Feature Photo courtesy of Duncan Mackay.jpg
An Interview with Duncan Mackay, formerly of 10cc, Camel, Cockney Rebel & Alan Parsons Project
By Andrew Daly
With Cockney Rebel, Kate Bush, 10cc, Alan Parsons Project, Camel, and Budgie, keyboardist Duncan Mackay helped create the soundtrack of ‘70s and ‘80s progressive rock.
Albums like 1977’s I Robot, 1978’s Bloody Tourists, 1978 The Kick Inside, 1981’s Nude, and 1982’s Deliver Us from Evil are just a few records that you might have heard Mackay on. Not to mention his solo records, 1974’s Chimera, and 1977’s Score, which have become cult favorites.
As for how Mackay views his music, he tells ClassicRockHistory.com, “I certainly don’t write music with any category in mind. For me, it’s a musical journey, and I’ll leave it to others to categorise it.”
Mackay is still at it. With recent collaborator Mauritz Lotz, he’s got a new record out called A Beautiful Madness. He’s proud of it but can’t decide which track he likes best. “This is a difficult question to answer,” he admits. “I think my artistry is represented equally, but in different ways, on all tracks.”
At 75, Mackay has no plans to slow down, with more music on the way. “For 50-odd years, I have never known what the next adventure will be,” he says. “But I have no doubt that Mauritz and I will do more together.”
What inspires you to get into songwriting these days, and how has that changed over the years?
This is a difficult question to answer, as inspiration can come from anywhere and at any time. More often than not, a tune or rhythm pops into my head. It’s a bit like magic; I don’t really want to know how it happens.
While making your new record, A Beautiful Madness, what was your working relationship with Mauritz Lotz like, and how did you two initially meet?
I was introduced to Mauritz through a mutual friend. I played him a piece of film music I was working on at the time, and he asked if he could contribute. I absolutely loved the inventiveness of what he did. At the time, I was also writing and recording the second album, Narratives, with the prog band Fluance.
We were looking for a guitarist, and Mauritz fitted the bill perfectly. It was during this time that I asked Mauritz if he’d be interested in collaborating on a project. The unusual aspect of making A Beautiful Madness was that not once were we in the same studio recording together.
It started with him sending me three ideas for tracks, which I then worked on, added to, and combined. This eventually became the title track of the album. Every track evolved this way; it was almost like the music was telling us where it wanted to go.
Do you find collaboration to be invigorating compared to working on your own?
Not always, but absolutely when you are collaborating with the talent of someone like Mauritz.
As you mentioned, this record spawned from working on Fluance’s album. How similar are the sounds, and how do they differ?
I don’t think the sounds are radically different. It’s the approach of how you use those sounds to complement whichever track you are working on that changes. Mauritz’s contribution to Fluance was as a guitarist, whereas during the album’s creation, we were able to exchange musical ideas and create something neither of us could have imagined when we first talked about collaborating.
When you look back on your career, can you track your progression as a musician starting with your days with Steve Harley, 10cc, and The Alan Parsons Project in the ‘70s?
My career as a musician took several turns in the ‘70s. There was the music I wrote and recorded myself, Chimera and Score, and then the commercial approach with the bands that I joined, Cockney Rebel and 10cc, where it was more of a collaboration with other musicians. Both were very different.
How about Kate Bush? You worked on her first three albums. What was that like?
Kate was a delight to work with. When we first heard her play “Wuthering Heights” on the piano, we knew this record was going to be special, and it was a privilege to be part of what turned out to be such a successful beginning to her career.
The “band” that played with both Kate and the Alan Parsons Projects consisted of me, Stuart Elliot (the drummer from Cockney Rebel), Ian Bairnson, and David Paton (guitarist and bass player from the band Pilot). Although we were “session musicians,” we worked more like a band, and the results speak for themselves.
What did you learn from working with Camel in the ‘80s, a period of interesting sounds and genre exploration for that band?
I really enjoyed recording the Nude album with Andy Latimer and the band. My natural style of playing fitted in perfectly with the sounds they were creating. If circumstances had been different, I would have loved to have taken them up on their offer of going on tour, but as it was, my commitment to 10cc made that impossible.
You also featured on Budgie’s Deliver Us from Evil record. That record is a bit divisive for fans. Why do you think that is, and what do you think of it?
I am not knowledgeable enough of Budgie’s repertoire to suggest why that particular album received the comments it did.
Is it true that you nearly landed a spot with Yes? Tell us about that?
Apparently, yes! I’ve only just discovered this through Mauritz, who is a very good friend of Trevor Rabin.
What gear are you using these days, and how has that changed over the years, and why?
I still have my faithful Hammond B3, which has followed me around the globe for 50 years. Mainly, I use a Kurzweil mother keyboard, Roland JD-XA, and Gaia 2, and occasionally some of my vintage gear from the 70s/80s – Proteus, Yamaha, and Akai.
My first synth was an ARP 2600, where changing sounds involved patch chords and moving faders. These days, all you need to do is press a button. Also, digital recording has made editing and the control of sounds so much easier, compared to splicing tape on reel-to-reel.
What are you proudest of when you look back, and what are your biggest regrets?
Musically, I’m proudest of my first album, Chimera. It was whilst playing this music live at my club, The Branch Office in Johannesburg, that I was heard by Peter Knight Jnr from Phonogram International, and this set my whole career in motion.
And now, many years later, with A Beautiful Madness. There have been many highlights, including number ones with “Make Me Smile (Come Up and See Me)” (Cockney Rebel) and “Dreadlock Holiday” (10cc). My biggest regrets: never getting round to owning a Ferrari or a Bosendorfer grand piano!
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An Interview with Duncan Mackay, formerly of 10cc, Camel, Cockney Rebel & Alan Parsons Project article published on ClassicRockHistory.com© 2026
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