John Thirkell

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. 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.

Credits

Level 42 Forever Now (Resurgent) Group Member Level 42 Guaranteed – Group Member Jamiroquai Emergency on Planet Earth – Trumpet, Horn Arrangements Jamiroquai "Bad Girls" Live – Trumpet Jamiroquai The Return of the Space Cowboy – Trumpet, Horn Arrangements George Michael Older – Flugelhorn, Upper Flugelhorn & Trumpet BTS – Dynamite – Trumpet Pixie Lott Mama Do – Trumpet Pixie Lott Boys and Girls – Trumpet Paul Weller On Sunset – Trumpet, Flugelhorn UB40 Labour of Love II – Trumpet Swing Out Sister Breakout – Trumpet Swing Out Sister Surrender – Trumpet Tina Turner Simply the Best – Trumpet Jools Holland World of His Own – Trumpet Phil Collins Prince's Trust Concert 1987 & 2010 – Trumpet, Flugelhorn Status Quo Don't Stop: 30th Anniversary Album – Trumpet, Flugelhorn Westlife My Girl – Trumpet Westlife What Becomes of the Broken Hearted – Trumpet Lisa Stansfield Lisa Stansfield – Horn Arrangements, Trumpet Lisa Stansfield Swing – Trumpet Lisa Stansfield Seven Queen Princes Trust 2010 – Trumpet/Flugelhorn Kylie Minogue Fever – Flute, Trumpet Kylie Minogue Let's Get To It – Trumpet Kylie Minogue Better the Devil You Know – Trumpet Tom Jones Reload) – Flugelhorn, Trumpet Spandau Ballet Heart Like a Sky – Trumpet, Flugelhorn M People Bizarre Fruit – Trumpet, Flugelhorn Prefab Sprout Jordan: The Comeback – Trumpet, Flugelhorn Frankie Goes to Hollywood Liverpool – Trumpet, Flugelhorn Take That Nobody Else – Trumpet ABC Lexicon of Love – Trumpet, Flugelhorn Roger Waters Radio Kaos – Trumpet, Flugelhorn Bros Changing Faces – Trumpet Eric Clapton Prince's Trust Concert 1987 & 2010 – Trumpet, Flugelhorn Stereo MC's Connected – Trumpet Randy Crawford Rich & Poor – Trumpet Katrina and the Waves Walking on Sunshine – Trumpet Natalie Imbruglia Satellite – Trumpet, Flugelhorn Culture Club Your Kisses Are Charity – Trumpet The Style Council Have You Ever Had It Blue – Trumpet Lionel Richie Renaissance – Trumpet, Flugelhorn The The Infected (Sony Reissue) – Trumpet The The Dusk (Sony Reissue) – Trumpet Anastacia One Day in Your Life (Import Single) – Trumpet Cher Living Proof (Japan Bonus Track) – Flugelhorn, Trumpet George Harrison Princes Trust Concert 1987 – Trumpet, Flugelhorn Ringo Starr Princes Trust Concert 1987 – Trumpet, Flugelhorn Miriam Stockley Second Nature – Trumpet Swing Out Sister Live at the Jazz Cafe – Flugelhorn, Trumpet Byron Stingily Club Stories (Import Bonus Tracks) Culture Club Don't Mind If I Do – Trumpet Jakko Jakszyk The Road to Ballina – Trumpet Tom Jones Reload – Trumpet Maxi Priest CombiNation – Trumpet Dany Brillant Nouveau Jour – Arranger, Trumpet Tina Turner Wildest Dreams – Trumpet M People Fresco – Trumpet Right Said Fred Smashing! – Trumpet Angélique Kidjo Fifa – Trumpet Angélique Kidjo Aye – Trumpet Swing Out Sister Living Return – Flugelhorn, Trumpet Pet Shop Boys Very – Conductor, Brass Pet Shop Boys Relentless – Brass Clive Griffin Clive Griffin – Trumpet Swing Out Sister Get in Touch with Yourself – Flugelhorn, Trumpet 29 Palms Fatal Joy – Flugelhorn, Trumpet The Beautiful South Welcome to the Beautiful South – Flugelhorn, Trumpet The Beautiful South Carry On Up the Charts – Flugelhorn, Trumpet The Sugarcubes Here Today, Tomorrow Next Week! – Trumpet Jimmy Somerville Read My Lips – Trumpet Tony Banks Bankstatement – Trumpet Randy Crawford Rich and Poor – Brass Clive Griffin Step by Step – Overdubs Toni Childs Union – Horn Hothouse Flowers People – Brass Was (Not Was) What Up, Dog? – Brass, Overdubs Grace Jones Slave to the Rhythm – Percussion, Trumpet Elaine Paige Stages – Flugelhorn Pixie Lott Mama Do – Trumpet Pixie Lott Boys & Girls – Trumpet James Morrison 'Songs For You, Truths For Me' – Trumpet & Flugelhorn Kiri Te Kanawa 'World in Union' – Trumpet Jamie Cullum – Princes Trust 2010 Paloma Faith – Princes Trust 2010 The Who – Hurtwood Park 2014 Jeff Beck – Hurtwood Park 2014 Bruno Mars Uptown Funk – Trumpet The Faces – Hurtwood Park 2015 BTS Dynamite – Trumpet Olly Murs Marry Me – Trumpet