King Crimson co-founder Ian McDonald died in February, leaving behind an unequalled legacy. Although the multi-instrumentalist’s official tenure with the band was brief, he made countless contributions to their later material and also made guest appearances with Steve Hackett and Darryl Way. Crimson biographer Sid Smith remembers the musician without whom The Court Of The Crimson King would have sounded very different.

Words: Sid Smith

“A remarkable career”: a young Ian McDonald ready to make his mark.

It’s 2002 and the sun is shining on a rehearsal space in Turnham Green, London. The 21st Century Schizoid Band in its original incarnation with Michael and Peter Giles, Mel Collins and Jakko Jakszyk are blasting their way through an incendiary version of 21st Century Schizoid Man. Ian McDonald, with the look of a slightly preoccupied professor, puts his alto sax to his lips and fires off a volley of careering notes that spatter and shape-shift around the backing in the track’s twisting instrumental section. It seems so incongruous that such a furious salvo of notes could issue from someone who offstage was quiet, reserved, and more often than not, self-effacing.

In 2003, after the band had been on tour playing King Crimsonrelated material and one or two songs from his own solo catalogue, Ian said, “One of the most enjoyable aspects of doing these shows is meeting audience members after the gig, to sign autographs, and shake hands, etc. It’s really good to hear their comments and stories. It’s very gratifying to hear such things as, ‘I’ve been waiting 30 years to hear these songs!’ In some cases, so have I.”