John McCurry's resume is quite the read. The session guitarist has written, recorded, and toured with David Bowie, Alice Cooper, Katy Perry, and many more across a seasoned and genre-hopping career.
Yet, despite having played with those household names, landing the gig as Cyndi Lauper's lead guitarist just five years after first picking up an electric guitar might just be his biggest achievement.
He’s perhaps best known – in guitar circles, at least – for his contributions to Alice Cooper’s seminal late 1980s LP, Trash, in particular for his iconic riff on Poison, which started life as McCurry's warm-up routine.
That, however, may have never been possible if the Time After Time songstress – and a pop producer before her – hadn’t taken a chance on McCurry’s still-blossoming talents. Together, they skyrocketed his career.
In a new interview with Guitar World, McCurry reflects on his entry into session work, and recalls how the opportunity came through bass player Neil Jason, who was working with producer Phil Ramone (Billy Joel, Paul Simon).
“I was on a touring break [with New York post-punk group Cool It Reba] for a few weeks, and he had me come by the Hit Factory and play a solo over an artist’s track,” he says. “Apparently, I passed the ‘audition.’ I immediately started working for Phil on several recordings he was working on, and I worked with him for several years after that. It changed my professional life completely.”
He soon found himself wading, knee-deep, through the ever-competitive session world. So, when he heard Cyndi Lauper needed a band to tour her debut album, She’s So Unusual, McCurry threw his hat in the ring. Much to his surprise, he got the nod.
“A friend of mine told me about an open audition for a new artist named Cyndi, who had a record coming out and was looking for a touring band,” he remembers.
“I am self-taught with no music reading ability and only started playing guitar five years before I landed the Cyndi Lauper gig,” he reflects, decades on. “Maybe a bit of ‘ignorance is bliss’ going on?”
Time in the singer’s band proved highly educational. Lauper was exacting – encouraging, too, but she ran a tight ship. McCurry learned a lot.
“Cyndi had a lot of feedback to give me and the band right from the first rehearsal,” he remembers. “She had a very clear vision of how she wanted the band to sound and look, she was very particular about sounds and my replicating the album. It was a learning experience on every level from day one.”
The tour was a success, and McCurry then had the rare honor of being the only member of the band who was invited to work on the record’s follow-up, True Colors. He played acoustic and electric guitar on six tracks and was surprised by how “comfortable” he felt during the experience.
That’s probably because, when he bagged an audition for the backing band gig, he dove head-first into preparation.
“Working with Cyndi Lauper was very different for me,” McCurry says, ruminating on the challenges. “I was all about rock, blues, and solos. But I was only playing in the local NYC scene, jumping from club to club, sitting in with any singer who would have me.
“There’s plenty of great guitar on [She’s So Unusual], but not at all the style or sound I was familiar with. So, after getting hired and panicking before our first rehearsal, I really listened to the record.
“While learning the parts, I not only learned the set, I learned a whole new style of guitar playing and guitar sounds. [She was] an incredible artist and singer to watch perform night after night.”
Guitar World’s full interview with McCurry will be published online in the very near future.
