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Hugh McCracken

Hugh Carmine McCracken (March 31, 1942 – March 28, 2013) was an American rock guitarist and session musician based in New York City, primarily known for his performance on guitar and also as a harmonica player. McCracken was additionally an arranger and record producer.[1][2]

Hugh McCracken

(1942-03-31)March 31, 1942
Glen Ridge, New Jersey, United States

March 28, 2013(2013-03-28) (aged 70)
New York City, United States

1960s–2013

Biography[edit]

Born in Glen Ridge, New Jersey, McCracken grew up in Hackensack, New Jersey.[3]


Especially in demand in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, McCracken appeared on many recordings by Steely Dan, as well as albums by Donald Fagen, Jimmy Rushing, Billy Joel, Roland Kirk, Roberta Flack, B. B. King, Hue and Cry, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, the Monkees, Paul Simon, Art Garfunkel, Idris Muhammad, James Taylor, Phoebe Snow, Bob Dylan, Linda McCartney, Carly Simon, Graham Parker, Yoko Ono, Eric Carmen, Loudon Wainwright III, Lou Donaldson, Aretha Franklin, Bob James, Van Morrison, the Four Seasons, Barbra Streisand, Hall & Oates, the Archies, Don McLean, Hank Crawford, Jerry Jemmott, Gary Wright and Andy Gibb.


In the middle 1960s, McCracken played in a North Jersey night club cover band called the Funatics under the stage name of Mack Pierce. The band became Mario & the Funatics for a short time when it merged with saxophonist Mario Madison. He was a member of Mike Mainieri's White Elephant Orchestra (1969–1972),[4] a 20-piece experimental jazz-rock outfit based in New York City. The band was made up of Steve Gadd, Tony Levin, Warren Bernhardt, George Young, Frank Vicari, Michael Brecker, Ronnie Cuber, Jon Faddis, Lew Soloff, Randy Brecker, Barry Rogers, Jon Pierson, David Spinozza and Joe Beck.


Among the many albums he performed on was the 1970 recording by writer/critic Robert Palmer's Insect Trust, Hoboken Saturday Night, together with Bernard "Pretty" Purdie and Elvin Jones. In 1971, because of such high demand for his work, McCracken declined Paul McCartney's invitation to help form his new band, Wings.[5] McCracken also played on, arranged and co-produced with Tommy LiPuma, Dr. John's City Lights (1978) and Tango Palace (1979).


His most well-known work was the slide guitar solo in "All By Myself" by Eric Carmen,[6] the guitar parts in "Hey Nineteen" by Steely Dan, and the main guitar playing fills on Van Morrison classic "Brown-Eyed Girl".[7]

Death[edit]

Hugh McCracken died on Thursday March 28, 2013 in Manhattan. He was 70. Holly, his wife of 43 years said the cause was leukemia.[2]

1967:  – Van Morrison

Blowin' Your Mind!

1967:  – The Left Banke

Walk Away Renee/Pretty Ballerina

1968:  – Gordon Lightfoot

Did She Mention My Name?

1968:  – Laura Nyro

Eli and the Thirteenth Confession

1968:  – Tom Rush[8]

The Circle Game

1968:  – Jimmy Rushing

Livin' the Blues

1969: Today –

Gloria Loring

1969:  – B.B. King

Completely Well

1969:  – The Archies

Everything’s Archie

1970: A Time To Remember! – The Artie Kornfeld Tree (ABC/Dunhill Records; Cat. DS 50092)

[9]

1970: Hoboken Saturday Night – (Atco Records; Cat. SD 33-313)[10]

The Insect Trust

1970: Outlaw – (Atlantic; Cat. SD 8259)[11]

Eugene McDaniels

1970:  – The Monkees

Changes

1970:  – B.B. King

Indianola Mississippi Seeds

1971:  – Eugene McDaniels

Headless Heroes of the Apocalypse

1971:  – Paul McCartney

Ram

1971: - S/T (Atco Records)

Mike Corbett & Jay Hirsh (with Hugh McCracken)

1971: - Extraction (A&M Records)

Gary Wright

1971: Flagrant Délit – (France; Philips; Cat. 6325 003)[12]

Johnny Hallyday

1971:  – Roberta Flack

Quiet Fire

1971:  – Melanie

The Good Book

1971:  – Barbra Streisand

Barbra Joan Streisand

1972:  – Loudon Wainwright III

Album III

1972:  – Melanie

Stoneground Words

1972:  – Houston Person

Sweet Buns & Barbeque

1972:  – David Clayton-Thomas

David Clayton-Thomas

1972:  – Aretha Franklin

Young, Gifted and Black

1972:  – Yvonne Elliman

Yvonne Elliman

1973:  – Daryl Hall & John Oates

Abandoned Luncheonette

1973:  – Lou Donaldson

Sassy Soul Strut

1973: - Rusty Bryant

For the Good Times

1973:  – Marlena Shaw

From the Depths of My Soul

1973: Breezy Stories – (Atlantic; Cat. SD 7264)[13]

