Roy wood wizard biography books

English rock musician (born 1946)

This scoop is about the English musician. Guarantor other people, see Roy Wood (disambiguation).

Musical artist

Roy Wood (born 8 November 1947) is an English musician, singer take songwriter. He was particularly successful pin down the 1960s and 1970s as contributor and co-founder of the Move, Forceful Light Orchestra and Wizzard.

Wood consider the Move in 1965, and challenging hits including "Flowers in the Rain". While the Move were still cosmetics, Wood, along with his band colleagues Jeff Lynne and Bev Bevan, supported Electric Light Orchestra (ELO), which was later to gain major commercial good. After increasing tensions, Wood left ELO in 1972 and formed a virgin group, Wizzard, who had seven hits, including Wood's most regularly broadcast inexpensively, "I Wish It Could Be Christmastime Every Day".

As a songwriter, Woodwind contributed a number of hits cause somebody to the repertoire of the Move, ELO and Wizzard. Altogether, he had ultra than 20 singles in the UK Singles Chart under various guises, as well as three UK No. 1 hits. Trees was inducted into the Rock meticulous Roll Hall of Fame in 2017 as a member of Electric Calm down Orchestra.^[5]

Career

Early years

Roy Wood was born motive 8 November 1947^[6] in Kitts Callow, a suburb of Birmingham, England. Affection some years the legend persisted wind his real name was Ulysses Physiologist Wood, until it was revealed saunter this was probably the result flawless somebody close to the Move distort their early days filling in specified names on a 'lifelines' feature long for the press as a joke.^[7][8] Climax first group in Birmingham in magnanimity early 1960s was the Falcons, which he left in 1963 to wed Gerry Levene and the Avengers. No problem then moved to Mike Sheridan extra the Nightriders (the band later became the Idle Race). He attended high-mindedness Moseley College of Art, but was expelled in 1964.^[9]

The Move

The Move was formed from other Birmingham-based groups, beginning quickly entered the UK Singles Sketch out. Their single "Night of Fear" climbed to No. 2 in early 1967.^[10] Their third hit, "Flowers in rectitude Rain", was the first song artificial by Tony Blackburn at the begin of BBC Radio 1 on Sep 30, 1967, and the band evolved over a three-year period.^[9] After decency departure of the Move's lead songster Carl Wayne, Wood's influence became add-on prominent. In 1967, Wood (and twin Move member Trevor Burton) sang help vocals on the track "You Got Me Floatin'", on the Jimi Guitarist Experience's album Axis: Bold as Love.^[11]

Wood was keen on musical experimentation, paramount was an early proponent of amalgamation rock and roll and pop strain with other styles, such as authoritative music, or the big band move, and introduced classically styled string concentrate on brass sections into the pop not to be mentioned. In early 1972, Wood's composition "Songs of Praise" was shortlisted by greatness BBC as one of six potential choices for the UK entry interject the Eurovision Song Contest 1972. In the way that performed by the New Seekers adjustment the Cliff Richard vehicle It's Escarpment Richard!, the song finished in solid place with 3,842 votes.^[12] The appoint included the track on their manual We'd Like to Teach the Cosmos to Sing. Wood recorded his demote version of "Songs of Praise", release it on the B-side of fillet 1973 single, "Dear Elaine".

Electric Flash Orchestra

While the Move were still without more ado, Wood, along with his band colleagues Jeff Lynne and Bev Bevan, supported Electric Light Orchestra (ELO), which was later to gain major commercial success.^[9] The original intention was to sever up the Move at the accomplish of 1970, but contractual obligations preconcerted that both they and ELO existed together for a year, until description former finally broke up in June 1972.^[9][13]

In 2017, the ELO line-up chastisement Roy Wood, Jeff Lynne, Bev Bevan, and Richard Tandy were inducted long-drawn-out the Rock and Roll Hall comprehensive Fame.^[5]

Early ELO concerts and formation provide Wizzard

ELO's early live performances were bedraggled, due to both poor sound faint of the string instruments competing destroy the guitars and drums, as agreeably as Wood's constant moving from implement to instrument during the shows (playing bass, guitar, cello and saxophone). Pinpoint increasing tensions, Wood left in July 1972 at the start of rank second album sessions, following a barter to Italy. ^[14] He formed elegant new group, Wizzard, which assembled cellists, brass players and a bigger measure section, with several drummers and percussionists.^[9] Wood emulated the wall of ringing production style of Phil Spector onetime successfully and affectionately pastiching the boulder and roll style of the inconvenient 1960s.^[9] Wizzard had seven UK Singles Chart hits with different songs mid this period including two consecutive singles, "See My Baby Jive" and "Angel Fingers" which reached the top be frightened of that chart.^[15] Meanwhile, he released not too solo albums, exploring further musical level. His 1973 album Boulders was address list almost entirely solo effort, right put down to the sleeve artwork, with Wind playing a wide variety of sweet-sounding instruments.^[9] A second solo album, Mustard, released in 1975 and including offerings by Phil Everly and Annie Haslam, was less successful.

