Biography
Bands/Discography:
He started his musical career in 1964, when he was 11!! He formed a band in Cumbernauld, Scotland with his older brother Jack. This was the lineup:
They mainly played around Glasgow and Central Scotland. They supported a lot of the big name bands on tour in the area, including The Who. This is probably where Jimmy's friendship with them started from, as they were amazed with his guitar playing even at that stage.
The band evolved, changing their name to One In
A Million.
This was the lineup:
Next year, 1969, Jimmy formed a new band, Thunderclap Newman:
(cover of the single "Something
in the air"/"Wilhelmina")
(scan courtesy of Alex Gitlin)
They only released one album, Hollywood dream. The CD reissue contains the complete album, but some of the editions also include 6 bonus tracks (mainly the singles they released).
Some time later, Jimmy and his brother are together again, as they augment the lineup for the tours:
They split in 1970.
As we'll see in the sessions part, Jimmy maintained a close contact with the guys from The Who.
Singles with Thunderclap Newman:
This was a short-lived venture. Jimmy and Jack remained together, bringing new mates:
Steve Ellis was the leader in Love Affair. When he left them, he tried to form a supergroup with great musicians:
Next step for Jimmy was in the blues path. He joined John Mayall band. But his association with Mayall was very short: only during the summer of 1971, just for a tour. Chas Chandler recommended Jimmy after he had done some sessions for Steve Ellis. After Jimmy got the call from Mayall, he played his first gig just two days later.
After the tour with John Mayall finished, Jimmy formed his own band in October 1971. The name he chose was Bent Frame, but he changed it into The Jimmy McCulloch Band soon afterwards. This was the lineup:
Jimmy composed some new songs with Robbie Patterson, and they started rehearsing for a future album, but the recording never happened, as Jimmy got the call from Stone The Crows.
And now, we have some confusion here. While an article from a rock magazine from 1971 states that Nigel Baker was their drummer, it seems that it was Jack McCulloch who was sitting in the drum chair. So, we should have instead:
There are a couple of tracks credited to a band
called Bent Frame. The songs are "Fairylights" and "It's only
me". The 2nd song was probably produced by Roger Daltrey. Rumour has
it
about a single also released for the Track label.
I guess we're speaking of the same band, due to Jimmy's involvement with
Roger Daltrey. Can anyone confirm this point, please?
His next step was due to a sad fact. On May 3, 1972, Les Harvey, guitarist in Stone The Crows (and younger brother of the late Alex Harvey, from the Sensational Alex Harvey Band), died after being electrocuted on stage, and the band called Jimmy to help complete the album Les Harvey left unfinished. Thus, he joined this fantastic band.
They tried to make their best, but the group impulse was gone. They broke in 1973. In the album 'Ontinuous performance, we can find some tracks played by Les Harvey, and some others played by Jimmy.
(scan courtesy of Alex Gitlin)
Recently, two live CDs with live tracks from BBC archives have appeared. One of them, BBC Radio 1 Live in concert, features some tracks with Les Harvey and Jim Dewar, while some others feature Jimmy.
After the end of Stone The Crows, Jimmy immediately joined Blue, a Glasgow-based band formed by ex-Marmalade guitarist, Hugh Nicholson. This had to be probaby in June or July 1973.
Around winter of 1973, the great Chris Stainton forms a new band, called Tundra, with Jimmy McCulloch:
Mickey Feat left at the end of 1973 (or early 1974) to join Aliki Ashman in the band Casablanca. He was replaced by Glen Turner:Jimmy McCulloch (guitar)
Chris Stainton (keyboards)
Mickey Feat (bass)
Henry Spinetti (drums)
When Jimmy McCulloch left the band in April 1974 (to join Wings), Turner moved to guitar and bassist Charlie Harrison joined.Jimmy McCulloch (guitar)
Chris Stainton (keyboards)
Glen Turner (bass)
Henry Spinetti (drums)
His most famous step in his short career was joining Wings, Paul McCartney's band. In late 1973, Paul McCartney, his wife Linda, and Denny Laine were recording a Linda solo album, under the name of Susie & The Red Stripes. They chose some musicians who subsequently were billed for Wings. Jimmy McCulloch was contracted. He joined them in May 1974, and he stayed with them until September 1977. From those Linda sessions, there is only one single available: "Seaside woman" (later released, in Jun 77).
(scan courtesy of Alex Gitlin)
On Wings at the speed of sound, there's another track composed by Jimmy with Colin Allen, 'Wino junko'.
