Throughout my musical career I have featured as a session player on numerous major label recording projects as well as national TV and radio advertising campaigns. I have also regularly featured on guitar for Music Sales Publications, contributing the recordings for many of the audio CDs, which demonstrate guitar parts and provide backing tracks for their tutor books.
2000-Present: Performer/ Musician with Bjorn Again.
In Autumn 2000 I joined the Australian ABBA tribute group Bjorn Again. At this point and for the following year the band had reached its commercial peak becoming the most successful live act in the UK and Europe in terms of gross earnings.
The band remain very popular and regularly undertake headline arena and theatre tours around the world, playing all of the major UK and European rock festivals (Glastonbury, V, Isle of Wight, T in the Park, Oxegen, Sonisphere), as well as providing tour support to major acts such as Cher, Shania Twain and Green day.
During the period of my employment the brand has maintained a media profile worldwide through TV and radio appearances, interviews and performances.
1987-Present: Recording artist/ session musician.
I began my full time music career after joining Glasgow band Horse, who had signed to Capitol records and were about to record their debut album. The group became very popular here in Scotland and formed a strong cult following in the UK. As a result the album and singles met with reasonable critical and commercial success, leading to our own headline British and European tours as well as playing support to B.B. King and Tina Turner.
During a two-year hiatus I joined Liverpool band The River City People. In this period we had chart success with two albums including one top ten and several top forty singles. The band also toured the UK and Europe extensively.
In the late eighties I re-joined Horse to sign to Oxygen/ MCA and record a second album. On this occasion we secured a release in America as well as the UK and we spent a lot of time there touring and promoting the record. Again the album met with critical and commercial success.
2006- Present: Guest Lecturer and deputising tutor BIMM.
While based in the area, I was employed in a covering role as a lecturer and guitar tutor for BIMM (Brighton Institute of Modern Music). This involved the preparation of lessons for both HND and Degree level courses, transcribing music tracks and compiling lesson plans with a view to both developing student repertoire and technique, as well as providing an understanding of genre and historical context.
I continue to provide guest lectures on a regular basis and BIMM also sponsored my MA study with Middlesex University.
[video_left][video_frame]
[iframe url=”http://www.youtube.com/embed/jjXj0gJhqc8″ width=”572″ height=”312″]
[/video_frame]
[video_text]
[h2]Celebrity Z lister[/h2]
Playing guitar for Catherine Zeta Jones in the video for “Arms of love”. A brief attempt at a pop career just before she became a successful, oscar winning actress…..
[/video_text][/video_left]
1993-2002, 2006-present: Commercial songwriter for EMI music publishing.
Through my work with the band Horse I was offered a publishing deal by EMI. At the time I had contributed two tracks to the bands second album, one of which had become the first single release. When the group eventually split EMI continued to develop my career in a positive and pro-active manner. The company provided me with many opportunities to work with established artists and writers such as Cathy Dennis and Mark Owen, as well as allowing me to play a role in developing new talent.
I was also regularly featured in their annual writers weeks, an initiative which brought together writers, artists and producers from territories around the world. As a result a track co-written by myself and two colleagues became a number one single in Poland for artist Anita Lipnicka.
In addition I formed a successful collaboration with writer and artist Billie Myers, leading to my contribution of two tracks for her first album. I also played guitar for the recording sessions at the legendary Criteria studios in Miami. Produced by Desmond Child, the album went on to sell several million copies worldwide as well as delivering a top five single on both sides of the Atlantic (Kiss the Rain). The tracks co-written by myself, (First Time and Opposites Attract) were featured in the American TV series ‘Dawson’s Creek’ and ‘Melrose Place’.
During my initial contract period I also developed a pilot for the children’s TV series ‘Star Street’ under the working title ‘The Cherries’, which was commissioned by Carlton TV and broadcast regularly on Saturday mornings.
In 2006 EMI publishing approached me to contribute work to their new library music initiative ‘Reload’, which provides material for use in television, film and advertising.
During the course of my career with EMI I was fortunate enough to collaborate on a wide variety of recording and album projects with amongst others; Desmond Child (producer/writer; Ricki Martin, Bon Jovi, Aerosmith, Cher, Meatloaf), Mark Owen (Take That), Cathy Dennis, Billie Myers, Peter Cox and Richard Drummie (Go West), Pete Smith (producer; The Police, Sting, Chris De Burgh), Dave Bascombe (producer; Tears For Fears, Danny Wilson), John Hudson (producer; Tina Turner, Aha), Henry Priestman (The Christians), Karen Ramirez, Paul Heard (M People), Catherine Zeta Jones, Lorraine Macintosh (Deacon Blue), Pete Wingfield (producer; The Proclaimers), Hugh Jones (producer; Echo And The Bunnymen), Jimmy Miller (producer ; Rolling Stones, Primal Scream).