Darryl Way
Encyclopedia
Darryl Way is a British rock
and classical
musician who was a founding member of Curved Air
and co-writer of their only hit single, "Back Street Luv". He is best known as a violinist although he also played keyboards.
He began his musical training at Dartington College of Arts, and later studied at the Royal College of Music
. When he met Francis Monkman
, they formed the band Sisyphus, which evolved into Curved Air.
After three albums and a hit single with Curved Air, he left in 1972 and formed the band Darryl Way's Wolf, which also recorded three albums before splitting. His next band, Stark Naked & the Car Thieves, went on hiatus when Curved Air reformed in late 1974. After their Live
album, Curved Air split, only to be reformed by Way primarily using members of Stark Naked & the Car Thieves. He recorded two studio albums with this new incarnation of the group before leaving again.
He played on two tracks on Jethro Tull's 1978 album Heavy Horses. He then went on to release several solo albums, including Concerto for Electric Violin, which premiered on the South Bank Show with the Royal Philharmonia Orchestra
in 1978. There was a subsequent performance at Leeds
Town Hall in the early 1980s which was broadcast live on BBC Radio Leeds.
Curved Air reunited briefly in 1990 and a live recording of their reunion concert was released in 2000.
In November 1996 his own opera, The Russian Opera, was premiered at The Place Theatre in London, and his song writing work includes music settings to lyrics by Steven Berkoff
.
In 2008 he took part in a series of Curved Air reunion concerts.
With Darryl Way's Wolf:
With Gong:
With Jethro Tull:
Solo:
British rock
British rock describes a wide variety of forms of music made in the United Kingdom. Since around 1964, with the "British Invasion" of the United States spearheaded by The Beatles, British rock music has had a considerable impact on the development of American music and rock music across the...
and classical
Classical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
musician who was a founding member of Curved Air
Curved Air
Curved Air are a pioneering British progressive rock group formed in 1970 by musicians from mixed artistic backgrounds, including classic, folk, and electronic sound. The resulting sound of the band was a mixture of progressive rock, folk rock, and fusion with classical elements...
and co-writer of their only hit single, "Back Street Luv". He is best known as a violinist although he also played keyboards.
He began his musical training at Dartington College of Arts, and later studied at the Royal College of Music
Royal College of Music
The Royal College of Music is a conservatoire founded by Royal Charter in 1882, located in South Kensington, London, England.-Background:The first director was Sir George Grove and he was followed by Sir Hubert Parry...
. When he met Francis Monkman
Francis Monkman
Francis Monkman is an English rock, classical and film score composer, and a founding member of the progressive rock band Curved Air.-Career:...
, they formed the band Sisyphus, which evolved into Curved Air.
After three albums and a hit single with Curved Air, he left in 1972 and formed the band Darryl Way's Wolf, which also recorded three albums before splitting. His next band, Stark Naked & the Car Thieves, went on hiatus when Curved Air reformed in late 1974. After their Live
Curved Air - Live
Allmusic wrote that "Kristina herself is possibly in her best voice ever, while the instrumentation rides roughshod over the... belief that Curved Air were at their best in the studio", offering high praise to nearly all of the individual cuts while criticizing none of them.-Track...
album, Curved Air split, only to be reformed by Way primarily using members of Stark Naked & the Car Thieves. He recorded two studio albums with this new incarnation of the group before leaving again.
He played on two tracks on Jethro Tull's 1978 album Heavy Horses. He then went on to release several solo albums, including Concerto for Electric Violin, which premiered on the South Bank Show with the Royal Philharmonia Orchestra
Philharmonia
The Philharmonia Orchestra is one of the leading orchestras in Great Britain, based in London. Since 1995, it has been based in the Royal Festival Hall. In Britain it is also the resident orchestra at De Montfort Hall, Leicester and the Corn Exchange, Bedford, as well as The Anvil, Basingstoke...
in 1978. There was a subsequent performance at Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
Town Hall in the early 1980s which was broadcast live on BBC Radio Leeds.
Curved Air reunited briefly in 1990 and a live recording of their reunion concert was released in 2000.
