Wally (band)
Encyclopedia
Wally, led by the singer-songwriter
Roy Webber, was an English
progressive rock
band, which originated in Harrogate
, Yorkshire
, in the early 1970s.
, Harrogate
, Leeds
and Bradford
, they entered a New Act competition organised by the music paper Melody Maker
making it to the finals at London's Roundhouse. They did not win - that honour went to a Prog Rock band named Druid
- but they caught the eye of one of the judges, "Whispering" Bob Harris
of The Old Grey Whistle Test fame.
Their "runners-up" prize was the chance to record a session for Harris's BBC radio show, "The Monday Program". He took the band under his wing and set-up a recording contract
with Atlantic Records
. Their debut album, Wally
, released in 1974 was co-produced by Harris, along with Rick Wakeman
who had seen one of the band's warm up gigs before the Roundhouse final.
After its release the band, now managed by Brian Lane, best known as the manager of Yes
, embarked on a series of tours taking in most of Britain, Japan and the United States
. They supported Yes at a headline London concert at the Alexandra Palace
and also made an appearance on The Old Grey Whistle Test. On their second album, Valley Gardens
, Nick Glennie-Smith replaced Paul Gerrett on keyboards. However by that time continual touring had taken its toll, and the band eventually split after Atlantic decided to cut their losses and pulled the plug.
Webber set up a graphic design company, primarily working for Yorkshire Television
but also with the Royal Armouries Museum. Pete Sage went to Germany to work as a sound engineer for the pop group Boney M
. Nick Glennie-Smith
was proposed as potential replacement for Wakeman in Yes and went on to be a leading session musician
and soundtrack
composer. Guitarist Pete Cosker died in 1990, as a result of a heroin overdose. Drummer Roger Narraway metamorphosed into a talented lead guitarist, and Paul Middleton retreated to the North Yorkshire Dales, becoming a carpenter and venturing out occasionally to play with Roy Webber in a country rock band, Freddie Alva and the Men from Delmonte. He now gigs on a regular basis with his own band, The Angst Band, featuring fellow bandmember Frank Mizen on pedal steel, guitar and banjo.
Paul Gerrett died of a heart attack
in 2008.
After a thirty year hiatus, the surviving members of the original line-up - augmented by Frank Mizen on pedal steel and Will Jackson on guitar - performed to a sell out crowd in April 2009 in their home town of Harrogate. A DVD of the concert was released later that year.
A third album, Montpelier comprising reworkings of demos from the band's earlier incarnation, along with new material by both Webber and Middleton, was released in February 2010, and a second "reunion" concert took place in April. Funds from ticket sales will be used to erect a permanent memorial to Cosker and Gerrett. A recording of the 2010 reunion has been released as a live album
entitled, "To the Urban Man" and a third reunion concert is scheduled for 2011, again in the band's home town of Harrogate.
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
Roy Webber, was an English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
progressive rock
Progressive rock
Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
band, which originated in Harrogate
Harrogate
Harrogate is a spa town in North Yorkshire, England. The town is a tourist destination and its visitor attractions include its spa waters, RHS Harlow Carr gardens, and Betty's Tea Rooms. From the town one can explore the nearby Yorkshire Dales national park. Harrogate originated in the 17th...
, Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
, in the early 1970s.
Career
In 1973, after playing the northern pub rock circuit that included venues in ManchesterManchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
, Harrogate
Harrogate
Harrogate is a spa town in North Yorkshire, England. The town is a tourist destination and its visitor attractions include its spa waters, RHS Harlow Carr gardens, and Betty's Tea Rooms. From the town one can explore the nearby Yorkshire Dales national park. Harrogate originated in the 17th...
, 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...
and Bradford
Bradford
Bradford lies at the heart of the City of Bradford, a metropolitan borough of West Yorkshire, in Northern England. It is situated in the foothills of the Pennines, west of Leeds, and northwest of Wakefield. Bradford became a municipal borough in 1847, and received its charter as a city in 1897...
, they entered a New Act competition organised by the music paper Melody Maker
Melody Maker
Melody Maker, published in the United Kingdom, was, according to its publisher IPC Media, the world's oldest weekly music newspaper. It was founded in 1926 as a magazine targeted at musicians; in 2000 it was merged into "long-standing rival" New Musical Express.-1950s–1960s:Originally the Melody...
making it to the finals at London's Roundhouse. They did not win - that honour went to a Prog Rock band named Druid
Druid (band)
Druid was a 1970s progressive rock band from Britain, who were influenced by Yes.-Lineup:* Cedric Sharpley, drums* Andrew McCrorie Shand, keyboards* Dane, vocals, guitars* Neil Brewer, bass-External links:* http://www.neverneverband.co.uk...
- but they caught the eye of one of the judges, "Whispering" Bob Harris
Bob Harris (radio)
Robert Brinley Joseph "Bob" Harris, OBE , known as "Whispering" Bob Harris, is British radio host who currently works for BBC Radio 2, presenting music two nights a week...
of The Old Grey Whistle Test fame.
