Rating: *** (3 stars
Title: Mind Your Own Business!
Company: Dark Horse
Catalog: SP-22005
Year: 1975
Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+
Comments: --
Available: 1
Price: $40.00
Born and raised in Ireland, McCullough cut his musical chops playing in various Irish show bands such as The Skyrockets. His first brush with commercial success came as an early member of Eire Apparent, followed by a stint with The Sweeny Men. By the late'-60s he was living in London which brought him into contact with singer Joe Cocker. Supporting Cocker led to formation of The Grease Band. While The Grease Band managed to record several well received albums, they achieved little commercial success and by the early-'70s McCullough was playing in one of Paul McCartney's first Wings line ups. The collaboration proved fairly brief, ending shortly before recording sessions for 1973's "Band On the Run".
Given McCullough's Paul McCartney connection,
it was interesting that his solo debut would be released by George
Harrison's newly formed Dark Horse label. Co-produced by McCullough
and John Jansen, 1975's "Mind
Your Own Business!" found the artist working with all star cast, including Alex Korner, Steve Marriott, Frankie Miller (check out his performance on "I'm In Heaven") and keyboardist Mick Weaver. Admittedly, McCullough's gravelly voice wasn't any great shakes. A competent if largely anonymous vocalist, on material such as "Sing Me a Song" he actually sounded like a zonked out Keith Richards. Luckily, McCullough proved a surprisingly accomplished writer. Originals such as "You'd Better Run", "I Can Drive a Car" and the reggaefied "Baby What You Do To Me" made for a low-keyed and likeable collection. Imagine something out of
Ron Wood's solo catalog and you'll be in the right neighborhood. Unfortunately, in spite of
generally favorable reviews, the set went nowhere.
"Mind Your Own Business" track listing:
1. You'd Better
Run (Henry McCullough) -
2. Sing Me A Song (Henry McCullough) -
3. I Can Drive A Car (Henry McCullough) -
4. Baby What You Do To Me (Henry McCullough) -
5. Country Irish Rose (Henry McCullough) -
6. Lord Knows
(Henry McCullough) -
7. Down The Mine (Henry McCullough) -
8. Oil In My Lamp (Henry McCullough) -
9. Mind Your Own Business (Henry McCullough) -
10. I'm In Heaven (Henry McCullough) -
With the album becoming an instant obscurity, McCullough returned to sessions and sideman status, supporting a slew of acts, including Marianne Faithful and Roy Harper. In the mid-'80s he returned to his native Ireland. An accident where a knife severed one of the tendons in his hand almost left him debilitated, but after several years of therapy he resumed playing guitar with small local groups. My the early-'90s he'd resumed recording, releasing a couple of CDs in Poland (!!!). Don't ask, we've never heard any of his latter material.
Naturally, there are a number of websites devoted to the guitarist. Among the best: