Big Jim Sullivan and a band called Marshall Hammond

[Greeny]

I wasn't sure whether to put this on the amusing anecdotes thread. Except it's not funny, lol 

Anyway... some of you may have heard of a great guitarist called Big Jim Sullivan. The problem is, I hadn't. It's only recently that I've discovered what he's done... he's played with Tom Jones and all sorts of other stints in bands over a very long career; he's been namechecked by Jimmy Page as an influence; he was in a band called Lord Sitar who did weird sitar versions of various songs in the sixties / early seventies.

So... I'd never heard of this guy. It was my uncle's 60th birthday last year, and we had a big party for him in a village hall. My uncle is a very good bass player, and they got his old sixties band together for a reunion. The band is called Marshall Hammond. They got as far as touring Hamburg and supporting The Crazy World of Arthur Brown in the sixties. Anyway, it was great to see my uncle playing with them again (I saw him quite a few times as a kid).

After my uncle's band had finished their set, another guy who was at the party gets up on stage with a guitar. My son says "who's that". I say "I've no idea", but I think that's a Peerless guitar he's playing. Anyway, this guy starts playing the blues and it's jaw dropping. It was Big Jim Sullivan. I felt pretty stupid not knowing! At least I do now. What a player!!!!!!

This is him now...


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=noq6guqeFZU


And this is the reunion-version of Marshall Hammond. That's my uncle Roger on the bass. It looks like a vox teardrop, but he made it himself.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VbO2CE1o_C8

[cuthbert]

A brush with greatness!  Cool story and videos, Tim - thanks for sharing them!

I've just recently learned of Big Jim Sullivan myself while reading 'Strange Sounds: Offbeat Instruments and Sonic Experiments in Pop' (my current read, and a topic, btw, which is near and dear to my heart). According to the author, Big Jim apparently pioneered quite a bit of the sitar session work during the 1960s when the instrument was first introduced into pop music, although the book is sketchy on the details of which songs he actually played on.

[launched]

Nice raiseup cuth - never would have seen this.

I know nothing of Big Jim Sullivan, but I do know that your uncle is cool - the left handed bass playing with the chrome "R" is sweet!! You say "chrome" with a whisper around these parts - definitely a word of reverence. Also, had to look up the bass - a VOX Teardrop?

I'm going to make a chrome M for my guitar now. Can't wait!

Mark

[64Guitars]

Great videos. I have to admit that I didn't know who Big Jim Sullivan was. So I looked him up on Wikipedia and I'm amazed at all the great records he's played on. To name a few:

• Dave Berry's "The Crying Game" (with Jimmy Page on rhythm guitar because they needed someone who could read music for the lead guitar).
• Gerry & The Pacemakers - "Ferry Cross the Mersey"
• Donovan's "Catch the Wind" and "Colours"
• The Small Faces - "Itchycoo Park"
• Frank Ifield - "I Remember You"
• Cilla Black - "Anyone Who Had a Heart" and "You're My World"
• Peter & Gordon - "A World Without Love"
• Georgie Fame - "Yeh Yeh"
• Tom Jones - "It's Not Unusual" and "Green Green Grass of Home
• The Walker Brothers - "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore"
• Dusty Springfield - "You Don't Have to Say You Love Me"
• The Tremeloes - "Silence Is Golden"
• Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Tich - "The Legend of Xanadu"
• Peter Sarstedt - "Where Do You Go To (My Lovely)"
• Thunderclap Newman - "Something in the Air"
• Jane Birkin and Serge Gainsbourg - "Je t'aime... moi non plus"
• New Seekers - "I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing"
• Benny Hill - "Ernie (The Fastest Milkman in the West)" 

He also played on Frank Zappa's "200 Motels" album. And he was the resident guitarist at "Top of the Pops" and "Ready Steady Go!".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Jim_Sullivan

http://www.bigjimsullivan.com/

Thanks for bringing this incredible guitarist to our attention.

[launched]

• Dave Berry's "The Crying Game" (with Jimmy Page on rhythm guitar because they needed someone who could read music for the lead guitar).

Dave Berry?? Hmmmmm....

[cuthbert]

Wow, 64G - several of those artists rate pretty high on my 'list' - including Benny Hill! 

