John Alexander McGeoch (25 August 1955 – 4 March 2004) was a Scottish musician and songwriter. He is best known as the guitarist of the rock bands Magazine (1977–1980) and Siouxsie and the Banshees (1980–1982).
He has been described as one of the most influential guitarists of his generation. In 1996 he was listed by Mojo in their "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time" for his work on the Siouxsie and the Banshees song "Spellbound". Signature characteristics of his playing style included inventive arpeggios, string harmonics, the uses of flanger and an occasional disregard for conventional scales.
He was also a member of the bands Visage (1979–1980), the Armoury Show (1983–1986) and Public Image Ltd (1986–1992).
McGeoch has been cited as an influence by guitarists such as Johnny Marr, Jonny Greenwood, Ed O'Brien, the Edge, John Frusciante, Robert Smith, Steve Albini, Duane Denison, James Dean Bradfield and Dave Navarro.
Early life McGeoch was born on 25 August 1955 in Greenock, Renfrewshire, Scotland, where he spent his childhood years. He began to play the guitar at 12 years of age, first learning British blues music, being influenced by the work of Eric Clapton, and also that of Jimi Hendrix. He took piano lessons for five years until the age of twelve. When his parents bought him a guitar, he stopped piano. In 1970 he played with a local band called the 'Slugband'. In 1971 his parents moved to London.
In 1975 he went to art school in Manchester where he received a degree in Fine Art. In his final year in 1976, he was enraptured by a new music that "ended up being called punk rock". He called it "the revolution, and I really do think that's the right word for it". He maintained an interest in photography, painting and drawing throughout his life.
Career 1977–1980: Magazine and Visage In April 1977, McGeoch's Manchester student flatmate Malcolm Garrett introduced him to Howard Devoto, who had recently left the band Buzzcocks and was looking for a guitarist to form a new band. The pair formed Magazine with Barry Adamson, Bob Dickinson and Martin Jackson. The band released its debut single, "Shot by Both Sides" in January 1978. The music was written by Pete Shelley with lyrics by Devoto, and the single reached number 41 on the UK Singles Chart. That same year, McGeoch graduated from Manchester Polytechnic.
McGeoch played on Magazine’s first three albums, Real Life (1978), Secondhand Daylight (1979) and The Correct Use of Soap (1980). He remained with the band through the release and promotion of The Correct Use of Soap, touring the album during 1980 and playing his final show with Magazine in August. He left the band that September to officially join Siouxsie and the Banshees, reportedly disappointed by Magazine’s continued lack of sustained commercial success despite strong critical acclaim.
In 1979, while still a member of Magazine, McGeoch joined Steve Strange's electronic band Visage alongside Magazine bandmates Adamson and Dave Formula. He recorded guitar and saxophone parts for the band's first single "Tar" and later contributed to their 1980 self-titled album Visage. The band proved commercially successful, with the single "Fade to Grey" reaching number one in several European countries. McGeoch later said the income from the song allowed him to buy a house. He did not record on the group's second album, The Anvil, as it was recorded in London while he was away touring with Siouxsie and the Banshees.
While still a member of Magazine and Visage, McGeoch also worked occasionally with other bands. In mid-1980 he recorded most of the guitar work on Gen X's album Kiss Me Deadly at AIR Studios in London.'Dancing with Myself', by Billy Idol. (Pub. Simon & Schuster, 2014). In September 1980 he guested with Skids for a Peel Session, standing in for Stuart Adamson who was unwell. Later session work included Tina Turner's comeback track with the British Electric Foundation and for Propaganda He also collaborated with ex-Magazine drummer John Doyle on Ken Lockie's album The Impossible.
1980–1982: Siouxsie and the Banshees When recording with Siouxsie and the Banshees in early 1980, McGeoch entered a period of both creative and commercial success. During his first session with the Banshees he began a new style of playing. He later commented: "I was going through a picky phase, as opposed to strumming. "Happy House" was lighter and had more musicality in it. They invited me to join. I was sad leaving Magazine but the Banshees were so interesting and it felt like a good move". He became an official member of the group at the release of "Israel" in November 1980, which was the first single he composed with the band.
He recorded guitar on the Banshees' long-players Kaleidoscope (1980), Juju (1981) and A Kiss in the Dreamhouse (1982). The Banshees' hit singles of this era featured some of McGeoch's most acclaimed work, particularly 1980's "Happy House", "Christine" and "Israel", and 1981's "Spellbound" and "Arabian Knights". McGeoch's contribution to the band was important in terms of sounds and style. Singer Siouxsie Sioux later said: However, McGeoch suffered a nervous breakdown due to the stresses of touring and an increasing personal problem with alcohol. He arrived in Madrid for a promotional stay in bad state and made several uncharacteristic mistakes at a gig. Back home, he was forced to leave the band in October 1982 to rest and recover.
1983–1986: The Armoury Show In 1983, during a break from playing music, he produced Swedish punk-funk band Zzzang Tumb's debut long-player.
He joined the band the Armoury Show which included Doyle as well as ex-Skids members Richard Jobson and Russell Webb. Their album Waiting for the Floods released in 1985, features some of McGeoch's best guitar work. He contributed to former Bauhaus singer Peter Murphy's debut solo long-player Should the World Fail to Fall Apart.
