World Party
(Karl Wallinger, R.I.P. 1957-2024)
1990-09-10
Warfield Theatre,
San Francisco, CA
Soundboard recording, very good quality
Available in both Lossless (FLAC) and Mp3 (320 kbps) versions
I heard that Welsh multi-instrumentalist musician, songwriter, and producer Karl Wallinger died this week. Although the name may not be very familiar to many, his musical contributions were substantial. He is best known for his band World Party, which essentially was a solo project with Wallinger playing all the instruments and vocal parts (but in later years added additional musicians and guest artists), as well as earlier for being the keyboard player for UK folk-rock band The Waterboys in the mid-eighties. He also worked on some film soundtracks and produced records for other artists. He worked with Peter Gabriel in performing, producing, and putting together the Real World Records album of International artist collaborations, Big Blue Ball (2008), which included a mix of western, African, and Asian musicians and took many years to create. In fact, it was from a post from Gabriel that I learned of Karl's death this week, as in referring to that album collaboration, Gabriel wrote of Karl: "I had admired his work from afar but it was when we did a Real World Recording Week together that I had the most creative and fun week I have ever had in the studio. Karl was overflowing with wonderful musical ideas that blew us all away, all delivered with terrible jokes that had us laughing uncontrollably all day and night. He was such a gifted, natural writer and player, it was a tap that he could turn on at will, effortlessly...Karl was an abundant talent and we have been given extraordinary music and memories from this extraordinary man."
As World Party, Karl released Five studio albums, Private Revolution (1986), Goodbye Jumbo (1990), Bang (1993), Egyptology (1997), and Dumbing Up (2000), in addition to a couple compilation albums. Private Revolution and Goodbye Jumbo are both classics, with Goodbye Jumbo being my favorite, and one of the best albums of the nineties. Karl's music is a mix of rock, folk, funk, and other genres, and the influences of his musical heroes, The Beatles, Beach Boys, Dylan, Kinks, and motown are readily apparent in Wallinger's songs and style, but he constructs his own musical world from these elements to create a marvelous blend. Some singles from his albums, including Ship of Fools, Way Down Now, Put the Message in the Box, and She's the One were modest hits. To honor Karl, here is a World Party show from 1990 in fine quality.
Tracklist:
01. Private Revolution
02. All Come True
03. When The Rainbow Comes
04. Put The Message In The Box
05. Is It Too Late
06. Love Street
07. World Party
08. Way Down Now
09. Thank You World
10. Take It Up
11. Ship Of Fools
12. outro music
FLAC - World Party_1990-09-10_SanFranciscoCA_FLAC.zip
Mp3 - World Party_1990-09-10_SanFranciscoCA_mp3.zip
