World Party

Founded on the talents of ex-Waterboys keyboard player Karl Wallinger (b. 19 October 1957, Prestatyn, Wales), World Party had to work hard to shrug off comparisons with his former band. This was a little unjust, bearing in mind Wallinger's quite separate, but in many ways equal, songwriting abilities. Wallinger was born the son of an architect father and housewife mother. He was brought up in North Wales on a diet of 60s ephemera, from the Supremes, through the Spencer Davis Group, to Merseybeat. His first musical experience arrived in 1976 with Quasimodo, who would eventually lose their hump to become the Alarm. Later he moved to London to become a clerk for ATV/Northern Songs, who counted the Beatles' catalogue among their acquisitions. He delved back into performance in his own time, eventually going on to become musical director of The Rocky Horror Show in the West End of London. A short residency with funk band the Out overlapped his liaison with the Waterboys. After he split amicably from Mike Scott, Wallinger set out on a solo career that would see him sign to Prince's management. He also helped Sin‚ad O'Connor on her Lion And The Cobra set.
Wallinger recorded the first two World Party albums practically single-handed, though 1993's Bang! saw him joined by Chris Sharrock (drums, ex-Icicle Works) and Dave Catlin-Birch (guitars/keyboards). The minor UK hit single "Ship Of Fools" (from 1987) showcased Wallinger's muse, a relaxed and melancholic performance reminiscent of mid-period Beatles. This has not so much been updated as revitalized on his subsequent, sterling work, although a minor breakthrough was made with Bang!, which featured Wallinger's only UK Top 20 hit to date, "Is It Like Today'. Some of the reviews for Egyptology were unnecessarily cruel (especially the New Musical Express). It was by his standards another good album, which, although still locked into the Beatles" sound (this time circa 1968), has some great moments, notably the gentle "She's The One" and the meatier "Curse Of The Mummy's Tomb". The former indirectly gave Wallinger a worthy chart-topping single, when Robbie Williams' cover version reached top of the UK singles chart in November 1999. Dumbing Up retreated from the ambitions of Egyptology, and found Wallinger resorting to his pick 'n' mix style of songwriting. He is one of the best magpie songwriters around, and the strong influence of ELO, Bob Dylan ("Bob Dylan's 115th Dream" in the shape of "Who Are You?") and even Rare Bird (shades of "Sympathy" in "All The Love That's Wasted') can be heard in addition to strong memories of the Beatles" "Dear Prudence" and "Baby You're A Rich Man" in "Another 1000 Years".

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