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John McKenzie
John McKenzie
Birth name	John Michael McKenzie
Born	10 November 1955; Paddington, London, England
Died	10 May 2020 (aged 64)
Occupation(s)	Musician, songwriter
Instrument(s)	Bass guitar, fretless bass, guitar, backing vocals
Years active	1970 – 2020
Labels	MCA, Columbia, RCA, Warner Music Vision, EMI Records

John Michael McKenzie (10 November 1955 – 10 May 2020) was a British bass guitarist who was a member of bands such as Global Village Trucking Company and Man. He played on numerous singles, notably for Eurythmics, The Pretenders and Alison Moyet; and was a touring musician with acts as diverse as Lionel Richie, Dr. John and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.

Career

McKenzie started his career in 1970 as a member of the Global Village Trucking Company, who all lived together in an old farm house in Sotherton, Suffolk,^[1] with their families, and became a well-known live act by playing extended jams at numerous benefit concerts and free festivals.^[2] Their first recording was as part of Greasy Truckers Live at Dingwalls Dance Hall, a benefit album recorded at Dingwalls and released in 1973. The same year, the BBC made and broadcast a documentary about the band, their commune, and their shunning of record companies. In 2008 the BBC made a follow-up documentary for their What Happened Next series, which included the band performing a reunion gig, their first in over 30 years, which led to Global Village gigs at Glastonbury 2008 and other festivals.^[3] In 1975 they recorded an eponymous album, but broke up shortly afterwards.

McKenzie came to prominence as the bass player of the rock band Man, which he joined in 1975, having auditioned for the role.^[4] He recorded The Welsh Connection for which he also wrote one track, and which reached No 40 in the UK Album Chart.^[5] During a US tour to promote the album, including performances with John Cipollina, in July/August 1976, differences between the band members arose, and on the next European tour McKenzie and Phil Ryan announced they would be leaving.^[4] However, they remained together for a farewell tour, on which a live album, All's Well That Ends Well, was recorded at the Roundhouse in December 1976.

He then played on records of artists like Annette Peacock, Steve Hillage and Noel McCalla.^[6]

The 1980s saw him playing on records by Bob Young, Shusha Guppy, Wham!, Deke Leonard, Morrissey-Mullen, Claire Hamill, Space Monkey, Jim Diamond, Bob Dylan, Al Corley, The Pretenders, Jeffrey Lee Pierce, Microdisney, Five Star, Endgames (with Mel Gaynor), Atomic Rooster's John Mizarolli. He played on three Eurythmics hit singles "Thorn in My Side", "When Tomorrow Comes" and "The Miracle of Love". He also was featured on the soundtrack of the movie La Boum 2 and on albums including Gary Moore, Ian Paice, Jaki Graham, Don Airey, Richard Bailey, Peter Auty, Billy Bremner, Terry Stannard, Simon Kirke, Earl Slick, Graham Lyle and Chris Thompson. He also produced singles along with Candy McKenzie and Mel Gaynor. In 1984, he produced the LP Spell It Out, songs recorded by his father Mike McKenzie, and mother, the actress Elizabeth McKenzie.

In 1990, he played on The Pretenders' hit single "Hold a Candle to This", Alison Moyet's "It Won't Be Long" (and the album Hoodoo) and played on records by Patti Austin, Latin Quarter, Roxy Music's Phil Manzanera, Moyet's Essex, Matt Bianco, Pete Brown, Helen Watson and Kevin Rowland which later led to McKenzie playing for Dexys Midnight Runners. He also played on the UK hit single "You Better Believe It" by Sid Owen and Patsy Palmer for Children in Need.^[7]

McKenzie also produced the record Rattlesnake Guitar: The Music of Peter Green featuring Ian Anderson, Arthur Brown, Rory Gallagher, Gregg Bissonette, Stuart Hamm, Luther Grosvenor, Dick Heckstall-Smith, Ken Hensley, Max Middleton, Zoot Money, Billy Sheehan, Bob Tench, Snowy White, Roy Z, John "Rabbit" Bundrick, Savoy Brown and many more. His 1991 performance with Seal was released on DVD, entitled Live at the Point, in 2004. In 2005 he was featured on Roots Manuva's "The Falling". He also played on records by Bond, Antigone Foster, Jim Diamond, Kokomo, Paddy Casey, Louis Philippe, Wet Wet Wet's Marti Pellow and on East 17's UK hit single "Secret of My Life" in 2011.