1986–1992: Public Image Ltd In 1986, McGeoch joined John Lydon's Public Image Ltd, a decision which may have been partly motivated by financial difficulties he was in at this time. He had been an admirer of PiL, particularly of Lydon's lyrics, yet reportedly had previously turned down an offer from him to join the band in 1984. Despite being struck in the face with a bottle thrown from the crowd during one of his first gigs with the band, McGeoch remained with PiL until it disbanded in 1992, making him, at that time, the longest-serving member apart from Lydon. He recorded on its long-players: Happy?, 9 and That What Is Not.
In 1992 he was invited by the Icelandic band the Sugarcubes to play the lead guitar on the song "Gold" for their Stick Around for Joy long-player.
1993–2004: Last years Without a band, he ended his career seeking to form one via a variety of short-lived ventures, including working with Glenn Gregory and the songwriter/producer Keith Lowndes. With John Keeble of Spandau Ballet and vocalist Clive Farrington of When in Rome, he formed a line-up provisionally titled 'Pacific', but no commercial material came of it.
In the mid-1990s McGeoch retired from professional music and trained as a nurse/carer. In the early 2000s he was reported as attempting to re-enter professional music by working on musical scores for television productions.
Equipment During his time with Magazine and Siouxsie and the Banshees, McGeoch played a Yamaha SG1000 guitar with a mic-stand mounted MXR M117R flanger raised to hand height. This setup allowed him manipulate the flanger's controls at the same time as playing guitar.Wire-sound.com, Magazine, 12/12/2008 With Magazine, McGeoch played a Yamaha SG1000 + MXR Flanger + a few other bits. In 1977, after Magazine signed a recording contract, he bought his first SG1000 guitar from A1 Music in Manchester. He also played on a 12 String Ovation acoustic guitar. He also used a MXR Dynacomp Compressor and a Yamaha Analog Delay. His amps were a Roland Jazz Chorus JC120 and two Marshall MV50 combos. His use of flange and chorus added depth and space to his guitar parts. During the recording sessions of Juju, he used devices such as the Gizmo on "Into the light", and an EBow on "Sin in My Heart".Sullivan-Burke, Rory (April 2022). "The Light Pours Out of Me: The Authorised Biography of John McGeoch". Omnibus Press. p. 108
Whilst working with 'The Armoury Show', he also used a customised Telecaster, a white Squier 1957 Stratocaster, an Ibanez AE410BK and an Ibanez AE100. For pedals, alongside his 'flanger on a stick', he was using an MXR Compressor, two Ibanez harmonisers and an Ibanez Super Metal pedal. During his work with PiL, and in his last years he favoured a solid wood Carvin electric guitar. He also used a Washburn Tour 24 guitar for touring during 1988.
Legacy McGeoch has been cited as a major influence by numerous guitarists. Johnny Marr from the Smiths said: "When I was in my teens, there weren't many new guitar players who were interesting and of their time.[...] [McGeoch’s work] was really innovative guitar music which was pretty hard to find back then. To a young guitar player like myself, those early Banshees singles were just class". Simon Goddard wrote that McGeoch was a "significant inspiration" on Marr. Marr said: "Really my generation was all about a guy called John McGeoch, from Siouxsie and the Banshees". Marr also stated: "The music he made with the Banshees … the word imperial was made for that music".
Radiohead have cited McGeoch's work with Magazine and Siouxsie and the Banshees as an influence. The lead guitarist, Jonny Greenwood, said McGeoch was the guitarist that had most influenced him. The Radiohead guitarist Ed O'Brien also cited him as a "big influence", and one of the "great guitarists [who] weren't lead guitarists". He said that McGeoch was "responsible for some of the greatest riffs ever ... 'Spellbound', 'Christine', 'Happy House'... His riffs are so elegant and once you learn how to play them there is almost a zen like quality to the sound and movement of your hands. It reminds me of the beauty in Johnny Marr's playing." For Radiohead's 2003 single "There There", their producer, Nigel Godrich, encouraged Greenwood to play like McGeoch in Siouxsie and the Banshees. Excerpt. Colin Greenwood remembers: "The running joke when we were making this record was that if we recorded a track that stretched over 3mn 50 sec., we'd say "Oh fuck, we've buggered it then. It's gone on too long." Of course, the irony is that the first single we're releasing is actually the longest song on the record. ("There There"). It was all recorded live in Oxford. We all got excited at the end because Nigel was trying to get Jonny to play like John McGeoch in Siouxsie and the Banshees. All the old farts in the band were in seventh heaven."
Dave Navarro of Jane's Addiction said that he "always loved all the different guitarists that have been in Siouxsie and the Banshees". John Frusciante of Red Hot Chili Peppers named McGeoch in his primary influences: "[McGeoch] is such a guitarist I aspire to be. He has a new brilliant idea for each song. I usually play on the stuff he does on Magazine's albums and Siouxsie & the Banshees's like Juju." Frusciante praised him as a musician "who played in more textural ways" and who made "interesting music". Frusciante "bought an SG, because I'm a big fan of John McGeoch from Siouxsie and the Banshees and Magazine. When I'd play along with his records using a Strat, the parts sounded too thin and weak for the simple power of his playing. In learning the SG, I had to teach myself to bend in a brand-new way and use new muscles to do vibrato."