Karl Wallinger

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Karl Wallinger (born October 19, 1957, Prestatyn, Wales) is a Welsh musician.

Wallinger was immersed from a young age in the music of The Beatles, Beach Boys, Bob Dylan and Love. Echoes of these childhood heroes permeate the record he was to release thirty three years later. He was educated at Charterhouse, a public school in Surrey.

Wallinger's musical career began in the 1970s with a couple of unsuccessful bands and a brief job in music publishing, after which he became musical director of The Rocky Horror Show. He joined The Waterboys as a keyboardist from 1983-86. Whilst working on his World Party material, he also worked on Sinéad O'Connor's 1987 debut album The Lion and the Cobra - O'Connor also sings some backing vocals on the World Party track "Sweet Soul Dream". Wallinger's first release under the World Party banner, Private Revolution (1987), was a combination of folk, funk and soul. Its title was a nod to its creation by Wallinger working alone in a home recording studio. It spawned a minor hit single in "Ship of Fools".

Further World Party albums followed, including Goodbye Jumbo.

Wallinger was also musical director for the 1994 film, Reality Bites, and contributed to the soundtrack of Clueless in 1996. The Wallinger-penned "She's the One" has been successfully covered by Robbie Williams (another Williams hit, "Angels" was co- written by Guy Chambers, who was originally with World Party). Wallinger has also acted as a member of Bob Geldof's backing band.

In 1997, two tracks by Karl Wallinger were included on an album entitled Now And In Time To Be, a musical celebration of the works of famed Irish poet, W. B. Yeats. The poem "Politics" is credited as having been interpreted by Wallinger, while World Party is acknowledged as contributing artist for "The Four Ages of Man".

In an interview with Chicago Tribune freelancer Jay Hedblade, Wallinger revealed that he suffered a brain aneurysm in February 2001. He has made a full recovery and resumed touring in 2006.

In 2007 Karl Wallinger released Best In Show, a best-of album covering the best tracks from his five studio albums.