Andy ‘Thunderclap’ Newman has died at the age of 73.
Thunderclap Newman was best known for the hit song ‘Something In The Air’ in 1969. It was a no 1 song in the UK.
Pete Townshend of The Who put the band Thunderclap Newman together for Andy Newman to showcase the songs of Speedy Keen and with Jimmy McCulloch (later of Wings) and guitar and Townshend, using the alias Bijou Drains on bass. Keen was a chauffeur for The Who and had written ‘Armenia City in the Sky’ on The Who’s ‘The Who Sell Out’ album.
“It is with great sadness that we report the death of Andy ‘Thunderclap’ Newman, who passed away yesterday age 73. Rest in peace,” The Who announced at their Facebook page.
Keen had written ‘Something In The Air’ for the movie The Magic Christian, starring Ringo Starr and Peter Sellers with appearances by John Cleese, Spike Milligan, Graham Chapman and Raquel Welch.
Thunderclap Newman only released the one album ‘Hollywood Dream’. In January 1971, now as a five-piece, Thunderclap Newman supported Deep Purple across Europe but by April 1971 had broken up.
Keen died from heart failure in 2002 at age 56. Newman reformed Thunderclap Newman in 2010 with a new line-up including Mark Brzezicki of Big Country on drums and Pete Townshend’s nephew Josh on guitar and vocals. They released a second album ‘Beyond Hollywood’ in 2011.
