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Karl Wallinger viewed songs as his guiding force and melody as his guiding light. During my 2012 interview with him, while eating shepherd’s pie at the Groucho Club, he referred to himself as a “song creature” throughout his entire life. The top tracks by World Party, the band he led, possess a quality of a man attempting to capture all the adoration and elation of his own fan base within a four-minute timeframe, to distill the essence of renowned artists such as Bob Dylan, Prince, the Rolling Stones, Sly Stone, Van Morrison, the Beach Boys, and most importantly, the Beatles, into one lively, funky, heartfelt, and slightly imperfect homemade musical creation.
Wallinger, at the age of 66, successfully achieved his music goals on multiple occasions during his career. His most notable hits, such as “Ship of Fools,” “Put the Message in the Box,” “Way Down Now,” “Is it Like Today?,” and “She’s the One,” have a timeless quality that defies genre boundaries and are a joy to listen to. No matter when you choose to listen to them, these songs are sure to bring a lively and positive atmosphere to any space.
Beyond these staples, though, the catalogue runs deep. World Party were sometimes dismissed as 1960s revivalists, but although the through line is Wallinger’s dedication to pop classicism, the music is more diverse than that might suggest, incorporating funk, country, synth-pop, folk, mock-opera and nu-soul.
The songs “It Can Be Beautiful (Sometimes)” and “All Come True” from World Party’s first album, Private Revolution, have vastly different styles. Their most popular and acclaimed album, Goodbye Jumbo, features a variety of genres, such as folk-rock, funk, ballads, psychedelia, and more. The box set Arkeology is a vibrant and diverse mix of creative songs, including the powerful “Another World,” which serves as a heartfelt apology from humanity to the Earth.
Wallinger’s songwriting was not focused on nostalgia, as he explained in 2012 that he was not trying to be retro. According to him, his songs were relevant then and are even more relevant now. He was simply writing about things that were obvious to him at the time, and unfortunately, nothing has been done about those issues yet.
Ship of Fools, a melancholic and critical song that denounces the selfishness and greed of those in power, remains uncomfortably relevant in 2024. Other songs by World Party, such as Goodbye Jumbo, also tackled the issue of looming ecological crisis, with its cover even featuring an elephant bidding farewell. Wallinger was ahead of his time by emphasizing environmentalism as a central theme in his music. The profound musings on the history of the world in Is It Like Today? were influenced by Bertrand Russell, and the song God on Your Side called out those who use morality for their own gain.
The authenticity of emotion is apparent in the songs due to the internal struggles they depict. The love for music, humanity, and our environment is portrayed with sharp humor and a healthy dose of skepticism from the perspective of someone from Wales. When I spoke with Wallinger ten years after his life-threatening brain aneurysm, he had a more introspective outlook on life but still held disdain for certain aspects of society. “I used to think we were decent, now I see us as a group of foolish individuals. I’m guilty of it too. I can be just as foolish as the next person.”
He was terrific company. Opinionated, sharp, funny, wry, angry. The same kind heart and sharp tongue he displayed in person is evident in the work. The final track on the third World Party album, Bang!, is called All I Gave. It’s a breezy George Harrison-esque tune, cheerfully asserting our individual value in the face of life’s many vagaries. “All I gave was me,” sings Wallinger on the chorus. Listening to it again this morning, it rings truer than ever.
Wallinger was not only a skilled songwriter and distinctive vocalist with an impressive falsetto, but also a captivating performer on stage. In addition, he possessed exceptional talent as a multi-instrumentalist. Mike Scott, a former bandmate in the Waterboys, praised him as “one of the most talented musicians I have ever known.” During his time with the band, Wallinger contributed his musical abilities to several iconic Waterboys tracks, including a captivating organ part on Rags and beautiful piano on A Pagan Place. His influence can also be heard on The Whole of the Moon, where his synthesizer bass and dynamic vocal melody at the end, inspired by David Bowie’s Fame, add depth to the song’s intricate sound.
In his early albums with World Party, Wallinger handled most of the musical instruments himself, but his focus was not on achieving technical perfection. He created his music in his improvised recording studios, including one called Seaview as a joke, often throwing himself into the process with enthusiasm. Goodbye Jumbo, while not a flawless audio production, exudes the joy of creative expression. During the 1990s, this album seemed to be everywhere. Some argue that it unintentionally paved the way for the Britpop movement, drawing from similar influences but with a cleverness and lack of self-awareness.
Wallinger did not have a particular interest in riding that wave, or any other for that matter. Apart from the limitations imposed by his illness, which clearly hindered his creative process, there is a belief that he gradually withdrew from the glitz and glam of the music industry in order to maintain the pleasure he found in his work. “I simply know that I am here to play music and make the most of my time,” he shared with me. “It’s a bit cheesy, but it’s true.”
Music was at the core of everything. Whenever we crossed paths, he would pause our conversation to record melodies on his phone and tweak them with a wah-wah effect. His phone ringtone was Sly Stone’s “Family Affair” and his dog went by the name Ringo. Karl Wallinger’s passion for music was undeniable, and we are fortunate that he spread it to others.
Source: theguardian.com