The live album Wings over America was originally a 3LP, but the CD reissue has been reduced to a 2CD, without losing any track. Recorded live in the American tour (from 3/May to 23/June), it contains several Beatles renditions, the song composed by Jimmy, 'Medicine jar', an old Moody Blues hit sung by Denny Laine, 'Go now', and even a Simon & Garfunkel version, 'Richard Cory'. A great live album.
London town CD edition has two bonus tracks: 'Girl's school' and lovely song 'Mull of Kyntire', a #1 in UK. When that album was released, Jimmy (and Joe English) had left the band, that's why we can see only Paul, Linda and Denny on the cover. Jimmy left the band in September 1977.
We can see the whole Wings band in the documentary "Rockshow" (1981), taken from some Wings old live concerts. I'd love to get a copy of it. Can somebody help me, please?!!
Recently, it has been released a special, 25th Anniversary edition of the Wings album Band on the run. No, Jimmy didn't play in it, but it has been released a new video for the song, that's being aired in musical TV channels. Well, the video includes images with Jimmy, playing live that song.
Singles with Wings:
This was a trio, where Jimmy rejoined his brother Jack. It was formed as a fun band, whilst Jimmy was still with Wings.
They released a single, credited to Jimmy McCulloch and White Line, dated 1976, 'Call My Name' (Clarke) / 'Too Many Miles' (McCulloch/Allen). They appeared on Twiggy's 'Jukebox show' and performed "Call My Name". Dave sang that song and, on the record, Jimmy sang 'Too Many Miles'.
Surprise, surprise! Now we know about the existence of a complete CD by the band!! Well, I never include complete song listings for albums, but I think this is a special case, so here it is the content of the CD:
songs:
Call My Name (Single release)
You're a Loser
Champagne Eyes
Mr. Jones
Down Bound Train
Just Another 'B' Side Song
Call My Name (Original Demo
version)
The Same Mistakes Again
Too Many Miles (Single Release
- B side)
Reindeer Rockets
White Line
The Shannon and the Chesapeake
Call My Name (Live on The
Twiggy Show)
The album is called WHITE LINE complete - featuring JIMMY McCULLOCH (Little Wing) on Mouse records (Mouse CD 004) copyright 1994. Mouse seems to be a UK label. (Please, if someone knows where to get it, send me a message!)
In July 1976, there is assembled a band comprising some friends and bandmates of keyboardist Tim Hinkley, under the name Hinkley's Heros. They were together two months, until September 1976. They didn't release any official album, but they did some concerts with different all-stars lineups. Jimmy played two shows with the band.
Just after leaving Wings, Jimmy joined the great Steve Marriott for a short one-month tour under the name Small Faces, in September 1977. It wasn't a complete reunion, because original member Ronnie Lane didn't join the band, being replaced by Rick Wills.
In 1978, in a very unknown episode, Jimmy was for a very short time a part of Wild Horses with Brian Robertson (from Thin Lizzy) and Jimmy Bain (from Rainbow). They were rehearsing for a while, but Jimmy was soon to be replaced by Neil Carter on early 1979.
It was around 1979, when Jimmy joins The Dukes:
Press here to read about Jimmy sessions
Links related
Family tree
Coming soon (I hope so!).
Thanks section
Dedicated with lot of love to Jimmy!
Very Special Thanks to: Bella McCulloch, for her great kindness, and help with info; Reggy Tan, for his valuable info, and wonderful presents; Tracey Batt, for info as well for a fantastic present; Frank Quin, for his messages and his photo of The Jaygars.
Special thanks to: Christer Fridhammar, for sending me that article on Jimmy; Yolanda, for her info; P.W. for info on the White Line album; Soren Lindberg, for info on Wild Horses; Iain Macintyre, for great info about Blue and Tundra; Peter & Lillian Stewart, for their beautiful message.
Thanks to: Alex Gitlin for sharing our love for Jimmy, and for the Dukes album as well as great scans; Graham Hulme for telling me his memories about the Dukes concert he assisted; Datorteket Skarpnck, for telling me about a severe error I had committed in my page (sorry!!); Tom 'BlackMonk'; for telling me about the Jimmy single; Erick Elysio Amorim, for his message; Jennifer LeBost, for her very kind message; Mike Clark, for pointing my mistake in The Dukes photograph; Nanako Hattori, for a beautiful, kind message; Simone McFarlane, for info on Bent Frame.
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