Big Jim Sullivan, one of the most prolific studio guitar players in British music history, passed away on Tuesday (2nd October) in his West Sussex home at the age of 71.
Big Jim Sullivan
Sullivan reportedly played on over 1,000 hits, including 55 number one records from Petula Clark’s Downtown to David Bowie’s Space Oddity.
Sullivan took up the guitar in 1955 when he was 14 years old. By the age of 16, he was playing professionally and in 1959, became the guitarist for Marty Wilde’s group the Wildcats.
At the dawn of the 60’s, Sullivan started doing studio work becoming one of Britain’s most in demand musicians. His long list of accomplishments include recording the first record using the wah-wah effect along with the first to use a fuzzbox. The list of musicians for which he played reads like a Who’s Who of 60’s popular music. During the decade, he was also the regular guitarist on both Top of the Pops and Ready, Steady, Go.
In the early-70’s, Sullivan became guitarist for Tom Jones’ band, appearing with him in Las Vegas and on his network TV show. It was on that show that he did one of the earliest demonstrations of the talkbox effect for guitars.
Sullivan also recorded as a solo artist and, in the mid-70’s, as part of the group Tiger. In 1978, he began nine years as part of the James Last Orchestra and, when not working with them, toured with Olivia Newton-John.
The following is just a small sample of records on which Sullivan played:
- Bad Boy – Marty Wilde
- Look for a Star – Gary Mills
- Sailor – Petula Clark
- James Bond Theme – John Barry
- I Remember You – Frank Ifield
- From Russia With Love – Matt Munro
- I Only Want to Be With You – Dusty Springfield
- The Crying Game – Dave Berry
- Ferry Cross the Mercy – Gerry & the Pacemakers
- Diane – Bachelors
- A World Without Love – Peter & Gordon
- You’re My World – Cilla Black
- I’ll Never Find Another You – Seekers
- Bread & Butter – Newbeats
- She’s Not There – Zombies
- You Really Got Me – Kinks
- As Tears Go By – Marianne Faithful
- I’m Into Something Good – Herman’s Hermits
- Goldfinger – Shirley Bassey
- Tired of Waiting – Kinks
- Game of Love – Wayne Fontanna & the Mindbenders
- Tell Her No – Zombies
- I Know a Place – Petula Clark
- A World of Our Own – Seekers
- It’s Not Unusual – Tom Jones
- Catch the Wind – Donovan
- Make It Easy On Yourself – Walker Brothers
- What’s New Pussycat – Tom Jones
- Thunderball – Tom Jones
- Pied Piper – Crispen St. Peter
- A Sign of the Times – Petula Clark
- You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me – Dusty Springfield
- Black is Black – Los Bravos
- I Couldn’t Live Without Your Love – Petula Clark
- Sunshine Superman – Donovan
- Itchycoo Park – Small Faces
- Matthew & Son – Cat Stevens
- Here Comes My Baby – Tremeloes
- There’s a Kind of Hush – Herman’s Hermits
- Mellow Yellow – Donovan
- Release Me – Engelbert Humperdinck
- Georgy Girl – Seekers
- Don’t Sleep in the Subway – Petula Clark
- Delilah – Tom Jones
- Something in the Air – Thunderclap Newman
- Early in the Morning – Vanity Fare
- Je t’aime…moi non plus – Jane Birkin & Serge Gainsbourg
- Space Oddity – David Bowie
- Hitchin’ a Ride – Vanity Fare
- She’s a Lady – Tom Jones
- I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing – New Seekers
- Moonshadow – Cat Stevens
- Alone Again (Naturally) – Gilbert O’Sullivan
- You’re So Vain – Carly Simon
- Claire – Gilbert O’Sullivan
- Magic – Pilot
