Pete Way
Encyclopedia
Peter 'Pete' Frederick Way (born 7 August 1951, in Enfield, Middlesex) is a bass player
.
He is the bassist
of UFO
, Waysted
and formerly, Fastway
and Ozzy Osbourne
.
Way began his career as a studio musician for many artists. He played in bands with friends from high school and later created a band with friends Phil Mogg
, Andy Parker and Mick Bolton. This became the original UFO
lineup. After two studio albums with their original guitarist, the band then recruited the guitar wunderkind Michael Schenker
from Scorpions
. Later the band signed on guitarist/keyboardist and long time friend Paul Raymond
. The group released many albums and singles and had two UK top 40 hits.
Disliking the more melodic direction UFO were taking in the early eighties, Pete jumped ship to form Fastway
with former Motorhead guitarist "Fast" Eddie Clarke
. Pete was unable to extricate himself from a contract he signed with Chrysalis and stepped down to play bass for Ozzy Osbourne
during the Bark at the Moon
tour.
In 1982 Pete formed the punningly titled Waysted
with Fin Muir, Paul Raymond
, Frank Noon
and Ronnie Kayfield. Their debut album Vices was released in 1982 and reached #78 in the UK charts. The band's third album Save your Prayers, featuring Danny Vaughn in place of the departed Fin and former UFO
guitarist Paul Chapman, was their most successful in America where it reached #185.
In 1992 he joined Phil Mogg in the reformed UFO and released the High Stakes & Dangerous Men album. Pete remains in the band to this day. However he was not able to take part in the 2009 tours for UFO's album The Visitor
due to a medical condition which affects his liver.
Pete has also released 2 albums under the Damage Control banner in the last 3 years, the first album Damage Control - Damage Control was recorded with Robin George, Spike
from The Quireboys
and Chris Slade
from AC/DC
, the 2nd album was recorded as a trio with Robin and Pete sharing lead vocals and Chris Slade on drums, Pete has also contributed to Robin's Damage Lovepower and Peace charity project ([www.robingeorge.co.uk]) and will guest on the LovePower band tour next year.
Way commonly uses Gibson Thunderbird
basses which are renowned for the hard edged rock tone; however he recently commented that he has been using an Epiphone
Thunderbird as he found it seemed to have a fatter tone. He has also been known to use basses by Ibanez
, most notably a pink Ibanez Iceman
bass.
Bass Player
Bass player can refer to:*Bass Player , an album by Rhombus*Bass Player , a magazine for bassists*Bassist, or bass player, a musician who plays the bass guitar...
.
He is the bassist
Bassist
A bass player, or bassist is a musician who plays a bass instrument such as a double bass, bass guitar, keyboard bass or a low brass instrument such as a tuba or sousaphone. Different musical genres tend to be associated with one or more of these instruments...
of UFO
UFO (band)
UFO are an English heavy metal and hard rock band, who were formed in 1969. UFO became a transitional group between early hard rock and heavy metal and the New Wave of British Heavy Metal...
, Waysted
Waysted
Waysted are a heavy metal band formed by UFO bassist Pete Way and Scottish rocker Fin Muir in 1983. Recruiting Frank Noon , Ronnie Kayfield and Paul Raymond, Waysted signed to Chrysalis Records and released Vices in 1983....
and formerly, Fastway
Fastway (band)
Fastway is a British heavy metal band formed by guitarist, "Fast" Eddie Clarke, formerly of Motörhead, and bassist, Pete Way, formerly of UFO.-Career:...
and Ozzy Osbourne
Ozzy Osbourne
John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne is an English vocalist, whose musical career has spanned over 40 years. Osbourne rose to prominence as lead singer of the pioneering English heavy metal band Black Sabbath, whose radically different, intentionally dark, harder sound helped spawn the heavy metal...
.
Way began his career as a studio musician for many artists. He played in bands with friends from high school and later created a band with friends Phil Mogg
Phil Mogg
Phillip John 'Phil' Mogg is a vocalist for the band UFO, which he formed with longtime friends Pete Way and Andy Parker. Mogg wrote the majority of the band's lyrics, with the music being written by Way, Schenker, and later, Raymond, but Schenker left to launch his solo career in 1979...
, Andy Parker and Mick Bolton. This became the original UFO
UFO (band)
UFO are an English heavy metal and hard rock band, who were formed in 1969. UFO became a transitional group between early hard rock and heavy metal and the New Wave of British Heavy Metal...
lineup. After two studio albums with their original guitarist, the band then recruited the guitar wunderkind Michael Schenker
Michael Schenker
Michael Schenker is a German rock guitarist, best known for his tenure in UFO, in addition to his solo band. He first rose to fame as a founding member of the Scorpions, then achieved fame in the mid 1970s as the lead guitar player for UFO. Since leaving UFO in 1978, he has been leading the...
from Scorpions
Scorpions (band)
Scorpions are a heavy metal/hard rock band from Hannover, Germany, formed in 1965 by guitarist Rudolf Schenker, who is the band's only constant member. They are known for their 1980s rock anthem "Rock You Like a Hurricane" and many singles, such as "No One Like You", "Send Me an Angel", "Still...