Danny O'Keefe

1973: Daybreaks – (Paramount; Cat. 6063)

John Wonderling

1973:  – Donny Hathaway

Extension of a Man

1973:  – Bette Midler

Bette Midler

1974:  – Jackie DeShannon

Your Baby Is a Lady

1974:  – Aretha Franklin

With Everything I Feel in Me

1974:  – Melanie

Madrugada

1974:  – James Taylor

Walking Man

1974:  – Rusty Bryant

Until It's Time for You to Go

1974:  – Aretha Franklin

Let Me in Your Life

1974:  – Bob James

One

1975:  - Eric Carmen

Eric Carmen (1975 album)

1975:  – Bob Dylan

Desire

1975:  – Paul Simon

Still Crazy After All These Years

1975:  - Steely Dan

Katy Lied

1975:  - Rahsaan Roland Kirk

The Case of the 3 Sided Dream in Audio Color

1975:  – Roberta Flack

Feel Like Makin' Love

1975:  – Tom Scott

New York Connection

1975:  – Deodato

First Cuckoo

1975:  – Melba Moore

Peach Melba

1976:  – Marlena Shaw

Just a Matter of Time

1976:  – Ron Carter

Yellow & Green

1976:  – Phoebe Snow

Second Childhood

1976:  – Randy Crawford

Everything Must Change

1976:  – Ron Carter

Pastels

1976:  – Laura Nyro

Smile

1976:  – Bob James

Three

1977:  – Patti Austin

Havana Candy

1977:  – Billy Joel

The Stranger

1977:  – Roberta Flack

Blue Lights in the Basement

1977:  – Neil Sedaka

A Song

1977:  – Phoebe Snow

Never Letting Go

1977:  – Kenny Loggins

Celebrate Me Home

1977:  – Art Garfunkel

Watermark

1977:  – Tom Scott

Blow It Out

1977:  – Garland Jeffreys

Ghost Writer

1978:  – Ron Carter

Pick 'Em

1978:  – Billy Joel

52nd Street

1978:  – Roberta Flack

Roberta Flack

1978:  – Carly Simon

Boys in the Trees

1978:  – Dr. John (US; Horizon Records & Tapes; SP 732)[14]

City Lights

1978: Intimate Strangers –

Tom Scott

1978:  – Garland Jeffreys

One-Eyed Jack

1979:  – Dr. John (US; Horizon Records & Tapes; SP 740)[15]

Tango Palace

1979:  – Gary Wright

Headin' Home

1979:  – Art Garfunkel

Fate for Breakfast

1979:  – Tom Scott

Street Beat

1980:  – Andy Gibb

After Dark

1980:  – John Lennon and Yoko Ono

Double Fantasy

1980:  – Chaka Khan

Naughty

1980:  – Stephen Bishop

Red Cab to Manhattan

1980:  – Paul Simon

One-Trick Pony

1980:  – Steely Dan

Gaucho

1980:  – Michael Franks

One Bad Habit

1981: Apple Juice –

Tom Scott

1981:  – B.B. King

There Must Be a Better World Somewhere

1981:  – Carly Simon

Torch

1981:  – Yoko Ono

Season of Glass

1981:  – Foreigner

4

1982:  – Donald Fagen

The Nightfly

1982:  – Graham Parker

Another Grey Area

1982:  – Melissa Manchester

Hey Ricky

1982:  –Yoko Ono

It's Alright (I See Rainbows)

1982:  – Michael Franks

Objects of Desire

1982:  – Irene Cara

Anyone Can See

1983:  – Garland Jeffreys

Guts for Love

1983: Emergency –

Melissa Manchester

1983:  – Juice Newton

Dirty Looks

1983:  – Dolly Parton

Burlap & Satin

1983:  – Carly Simon

Hello Big Man

1984:  – John Lennon and Yoko Ono

Milk and Honey

1985:  – Michael Franks

Skin Dive

1987:  – Jill Jones

Jill Jones

1987:  – Carly Simon

Coming Around Again

1987:  – Foreigner

Inside Information

1988:  – Art Garfunkel

Lefty

1988:  – Jimmy Buffett

Hot Water

1989:  – Shawn Colvin

Steady On

1991:  – Garland Jeffreys

Don't Call Me Buckwheat

1997:  – Yoko Ono

A Story

1997: Alta suciedad –

Andrés Calamaro

1997:  – B.B. King

Deuces Wild

2000: - Steely Dan

Two Against Nature

2003:  – Steely Dan

Everything Must Go

2003: - Alicia Keys

The Diary of Alicia Keys

2005:  – Marie Gabrielle (co-producer)

Restless Angel

2006:  – Donald Fagen

Morph the Cat

2007: Romancing the '60s –

Frankie Valli

2011:  – Kelly Clarkson

Stronger

2012:  – Garland Jeffreys

The King of In Between

2014:  – Leon Russell

Life Journey

at AllMusic

Hugh McCracken

discography at Discogs

Hugh McCracken

at IMDb

Hugh McCracken