Wally Badarou

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article does not cite any references or sources. (March 2007)
Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed.

Wally Badarou (born 22 March 1955, Paris, France) is a musician from Benin.

A synthesizer specialist, Badarou is best known as the longtime associate of the British band Level 42, known for its blend of funk, pop, soul and rock. He has co-written, performed on and (later) co-produced a number of the band's tracks since its debut album in 1981. Though not an official member of Level 42, he has long been considered an informal "fifth member" of what has otherwise usually been a quartet led by bassist, Mark King. Badarou can be seen in the video for "Love Games" on the Level 42 - The Collection DVD.

A friend of Chris Blackwell (Island Records founder), Badarou also worked on albums by Joe Cocker, Mick Jagger, Grace Jones, Robert Palmer, Marianne Faithfull, Herbie Hancock, Robin Scott "M" (Pop Muzik), Talking Heads, Foreigner, Power Station, Melissa Etheridge, Sly and Robbie, Black Uhuru, Jimmy Cliff, Lizzy Mercier Descloux, Gregory Isaacs, Manu Dibango, Miriam Makeba, produced albums of Fela, Salif Keita, Wasis Diop, Trilok Gurtu, Carlinhos Brown, and wrote movie soundtracks (part of Hector Babenco Kiss of the Spider Woman most notably).

In 1989, he acted as musical director and composer for Jean-Paul Goude's show on the French Revolution - Bicentennial.

In 1990, Massive Attack's "Daydreaming" (subsequently appearing on the Blue Lines album) is largely sampled from "Mambo" (on the Echoes album, 1984).

In 1997, Badarou helped setting up the All African Music Kora Awards, and produced & co-wrote "So Why" for the ICRC, along with Youssou N'Dour and Papa Wemba, a call against ethnic cleansing in Africa.

[edit] Discography

1982 Back to Scales Tonight
1984 Echoes
1989 Words of a Mountain
1997 So Why
2001 Colors of Silence : Musical Poetry for Yoga

[edit] Links

v • d • e Level 42

Mark King • Mike Lindup • Gary Husband • Nathan King • Sean Freeman Rowland 'Boon' Gould • Phil Gould • Alan Murphy • Allan Holdsworth • Jakko Jakszyk • Lyndon Connah

Studio albums	Level 42 • The Early Tapes • The Pursuit of Accidents • Standing in the Light • True Colours • World Machine • Running in the Family • Staring at the Sun • Guaranteed • Forever Now • Retroglide

Live albums	A Physical Presence • The River Sessions • Live At Wembley • Retroglide Tour

Compilations	Level Best • The Very Best Of Level 42 • The Definitive Collection • Past Lives - The Best Of The RCA Years

Videos	Family Of Five (Video Singles 1980-1987) • The Ultimate Collection (Video Singles & Making Of, 1980 - 1989) • Live At The Appollo • Retroglide Tour (Live at the New Oxford Theatre, 2006)

Singles	"Sandstorm" • "Love Meeting Love" • "Love Games" • "Turn It On" • "Starchild" • "Are You Hearing (What I Hear)?" • "The Chinese Way" • "Out Of Sight, Out Of Mind" • "The Sun Goes Down (Living It Up)" • "Micro-Kid" • "Hot Water" • "The Chant Has Begun" • "A Physical Presence" • "Something About You" • "Leaving Me Now" • "Lessons in Love" • "Running in the Family" • "To Be With You Again" • "It's Over" • "Children Say" • "Heaven in My Hands" • "Take a Look" • "Tracie" • "Take Care of Yourself" • "Guaranteed" • "Overtime" • "My Father's Shoes" • "Forever Now" • "All Over You" • "Love In A Peaceful World" • "The Way Back Home"

Related articles	Discography • Band members • Tower 42 • Jazz-Funk • Changes • One Man • Polydor • RCA • M • Wally Badarou • Mike Vernon • Larry Dunn • Verdine White • Ken Scott • Danny Bloom