. Later the band signed on guitarist/keyboardist and long time friend Paul Raymond
Paul Raymond (musician)
Paul Martin Raymond is an English keyboardist/guitarist.Raymond began his musical career as a keyboardist/vocalist for the band, Plastic Penny, in 1967. He left after the band split up in 1968. He replaced Christine Perfect in British blues band Chicken Shack when she left to join Fleetwood Mac...
. The group released many albums and singles and had two UK top 40 hits.
Disliking the more melodic direction UFO were taking in the early eighties, Pete jumped ship to form Fastway
Fastway (band)
Fastway is a British heavy metal band formed by guitarist, "Fast" Eddie Clarke, formerly of Motörhead, and bassist, Pete Way, formerly of UFO.-Career:...
with former Motorhead guitarist "Fast" Eddie Clarke
Eddie Clarke
Edward Allan Clarke better known as "Fast" Eddie Clarke, is a guitarist who was a member of British heavy metal bands Fastway and Motörhead.-Early days:...
. Pete was unable to extricate himself from a contract he signed with Chrysalis and stepped down to play bass for Ozzy Osbourne
Ozzy Osbourne
John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne is an English vocalist, whose musical career has spanned over 40 years. Osbourne rose to prominence as lead singer of the pioneering English heavy metal band Black Sabbath, whose radically different, intentionally dark, harder sound helped spawn the heavy metal...
during the Bark at the Moon
Bark at the Moon
- Credits :* Ozzy Osbourne – vocals* Jake E. Lee – guitar* Bob Daisley – bass guitar* Tommy Aldridge – drums* Don Airey – keyboardsProduction* Produced by Ozzy Osbourne, Bob Daisley, and Max Norman* Engineered by Max Norman...
tour.
In 1982 Pete formed the punningly titled Waysted
Waysted
Waysted are a heavy metal band formed by UFO bassist Pete Way and Scottish rocker Fin Muir in 1983. Recruiting Frank Noon , Ronnie Kayfield and Paul Raymond, Waysted signed to Chrysalis Records and released Vices in 1983....
with Fin Muir, Paul Raymond
Paul Raymond (musician)
Paul Martin Raymond is an English keyboardist/guitarist.Raymond began his musical career as a keyboardist/vocalist for the band, Plastic Penny, in 1967. He left after the band split up in 1968. He replaced Christine Perfect in British blues band Chicken Shack when she left to join Fleetwood Mac...
, Frank Noon
Frank Noon
Frank Noon is a drummer who played in the bands Def Leppard and Roadhouse with guitarist Pete Willis.He was preceded in Def Leppard by original Def Leppard drummer Tony Kenning and succeeded in Def Leppard by current Def Leppard drummer Rick Allen....
and Ronnie Kayfield. Their debut album Vices was released in 1982 and reached #78 in the UK charts. The band's third album Save your Prayers, featuring Danny Vaughn in place of the departed Fin and former UFO
UFO (band)
UFO are an English heavy metal and hard rock band, who were formed in 1969. UFO became a transitional group between early hard rock and heavy metal and the New Wave of British Heavy Metal...
guitarist Paul Chapman, was their most successful in America where it reached #185.
In 1992 he joined Phil Mogg in the reformed UFO and released the High Stakes & Dangerous Men album. Pete remains in the band to this day. However he was not able to take part in the 2009 tours for UFO's album The Visitor
The Visitor (UFO album)
The Visitor is the nineteenth studio album by the British hard rock band UFO, which was released on June 2, 2009. It was their first album in three years since the release of The Monkey Puzzle in 2006. Current UFO bassist, Pete Way, has been absent from the recording sessions due to a medical...
due to a medical condition which affects his liver.
Pete has also released 2 albums under the Damage Control banner in the last 3 years, the first album Damage Control - Damage Control was recorded with Robin George, Spike
Spike (musician)
Spike sometimes also known as Spike Gray, is an English rock frontman, songwriter and vocalist most famous for his times with The Quireboys with whom he has released four studio albums to date....
from The Quireboys
The Quireboys
The Quireboys are an English hard rock band formed in 1984 in London, England, with strong ties to Newcastle. When the band formed they were originally known as The Queerboys and later as the London Quireboys in the United States....
and Chris Slade
Chris Slade
Chris Slade is a Welsh rock drummer.-Career:Slade has worked with Gary Numan, Tom Jones, Olivia Newton-John , and Uriah Heep. He was a member of Manfred Mann's Earth Band from 1972 to 1978...
from AC/DC
AC/DC
AC/DC are an Australian rock band, formed in 1973 by brothers Malcolm and Angus Young. Commonly classified as hard rock, they are considered pioneers of heavy metal, though they themselves have always classified their music as simply "rock and roll"...
