Saturday, 15 May 2021

Nothing says 1973 like a knitted yellow tanktop


The story of Jimmy McCulloch is not an epic tome; more a slim novella. Born in 1953 in Clydebank he picked up a guitar at 11 wanting desperately to emulate his hero, Hank Marvin. By 1969, aged just 16, he was on Top of the Pops playing with Thunderclap Newman on their #1 single Something in the Air; he hadn't even started shaving.

And although he's probably best known for his tenure with Wings (1974-78), this is where he was at just before Macca signed him up. I'd like to think it wasn't just his silky skills on the fretboard that McCartney took a shine to, but his rather fetching gansey. 


Stone the Crows - Penicillin Blues (1973)




Jimmy's guitar sound defined mid-period Wings - he was all over Venus & Mars - but like many of McCartney's hired hands he would only ever be a sideshow to the ex-Beatle. His one composition for the band, Medicine Jar, was a live favourite - even making it onto the triple album extravaganza that was Wings Over America.


Wings - Medicine Jar (1976)



Quite ironic, Medicine Jar was an anti-drug song: just a couple of years later McCulloch was found dead at his London flat - cause of death morphine and alcohol poisoning. He was just 26; like I said, McCulloch's life was sadly not a long one.

Jimmy McCulloch (1953-1979)
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6 comments:

  1. The Swede17 May 2021 at 09:15

    Only 26 years of age, what a tragic waste.

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    1. John Medd17 May 2021 at 14:27

      Quite. At 26 you're still only in second gear; the rest of your life should still be ahead of you.

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  2. Hawkfall17 May 2021 at 09:46

    Morphine and alcohol, God almighty.

    If he was 26 in 1979, he would have been 23 in 1976. Have a look at the back of Wings at the Speed of Sound. Does he look 23?

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    1. John Medd17 May 2021 at 14:28

      I've just had a look, H. Looks like he's had a long paper round.

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  3. Alyson19 May 2021 at 20:31

    Last time you shared some Osmonds. Thought it was going to be David Cassidy this time as Jimmy McCulloch looks very like him in some of those stills. Shocked at how young he was when playing with TN and then Wings. 26 though, far, far too young to die. What a sad waste - Didn't even make it to be a member of the 27 Club.

    As for the knitwear, I sported a purple tank top at my first ever youth club disco in 1973 (knitted by my granny). With my Oxford bags, checked shirt with enormous collar, and wedge heel lace-ups, I thought I looked the bees knees.

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    1. John Medd21 May 2021 at 15:06

      I must write a few words about the time I went to see David Cassidy; it was quite the show. And, as I think I may have mentioned before, his autobiography was unputdownable; he'd lived a life, that's for sure.

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