. p. 60. ISBN 1-900711-15-X.
External links