The Henry McCullough Band

The Henry McCullough Band - [FBI Live] - 2007 - Mundell

You may or may not have heard of Henry McCullough - although it s more likely you will have - but it s almost certain you ll have heard him play. After cutting his teeth with various bands in his native Ireland, McCullough headed for the bright lights of London just as the British blues boom exploded. A meeting with a young Sheffield singer led to a stint in Joe Cocker s Grease Band, which included their legendary Woodstock performance. After leaving the Grease Band, McCullough joined a little known outfit called Wings, headed by a certain ex-Beatle and his wife. Musical differences between McCullough and McCartney saw a parting of the ways and he - McCullough not Macca - went on to play with a veritable musical who s who, including Donovan, Marianne Faithful, Spooky Tooth, Eric Burdon and Roy Harper. An accident with a knife on a trip home in the 1980s saw a career re-evaluation and that path led all the way to The Famous Bein Inn, Glenfarg and the latest in the FBI (Famous Bein Inn) Live series. Whilst wildest Perthshire may not have the status of some of the Wings gigs, what is certain is that McCullough is where he wants to be and where he undoubtedly belongs, on stage, any stage. When I read the track listing and saw that after a seven-minute opening of Same Damned Thing, there was House Of The Rising Sun weighing in at over ten minutes. Henry McCullough is not a guitarist to do things by half and both are a glorious throwback to a time when songs were fully explored and McCullough shows himself to be a master of his craft. As good as it is on CD, live it must have been a magical experience. A true genius holds you in the palm of his hand wherever you may be and Henry McCullough is as close to genius as you ll get. He teases and caresses a classic until it too falls under his spell. But in a way, even House Of The Rising Sun is eclipsed by what follows, Locked In, Can t Get Out may not be as well known, but it fits Henry McCullough like a second skin. This real, honest-to-goodness British blues, which is raw and earthy, celebrates its blemishes and imperfections but never loses its sense of joy. The pull of Henry McCullough s folk roots is obviously still strong and he immerses himself in the simple beauty of Belfast To Boston. Until a final flourish there are no guitar pyrotechnics to break the hold, just a man playing from his heart and you really need nothing more, its nine minutes pass in a heartbeat. McCullough s comfort with the music is obvious but comfort doesn t breed contempt in this case, he grooves his way through Mess With The Blues before launching in to the title track of his album Failed Christian. Perhaps for the first time on the night McCullough bares his teeth. FBI is quite simply the complete performance as Henry McCullough leads the Bein Inn audience gently by the hand through a blues wonderland. © Michael Mee. © 2014 Mundell Music Shop http://shop.mundellmusic.com/the-henry-mccullough-band-fbi-live/

Legendary Irish Blues Guitarist Henry McCullough makes history by appearing on the first album recorded by Perthshires own Famous Bein Inn. Recorded at Henry's GIG at the Glenfarg Venue in 2006 it has been captured on the new disc, which boasts six epic tracks clocking in at a complete running time of one hour. The former lead guitarist from Joe Cockers Band and Paul McCartneys Wings is nothing if not experienced and the benefits of a lifetime conected to music pay dividends here. Sounding every inch the grizzeled rocker he looks, McCullough's rasping vocals overlay a compelling R 'n' B sound that hinges on his own mind blowing six string virtuosity and sound. With backing from Roe Butcher (Bass), Percy Robinson(Guitar/Pedal Steel), Stephen Quinn(Drums), and Shaun McCarron (Sax) the big H generates a sound so clear and strong it could have been laid down in the most expensive of Caribbean Studios. Standout tracks in an engrossing set include 'Same damn thing' a poignant 10 minute version of 'House of the rising sun', the McCullough penned 'Failed Christian', and his signature piece, 'I cant remember, I was drunk at the time.' The sheer audio quality of the fare on offer here is a huge testament to the ability of the Bein Inn's concert room to bring out the best in visiting Artists. Recorded up close and personal infront of just 60 fans, the set must surely rank among the highlights of McCullough's lenghty and diverse carrer- one that has taken in the Woodstock Festival, an appearence on Pink Floyd's 'Dark Side Of The Moon' and stints with the likes of Marianne Faithfull and Frankie Miller. At Times laid back at others edgy, the veteran's astonishing performance proves that age is no barrier and bodes well for future releases on the new 'Mundell Music' Record Label. - Posted by & © mundellmusic at 12:23 http://rockingatthestables.blogspot.ie/2009/06/henry-mccullough-fbi-live.html

