JIM CREGAN & FRIENDS
A brief History
In 1967 Jim Cregan joined future Traffic frontman Dave Mason, in Julian Covay and the Machine.
In 1969 Jim recorded a solo album with Julie Driscoll simply entitled 1969. Later that year he joined joined the soft rock band Stud. The group featured Cregan, John Weider from Family, John Wilson and Richard McCracken, the rhythm section from Taste (best known as Rory Gallagher's pre-solo power trio).
In 1972 Jim joined Family and recorded several alums with them. Alongside Charlie Whitney and Roger Chapman, Jim replaced bassist John Wetton, adapting from rhythm guitar to bass guitar. He toured North America with the band, as the support act for Elton John, in the autumn of 1972. Family recorded two singles and a final album It's Only a Movie (1973). A tour of the UK in the autumn of the same year preceded the demise of the band. Cregan was then briefly reunited with Chapman and Whitney on Chapman Whitney Streetwalkers (1974).
He then went on to work with British soul singer Linda Lewis, whom he would later marry. Jim appears on four of her albums, also assuming a production role on Lark (1972), Fathoms deep (1973) and Not A Little Girl Anymore (1975), which gave him the opportunity to work with the Tower of Power horn section.
In October 1974 Jim was recruited by Steve Harley, as a member of Cockney Rebel. The band recorded "Make Me Smile (Come Up and See Me)" (1975) at Abbey Road Studios. The song rose to No. 1 in the UK Singles Chart during 1975. It eventually rose to No. 1 in Europe and Australia as well and featured the legendary guitar break.
In 1976 Jim joined Rod Stewart's band and became Stewart's musical director, co-producer and co-writer. Jim co-wrote many hits with Rod, including "Passion" and "Tonight I'm Yours (Don't Hurt Me)", winning the American Society of Composers, Authors and publishers (ASCAP) award for outstanding songwriting. Jim was awarded a third ASCAP "outstanding songwriting" award for his co-writing of the song "Forever Young" (1988).
Jim stayed with Rod until 1995. Jim has received thirteen multi-platinum awards for his work with Rod and together they have thirty recorded songs to their joint credit.
In 1990 he spent time writing and producing heavy rock band London Quireboys's Little Bit of What You Fancy (1990) which gave him singles chart success and Canadian rockers Glass Tiger, who achieved international success and platinum selling albums. They were also awarded three Juno Awards, received in Canada.
In 1993 Jim reunited with Rod Stewart to record Unplugged...and Seated which was also filmed by MTV and featured a guest appearance by Ronnie Wood. This recording became Platinum three times in both USA and Canada. In the same year Jim recorded Van Morrison's song "Have I Told You Lately" (1993) with Rod Stewart, which became a number 1 hit in UK and had top twenty success elsewhere. Jim Cregan's biggest concert appearance with Stewart was on 31 December 1994 at Copacabanain Rio de Janeiro, where they appeared in front of a total estimated audience of over 3.5 million. The Guinness Book of World Records states that this was "the staging of the largest outdoor concert in history".
In 1995, he moved on to form Farm Dogs with Elton John's lyricist Bernie Taupin and they released two albums. During 1997, Jim started to work with Windham Hill Records as both a producer and musician. Over the next four years he worked as producer and musician with artists such as Janis Ian, Kathleen Keane, Peabo Bryson, Cat Stevens, W.G Snuffy Walden, Grand Drive, Gaelic Storm and Joe Cocker. His work achieved top five hits in different charts and several more platinum selling records. He recorded two platinum selling albums with Katie Melua, Call off the Search (2003) and Piece By Piece (2005), he also toured extensively with her.
In 2005 Jim was re-united with Roger Chapman, at first for live performances and then to produce Chapman's solo album One More Time For Peace (2007).
In 2011, he formed his own band, Cregan & Co. This gave him the opportunity to perform the songs he had written, recorded and co-produced with Rod Stewart. In January 2013, Roger Chapman reformed Family for two concerts in London at the Shepherd's Bush Empire, coinciding with Family winning Classic Rock magazine's "Spirit of Progressive Rock" Award.
On 13 September 2015, Jim joined Rod Stewart on stage at the BBC Radio 2 "Live in Hyde Park, London Festival" and joined Family for the group's final shows in late 2016, as part of a line up which only featured Chapman, Poli Palmer and Cregan's work with the band.
