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John Helliwell

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

For the biophysicist, see John R. Helliwell. For the Canadian economist, see John F. Helliwell.
John Helliwell
Helliwell in 2024
Helliwell in 2024
Background information
Born (1945-02-15) 15 February 1945 (age 79)
Todmorden, West Riding of Yorkshire, England
GenresRock, pop, jazz, blues
OccupationMusician
Instruments
  • Saxophone
  • clarinet
  • vocals
  • keyboards
Websitejohnhelliwell.com

John Anthony Helliwell (born 15 February 1945)[1][2] is an English musician, best known as the saxophonist, secondary keyboardist, and backing vocalist for the rock band Supertramp.[3] He also served as an MC during the band's concerts, talking and making jokes to the audience between songs.

Early life

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Helliwell was born in Todmorden in 1945.[4] He sang in choir and at age nine played piano, but this only lased for one year. After hearing Monty Sunshine play Petite Fleur with Chris Barber's Jazz Band, John was inspired, and saved up for two years to buy a clarinet for 15 pounds when he was thirteen.[4] His other inspirations were inspirations then were Cannonball Adderley, Sonny Rollins, Miles Davis and Art Blakey.

After leaving school, John moved to Birmingham and worked as a computer programmer.[4] It was there he played in some of his first bands. One of these bands, The Dicemen, John claims dressed in Beatles-inspired suits and wore trousers so tight they had to be carried on stage.[4] Another band, Jugs O'Henry, was the first group he turned professional with in 1965.

Career

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The Alan Bown Set

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The Jugs O'Henry band was short–lived, and once they had ended, Helliwell put an advertisement into an issue of Melody Maker with the title "Have Sax, Will Travel".[4] His advertisement was seen by members of The Alan Bown Set, and he joined The Alan Bown Set, replacing Dave Green in January 1966.[5][6] Helliwell was in The Alan Bown Set (later known as The Alan Bown or just Alan Bown) until February 1972.

The band, known for including future music stars such as Alan Bown, Jeff Bannister, Jess Roden, Robert Palmer, Mel Collins, and Dave Lawson, had limited success in sales, and changed genre's through the 60s, transitioning from blues, soul, and rnb, to psychedelic, progressive, and baroque pop, and freakbeat.[4][7]

On a few later Alan Bown records, including their 1971 album Stretching Out, Helliwell is credited as John Anthony, his fore and middle name. The Alan Bown Set had ended by early 1972, and Helliwell worked with the groups bassist Dougie Thomson in London.

Supertramp and later career

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Helliwell joined Supertramp in 1973 along with bassist Dougie Thomson, who convinced Helliwell to make the move.[8] John's addition helped introduce saxophone, other woodwinds, occasional keyboards, synthesizers, and backing vocals to the groups sound. Helliwell was in Supertramp until 2011, even when the band had two break ups.

In 1987 Helliwell played on Pink Floyd's album A Momentary Lapse of Reason; his name was misspelled as "Halliwell".[9] This was after Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour had played on Supertramp's album Brother Where You Bound. Helliwell also played on French singer Jean-Jacques Goldman's 1985 album Positif, and clarinet on Sara Hickman's 1990 album Shortstop.

During a professional lull in the 1990s, Helliwell began studying for a music degree at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, but he discontinued his studies to join Supertramp on tour when Some Things Never Change was released. In 2004 he contributed saxophone work on the Simon Apple album River to the Sea.[10]

In 2004, Helliwell formed the band Crème Anglaise with Mark Hart, who had joined Supertramp in 1985. This group recorded their eponymous debut album in 2005.

Helliwell contributed clarinet to The Pineapple Thief's song "Fend For Yourself" from their Your Wilderness album which was released in 2016.[11][12]

Helliwell fronts the Super Big Tramp Band,[13] which has a jazz big band line-up of trumpets, trombones, saxophones and rhythm section. It plays versions of Supertramp tunes, arranged by members of the band, with no vocals, but with Helliwell as the chief soloist. The band first played in Manchester in June 2013.[14] In 2019 the band played at the Manchester Jazz Festival[15] in May and was scheduled to play in Hull and Hamburg later in the year.[16]

In October 2020, Helliwell released Ever Open Door, a CD album of ballads with Helliwell on saxophone and clarinet, with a string quartet and Hammond organ.

References

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  1. ^ "John Helliwell - Biography". www.johnhelliwell.com. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
  2. ^ "John Helliwell Songs, Albums, Reviews, Bio & M..." AllMusic. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
  3. ^ Stephen Thomas Erlewine & Andrew Leahe. "Supertramp". All Music Guide. Archived from the original on 4 October 2009.
  4. ^ a b c d e f "Auto biography". www.johnhelliwell.com. Retrieved 12 October 2024.
  5. ^ Jeff Bannister (2007). "The Alan Bown Set". Retrieved 1 July 2010.
  6. ^ "Breakfast In Spain - Roger Hodgson and Supertramp website - John Helliwell". www.breakfastinspain.com. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
  7. ^ "Looking Back 80 Mod, Freakbeat & Swinging London Nuggets". www.cherryred.co.uk. Retrieved 12 October 2024.
  8. ^ Brad, Bad. "Q&A with John Helliwell". RingSide Report. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
  9. ^ A Momentary Lapse of Reason
  10. ^ "johnhelliwell.com". johnhelliwell.com. Retrieved 25 May 2019.
  11. ^ Ainscoe, Mike (17 July 2016). "THE PINEAPPLE THIEF - YOUR WILDERNESS – album review". louderthanwar.com. Louder Than War. Retrieved 20 November 2017.
  12. ^ Mind, The Prog (2 August 2016). "The Pineapple Thief – "Your Wilderness"". The PROG Mind. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
  13. ^ "Supertramp's John Helliwell from geeky kid to rock icon". A Breath of Fresh Air. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
  14. ^ "RNCM Big Band with Supertramp's John Helliwell - Rob Buckland - Saxophonist". robbuckland.com. Retrieved 25 May 2019.
  15. ^ "Big Band Super Tramp featuring John Helliwell". Retrieved 25 May 2019.
  16. ^ "johnhelliwell.com". johnhelliwell.com. Retrieved 25 May 2019.
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Other pages

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