Andrew Mackay (born 23 July 1946) is an English multi-instrumentalist, best known as a founding member (playing

oboe The oboe ( ) is a type of double reed woodwind instrument. Oboes are usually made of wood, but may also be made of synthetic materials, such as plastic, resin, or hybrid composites. The most common oboe plays in the treble or soprano range. ...

and saxophone) of the

art rock Art rock is a subgenre of rock music that generally reflects a challenging or avant-garde approach to rock, or which makes use of modernist, experimental, or unconventional elements. Art rock aspires to elevate rock from entertainment to an art ...

group

Roxy Music Roxy Music are an English rock band formed in 1970 by Bryan Ferry—who became the band's lead vocalist and principal songwriter—and bassist Graham Simpson. The other longtime members are Phil Manzanera (guitar), Andy Mackay (saxophone and ...

. In addition, he has taught music and provided scores for television, while his CV as a

session musician Session musicians, studio musicians, or backing musicians are musicians hired to perform in recording sessions or live performances. The term sideman is also used in the case of live performances, such as accompanying a recording artist on a ...

encompasses some of the most noteworthy and recognisable names in the music business.

Life and career

Mackay was born on 23 July 1946 in

Lostwithiel Lostwithiel (; kw, Lostwydhyel) is a civil parish and small town in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom at the head of the estuary of the River Fowey. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 2,739, increasing to 2,899 at the 2011 ...

, Cornwall, England, and grew up in central

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

, attending

Westminster City School Westminster City School is a state-funded secondary academy for boys, with a mixed sixth form, in Westminster, London. The school educates over 800 students, with links to more than 100 different cultures, in a central London location. The sch ...

where he was a chorister in the choir of

St Margaret's, Westminster The Church of St Margaret, Westminster Abbey, is in the grounds of Westminster Abbey on Parliament Square, London, England. It is dedicated to Margaret of Antioch, and forms part of a single World Heritage Site with the Palace of Westminster ...

. A classically trained

woodwind Woodwind instruments are a family of musical instruments within the greater category of wind instruments. Common examples include flute, clarinet, oboe, bassoon, and saxophone. There are two main types of woodwind instruments: flutes and ...

player, he studied music and English literature at the

University of Reading The University of Reading is a public university in Reading, Berkshire, England. It was founded in 1892 as University College, Reading, a University of Oxford extension college. The institution received the power to grant its own degrees in 192 ...

. While at university, he played with a band called the Nova Express and, together with future

publicist Simon Puxley, formed part of a performance art group called Sunshine. He also struck up a friendship with Winchester art student

Brian Eno Brian Peter George St John le Baptiste de la Salle Eno (; born Brian Peter George Eno, 15 May 1948) is a British musician, composer, record producer and visual artist best known for his contributions to ambient music and work in rock, pop an ...

In January 1971, Mackay became a member of the

band Roxy Music (formed November 1970) after answering a ''

Melody Maker ''Melody Maker'' was a British weekly music magazine, one of the world's earliest music weeklies; according to its publisher, IPC Media, the earliest. It was founded in 1926, largely as a magazine for dance band musicians, by Leicester-born ...

'' advertisement placed by singer

Bryan Ferry Bryan Ferry CBE (born 26 September 1945) is an English singer and songwriter. His voice has been described as an "elegant, seductive croon". He also established a distinctive image and sartorial style: according to ''The Independent'', Ferry and ...

; he soon brought Eno into the group to handle "Synthesiser and Tapes". Prior to signing with E.G. Management, Mackay taught music full-time at Holland Park School and part-time at Bishop Thomas Grant Catholic Comprehensive to support himself. Initially, guitarist David O'List (from

the Nice The Nice were an English progressive rock band active in the late 1960s. They blended rock, jazz and classical music and were keyboardist Keith Emerson's first commercially successful band. The group was formed in 1967 by Emerson, Lee Jack ...

) was part of the group, but he was replaced by

Phil Manzanera Phillip Geoffrey Targett-Adams (born 31 January 1951), known professionally as Phil Manzanera, is an English guitarist, songwriter and record producer. He is the lead guitarist with Roxy Music, and was the lead guitarist with 801, and Quiet Su ...

in February 1972, just as the band's first album was about to be recorded. Drummer

Paul Thompson Paul Thompson may refer to: Education *Paul Thompson (professor) (born 1951), British management professor at the University of Strathclyde *Paul B. Thompson (philosopher) (born 1951), American philosopher at Michigan State University *Paul H. Tho ...

completed the band's line up. Mackay played

and

saxophone The saxophone (often referred to colloquially as the sax) is a type of Single-reed instrument, single-reed woodwind instrument with a conical body, usually made of brass. As with all single-reed instruments, sound is produced when a reed (mouthpi ...

in Roxy Music, becoming known for his

Chuck Berry Charles Edward Anderson Berry (October 18, 1926 – March 18, 2017) was an American singer, songwriter and guitarist who pioneered rock and roll. Nicknamed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Father of Rock and Roll", he refined a ...