In 2019, Jim released his autobiography And on Guitar... for which Stewart wrote the foreword. Along with broadcaster Alex Dyke and Spandau Ballet singer Tony Hadley, he began a podcast in 2020 called Stars Cars Guitars, which is also hosted on YouTube channel.
Jim shows no sign of giving up. This intimate performance at Barnoldswick Music and Arts Centre gives you the chance to hear one of the great all time performers in British Rock and Roll.
A master of both electric and upright bass, Pat is always in demand as a session musician and live performer. He has toured the world with Paul Young, The Tom Robinson band, Zoot Money, Jason Rebello and Rumer, as well as jazz greats like Ronnie Scott, or vintage rockers like pianist Roy Young.
Pat is also currently Paul Youngs Bass Player.
Pat has lectured at the Bournemouth College Of Music and is at home with all styles. His contribution to Cregan & Co is enormous, with his effortless groove and superb musicianship.
Sam is often described as Rock's finest piano player and has worked with many of its greatest names, including Rod Stewart, Pete Townsend & Roger Daltrey (The Who), The Faces, Jeff Beck, Mike Rutherford (Genesis), John Lodge (Moody Blues), Mick Hucknall (Simply Red) and Paul Carrack.
Sam is also an accomplished singer/songwriter and is the front man of popular uk-based funk-soul band "Brother Strut", who receives 10/10 reviews from Blues & Soul Magazine, with a debut album that has topped the iTunes chart.
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Just some of Jim's Discography
Tarot Suite (1979) With Mike Batt
Waves (1980) With Blossom Toes
We Are Ever So Clean (1967) With Roger Chapman
If Only for a Moment (1969) With Roger Chapman
One More Time For Peace (Mystic, 2007) With Rita Coolidge
Love Lessons (Alfa, 1992) With Julie Driscoll
1969 (1971) With Julie Driscoll
Cover Shot (Polygram, 1993) With David Essex
It's Only a Movie (1973) With Family
Last Stand in Open Country (1996) With Farm Dogs
Immigrant Sons (1998) With Farm Dogs
Hobo with a Grin (EMI, 1978) With Steve Harley
Yes You Can (CTE, 1992) With Steve Harley
Uncovered (Absolute, 2020) With Steve Harley
The Best Years of Our Lives (EMI, 1975) With Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel
Timeless Flight (EMI, 1976) With Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel
Love's a Prima Donna (EMI, 1976) With Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel
Say It Ain't So (Island, 1976) With Murray Head
Between Us (Phillips, 1979) With Murray Head
God and the FBI (Windham Hill, 2000) With Janis Ian
Lark (1972) With Linda Lewis
Fathoms Deep (1973) With Linda Lewis
Not a Little Girl Anymore (1975) With Linda Lewis
Woman Overboard (1977) With Linda Lewis
Call off the Search (Dramatico, 2003) With Katie Melua
Piece by Piece (Dramatico, 2005) With Katie Melua
Little Bit of What You Fancy (1990) With London Quireboys
Bruce Roberts (1978) With Bruce Roberts
Foot Loose & Fancy Free (Warner Bros., 1977) With Rod Stewart
Blondes Have More Fun (Warner Bros., 1978) With Rod Stewart
Foolish Behaviour (Riva, 1980) With Rod Stewart
Tonight I'm Yours (Riva, 1981) With Rod Stewart
Body Wishes (Warner Bros., 1983) With Rod Stewart
Camouflage (Warner Bros., 1984) With Rod Stewart
Every Beat of My Heart (Warner Bros., 1986) With Rod Stewart
Out of Order (Warner Bros., 1988) With Rod Stewart
Vagabond Heart (Warner Bros., 1991) With Rod Stewart
A Spanner in the Works (Warner Bros., 1995) With Rod Stewart
Time (Capitol, 2013) With Rod Stewart
Chapman Whitney Streetwalkers (1974) With Streetwalkers
September (1972) With Stud
Goodbye Live at Command (1973) With Stud
Happiness? (Parlophone, 1994) With Roger Taylor
Air Time: The Best of Glass Tiger (1993) With Glass Tiger
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