Big Jim Sullivan
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Big Jim Sullivan is a popular English musician whose career started in 1959. He was the most prolific session guitarist in Britain, playing on 58 number 1 UK hit singles.[citation needed]
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[edit] Early life
Jim was born James George Thompkins at Uxbridge Hospital, Uxbridge, Middlesex, England on 14 February 1941.
He went to Woodfield Secondary School, Cranford.
After frequenting the 2I's coffee club Jim was given a break at the age of 17 when he became one of Marty Wilde's Wildcats.
[edit] Super Session UK Guitarist
Jack Good introduced him to session work when he met Jim on the set of Oh Boy.
He went on to become one of the most sought-after guitarists throughout the '60s and '70s due to his flexibility to play different styles of music. This meant he was always busy, averaging three sessions a day, which allowed him to play on a great many hit records. He played on at least 1,000 UK chart entries.
Jimmy Page and Jim played on many sessions together and much guitar work for which Page has been credited was Jim's work.
[edit] Jim's Best Work
1959 Marty Wilde and Bad Boy
1961 Michael Cox and Sweet Little Sixteen (copied completely by The Hollies)
1962 John Barry and James Bond Theme (Vic Flick played lead, Jim played rhythm)
1963 Brian Poole and Twist And Shout
1964 P.J. Proby and Hold Me
1964 Dave Berry and The Crying Game
1964 Freddie and the Dreamers and I Love You Baby
1965 Gerry and the Pacemakers and Ferry Cross The Mersey
1967 The Small Faces and Itchycoo Park
1972 Gilbert O'Sullivan and Alone Again (Naturally)
1972 Tom Jones and The Young New Mexican Puppeter
1974 Alvin Stardust and Jealous Mind
1976 Geoff Love (Manuel and his Music of the Mountains) and Rodrigo's Guitar Concerto
1984 Matt Bianco and Get Out Of Your Lazy Bed
[edit] The Number One Singles
09.11.1960 Frankie Vaughan Tower Of Strength
26.01.1961 Petula Clark Sailor
01.06.1961 Eden Kane Well I Ask You
03.08.1961 John Leyton Johnny Remember Me (debatable - BJS refutes this in an interview)
02.11.1961 Danny Williams Moon River
10.05.1962 Mike Sarne Come Outside
05.07.1962 Frank Ifield I Remember You
25.10.1962 Frank Ifield Lovesick Blues
10.01.1963 Jet Harris And Tony Meehan Diamonds
24.01.1963 Frank Ifield Wayward Wind
27.06.1963 Frank Ifield Confessin’
12.09.1963 Brian Poole Do You Love Me
23.01.1964 The Bachelors Diane
06.02.1964 Cilla Black Anyone Who Had A Heart
12.03.1964 Peter & Gordon A World Without Love
02.04.1964 The Four Pennies Juliet
07.05.1964 Cilla Black You're My World
13.08.1964 The Kinks You Really Got Me
20.08.1964 Hermans Hermits I’m Into Something Good (debatable - could have been The Hermits)
17.12.1964 Georgie Fame Yeh Yeh
07.01.1965 The Seekers I’ll Never Find Another You
21.01.1965 The Kinks Tired Of Waiting For You
11.02.1965 Tom Jones It’s Not Unusual
22.04.1965 Jackie Trent Where Are You Now
13.05.1965 Sandie Shaw Long Live Love
19.08.1965 Walker Brothers Make It Easy On Yourself
02.09.1965 Ken Dodd Tears
28.10.1965 The Seekers The Carnival Is Over
13.01.1966 The Overlanders Michelle
03.03.1966 Walker Brothers The Sun Ain’t Gonna Shine Anymore
31.03.1966 Dusty Springfield You Don’t Have To Say You Love Me
23.06.1966 Chris Farlowe Out Of Time
10.11.1966 Tom Jones Green Green Grass Of Home
26.01.1967 Engelbert Humperdinck Release Me
02.02.1967 Petula Clark This Is My Song
16.03.1967 Sandie Shaw Puppet On A String
27.04.1967 The Tremeloes Silence Is Golden
23.08.1967 Engelbert Humperdinck The Last Waltz
08.11.1967 Long John Baldry Let The Heartaches Begin
03.01.1968 Love Affair Everlasting Love
14.02.1968 Esther And Abi Ofarim Cinderella Rockafella
14.02.1968 Dave Dee Legend Of Xanadu
08.05.1968 Des O'Connor I Pretend
06.11.1968 The Scaffold Lily The Pink
04.12.1968 Marmalade Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da
11.07.1969 Thunderclap Newman Something In The Air
30.07.1969 Jane Birkin And Serge Gainsborough Je T’aime
06.09.1969 David Bowie Space Oddity
22.11.1969 Rolf Harris Two Little Boys
04.04.1970 Dana All Kinds Of Everything
05.06.1971 Middle Of The Road Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep
13.11.1971 Benny Hill Ernie
18.12.1971 New Seekers I’d Like To Teach The World To Sing
21.10.1972 Gilbert O'Sullivan Clair
17.03.1973 Gilbert O'Sullivan Get Down
26.05.1973 Peters And Lee Welcome Home
24.11.1973 New Seekers You Won’t Find Another Fool Like Me
16.02.1974 Alvin Stardust Jealous Mind
18.01.1975 Pilot January
[edit] Jim And Sir Tom Jones
In 1969 Jim joined Tom Jones, with whom he spent the next 5 years touring and it was during his time in Las Vegas that Jim met and formed a friendship with Elvis Presley.
