Biography
Although singer-songwriter Speedy Keen (John Keen, 29 March 1945, Ealing, London, England, d. 21 March 2002) wrote much of this short-lived band’s material, its impact was derived from the quirky, old-fashioned image of pianist Andy ‘Thunderclap’ Newman. Guitarist Jimmy McCulloch (b. 4 June 1953, Glasgow, Scotland, d. 27 September 1979, London, England) completed the original line-up responsible for ‘Something In The Air’, a soaring, optimistic song which was a dramatic UK number 1 hit in the summer of 1969. The song was produced by Pete Townshend, for whom Keen had previously worked as a chauffeur (one of his songs, ‘Armenia City In The Sky’, appeared on The Who Sell Out). The album Hollywood Dream bode well for the future, highlighting Keen’s surreal vision and Newman’s barrelhouse piano fills, but a long delay in selecting a follow-up single undermined the band’s standing. The eventual choice,...
Read the Full Biography of Thunderclap Newman
|
OLDIES.com on
|
