Karl Wallinger was a Welsh musician and songwriter known for his work with World Party and the Waterboys.
- Died: March 10, 2024 (Who else died on March 10?)
- Details of death: Died at the age of 66.
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Karl Wallinger’s legacy
Wallinger was best known for the psychedelic alt-pop he played as the frontman – and often the sole member – of World Party. But prior to World Party’s 1986 debut, he spent time as the musical director of “The Rocky Horror Show” and was in several other bands, most notably the Waterboys. He was invited to join the U.K.-based band in 1983, early in their history, as keyboardist. His multi-instrumental talent impressed founder Mike Scott, and he ended up playing additional instruments for the Waterboys, but he also chafed at being in a band rather than leading the show. With his own musical ideas bursting from his thoughts, Wallinger left the Waterboys in 1985 and began working on World Party’s first recordings.
Wallinger’s debut album as World Party, “Private Revolution,” was recorded in his home studio, and he played almost all the instruments himself, crediting the work to pseudonyms. Among the few other artists who contributed was Sinead O’Connor (1966–2023), who sang backing vocals on the title track and “Hawaiian Island World.” Wallinger reciprocated by contributing to O’Connor’s 1987 debut, “The Lion and the Cobra.”
“Private Revolution” offered the first glimpse of the lush, neo-psychedelic jangle pop that would become World Party’s signature sound. Influenced by artists from the Beatles to Bob Dylan to the Beach Boys to Prince (1958–2016), Wallinger set his clever lyrics – sometimes dark and doomy – to joyful, exuberant pop. While he never reached major stardom, he did score a Billboard hit with “Ship of Fools” from “Private Revolution,” reaching No. 27 on the Hot 100. It was also one of several college radio hits for World Party. Their alternative stardom reached its peak with the 1990 follow-up album, “Goodbye Jumbo.” “Put the Message in the Box” and “Way Down Now” were both well received by college and alternative radio.
Later albums didn’t capture as much attention as World Party’s first two, though 1993’s “Bang!” did well at home in the U.K. and included the moderately successful single “Is It Like Today?” “She’s the One,” from the 1997 “Egyptology” album, became a U.K. hit when it was recorded by Robbie Williams in 1999.
In 2001, Wallinger suffered a brain aneurysm and was lucky to survive. He took a hiatus from music for several years as he convalesced, and even after a full recovery, he lost his peripheral vision. It changed the way he played guitar, as he couldn’t easily see the top of the instrument’s neck, and he jokingly referred to the “jazz chords” he played in the wake of the health scare.
Notable quote
“The tour is a good thing for the soul. Playing a lot to people, playing live to people. It makes you feel like a musician, and I think that’s an important thing to feel. And it makes you realise how much songs mean to people, because there’s a small band of people who like the songs, and it’s more than a ‘like.’ It’s like ‘I was listening to this when blah, blah, blah,’ or ‘this was played out our wedding,’ or ‘our child was born and I played this.’” —from a 2015 interview for the Independent
Tributes to Karl Wallinger
Full obituary: Los Angeles Times