[edit] Jim After Sir Tom
Jim left Tom Jones in late 1974 and immediately teamed up with Derek Lawrence, a producer whose credits include Deep Purple and Wishbone Ash, to form a record label named Retreat Records. They produced various artists on this label over a period of about two years. Among these artists were Labi Siffre, Chas 'n' Dave, and McGuinness Flint. Jim himself fronted a band called Tiger who put out three albums on this label. Also, Derek and Jim went to the United States to produce a glam metal band named Angel. Angel achieved some notoriety in America and so Jim and Derek decided to stay in the States to produce more artists.
[edit] 1978 to 1987
In 1978 he became part of the James Last Orchestra for 9 years with a brief amount of time away for him to do a major tour with Olivia Newton-John after her success with Grease.
[edit] Today
Starting in 1987, Jim composed music for films and advertising jingles.
He put his guitar music on hold for a few years until a friend suggested he sat in with a musician playing at a nearby pub. The musician he sat in with was Willie Austen until 1997. Recently Jim and guitarist Doug Pruden have been touring as the BJS Duo and Jim also plays in the Big Jim Sullivan Band with Duncan McKenzie, Malcolm Mortimer and Pete Shaw.
[edit] Interesting facts
Ritchie Blackmore and Steve Howe were given guitar lessons by Jim.
Jim, together with Ritchie Blackmore and Pete Townshend, persuaded Jim Marshall to make amps.[citation needed]
Jim was known as Big Jim and Jimmy Page was known as Little Jim.
Jim toured with Gene Vincent and Eddie Cochran on the fateful tour that ended Eddie Cochran's life.
Jim introduced the 12 string guitar to the UK in 1959.
Jim played on the first record in the UK to use a Fuzzbox - P.J. Proby's "Hold Me".[citation needed]
Jim played on the first record in the UK to use a Wah Wah Pedal - Dave Berry's "The Crying Game".[citation needed]
Jim and the Krew Kats were the warm up act on Oh Boy.
Jim is credited with "vocal chorus" on Alexis Korner's seminal album "R&B At The Marquee".
Jim played on Georgie Fame's first album "Rhythm & Blues at the Flamingo".
Jim was the resident guitarist at Top of the Pops and Ready Steady Go!. He also helped out at Saturday Club.
Jim played on the guitar dominated themes to Space 1999, Captain Scarlet, Joe 90, Thunderbirds and Rupert (Everyone Sing His Name).
One of the few singles that Jim released was "You Don't Know What You've Got" with Jack Good as singer. The B Side had actor Trevor Peacock of Vicar of Dibley fame singing "Hot Hiss Of Steam". Another single was "She Moves Through the Fair".
Jim helped arrange and conduct the orchestral version of The Who's Tommy.
A feature of the Bay City Rollers' US Show Shang A Lang was Jim giving them guitar lessons but he ducked out after a few shows because the screaming girl got on his nerves.
Under the guidance of Vilayat Khan, Sullivan learned to play the sitar and released two albums of sitar music. He also plays sitar on a musical interpretation of the Kama Sutra. Jim practised the sitar with George Harrison at George's Esher mansion.[citation needed]
In 1971 he played in the Jean-Claude Vannier Orchestra for the Serge Gainsbourg's masterpiece "Histoire de Melody Nelson".
[edit] The great unknowns
Did Jim play on any of the Beatles' records ?
Did Jim play the main guitar on Jet Harris and Tony Meehan's "Diamonds" ?
What contribution did Jim make to the Kinks' "You Really Got Me" ?
Did Jim play the electric guitar on Carly Simon's "You're So Vain" ?
During his time on Tom Jones' TV show, did Jim introduce Tom (and us) to the joys of the guitar Talk Box?
[edit] External links
- Big Jim Sullivan's Official Site A more extensive biography of his career is listed here.
- Big Jim Sullivan's UK Hit Singles A listing of every UK Hit Single that he played on.