, the 2nd album was recorded as a trio with Robin and Pete sharing lead vocals and Chris Slade on drums, Pete has also contributed to Robin's Damage Lovepower and Peace charity project ([www.robingeorge.co.uk]) and will guest on the LovePower band tour next year.
Way commonly uses Gibson Thunderbird
Gibson Thunderbird
The Gibson Thunderbird is an electric bass guitar made by Gibson.-Background and introduction:The Gibson Thunderbird was introduced in 1963. At the time, Fender had been the leader in the electric bass market since their introduction of the Precision Bass twelve years earlier.The Thunderbird was...
basses which are renowned for the hard edged rock tone; however he recently commented that he has been using an Epiphone
Epiphone
The Epiphone Company is a musical instrument manufacturer founded in 1873 by Anastasios Stathopoulos. Epiphone was bought by Chicago Musical Instrument Company, which also owned Gibson Guitar Corporation, in 1957. Epiphone was Gibson's main rival in the archtop market...
Thunderbird as he found it seemed to have a fatter tone. He has also been known to use basses by Ibanez
Ibanez
is a Japanese guitar brand owned by Hoshino Gakki. Based in Nagoya, Aichi, Japan, Hoshino Gakki were one of the first Japanese musical instrument companies to gain a significant foothold in import guitar sales in the United States and Europe, as well as the first brand of guitars to mass produce...
, most notably a pink Ibanez Iceman
Ibanez Iceman
The Iceman is an electric guitar model produced by Ibanez. -History:The Iceman is an Ibanez guitar produced by Hoshino Gakki. Hoshino Gakki exported copies of American electric and acoustic guitars in the 1950s, and by the mid 1970s the Ibanez guitars had reached a level of quality comparable to...
bass.
UFO
- UFO 1Unidentified Flying Object (album)UFO 1 is the debut album by British rock band UFO.The album was reissued under the name "Unidentified Flying Object" with 4 of the 5 tracks from the band's second album. This reissue incorrectly shows a photo of the band from the 1980s on the cover....
(1970) Uncharted - Flying (1971) Uncharted
- PhenomenonPhenomenon (UFO album)Phenomenon is the third studio album by the British rock band UFO, released in May 1974.- Production :This was the third studio album and the debut on Chrysalis. UFO left their blues-based "space rock" sound behind, in part due to the presence of new guitarist Michael Schenker. The album was...
(1974) Uncharted - Force ItForce ItForce It is the fourth album by UFO, released in 1975. It became their first album to chart in the United States.The album was produced by Ten Years After bass player Leo Lyons...
(1975) Chart Position 71 (US) - No Heavy PettingNo Heavy PettingNo Heavy Petting is the fifth studio album by the British rock band UFO, released in 1976. It is the first UFO album with staff keyboards player.In 1994, a CD including this album and Lights Out was released by BGO Records.-Side one:...
(1976) Chart Position 167 (US) - Lights OutLights Out (UFO album)Lights Out is the sixth studio album by the British rock band UFO, released in May and also on October 11, 1977 . All songs are band originals except for "Alone Again Or" which is a cover of a song by the band Love....
(1977) Chart Position 51 (UK), 23 (US) - ObsessionObsession (UFO album)Obsession is the seventh album by the British rock band UFO, released in 1978. This was the final studio album to feature Michael Schenker on lead guitar until he returned to the band in 1993....
(1978) Chart Position 26 (UK), 41 (US) - No Place to RunNo Place to Run (album)No Place to Run is the eighth album by the band UFO. It was released in January, 1980 No Place to Run is the eighth album by the band UFO. It was released in January, 1980 No Place to Run is the eighth album by the band UFO. It was released in January, 1980 (date by official UFO site on Chrysalis....
(1980) Chart Position 11 (UK), 51 (US) - The Wild, The Willing And The InnocentThe Wild, The Willing And The InnocentThe Wild, the Willing and the Innocent is the ninth studio album by British hard rock band UFO and the first to be entirely self-produced by the band. The song "Lonely Heart" was a minor UK hit single. The controversial original cover was as usual designed by the art studio Hipgnosis...
(1981) Chart Position 19 (UK), 77 (US) - MechanixMechanix (album)Mechanix is the tenth album by the British hard rock band UFO, released in 1982. The contemporary music-press adverts on the album's release carried the tag-line 'Mechanix: it will tighten your nuts'...
