Bill MacCormick is an English

English people

The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...

 bassist

Bassist

A bass player, or bassist is a musician who plays a bass instrument such as a double bass, bass guitar, keyboard bass or a low brass instrument such as a tuba or sousaphone. Different musical genres tend to be associated with one or more of these instruments...

 and vocalist. He was a member of the bands Quiet Sun

Quiet Sun (band)

Quiet Sun were an English progressive rock/jazz fusion band from the Canterbury Scene consisting of Phil Manzanera , Bill MacCormick , Dave Jarrett and Charles Hayward .-History:...

 with Phil Manzanera

Phil Manzanera

Phil Manzanera is a musician and record producer. He is the lead guitarist with Roxy Music. In 2006 Manzanera co-produced David Gilmour's album On An Island and played in Gilmour's band for tours in Europe and North America...

, brother Ian MacCormick (also known as Ian MacDonald

Ian MacDonald

Ian MacCormick was a British music critic and author, best known for Revolution in the Head, his forensic history of The Beatles which borrowed techniques from art historians, and The New Shostakovich, a controversial study of the Russian composer Dmitri Shostakovich...

) and others; Matching Mole

Matching Mole

Matching Mole was a short-lived UK progressive rock band from the Canterbury scene best known for the song "O Caroline". Robert Wyatt formed the band in October 1971 after he left Soft Machine and recorded his first solo album The End of an Ear...

 with Robert Wyatt

Robert Wyatt

Robert Wyatt is an English musician, and founding member of the influential Canterbury scene band Soft Machine, with a long and distinguished solo career...

 and others; 801

801 (band)

801 were an English experimental rock band that were originally formed in 1976 for three live concerts by*Phil Manzanera *Brian Eno...

 with Manzanera, Brian Eno

Brian Eno

Brian Peter George St. John le Baptiste de la Salle Eno , commonly known as Brian Eno or simply as Eno , is an English musician, composer, record producer, singer and visual artist, known as one of the principal innovators of ambient music.Eno studied at Colchester Institute art school in Essex,...

 and others; and Random Hold

Random Hold

Random Hold was a British rock band from 1977 to 1980.-History:The first line-up featured David Ferguson and David Rhodes , plus Simon Ainley , Bill MacCormick and David Leach...

. He also was a session musician

Session musician

Session musicians are instrumental and vocal performers, musicians, who are available to work with others at live performances or recording sessions. Usually such musicians are not permanent members of a musical ensemble and often do not achieve fame in their own right as soloists or bandleaders...

 with Manzanera, Wyatt, Eno and Gary Windo

Gary Windo

Gary Windo was a jazz tenor saxophonist.He came from a musical family in England and by age six took up drums and accordion, then guitar at 12, and finally saxophone at 17. He lived in the United States in the 1960s, but returned to England in 1969...

.

MacCormick had finished his musical career in the early 1980s when, after serious clashes and financial problems, Random Hold split up. He then work for the Liberal Democrats

Liberal Democrats

The Liberal Democrats are a social liberal political party in the United Kingdom which supports constitutional and electoral reform, progressive taxation, wealth taxation, human rights laws, cultural liberalism, banking reform and civil liberties .The party was formed in 1988 by a merger of the...

 and for the developers of the Polly, a then rival in the Liberal Democrats to EARS Electoral software

Electoral software

Electoral software is, simply put, software which is used in connection with elections; it can be for the purpose of winning elections, as is polling day or GOTV software like EARS...

 and then in market research. He later became a Liberal Democrat councillor for the Anerley ward of the London Borough of Bromley

London Borough of Bromley

The London Borough of Bromley is a London borough of south east London, England and forms part of Outer London. The principal town in the borough is Bromley.-Geography:...

. Lately, he played a bass solo on Manzanera's 2004 album 6PM in the track "Wish You Well", a tribute to MacCormick's late brother Ian. He is also the producer of the 2005 Manzanera album 50 Minutes Later.

In May 2006, a book by MacCormick was published under the pen name Alan MacDonald, Pro Patria Mori: The 56th (1st London) Division at Gommecourt, 1st July 1916

First day on the Somme

The first day on the Somme, 1 July 1916, was the opening day of the Battle of Albert, which was the first phase of the British and French offensive that became known as the Battle of the Somme...

.

MacCormick is the webmaster of the official Genesis

Genesis (band)

Genesis are an English rock band that formed in 1967. The band currently comprises the longest-tenured members Tony Banks , Mike Rutherford and Phil Collins . Past members Peter Gabriel , Steve Hackett and Anthony Phillips , also played major roles in the band in its early years...

website, where is he known simply as "GW". He also does webmaster work for Manzanera.

External links

• Bill MacCormick - a 1995 interview with MacCormick for Facelift, illustrating his musical development from 1966 through the early 1980s, with many details from various musicians' activities over the years from www.manzanera.com with pictures, interviews and more
• Section "R" (for Random Hold) of
• Review of the Manzanera album "6PM"
• Canterbury Music Family Tree
• 801: Listen Now
• Website for Pro Patria Mori