[Bosko Schwartz]

Great videos. I have to admit that I didn't know who Big Jim Sullivan was. So I looked him up on Wikipedia and I'm amazed at all the great records he's played on. To name a few:

• Dave Berry's "The Crying Game" (with Jimmy Page on rhythm guitar because they needed someone who could read music for the lead guitar).
• Gerry & The Pacemakers - "Ferry Cross the Mersey"
• Donovan's "Catch the Wind" and "Colours"
• The Small Faces - "Itchycoo Park"
• Frank Ifield - "I Remember You"
• Cilla Black - "Anyone Who Had a Heart" and "You're My World"
• Peter & Gordon - "A World Without Love"
• Georgie Fame - "Yeh Yeh"
• Tom Jones - "It's Not Unusual" and "Green Green Grass of Home
• The Walker Brothers - "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore"
• Dusty Springfield - "You Don't Have to Say You Love Me"
• The Tremeloes - "Silence Is Golden"
• Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Tich - "The Legend of Xanadu"
• Peter Sarstedt - "Where Do You Go To (My Lovely)"
• Thunderclap Newman - "Something in the Air"
• Jane Birkin and Serge Gainsbourg - "Je t'aime... moi non plus"
• New Seekers - "I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing"
• Benny Hill - "Ernie (The Fastest Milkman in the West)" 

He also played on Frank Zappa's "200 Motels" album. And he was the resident guitarist at "Top of the Pops" and "Ready Steady Go!".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Jim_Sullivan

http://www.bigjimsullivan.com/

Thanks for bringing this incredible guitarist to our attention.

How awesome that he was a part of so many great pieces of musical history! 

Great story, Greeny !!

[SteveG]

Wow, 64G - several of those artists rate pretty high on my 'list' - including Benny Hill! 

Hell yeah, playing with Benny must have been the high point of his career!!

Umm ... let me rephrase that......

[cuthbert]

Hell yeah, playing with Benny must have been the high point of his career!!

Umm ... let me rephrase that......

From the pen of Alf Hill hisself:

You could hear the hoof beats pound as they raced across the ground,
And the clatter of the wheels as they spun 'round and 'round.
And he galloped into market street, his badge upon his chest,
His name was Ernie, and he drove the fastest milk cart in the west.

Now Ernie loved a widow, a lady known as Sue,
She lived all alone in Liddley Lane at number 22.
They said she was too good for him, she was haughty, proud and chic,
But Ernie got his cocoa there three times every week.

They called him Ernie, (Ernieeeeeeeeeee)
And he drove the fastest milk cart in the west.

She said she'd like to bathe in milk, he said, "All right, sweetheart,"
And when he'd finished work one night he loaded up his cart.
He said, "D'you want it pasturize? 'Cause pasturize is best,"
She says, "Ernie, I'll be happy if it comes up to my chest."

That tickled old Ernie, (Ernieeeeeeeeeee)
And he drove the fastest milk cart in the west...

If lyrics like this can't inspire a top guitar session player, I don't know what can...

[guitarron]

Great videos. I have to admit that I didn't know who Big Jim Sullivan was. So I looked him up on Wikipedia and I'm amazed at all the great records he's played on. To name a few:

• Dave Berry's "The Crying Game" (with Jimmy Page on rhythm guitar because they needed someone who could read music for the lead guitar).
• Gerry & The Pacemakers - "Ferry Cross the Mersey"
• Donovan's "Catch the Wind" and "Colours"
• The Small Faces - "Itchycoo Park"
• Frank Ifield - "I Remember You"
• Cilla Black - "Anyone Who Had a Heart" and "You're My World"
• Peter & Gordon - "A World Without Love"
• Georgie Fame - "Yeh Yeh"
• Tom Jones - "It's Not Unusual" and "Green Green Grass of Home
• The Walker Brothers - "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore"
• Dusty Springfield - "You Don't Have to Say You Love Me"
• The Tremeloes - "Silence Is Golden"
• Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Tich - "The Legend of Xanadu"
• Peter Sarstedt - "Where Do You Go To (My Lovely)"
• Thunderclap Newman - "Something in the Air"
• Jane Birkin and Serge Gainsbourg - "Je t'aime... moi non plus"
• New Seekers - "I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing"
• Benny Hill - "Ernie (The Fastest Milkman in the West)" 

He also played on Frank Zappa's "200 Motels" album. And he was the resident guitarist at "Top of the Pops" and "Ready Steady Go!".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Jim_Sullivan

http://www.bigjimsullivan.com/

Thanks for bringing this incredible guitarist to our attention.

damn-thats an impressive line up