Ian "Mac" McLagan released several solo albums. An in-demand player, he filled the role of bandleader with his own Bump Band from 1977 onwards. Towards the end of his life, he lived in Austin, Texas and did gig nights at local clubs and bars. Ian McLagan & The Bump Band played at the 2006 Austin City Limits Music Festival, and opened for The Rolling Stones in Austin in 2006.
McLagan first started playing in bands in the early 1960s, initially using the Hohner Cembalet before switching to the Hammond Organ and Wurlitzer electric piano, as well as occasional guitar. He was influenced by Cyril Davies' All Stars, and his first professional group was the Muleskinners, followed by the Boz People with future King Crimson and Bad Company member Boz Burrell. In 1965, he was hired, for the princely sum of £30 a week, to join Small Faces by their manager, Don Arden, replacing Jimmy Winston. Once the 'probation' period ended, his pay was reduced to £20 a week, which was what the other band members were getting. They never received more than that because Don Arden collected all the proceeds of their hard-earned work, and it wasn't until 1997 that they started receiving any royalties. Mac played his debut gig with them at London's Lyceum Theatre on 2 November that year. In 1969, after Steve Marriott left the group and Rod Stewart and Ronnie Wood joined, the band changed its name to Faces.
After the Faces split up in 1975, McLagan worked as a sideman for The Rolling Stones, both in the studio (Some Girls including electric piano on Miss You), on tour and on various Ronnie Wood projects, including The New Barbarians. In addition, his session work has backed such artists as Chuck Berry, Jackson Browne, Joe Cocker, Bob Dylan, Melissa Etheridge, Bonnie Raitt, Paul Westerberg, Izzy Stradlin, Frank Black, Nikki Sudden, John Mayer, Bruce Springsteen, Tony Scalzo, Carla Olson, Carla Olson & Mick Taylor. McLagan was a member of Billy Bragg's band "The Blokes" for several years in the late 1990s and early 2000s, co-writing and performing on the 2002 England, Half English album and tour.
McLagan played piano on the studio side of the album The London Chuck Berry Sessions.
On 25 September 2010, at Stubbs in Austin, Texas, McLagan joined The Black Crowes on keyboards and vocals for their encore set. The set included two Faces songs, "You're So Rude" and "Glad and Sorry".
Also in 2013, he appeared with the Warren Haynes' band at the Moody Theater in Austin Texas playing piano on one number and organ on the other. In 2014, McLagan was a founding member of The Empty Hearts. The group recorded on 429 Records and McLagan's bandmates included Blondie drummer Clem Burke, The Chesterfield Kings bassist Andy BabCalifornia, The Cars guitarist Elliot Easton, and The Romantics guitarist and vocalist Wally Palmar. The band's self-titled first album was released 5 August 2014 and produced by Ed Stasium.
McLagan is featured prominently on the Lucinda Williams double album, Down Where the Spirit Meets the Bone, which was released September 30, 2014 on her own label, Highway 20 Records.
McLagan developed a relationship with Kim Kerrigan, the estranged wife of Keith Moon, drummer of The Who. She divorced Moon and lived with McLagan and her daughter, Amanda (from her marriage to Moon). The two married in 1978, one month after Moon died at the age of 32. Kerrigan died in a traffic accident near their home in Austin, Texas on 2 August 2006. She was 57.
McLagan published an autobiography, All the Rage: A Riotous Romp Through Rock & Roll History, in 2000, and added to, appended and reprinted it in 2013.
McLagan died on 3 December 2014 after a stroke, at the age of 69.
Discography
Troublemaker (Mercury, 1979)
Bump in the Night (Mercury, 1980)
Last Chance to Dance (EP) (Barking Dog, 1985)
Best of British (Maniac, 2000)
Rise & Shine (Maniac, 2004) (Gaff Music)
Here Comes Trouble (Maniac, 2005)
Live (Maniac, 2006)
Spiritual Boy (Maniac, 2006)
Never Say Never (Maniac, 2008) (00:02:59 Records)
United States (Maniac, 2014) (Yep Roc Records)
Never Say Never
Ian McLagan & The Bump Band Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Or somebodyÂ's whispering
That sounds like you
I can see you standing in the shade
The sun is glistening
And itÂ's blinding my view
I remember kissing you
For the first time
I can sense you just out of fray
And IÂ'll be reminiscinÂ'
For the rest of my life
Never loved anyone
I never loved anybody
But you Baby
Never been lucky baby
I never bet winners
But IÂ'll never say never again
The Ian McLagan & The Bump Band's song "Never Say Never" represents a tribute to a former lover who has left a lasting impression on the singer. The song captures the feeling of longing and nostalgia as the singer is prompted to reflect on past memories of the former lover. The opening two lines 'I can hear you calling my name, Or somebody's whispering, That sounds like you' serve as a memory trigger that takes the singer back to a time when the two were closer.
The lyrics in the song also capture the physical sensations of being in love. The lines 'I can see you standing in the shade, The sun is glistening, And it's blinding my view' give a vivid description of the beauty that surrounded the couple. The sun's glare serves as a metaphor for the brightness of the relationship, which, however, obscured the singer's vision. The chorus 'Never loved anyone, I never loved anybody, But you Baby, Never been lucky baby, I never bet winners, But I'll never say never again' conveys the intensity of this particular romance by underscoring that the love that the singer shared with this particular person was something special and unique.
Line by Line Meaning
I can here you calling my name
I am aware of your desire to communicate with me
Or somebody's whispering
I am uncertain if the voice is truly yours or someone else's
That sounds like you
The sound is reminiscent of your voice
I can see you standing in the shade
I can envision you being present, hidden within the shadows
The sun is glistening
The sun's rays are reflecting on the surrounding environment
And it's blinding my view
The brightness is obstructing my sight
I can feel your touch on my face
The sensation of your hand on my cheek lingers in my memory
I remember kissing you
I recall our first passionate embrace
For the first time
It was a special and momentous occasion
I can sense you just out of fray
I perceive that you are distant and out of reach
And I'll be reminiscin'
I know that I will look back with fondness on our experiences
For the rest of my life
My memories of you will continue to be a part of me always
Never loved anyone
I have not had feelings of strong affection for anyone else
I never loved anybody
Nobody has ever elicited such strong emotion from me as you have
But you Baby
I deeply care for you, my dear
Never been lucky baby
I have not had much good fortune in life
I never bet winners
I have no history of making successful choices
But I'll never say never again
Despite my past experiences, I remain open to new possibilities and opportunities
Contributed by Chase T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Colin Wigle
This deserves more views!!
Brett Weary
Absolutely Awesome Ian
Jack Frost
lovely guitar,
gentle love ballad.
bless you Mac.
Jonathon Griesheimer
we're going to miss him down at the Lucky Lounge. RIP Ian
Fide Fide
RIP. Thanks for the music.
jakiee dusenoffer
Truly apart of Music History , I am sure he has 1 of the Softest Cloud in the Heavens
AChannelification
Makes me wanna cry...what a dude
Vladimir Sánchez
Good musician..
kat Mats
I think this song was written about Kim.
NAUI_Diver
Instrumentals are amazing, vocals are terrible