At the beginning of the 1970’s after the Beatles split, Paul McCartney could have had any guitar player in the world and yet he chose the legendary Irish blues guitarist Henry McCullough to be lead guitarist for Wings. This album is a great live performance at Perthshire's Famous Bein Inn in 2006 by a very tight band led by the late Henry McCullough one of Ireland’s most successful and quietly revered musicians. [Tracks @ 201-224 Kbps: File Size = 78.2 Mb] Check out Henry McCulloughs “Blue Sunset” album

TRACKS

1 Same Damned Thing 7:11
2 House Of The Rising Sun 10:07
3 Locked In Can't Get Out 6:11
4 Belfast To Boston 9:22
5 Mess With The Blues 8:53
6 Failed Christian 9:17
7 I Can't Remember, I Was Drunk At The Time 0:24

MUSICIANS

Henry McCullough - Guitar, Vocals
Percy Robinson - Guitar/Pedal Steel
Roe Butcher - Bass
Stephen Quinn- Drums
Shaun McCarron – Saxophone

BIO (WIKI)

Henry Campbell Liken McCullough (born 21 July 1943, Portstewart) is a Northern Irish guitarist, vocalist and songwriter, who has played guitar in such bands as Sweeney's Men, Spooky Tooth, Paul McCartney & Wings, andThe 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." 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, as well as Eric Burdon and the Animals. Things went well until, in Vancouver, Canada in mid February 1968, while the band was touring with The Animals, McCullough was busted for possession of marijuana and sent back to The United Kingdom (officially because of 'visa problems'), and Mick Cox flew out to take his place in the band. Back in Ireland McCullough joined what was primarily a folk group called Sweeney's Men, by May 1968. 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. With Cocker he toured the U.S. and performed at the Woodstock Festival. McCullough played on The Grease Band's eponymous album after splitting with Cocker, and during his time with the band he also appeared as lead guitarist on the original 1970 recording of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar and on the progressive Spooky Tooth album The Last Puff. In 1971 Paul McCartney asked McCullough to join his new band, Wings, alongside Denny Laine and Denny Seiwell. His guitar solo on "My Love" has been described as one of rock music’s greatest solos. 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's spoken words "I don't know; I was really drunk at the time" can be heard on the Pink Floyd 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 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. 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. 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. 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 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 it 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. In 2007/8 Henry teamed up with USA/Ireland Singer Songwriter and friend Jeff Greene of Acashic/Aurora Records to Record Greene's "Dark Nite of the Soul" album and other musical collaborations at Wind-Mill Lane Studios Dublin Metropolis Studios London and The Sound Kitchen Nashville. McCullough attended Paul McCartney's concert at the O2 in Dublin on 20 December 2009. McCartney publicly acknowledged McCullough's contribution to Wings. On 13 March 2010, McCullough played the Fifestock Festival at the Inn at Lathones, Scotland. This festival was the last one undertaken at that venue, and McCullough's band headlined the event. Henry McCullough was active in the European music scene. He played regular live gigs with artists such as Ed Deane, James Delaney, Noel Bridgeman, and John Quearney, among others. In 2011 Henry collaborated with songwriter Paul Doherty and The Vals on the track 'Look to the One'. The song was a success, gaining much airplay worldwide. Henry contributed backing vocals and his signature guitar sound. Henry suffered a heart attack in November 2012 leaving him in a critical condition. His death was mistakenly reported on Ronan Collins's RTÉ Radio 1 show on 7 November. The BBC was forced to apologise after prematurely reporting his death. In an interview with website Something Else Denny Seiwell a former Wings drummer who played with McCullough in the Paul McCartney-led group, says it's doubtful McCullough will make a complete recovery.