He toured the world as a musician for Lionel Richie, Shakira, David Bowie, Tina Turner, Eric Burdon, Kajagoogoo, Dr. John, Johnny Mathis, Everything But The Girl, Todd Sharpville, Branford Marsalis, Rui Veloso, Tim Finn, Ive Mendes, Tom Scott, David Dundas, Danny Tenaglia, The Christians, Phenix Horns, Duran Duran's Andy Taylor, Jimmy Iovine, Dave Stewart, Wild, Leon Ware, Eternal, James Ingram, Francis Rossi, Soft Machine's Karl Jenkins, Albert Lee, Barbara Dickson, Davy Spillane, Charles Aznavour, Raw Stylus, Linda Taylor, Blair Cunningham, Andy Newmark, Teresa Teng, Annabel Lamb, Nadirah X, Bob Clearmountain, Mitchell Froom, Arthur Louis, as well as Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and Reggae Philharmonic Orchestra.^[8]

In 2012, he toured with Dexys Midnight Runners including an appearance on Later with Jools Holland. In December 2013 McKenzie toured with classical crossover pianist Maksim Mrvica.^[9]

He died on 10 May 2020.^[10]

Discography

1973 – Global Village Trucking Company – Greasy Truckers Live at Dingwalls Dance Hall
1976 – Global Village Trucking Company – Global Village Trucking Company
1976 – Man – The Welsh Connection
1977 – Man – All's Well That Ends Well
1978 – Iona – Cuckoo
1979 – Annette Peacock – The Perfect Release
1979 – Philip Rambow – Shooting Gallery
1979 – Oxendale and Shepard – Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is
1979 – Steve Hillage – Open
1979 – Noel McCalla – Night Time Emotion
1979 – Steve Hillage – Live Herald
1980 – Bob Young – In Quo Country
1980 – Shusha – Here I Love You
1981 – Deke Leonard – Before Your Very Eyes
1982 – John Mizarolli – Message from the 5th Stone
1982 – Morrissey–Mullen – Life on the Wire
1983 – Royal Philharmonic Orchestra – Arrested
1983 – Chris Thompson – Out of the Night
1983 – Wham! – Fantastic
1983 – Paul Brady – True For You
1984 – Claire Hamill – Touch Paper
1984 – Microdisney – Everybody Is Fantastic
1985 – Five Star – Luxury of Life
1985 – Jim Diamond – Double Crossed
1985 – Jeffrey Lee Pierce – Wildweed
1985 – Endgames – Natural
1985 – Space Monkey – On The Beam
1986 – Eurythmics – Revenge
1986 – Bob Dylan – Knocked Out Loaded
1986 – Al Corley – Riot of Colour
1986 – Jim Diamond – Desire For Freedom
1986 – The Pretenders – Get Close
1986 – Wham! – Music from the Edge of Heaven
1987 – Pulling Faces – Dance of Ghosts
1989 – Tyrone Berkeley – To Touch You
1989 – Phil Manzanera – Manzanera & McKay
1990 – Mary Coughlan – Uncertain Pleasures
1990 – The Pretenders – Packed!
1991 – Alison Moyet – Hoodoo
1991 – Steve Hillage – Ggggong-Go_Long
1992 – Helen Watson – Companion Gal
1992 – Faubert – Faubert
1993 – Latin Quarter – Long Pig
1994 – Patti Austin – That Secret Place
1994 – Alison Moyet – Essex
1995 – Matt Bianco – Gran Via
1996 – Pete Brown – The Land That Cream Forgot
1997 – Latin Quarter – Bringing Rosa Home
1999 – Darkstar – Heart of Darkness
1999 – Kevin Rowland – My Beauty
2001 – Jim Diamond – Jim Diamond
2002 – Bond – Shine
2002 – Adam Snyder – Across The Pond
2002 – Pete Brown & Phil Ryan – Ardours of the Lost Rake
2003 – Louis Philippe – My Favorite Part of You
2003 – Everything but the Girl – Like the Deserts Miss the Rain
2004 – Kokomo – To Be Cool
2004 – Paddy Casey – Living
2005 – Danny Seward – Where My Heart Is
2005 – Marti Pellow – Smile
2005 – Roots Manuva – Awfully Deep
2007 – Virginia Constantine – The Bumpy Road To Love
2008 – The Explorers – Live at the Palace
2009 – Antigone – AntigoneLand
2010 – Pete Brown – Road of Cobras
2010 – Cold River Lady – Better Late Than Never
2012 – Amandine Bourgeois – Sans Amour Mon Amour