A Pagan Place is one of my all time favourite albums, even if Red Army Blues was lifted from Al Stewart, Roads to Moscow. RIP Karl.
Really sorry to read this. World Party (i.e. Karl) were terrific. Shame he didn't get his proper dues from Robbie Williams' version of 'She's The One'. Great all-round musician/songwriter. RIP Karl.
I knew about Karl but really sad to say I didn’t know enough. I’ve heard the WP singles and always enjoyed them, didn’t know he was in the waterboys too though. Ian Mcnab wrote this. It’s a great tribute. Karl. I knew Karl. Ever since I purchased Private Revolution (1987) I've been a dedicated fan of his work. I knew his name from his tenure in The Waterboys, his playing, singing and arrangement skills scattered throughout A Pagan Place (1984) and This Is The Sea (1985), but I didn't meet him (properly) until the early nineties when ex-Icicle Works drummer Chris Sharrock became his loyal padawan - often enduring weeks of what can only be described as "squatting" in Karl's 'Seaview' studio in central London, having rare respite from KarlWorld™ in a sleeping bag under the grand piano, fingers aching, not from drumming duties - but from operating the Scalextric handset on a round-the-clock basis. And losing repeatedly to a chain-smoking, cackling, slightly-mad adversary. Karl comes from Prestatyn but I was always impressed with his Royal Air Force/Beatles conversational burrrrr, a curious thing which was forged in his time at Charterhouse (a public school in Surrey where Proggy, Peter Gabriel-fronted Genesis bloomed) and his lifelong obsession with the Fab Four. He was very funny, very talented and very lazy. He was always in his beloved studio, doing but he enjoyed drinking tea and doing bugger all as much as he enjoyed crafting magpie melodic marvels such as 'Ship Of Fools', 'When The Rainbow Comes', 'Is It Like Today' and "White Album"-homage beauties such as 'She's The One' which made him a lot of money when Robbie Williams covered it - but Karl wasn't impressed. At all. No siree (a story for another time). Random memories are coming through the mist - the time we were having food after a Brian Wilson show in London when Karl decided to start having a pop at Ringo Starr for some reason - unaware that my guest that night, and sitting right next to me at the table - was Lee, Ringo's daughter. When Bittersweet Symphony by The Verve came out he didn't stop playing it for a week. I told him it sounded like Simple Minds and he told me to **** off. I once played slide guitar on a version of 'If Not For You' which I've never heard since. I would pop in to see Karl occasionally when I was at John Henry's rehearsal rooms on Brewery Road, shoot the **** briefly - then hop it. I would attend his rare World Party shows whenever I could. They were always immersive and almost holy in nature - such was the intensity and beauty of his music. The last time I saw him play was at The Cavern in 2016 which is such a perfect memory I try not to access it too much in case I wear it out. When my mother passed in 2022 Karl was very kind and sympathetic to me - regularly trying to get me down to his country pile in Hastings to cheer me up ("the pool should be working soon and the Calrec desk won't be far behind it!" - something which I promised to do, but sadly never got around to and now ... regrettably - never will. Karl flirted with The Big Time - even having the same management as Prince at one point - but he was far too involved with The Source to spend the rest of his time chasing ACTUAL rainbows. I will miss him terribly and will keep his number in my phone. Just knowing he's in it makes me feel better. "Mr. Postman, look and see if there's a message in your bag for me could be a bomb or it could be a letter it don't matter, it can only get better Mr. Postman, look and see if there's a message in your bag for me you know it's been such a long, long time since I could laugh at this world of mine..." Karl Edmond De Vere Wallinger © Polygram Music Publishing Ltd. Goodbye Jumbo, Ix