-inspired

duckwalk The duckwalk is a form of locomotion performed by assuming a low partial squatting position and walking forwards, maintaining the low stance. It is similar to stalking and prowling. It is most widely known as a stage element of guitar showmanship ...

during saxophone solos, notably on the raucous track "Editions of You". With his pronounced quiff, ''

Star Trek ''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Gene Roddenberry, which began with the eponymous 1960s television series and quickly became a worldwide pop-culture phenomenon. The franchise has expanded into vario ...

sideburns Sideburns, sideboards, or side whiskers are facial hair grown on the sides of the face, extending from the hairline to run parallel to or beyond the ears. The term ''sideburns'' is a 19th-century corruption of the original ''burnsides'', named ...

and outlandish

Motown Motown Records is an American record label owned by the Universal Music Group. It was founded by Berry Gordy Jr. as Tamla Records on June 7, 1958, and incorporated as Motown Record Corporation on April 14, 1960. Its name, a portmanteau of ''mot ...

-inspired stage costumes, Mackay made a vital contribution to the unique Roxy Music "look"—much of which functioned as a retro-futurist throwback to 1950s

rock and roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock 'n' roll, or rock 'n roll) is a genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It originated from African-American music such as jazz, rhythm an ...

performers.Roxyrama Official Websit
Andy Mackay Biography
/ref> His songwriting credits for Roxy Music include the Top Five hits " Love Is the Drug" (1975) and " Angel Eyes" (1979), plus "A Song for Europe", "Three and Nine", "Bitter-Sweet", "Sentimental Fool", "While My Heart is Still Beating" and "Tara", together with the early experimental B-sides "The Numberer" and "The Pride and the Pain". He released two instrumental solo studio albums in the 1970s: '' In Search of Eddie Riff'' (1974), an exploration of his musical roots, and '' Resolving Contradictions'' (1978), based on his impressions of a trip to China. Both albums featured guest appearances from Paul Thompson and Phil Manzanera of Roxy Music. He also

composed Composition or Compositions may refer to: Arts and literature *Composition (dance), practice and teaching of choreography *Composition (language), in literature and rhetoric, producing a work in spoken tradition and written discourse, to include v ...

and produced the music for the hit television series '' Rock Follies'' and '' Rock Follies of '77'', with lyrics by playwright and screenwriter Howard Schuman. Both series sired specially recorded soundtrack albums, the first of which reached number one in the

UK Album Chart The Official Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales and (from March 2015) audio streaming in the United Kingdom. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Official Charts ...

in March/April 1976. The second contained the single "OK?", which reached number ten in the

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

in May/June 1977. Schuman and Mackay reunited in 1983 for the BBC one-off TV drama ''Video Stars'', with Mackay again providing music. He appeared onscreen in cameo roles in both Schuman projects. Mackay has also worked with

Duran Duran Duran Duran () are an English rock band formed in Birmingham in 1978 by singer and bassist Stephen Duffy, keyboardist Nick Rhodes and guitarist/bassist John Taylor. With the addition of drummer Roger Taylor the following year the band wen ...

Mott the Hoople Mott the Hoople were an English rock band formed in Herefordshire. Originally known as the Doc Thomas Group, the group changed their name after signing with Island Records in 1969. The band released albums throughout the early 1970s but fai ...

John Cale John Davies Cale (born 9 March 1942) is a Welsh musician, composer, singer, songwriter and record producer who was a founding member of the American rock band the Velvet Underground. Over his six-decade career, Cale has worked in various sty ...

, Pavlov's Dog,

John Mellencamp John J. Mellencamp (born October 7, 1951), previously known as Johnny Cougar, John Cougar, and John Cougar Mellencamp, is an American singer-songwriter. He is known for his catchy brand of heartland rock, which emphasizes traditional instrumen ...

, Mickey Jupp,

Yukihiro Takahashi Yukihiro Takahashi (高橋幸宏 ''Takahashi Yukihiro'', born June 6, 1952) is a Japanese musician, singer, record producer and actor, who is best known internationally as the drummer and lead vocalist of the Yellow Magic Orchestra, and as the fo ...

Paul McCartney Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained worldwide fame with the Beatles, for whom he played bass guitar and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John Lennon. On ...

Godley & Creme Godley & Creme were an English rock duo formally established in Manchester in 1977 by Kevin Godley and Lol Creme. The pair began releasing music as a duo after their departure from the rock band 10cc. In 1979, they directed their first musi ...

, Eddie and the Hot Rods,

Tomoyasu Hotei , also known simply as Hotei ( ), is a Japanese musician, singer-songwriter, composer, record producer and actor. With a career spanning more than 35 years, Hotei claims record sales of over 40 million copies and has collaborated with acclaimed a ...

, Arcadia and 801. He played saxophone on several tracks of Brian Eno's ''

Here Come the Warm Jets ''Here Come the Warm Jets'' is the debut solo album by British musician Brian Eno, released on Island Records in January 1974. It was recorded and produced by Eno following his departure from Roxy Music, and blends glam and pop stylings with ...

