Wally Waller
| Wally Waller | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Alan Edward Waller |
| Also known as | Wally Allen, Asa Jones |
| Born |
9 April 1944 Barnehurst, England |
| Genres | Rhythm and blues, rock |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, producer |
| Instruments | Bass guitar, guitar, vocals |
| Years active | 1963–present |
| Associated acts | Bern Elliott and the Fenmen, The Pretty Things |
Wally Waller or Wally Allen (born 9 April 1944) is an English bassist and producer. He was a member of the Pretty Things on their most famous records, S.F. Sorrow and Parachute.
Biography
Wally Waller was born Alan Edward Waller in Barnehurst and grew up in neighbouring Bexley, then in Kent.[1]
In the early 1960s, Wally Waller played the rhythm guitar in Bern Elliott and the Fenmen, a five-piece beat and rhythm and blues band. They had a Top 20 hit with their cover of "Money (That's What I Want)" in December 1963. When lead singer Bern Elliott left the band, early in 1964, the other four continued as The Fenmen, releasing a few singles with strong vocal harmonies, such as their cover of "California Dreamin'" in 1966. Their last single, "Rejected", featured one of the first songs penned by Waller as an A-side.[2][3]
In the early months of 1967, Wally Waller joined The Pretty Things as a bass player, replacing John Stax. At the same time, Jon Povey, the Fenmen's drummer, became the Pretty Things' keyboardist. Waller was a childhood friend of lead singer Phil May, and they started writing songs together for the Things' third studio album, Emotions, released in 1967. Their musical partnership continued on the next two albums, the rock opera S.F. Sorrow (1968) and its follow-up Parachute (1970), the latter being entirely written by May and Waller.[1][3]
Wally Waller left the Pretty Things in 1971 to take up a job as producer for EMI at the invitation of Norman Smith. As a producer, he worked for Barclay James Harvest and Marcus Hook Roll Band, among others.[4] He also produced the Pretty Things' Freeway Madness under the alias "Asa Jones", since the Things were then signed on Warner Bros.[3] He joined again the Pretty Things from 1978 to 1981 and from 1994 to 2008.
Discography
With the Pretty Things
- Emotions (1967)
- S.F. Sorrow (1968)
- Parachute (1970)
- Cross Talk (1980)
- ... Rage Before Beauty (1999)
- Balboa Island (2007)
As producer
- Barclay James Harvest, Barclay James Harvest and Other Short Stories (1971)
- Marcus Hook Roll Band, Tales of Old Grand Daddy (1973)
- John Lees, A Major Fancy (1977)
Other participations
- Twink, Think Pink (1970)
- Phil May & the Fallen Angels, Phil May & the Fallen Angels (1978)
- The Fenmen, Sunstroke (2010)
- xPTs, Parachute Reborn (2012)
Notes
- 1 2 "Wally Waller". xpts.co.uk. Retrieved 11 January 2017.
- ↑ Unterberger, Richie. "Bern Elliot". AllMusic. Retrieved 11 January 2017.
- 1 2 3 Waller, Wally (1988). "Wally Waller interview". Ugly Things (Interview) (8). Interviewed by Mike Stax.
- ↑ "Q&A: Wally Waller Reflects on Malcolm and Angus Young's pre-AC/DC outfit, the Marcus Hook Roll Band". rhino.com. Retrieved 11 January 2017.