In November 1996 his own opera, The Russian Opera, was premiered at The Place Theatre in London, and his song writing work includes music settings to lyrics by Steven Berkoff
Steven Berkoff
Steven Berkoff is an English actor, writer and director. Best known for his performance as General Orlov in the James Bond film Octopussy, he is typically cast in villanous roles, such as Lt...
.
In 2008 he took part in a series of Curved Air reunion concerts.
Discography
With Curved Air:- AirconditioningAirconditioning-Side one:#"It Happened Today" – 4:55#"Stretch" – 4:05#"Screw" – 4:03#"Blind Man" – 3:32#"Vivaldi" – 7:26-Side two:...
(1970) including Vivaldi - Second AlbumSecond Album (Curved Air album)Allmusic's review was largely negative, saying that the album lacks the innovation and originality of the band's other releases, replaced by "a crop of relatively straightforward but sonically flat rock songs"...
(1971) on which he co-wrote their sole charting hitRecord chartA record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
Back Street Luv - PhantasmagoriaPhantasmagoria (Curved Air album)Phantasmagoria is a 1972 album by Curved Air. It reached No. 20 in the UK Charts and is notable for its early use of the EMS Synthi 100 synthesizer to process lead singer Sonja Kristina's voice on the second side...
(1972) - LiveCurved Air - LiveAllmusic wrote that "Kristina herself is possibly in her best voice ever, while the instrumentation rides roughshod over the... belief that Curved Air were at their best in the studio", offering high praise to nearly all of the individual cuts while criticizing none of them.-Track...
(1975) - Midnight WireMidnight WireMidnight Wire is the fifth studio album by Curved Air and was recorded in 1975. It marked another line-up change in the band, with Darryl Way and Sonja Kristina recruiting new musicians after the end of the reunion tour marked by the "Curved Air Live" album...
(1975) - AirborneAirborne (Curved Air album)Airborne is the sixth studio album by Curved Air and was recorded in 1976. Like their last few releases, it was not a significant commercial success. After a follow-up non-album single, "Baby Please Don't Go" b/w "Broken Lady", the group disbanded. Drummer Stewart Copeland went on to form The...
(1976) - Renegade b/w We're Only Human (1984)
- Live At The BBCLive at the BBC (Curved Air album)Live at the BBC is a compilation live album of the British progressive rock band Curved Air from sessions on:* November 10, 1970 * January 5, 1971 * March 9, 1971 * January 29, 1976...
(1995) - Alive, 1990Alive, 1990Alive, 1990 is a recording from the Curved Air reunion concert 23 September 1990. The lineup reunited Sonja Kristina, Francis Monkman, Florian Pilkington-Miksa, and Darryl Way, sixteen years after the last time all four of them played together....
(2000)
With Darryl Way's Wolf:
- Canis Lupus (1973)
- Saturation Point (1973)
- Five in the Morning b/w Bunch of Fives (1973)
- Night Music (1974)
- Darryl Way's Wolf (compilation from Canis Lupus and Saturation Point) (1974)
With Gong:
- Expresso IIExpresso IIExpresso II is an album by Pierre Moerlen's Gong, issued in 1978.Like the other Pierre Moerlen's Gong albums, the album is predominantly jazz-fusion and has little to do with the psychedelic space rock of Daevid Allen's Gong, even though the bands share a common history.Expresso II is a companion...
(1978)
With Jethro Tull:
- Heavy HorsesHeavy HorsesHeavy Horses is the eleventh studio album by Jethro Tull, released on 10 April 1978. It is considered the second album in a trilogy of folk-rock albums by Jethro Tull, although folk music's influence is evident on a great number of Jethro Tull releases...
(1978)
Solo:
- Concerto for Electric Violin (1978) - Francis Monkman synthesizes an orchestra
- Little Plum b/w Sweet Dreams (1982) - produced by Martin GordonMartin GordonMartin Gordon is an English musician, who plays bass guitar and piano.-Biography:Martin Gordon was born in Ipswich, and grew up Hitchin, Hertfordshire...
for Snat Records - As Long as There's a Spark... (1983) - EP
- Little Plum (remix) b/w Love Is The Driver (1984)
- Edge of the World (1984)
- The Human Condition: Suite for String Orchestra, Piano and Percussion (1987)
- Under the Soft (1991)