(1982) Chart Position 8 (UK), 82 (US) - High Stakes & Dangerous MenHigh Stakes & Dangerous Men (UFO album)High Stakes & Dangerous Men is the thirteenth album by British hard rock band UFO, released in 1992.-Track listing:All songs written by Phil Mogg, Pete Way and Laurence Archer, except as indicated.# "Borderline" - 5:17# "Primed for Time" - 3:22...
(1992) Uncharted - Walk On Water (1995) Uncharted
- CovenantCovenant (UFO album)Covenant is the fifteenth album by the British hard rock band UFO. It was published as a limited edition 2-disc album, with disc 1, entitled Covenant, containing entirely new material, and disc 2, entitled UFO Live USA, containing a collection of classics performed live...
(2000) Uncharted - Sharks (2002) Uncharted
- You Are HereYou Are Here (UFO album)You Are Here is the seventeenth studio album by the British hard rock band UFO, released in 2004 through the German label SPV/Steamhammer. This is the first album to feature new band members Vinnie Moore and Jason Bonham, who replaced long-time guitarist Michael Schenker and drummer Aynsley...
(2004) Uncharted - The Monkey Puzzle (2006)
- UFO Live (1972) Uncharted
- Live In Concert (1974)
- Strangers In The NightStrangers in the Night (UFO album)Strangers in the Night with original subtitle A Double Live Album is a live album by the British rock band UFO, first released in 1979 on the Chrysalis label....
(1979) Chart Position 42 (US), 8 (UK) - Lights Out In Tokyo (1992)
- Live In Japan (1992)
- T.N.T. (1993)
- Heaven's Gate (1995)
- On With The Action (1998)
- Live In Texas (2000)
- Regenerator - Live 1982 (2001)
- Showtime (2005)
- Space MetalSpace Metal (UFO album)Space Metal is a double compilation album by UFO released on Nova Records in 1976. The double LP set combines tracks taken from their first three albums: UFO 1, Flying and their Japanese only release UFO Lands in Tokyo .-Side 1:#"Loving Cup" – 5:10#"Shake It About" –...
(1976) - AnthologyAnthology (UFO album)Anthology is a greatest hits collection by UFO, released in 1986.-Track listing:#"Rock Bottom"#"Built for Comfort"#"Highway Lady"#"Can You Roll Her"#"A Fool for Love"#"Shoot Shoot"#"Too Hot to Handle"#"Gettin' Ready"#"Only You Can Rock Me"...
(1986) - The Essential UFOThe Essential UFO (UFO album)The Essential UFO is a greatest hits album by UFO, released in 1992. This compilation covers the classic Michael Schenker era from 1974–79, with tracks from Phenomenon, Force It, No Heavy Petting, Lights Out, Obsession, and the live Strangers in the Night...
(1992) - Best Of UFO: Gold Collection (1996)
- X-Factor: Out There & Back (1997)
- Flying : The Early Years 1970-1973 (2004)
- An Introduction To UFO CDAn Introduction To UFO CDAn Introduction to UFO is a 2006 CD compilation of songs from the band UFO.-Track listing:#Boogie#Prince Kajuku#Timothy#C'mon Everybody#Follow You Home#Shake It About#Galactic Love# Melinda#Unidentified Flying Object#Loving Cup...
(2006) - The Best Of The RestThe Best of the RestThe Best of the Rest is a compilation album by the band UFO released in 1988. As the title implies, it focuses on the post-Michael Schenker years.-Track listing:#"The Writer"#"Mystery Train"#"Makin Moves"#"Night Run"#"You and Me"#"Alpha Centauri"...
(1988)
Waysted
- VicesVices (Waysted album)Vices is the first album by the British glam metal band, Waysted, released in 1983.-Track listing:#"Love Loaded" - 3:54#"Women in Chains" - 4:20...
(1983) - WaystedWaysted (album)Waysted is the second studio album released by British glam metal band Waysted. It was released in 1985 and reached No. 73 on the UK Albums Chart...
- (EP) (1984) - The Good the Bad the WaystedThe Good the Bad the WaystedThe Good, the Bad, the Waysted is Waysted's third studio album. This album gained relative recognition with its song "Hang 'Em High".-Track listing:# "Hang 'Em High"# "Hi Ho My Baby"# "Heaven Tonight"# "Manuel"# "Dead on Your Legs"...
(1985) - Save Your Prayers (1986)
- Wilderness of Mirrors (2000)
- You Won't Get Out Alive (2000)
- Back From The Dead (2004)
- Organised Chaos (2007)
- The Harsh Reality (2007)
PETE WAY
- Amphetamine (2000)
- Pete Way (Alive In Cleveland (2002)
- Acoustic Animal (2007)
Fastway
- FastwayFastway (album)Fastway is the first album by the band, Fastway.Though credited, Pete Way did not actually play on the album. By the time the recording sessions began he had already left the band...
(1983) (credited, but does not actually play on album)