Ian Bairnson
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Ian Bairnson | |
|---|---|
 Bairnson photographed in 1982 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | John Bairnson |
| Born | 3 August 1953 Lerwick, Shetland Isles, Scotland |
| Died | 7 April 2023 (aged 69) |
| Genres | Soft rock |
| Occupation(s) | Multi-instrumentalist |
| Instrument(s) | Guitar, saxophone, keyboard |
| Years active | 1968–2019 |
| Website | IanBairnson.com |
Ian Bairnson (3 August 1953 – 7 April 2023, born as John Bairnson[1][2]) was a Scottish musician, best known for being one of the core members of The Alan Parsons Project.[3] He was a multi-instrumentalist, who played saxophone and keyboards, although he was best known as a guitarist. He was also known for preferring the sound of a sixpence to a plectrum. In addition to his work with Parsons, Bairnson was also a member of the band Pilot and played guitar on five Kate Bush albums, including the guitar solo on her 1978 debut single "Wuthering Heights".
Early Life
Bairnson was born in Lerwick, Shetland Isles, Scotland. He grew up in Levenwick, in Shetland, before his family moved to Edinburgh, Midlothian, when he was nine years old, following the death of his father. Bairnson learned how to play the guitar when he was six.[4]
Pilot and The Alan Parsons Project
He was a session guitarist before joining up in 1973 with former Bay City Rollers musicians David Paton and Billy Lyall in the band Pilot and contributed the harmony guitar parts to their hit single, "Magic." During this time with Pilot, he first collaborated with Alan Parsons, the record producer on their debut self-titled album.[3] It was this relationship that helped incorporate most of the band's members (bassist/lead singer Paton and drummer Stuart Tosh) into the Alan Parsons Project. He played the distinctive guitar solo on the track "I Wouldn't Want to Be Like You" from Parsons' I Robot (1977) album.
As a guitarist, he has been featured on every Alan Parsons Project album, including the 1984 side project Keats.[5]
In 2019, Bairnson added guitar solos to two songs from Alan Parsons' new album, The Secret, specifically the tracks "Years of Glory" and "I Can't Get There from Here".
Additional Works
He played on Kate Bush's first four albums The Kick Inside (1978)[5] (notably playing the guitar solo on "Wuthering Heights"[6]) Lionheart (1978), Never for Ever (1980) and The Dreaming (1982).
He also played with the band Bucks Fizz[5] for whom he co-wrote two of their Top 20 hits, "If You Can't Stand the Heat" (1982) and "Run for Your Life" (1983).
In 2009 he appeared on the album of the German bass player Chris Postl, Parzivals Eye. Chris Postl played in RPWL, a German band. He toured with a number of different bands, the latest being Junk[5] (Bairnson, Pau Chaffer, Sarah Rope and Ángel Celada). Along his session career he played on more than a hundred albums in different styles, such as; Yvonne Keeley, Joe Cocker, Jon Anderson, Chris DeBurgh, Mick Fleetwood, Neil Diamond. He played live with Sting, Eric Clapton, Beverley Craven and many more.
After moving back to UK in 2013, Bairnson got together with David Paton and produced an album called A Pilot Project where they paid a homage to Eric Woolfson’s legacy. In November 2016 Paton and Bairnson got together again, touring Japan with a Pilot revival and some Alan Parsons Project songs as well.
Personal Life
Bairnson lived in Spain from 2003 till 2013, where he had a recording studio and continued working as a session guitarist.
