Performance · Other credits
John Thirkell
John Thirkell is credited on 1,306 releases across 227 albums tracked on Gatefold, active 1983–2026 — the collector-built map of who actually made the music.
1,306
Pressings credited
227
Albums
5
Decades active
455
In collections
Biography
John Thirkell is a British trumpet and flugelhorn player, who has appeared on hundreds of pop, rock, and jazz recordings. Through the 1980s and early 1990s, he was on at least one album in the UK Charts continuously, without a break, for over 13 years. In 2009, he had two consecutive UK No.1 singles with Pixie Lott and was the first person to be inducted into the Musician's Union "Hall of Fame." One of his recent number-one albums that he performed on includes Olly Murs' seventh studio album Marry Me (2022). According to Thirkell's own research, he has performed on 36 number-one albums, with his 36th occurring on Shania Twain's sixth studio album Queen of Me (2023). He is also known for playing with Level 42 in partnership with fellow Brit and saxophonist Gary Barnacle. His other credits include work with artists such as Rod Stewart, George Michael, Lisa Stansfield, Jamiroquai, UB40, Cher, Tina Turner, Pet Shop Boys, Swing Out Sister, Spice Girls, BTS, and many more, along with stints in the Buddy Rich Band and Gil Evans Orchestra. He is also the producer of covers band Red Sauce.
Bio from Wikipedia
Credited work
1,306 releases · 227 albums · active 1983–2026
- Performance · 1,804
- Other credits · 156
- Production · 35
- Engineering · 1
Studios: Sarm West Studios · Strongroom · The Billiard Room · Westside Studios
Discography
Records they worked on — most-collected first.

Travelling Without Moving
1996

Phrenology
2002

Infected
1986

Older
1996

Emergency On Planet Earth
1993

The Return Of The Space Cowboy
1994

Very
1993

A Funk Odyssey
2001

High Times (Singles 1992–2006)
2006

Radio K.A.O.S.
1987

Fever
2001

Dusk
1993

Simply The Best
1991

Slave To The Rhythm
1985

Here Today, Tomorrow Next Week!
1989

It's Better To Travel
1987

Welcome To The Beautiful South
1989

What Up, Dog?
1988

On Sunset
2020

Brother Sister
1994

Labour Of Love II
1989

People
1988

U-Vox
1986

A Maximum High
1996
Frequent collaborators
- Jamiroquai
- Various
- Swing Out Sister
- Level 42
- Unknown Artist
- UB40
- Kylie
- The Beautiful South
Around the web
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