Karl Wallinger, Welsh-born frontman of World Party and former member of the Waterboys, died on Sunday, March 10, according to a statement from his publicist. No cause of death was announced. He was 66. Wallinger had suffered a brain aneurysm in 2001 that halted his career for several years but it is not know if this was related to his passing.
Wallinger formed World Party in 1986 shortly after his departure from the Waterboys. The group’s debut album, Private Revolution, was released in 1987 and was a Top 20 album in Australia. It featured the hit single ‘Ship of Fools’ which reached No.4 on the singles chart here. The group released five more studio albums through to 2000 with single hits such as ‘Put The Message In the Box’, ‘Way Down Now’ and ‘Is It Like Today?’ The 5CD anthology Arkeology was released in 2012 and World Party Live! came out in 2015. All the studio albums were released on vinyl several years ago.
World Party came to Australia on a promotional tour in 1993 and also toured Australia as support to Steely Dan in 2007. Rhythms editor, Brian Wise recalled Wallinger and his trio’s 1993 appearance at the Continental Cafe in Melbourne: “While we were awaiting Karl Wallinger’s World Party to play a record company promotional gig we suddenly heard ‘Happiness Is A Warm Gun’, from the Beatles White Album over the PA. As I turned and said to a friend what a great album it was, the curtains slowly opened to reveal that, in fact, it was Wallinger and his trio playing the song! I never saw the Beatles but that is the closest I will ever get.”
Wallinger wrote the song ‘She’s The One’ which he included on World Party’s 1997 album Egyptology and which Robbie Williams turned into a huge hit two years later. Wallinger also contributed to Sinead O’Connor’s debut album The Lion and the Cobra, while O’Connor sang backing vocals on the first two World Party albums. He was also the musical director for the 1994 film Reality Bites, contributed to the Clueless soundtrack in 1995 and also contributed to Peter Gabriel’s project Big Blue Ball, recorded in the 1990s but not released until 2008.
Waterboys founder Mike Scott paid tribute to Wallinger, writing on X: “Travel on well my old friend. You are one of the finest musicians I’ve ever known.” Wallinger joined the Waterboys in 1983 as a multi-instrumentalist and played on the band’s first three albums, including 1985’s This Is the Sea, which featured the slow-burning hit single ‘Whole of the Moon.’
Wallinger is survived by his wife Suzie Zamit, two children and and two grandchildren.