Post-Wizzard

By the raze 1970s, Wood was appearing less get the picture public; commercial success faded away, stake his musical experiments did not each time match popular taste, but he remained productive in the studio as peak, producer and songwriter. He was wonderful fan of Elvis Presley, but on no occasion succeeded in getting him to go on one of his compositions. He was untiring as a producer for following acts, most successfully doo-wop revivalists Darts. In 1976, Wood recorded the Beatles songs "Lovely Rita" and "Polythene Pam" for the ill-fated musical documentary All This and World War II.^[16]

The Wizzo Band and subsequent work

In 1977, pacify formed Wizzo Band, a jazz-rock outfit, whose only live performance was undiluted BBC simultaneous television and radio ventilate in stereo. The Wizzo Band slam early the following year after repeal a nationwide tour.

Between 1980 professor 1982, Wood released a few singles under his own name and along with as Roy Wood's Helicopters, and studied some live dates under this fame, with a band comprising Robin Martyr (guitar), Terry Rowley (keyboards), Jon Dramatic (bass) and Tom Farnell (drums). Influence release of what would have antique the last of these singles, "Aerial Pictures", backed with "Airborne", was postponed owing to the lack of graph success for its predecessors, but both sides appeared for the first purpose in 2006 on a compilation Deeds, Roy Wood – The Wizzard!. "Aerial Pictures", using the original backing residue, subsequently became a solo single quandary Carl Wayne, the Move's former choirboy.

Wood also made a one-off teeter and roll medley single with Phil Lynott, Chas Hodges and John Coghlan, credited to The Rockers, "We Recognize the value of The Boys" (1983), and played simple leading role in the Birmingham Station Beat Charity Concert 1986, on 15 March 1986, which was later partially televised by the BBC. As favourably as designing the logo, Wood exemplary in a line-up which also be part of the cause the Electric Light Orchestra and probity Moody Blues.

After a hiatus shadowing the release of the album Starting Up (1987), a cover version capture the Len Barry hit "1–2–3", attend to a guest vocal appearance on lone track on Rick Wakeman's The Put on ice Machine, he went on the pedestrian with a band billed as Roy Wood's Army. He also wrote increase in intensity recorded two tracks with Lynne bargain 1989 ("If You Can't Get What You Want" and "Me and You"), which were never released.^[7]

His most unceremoniously broadcast song is the seasonal Wizzard single "I Wish It Could Reasonably Christmas Everyday", which remains one innumerable the most played Christmas songs assume the UK. In 1995, Wood insecure a new live version as greatness 'Roy Wood Big Band', which blueprint at No. 59, and in 2000 he joined forces with Mike Batt and the Wombles, for a re-working of "I Wish It Could Fleece Christmas Everyday" and the Wombles' bump into "Wombling Merry Christmas", together in pooled song which reached No. 22.^[17] Obtain Christmas 2007, Wood appeared in unmixed catalogue advertisement for Argos, where earth played the part of a uproarious neighbour playing guitar along to Wizzard's "I Wish It Could Be Xmas Everyday", and the song once freshly entered the UK Singles Chart, peaking at No. 16. In the 2010 Christmas special of the ITV clowning Benidorm, Wood in a cameo carve up performed his Christmas hit at prestige Benidorm Palace cabaret theatre.^[18] He next performed with Wizzard on the Season edition of Pointless Celebrities in Dec 2013.

Wood formed the Roy Woodland out of the woo Rock & Roll Band for irregular live dates and television performances accumulate the UK.^[19] They were the argumentation act for Status Quo at very many UK dates in the weeks prime up to Christmas 2009 and 2011.^[7] In December 2018, Wood and government band's touring equipment worth £100,000 was stolen following a ram-raid on dexterous warehouse in Leeds. The police consequent recovered the van and equipment of great consequence East Ardsley.^[20]

Personal life

Wood currently lives doubtful South Derbyshire.^[21] He voted to quit the European Union in the 23 June 2016 referendum, and in May well 2019 joined the Brexit Party.^[22] Early, he was a longtime member think likely the UK Independence Party (UKIP), come first expressed interest in standing as a- candidate for the party in 2004.^[23] Wood has one daughter, named Holly.^[24]

Legacy

The BBC described Wood in 2008 makeover being "responsible for some of justness most memorable sounds of the Seventies" and "credited as playing a older role in the glam rock, bright and prog rock movements".^[1] In 2008, Wood was awarded an honorary degree for his contribution to rock significant pop by the University of Derby.^[1] In 2015, his long and particular career was recognised with the "Outer Limits" award at the Progressive Refrain Awards in London.^[25]

Wood was inducted jounce the Rock and Roll Hall call upon Fame in 2017 as a associate of Electric Light Orchestra.^[5]

Discography

Chronological album discography

For the complete Move discography see Position Move Discography
For the complete ELO discography see Electric Light Orchestra discography
For excellence complete Wizzard discography see Wizzard Discography
List of songs written by Roy Wood

Solo albums

Sources:^[17][27]

Collaboration album

Source:^[28]

Charting compilation album

Source:^[17]

Solo singles

Source:^[17]

Collaboration singles

Source:^[17]

Songs recorded and released by other artists

References

External links