'' and ''

Taking Tiger Mountain (By Strategy) ''Taking Tiger Mountain (By Strategy)'' is the second solo album by English musician Brian Eno, released in November 1974 by Island Records. Unlike his debut album ''Here Come the Warm Jets'', which had featured 16 musicians, this album utili ...

'', both released in 1974. In 1981, his book ''Electronic Music: The Instruments, the Music & the Musicians'' was published by

Phaidon Phaidon is an ancient Greek name that may refer to: * Phaedo of Elis, philosopher *'' Phaedo'', one of Plato's dialogues named after Phaedo of Elis who appears in it *Phaidon Press, a publisher *''Phaidon Design Classics ''Phaidon Design Classics' ...

. After Roxy Music's dissolution in 1983, Mackay joined with Roxy guitarist

to form the Explorers, featuring

-soundalike James Wraith on lead vocals. The group released a self-titled album in 1985 and three years later resurfaced as ''Manzanera and Mackay''. Under this name, they released a further two albums which combined new material with reissued tracks from the Explorers album. From 1988 to 1991, Mackay largely abandoned music to take a three-year

Bachelor of Divinity In Western universities, a Bachelor of Divinity or Baccalaureate in Divinity (BD or BDiv; la, Baccalaureus Divinitatis) is a postgraduate academic degree awarded for a course taken in the study of divinity or related disciplines, such as theol ...

course at King's College London. During this time, he played on and produced a Christmas album with the Players, a group of English folk musicians. He has written several themes for British television and radio, such as the memorable theme music for the late 1970s series '' Armchair Thriller'' and ''

Hazell Hazell is a name of British origin, and may refer to: People Surname *Andy Hazell (born 1978), British rugby player *Bert Hazell (1907–2009), British politician *Bob Hazell (born 1959), British football player * Charles Hazell, Canadian archi ...

''. With Ferry, Manzanera and Thompson, he took part in the Roxy Music reunion concerts of 2001, with further scattered live dates in 2003, 2005/6, 2011 and 2022 when Roxy Music celebrated their 50th anniversary. In 2014, he became a founder member of

Clive Langer Clive Langer (born 19 June 1954 in Hampstead, London, England) is an English record producer and songwriter, active from the mid-1970s onwards. He usually works with Alan Winstanley. He composed the music for the films '' Still Crazy'' and '' ...

's new band, the Clang Group, playing two dates in London in October 2014 and recording an EP for

Domino Dominoes is a family of tile-based games played with gaming pieces, commonly known as dominoes. Each domino is a rectangular tile, usually with a line dividing its face into two square ''ends''. Each end is marked with a number of spots (also ca ...

. 2018 saw the completion of his setting of '3Psalms' which started as an experimental project in the mid 1990s, aiming to be a synthesis of Mackay’s varied influences, from his classical training to his rock and roll, avant-garde electronica and even his years as a boy chorister. Picking up in 2012, Mackay went back into the studio, scoring strings, choir, synthesisers, guitar and some other rock elements. Fellow Roxy musician Phil Manzanera guested on both the album and the London concert premiering the work, which also featured orchestral reworkings of several Roxy Music tracks under the banner 'Roxymphony'.

Discography

Solo studio albums

*'' In Search of Eddie Riff'' (1974) *'' Resolving Contradictions'' (1978) *''SAMAS Music for the Senses'' (2004) *''London! New York! Paris! Rome!'' (2009) *''3Psalms'' (2018)

''Rock Follies''

*'' Rock Follies'' (1976) *'' Rock Follies of '77'' (1977)

Explorers/Manzanera and Mackay

*''The Explorers'' (1985) *''Crack the Whip'' (1988) *''Up In Smoke (Manzanera and Mackay album), Up in Smoke'' (1988) *''The Explorers Live at the Palace'' (1997) *''The Complete Explorers'' (2001)

Players

*''Christmas'' (1989)

Andy Mackay + The Metaphors

*''London! Paris! New York! Rome!'' (2009)

References

Bibliography

*Rigby, Jonathan ''Roxy Music: Both Ends Burning'' (Reynolds & Hearn, 2005; revised edition 2008)

External links

* * *
:VivaRoxyMusic.com: Comprehensive website on Roxy Music and the solo work including Andy Mackaywww.themetaphors.com
– The official website of Andy Mackay + The Metaphors
Review of Andy Mackay and The Metaphors, Pigalle Club, London (18/11/08)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mackay, Andy 1946 births Living people English rock saxophonists British male saxophonists Alumni of the University of Reading Alumni of King's College London Rock oboists English oboists Male oboists Roxy Music members People from Lostwithiel Island Records artists Polydor Records artists E.G. Records artists English songwriters English record producers Glam rock musicians 801 (band) members 21st-century saxophonists 21st-century British male musicians British male songwriters Bronze Records artists