Wix Wickens
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Wix Wickens | |
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Background information | |
Born | Brentwood, Essex, England, United Kingdom | 27 March 1956
Occupation(s) |
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Instrument(s) |
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Years active | 1973–present |
Paul Wickens (born 27 March 1956) is an English musician, composer, and record producer, professionally known as Wix. In a career spanning more than 40 years, Wickens has worked with artists including Nik Kershaw, Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Bon Jovi, Edie Brickell, Kevin Coyne and many others. Wickens has been a member of the Paul McCartney Band since 1989.[1][2]
Career
In the early 1980s Wickens was a member of Woodhead Monroe, a band that issued two singles distributed by Stiff, "Mumbo Jumbo" and "Identify."
Wickens began touring with Paul McCartney in 1989. Since then, Wickens has served as the musical director for many of McCartney's tours. He continues to tour with McCartney (as his keyboardist, occasional guitarist and backing vocalist), and of the four musicians in McCartney's touring band, he has worked with McCartney the longest by a considerable margin.
Wickens played on albums by Tommy Shaw of the American rock band Styx, the Damned, Tim Finn, Paul Carrack, Nik Kershaw, Jim Diamond, Boy George, and David Gilmour, and was the co-producer of the first Savage Progress album. He also was the keyboardist and programmer for Edie Brickell & New Bohemians album, Shooting Rubberbands at the Stars – which was where he first met Chris Whitten. Wickens was also instrumental in making the BANDAGED album the success it was, in aid of BBC Children in Need.
Wickens played accordion on The The's minor UK hit "This Is the Day", from their album Soul Mining.[3] He also recorded a version of Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit".
He attended Brentwood School, Essex where he became a friend of fellow student, the writer Douglas Adams. Wickens composed the music for the sequel radio productions of Adams' Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, originally broadcast in 2003–2004. Wickens performed at the author's memorial service in 2001.
Selected discography
Music producer
Year | Album | Artist |
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1986 | Desire For Freedom | Jim Diamond |
1988 | Creeping Up On Jesus | The Big Dish |
1992 | Sleeping Satellite | Tasmin Archer |
1992 | Great Expectations | Tasmin Archer |
1993 | In Your Care | Tasmin Archer |
1996 | Big White Room | Melanie Garside |
1996 | She Knows | Melanie Garside |
Performer
References
- ^ Canhoto, Bela, Interview With Paul "Wix" Wickens, archived from the original on 22 May 2008, retrieved 19 January 2009
- ^ Regen, John, VIDEO - Wix Wickens' Touring Rig with Paul McCartney, retrieved 29 April 2018
- ^ Simpson, Dave (25 April 2022). "'It means more to me now I've lost family': how the The made This Is the Day". The Guardian. Retrieved 25 April 2022.
External links
- EngvarB from September 2014
- Use dmy dates from September 2014
- Articles lacking reliable references from November 2008
- All articles lacking reliable references
- BLP articles lacking sources from November 2008
- All articles sourced by IMDb
- Articles sourced by IMDb from November 2008
- Articles with short description
- Articles with hCards
- Pages using infobox musical artist with associated acts
- AC with 0 elements
- 1956 births
- Living people
- Musicians from Essex
- Edie Brickell & New Bohemians members
- People from Brentwood, Essex
- People educated at Brentwood School, Essex
- English rock keyboardists
- English record producers
- English songwriters
- English rock singers
- English session musicians
- Paul McCartney Band members
- All stub articles
- British keyboardist stubs
- British composer stubs