Wix Wickens

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]

Wix Wickens
Wickens at RDS Arena in Dublin, Ireland, in 2010.
Background information
Born (1956-03-27) 27 March 1956
Brentwood, Essex, England, United Kingdom
Occupation(s)
  • Singer-songwriter
  • multi-instrumentalist
  • composer
  • record producer
Instrument(s)
  • Keyboards
  • guitar
  • vocals
Years active1973–present

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
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

Year Album Artist
1978 Dynamite Daze Kevin Coyne
1978 Millionaires and Teddy Bears Kevin Coyne
1979 Babble Kevin Coyne And Dagmar Krause
1983 All I See Is You Eddie & Sunshine
1983 Do What You Wanna Do / Movin' On Chris Thompson
1983 Perfect Strangers Eddie & Sunshine
1983 The Golden Section John Foxx
1983 Soul Mining The The
1984 Human Racing Nik Kershaw
1984 Un autre monde Téléphone
1984 The Riddle Nik Kershaw
1984 The Bad and Lowdown World of the Kane Gang The Kane Gang
1985 In Mysterious Ways John Foxx
1986 Hi Ho Silver Jim Diamond
1986 Radio Musicola Nik Kershaw
1986 Big Canoe Tim Finn
1986 Get Close The Pretenders
1987 Blue Slipper Helen Watson
1987 American English Wax
1987 Ambition Tommy Shaw
1987 To Be Reborn Boy George
1988 Ain't Complaining Status Quo
1988 What Up, Dog? Was (Not Was)
1988 From Langley Park to Memphis Prefab Sprout
1988 Creeping Up on Jesus The Big Dish
1989 One Good Reason Paul Carrack
1989 Gatecrashing Living in a Box
1989 The Works Nik Kershaw
1989 Flowers in the Dirt Paul McCartney
1989 Mind Bomb The The
1990 Stolen Moments John Hiatt
1990 Other Voices Paul Young
1990 Tripping the Live Fantastic Paul McCartney
1991 A Contraluz La Vela Puerca
1991 Places I Have Never Been Willie Nile
1993 Off the Ground Paul McCartney
1993 Paul Is Live Paul McCartney
1996 Big White Room Melanie Garside
1996 Desire for Freedom Jim Diamond
1997 So Help Me Girl Gary Barlow
2002 Back in the US/Back in the World Paul McCartney
2003 Seven Years – Ten Weeks David Sneddon
2007 Memory Almost Full Paul McCartney
2009 Good Evening New York City Paul McCartney
2013 New Paul McCartney
2018 Egypt Station Paul McCartney

References

  1. Canhoto, Bela, Interview With Paul "Wix" Wickens, archived from the original on 22 May 2008, retrieved 19 January 2009
  2. Regen, John, VIDEO - Wix Wickens' Touring Rig with Paul McCartney, retrieved 29 April 2018
  3. 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.
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