Live Long Rock & Roll (by Henry McCullough's Fusiliers) | Fab Forum | The Beatles Bible

This has been a few years in the making, in tribute to former Wings guitarist, Henry McCullough. The song, reflecting back on McCullough’s life and his relationship with music, McCullough wrote it with his friend, Irish singer-songwriter Don Mescall, shortly before the 2012 heart attack from which he never recovered, passing away in 2016.

Don Mescall comments on Henry’s last years:

Any time I was in Ireland I would go to see him. That was a very sad time. It left him almost locked inside a body that didn’t work anymore.

All the while he had this last song of Henry’s, that he’d co-written, and that he wanted to do something special with a little help from Henry’s friends. Recorded in fits and starts they’ve called themselves Henry McCullough’s Fusilers, it was released today.

Gary Brooker (Procul Harum) handles the vocals, Paul McCartney (The Beatles, Wings, Mojo Filters, Fireman, etc.) on bass, Nick Mason (Pink Floyd) on drums, Don Mescall handles the acoustic guitars, Blues legend Albert Lee the electric guitars, Chris Stainton (The Grease Band, Spooky Tooth – both with Henry) on keyboards, with Paul Carrack and Paul Brady doing backing vocals along with the London Community Gospel Choir.

Here’s what Don has to say about Paul’s contribution:

Henry’s wife Josie introduced me to Dave Robinson, who would’ve been a friend of Henry’s and a founder of Stiff Records. I went for dinner with him and a few drinks and I knew I was mad for trying to do this but I said, ‘Dave, I have a favour, I really want to get Paul McCartney on this’. Everyone told me I was crazy and I’d never get him. But a week or two later, word got back to me from Macca that he loved the song and he really wanted to play on it.

There are still sometimes when I’m on my own in the studio when I’ll listen to Paul McCartney ‘s bass on the track and think, ‘If anyone brought magic to this track – it was Sir Paul McCartney .’ I have to hand it to him. This wasn’t a rushed job. He put heart and soul into the bass line on the track. It’s absolutely incredible.

There’s a much more detailed telling of how the song and recording here (well worth reading).

I love it. A wonderful way to remember Henry.