Their "runners-up" prize was the chance to record a session for Harris's BBC radio show, "The Monday Program". He took the band under his wing and set-up a recording contract
Recording contract
A recording contract is a legal agreement between a record label and a recording artist , where the artist makes a record for the label to sell and promote...
with Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and jazz...
. Their debut album, Wally
Wally (Wally album)
While the band fitted broadly into the Progressive rock category, there was more than a hint of country / rock about the album, especially with Paul Middleton's steel guitar. The album is very much of its time, and shows influences of The Byrds, Crosby Stills and Nash and the like...
, released in 1974 was co-produced by Harris, along with Rick Wakeman
Rick Wakeman
Richard Christopher Wakeman is an English keyboard player, composer and songwriter best known for being the former keyboardist in the progressive rock band Yes...
who had seen one of the band's warm up gigs before the Roundhouse final.
After its release the band, now managed by Brian Lane, best known as the manager of Yes
Yes (band)
Yes are an English rock band who achieved worldwide success with their progressive, art, and symphonic style of rock music. Regarded as one of the pioneers of the progressive genre, Yes are known for their lengthy songs, mystical lyrics, elaborate album art, and live stage sets...
, embarked on a series of tours taking in most of Britain, Japan and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. They supported Yes at a headline London concert at the Alexandra Palace
Alexandra Palace
Alexandra Palace is a building in North London, England. It stands in Alexandra Park, in an area between Hornsey, Muswell Hill and Wood Green...
and also made an appearance on The Old Grey Whistle Test. On their second album, Valley Gardens
Valley Gardens (Wally album)
Valley Gardens carries on in a similar vein to their debut album, Wally, including a side-long track, "The Reason Why", which is possibly the best track in their repertoire...
, Nick Glennie-Smith replaced Paul Gerrett on keyboards. However by that time continual touring had taken its toll, and the band eventually split after Atlantic decided to cut their losses and pulled the plug.
Webber set up a graphic design company, primarily working for Yorkshire Television
Yorkshire Television
Yorkshire Television, now officially known as ITV Yorkshire and sometimes unofficially abbreviated to YTV, is a British television broadcaster and the contractor for the Yorkshire franchise area on the ITV network...
but also with the Royal Armouries Museum. Pete Sage went to Germany to work as a sound engineer for the pop group Boney M
Boney M
Boney M. is a Eurodisco group created by German record producer Frank Farian. Originally based in Germany, the four original members of the group's official line-up were Jamaicans Liz Mitchell and Marcia Barrett, Maizie Williams from Montserrat and Bobby Farrell from Aruba...
. Nick Glennie-Smith
Nick Glennie-Smith
Nick Glennie-Smith is a film composer whose most prominent work is a collaboration with Hans Zimmer on the score to the 1996 action film The Rock as well as work on the 1993 drama Point of No Return...
was proposed as potential replacement for Wakeman in Yes and went on to be a leading session musician
Session musician
Session musicians are instrumental and vocal performers, musicians, who are available to work with others at live performances or recording sessions. Usually such musicians are not permanent members of a musical ensemble and often do not achieve fame in their own right as soloists or bandleaders...
and soundtrack
Soundtrack
A soundtrack can be recorded music accompanying and synchronized to the images of a motion picture, book, television program or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack of a film or TV show; or the physical area of a film that contains the...
composer. Guitarist Pete Cosker died in 1990, as a result of a heroin overdose. Drummer Roger Narraway metamorphosed into a talented lead guitarist, and Paul Middleton retreated to the North Yorkshire Dales, becoming a carpenter and venturing out occasionally to play with Roy Webber in a country rock band, Freddie Alva and the Men from Delmonte. He now gigs on a regular basis with his own band, The Angst Band, featuring fellow bandmember Frank Mizen on pedal steel, guitar and banjo.
Paul Gerrett died of a heart attack
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
in 2008.
After a thirty year hiatus, the surviving members of the original line-up - augmented by Frank Mizen on pedal steel and Will Jackson on guitar - performed to a sell out crowd in April 2009 in their home town of Harrogate. A DVD of the concert was released later that year.
A third album, Montpelier comprising reworkings of demos from the band's earlier incarnation, along with new material by both Webber and Middleton, was released in February 2010, and a second "reunion" concert took place in April. Funds from ticket sales will be used to erect a permanent memorial to Cosker and Gerrett. A recording of the 2010 reunion has been released as a live album
Live album
A live album is a recording consisting of material recorded during stage performances using remote recording techniques, commonly contrasted with a studio album...
entitled, "To the Urban Man" and a third reunion concert is scheduled for 2011, again in the band's home town of Harrogate.
Albums
- WallyWally (Wally album)While the band fitted broadly into the Progressive rock category, there was more than a hint of country / rock about the album, especially with Paul Middleton's steel guitar. The album is very much of its time, and shows influences of The Byrds, Crosby Stills and Nash and the like...
- Valley GardensValley Gardens (Wally album)Valley Gardens carries on in a similar vein to their debut album, Wally, including a side-long track, "The Reason Why", which is possibly the best track in their repertoire...
- Montpelier
- To the Urban Man