His wife, Leila, announced on her Facebook page in 2018 that Bairnson was diagnosed with a progressive neurological condition that affects his communication skills, so he would no longer play in public.[7]
Death
His wife Leila announced on her Facebook page that Bairnson died on April 7, 2023 after a long battle with dementia.[4][8]
Discography
With Pilot
| Year | Album |
|---|---|
| 1974 | From the Album of the Same Name |
| 1975 | Second Flight |
| 1976 | Morin Heights |
| 1977 | Two's a Crowd |
| 2002 | Blue Yonder |
| 2014 | A Pilot Project |
| 2019 | The Traveller - Another Pilot Project |
| 2021 | The Magic EP |
Singles
| Year | Title |
|---|---|
| 1974 | "Just a Smile" |
| "Magic" | |
| "Ra-Ta-Ta" | |
| 1975 | "January" |
| "Call Me Round" | |
| "Just a Smile" (new version) | |
| "Lady Luck" | |
| 1976 | "Running Water" |
| "Canada" | |
| "Penny in My Pocket" | |
| 1977 | "Get Up and Go" |
| "Monday Tuesday" |
With The Alan Parsons Project
Albums
| Title | Album details |
|---|---|
| Tales of Mystery and Imagination | |
| I Robot | |
| Pyramid |
|
| Eve |
|
| The Turn of a Friendly Card |
|
| Eye in the Sky |
|
| Ammonia Avenue |
|
| Vulture Culture |
|
| Stereotomy |
|
| Gaudi |
|
| Freudiana |
|
| The Sicilian Defence |
|
Singles
| Year | Title |
|---|---|
| 1975 | "The Raven" |
| 1976 | "(The System of) Dr. Tarr and Professor Fether" |
| "To One in Paradise" | |
| 1977 | "I Wouldn't Want to Be Like You" |
| "Don't Let It Show" | |
| "Day After Day (The Show Must Go On)" | |
| 1978 | "I Robot" |
| "Hyper-Gamma-Spaces" | |
| "Pyramania" | |
| "What Goes Up" | |
| 1979 | "Damned If I Do" |
| "Lucifer" | |
| 1980 | "You Won't Be There" |
| "The Turn of a Friendly Card" | |
| "Games People Play" | |
| 1981 | "Time" |
| "Snake Eyes" | |
| "Gold Bug" | |
| 1982 | "You're Gonna Get Your Fingers Burned" |
| "Eye in the Sky" | |
| "Psychobabble" | |
| "Old and Wise" | |
| 1983 | "You Don't Believe" |
| 1984 | "Don't Answer Me" |
| "Prime Time" | |
| 1985 | "Let's Talk About Me" |
| "Days Are Numbers (The Traveller)" | |
| "Vulture Culture" | |
| 1986 | "Limelight" |
| "Stereotomy" | |
| 1987 | "Standing on Higher Ground" |
| 1990 | "Freudiana" |
References
- ^ "The Alan Parsons Project". musikalske.net (in Swedish). Retrieved 11 April 2021.
- ^ "The Sensual World of Kate Bush". katebush.proboards.com. 27 November 2004. Retrieved 11 April 2021.
- ^ a b Martin, Steve (15 September 2004). "Biography: IAN BAIRNSON". TheAvenueOnline ! The ALAN PARSONS Fan Club. The Avenue / Avenue Communications. Archived from the original on 31 July 2002. Retrieved 29 December 2010.
- ^ a b published, Michael Astley-Brown (8 April 2023). "Ian Bairnson, guitarist for the Alan Parsons Project and Kate Bush, dies aged 69". guitarworld. Retrieved 8 April 2023.
- ^ a b c d "Ian Bairnson Official Site Discography". Ian Bairnson Official Site. 20 June 2009. Retrieved 29 December 2010.
- ^ Astley-Brown, Michael (8 April 2023). "Ian Bairnson, guitarist for the Alan Parsons Project and Kate Bush, dies aged 69". Guitar World. Retrieved 8 April 2023.
- ^ Leila Bairnson, Facebook post, June 20, 2018; accessed March 22, 2023; Steve Cardownie, "Music lessons are vital if Scotland is to produce musicians as talented as Ian Bairnson," Edinburgh News, December 1, 2021; accessed March 22, 2023.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
gw1was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
External links
- "Ian Bairnson Official Site". Retrieved 8 April 2021.
- Ian Bairnson discography at Discogs
- Ian Bairnson at IMDb
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
- Recent deaths
- 1953 births
- 2023 deaths
- Musicians from Edinburgh
- People from Lerwick
- Scottish rock guitarists
- Scottish male guitarists
- Scottish saxophonists
- British male saxophonists
- People associated with Shetland
- Shetland music
- Pilot (band) members
- British soft rock musicians
- 21st-century American saxophonists
- 21st-century American male musicians
- The Alan Parsons Project members