| Larry Wallis |
|
| Background information |
| Origin |
England |
| Genre(s) |
Heavy metal |
| Occupation(s) |
Record
producer |
| Instrument(s) |
Guitar |
| Years active |
1968—Present |
| Label(s) |
Stiff Records |
Associated
acts |
Pink Fairies
UFO
Motörhead |
| Website |
larrywallis.com |
Larry Wallis is a guitarist, songwriter
and producer. He is best known as a
member of the Pink Fairies and an early member of Motörhead.
|
Contents
- 1 Early
Bands
- 2 Steve
Took's Shagrat
- 3 Blodwyn
Pig, Took and UFO
- 4 The
Pink Fairies
- 5 Motörhead
and still the Pink Fairies
- 6 Steve
Took
- 7 Stiff
Records - Performer and Producer
- 8 Farren/MC5
collaborations and his own bands
- 9 Pink
Fairies Resurrection
- 10 Dr.
Feelgood links
- 11 Back
in Business
- 12 Discography
|
Early Bands
In 1968, he formed a band called The Entire Sioux Nation with
Terry Nolder on vocals, Tim Taylor on bass and Paul Nichols on drums.
The band split up in late 1969 at the same time as the Pink
Fairies Mark 1 line-up of Steve Peregrin Took, Mick
Farren and Twink (with girlfriend
Silver Darling) parted company.
Steve Took's Shagrat
It was 'all change' - Twink formed Pink
Fairies Mark 2 with Farren's former band the Deviants
leaving Farren bandless. The original intent was for Farren and Took to
form Steve Took's Shagrat with
ex-Entire Sioux Nation members Tim Taylor and Larry Wallis. Very soon
though, Farren left after having a fallout with Took. Shagrat played
one gig at the Phun City Festival in July 1970 and
recorded a few fantastic songs.
Blodwyn Pig, Took and UFO
Wallis then joined Blodwyn Pig, which changed its name to
Lancaster's Bombers (later shortened to Lancaster) with Jack Lancaster. They were a
short-lived band although they toured supporting Yes
around 1971.
Also in 1971, Took, Wallis, and Dave Bidwell (ex-Chicken Shack)
recorded four acoustic demos of Took's songs.
In February 1972,
Wallis joined UFO, but left in October 1972,
after a tour by Europe. Wallis didn't record with UFO, although there
there does exist a bootlegged live recording of a UFO performance
featuring Wallis.
Sometime during 1972 Wallis recorded sessions with Steve Peregrin Took at
Took’s basement flat in Mayfair. These very casual sessions contain
appearances by Twink, Mick Wayne, Duncan
Sanderson, and almost certainly Syd Barrett.
The Pink Fairies
In November 1972, Wallis joined the Pink
Fairies Mark 3, substituting for Mick Wayne. The band released a
successful album Kings of Oblivion containing
mostly Wallis-penned tracks and played with an extended line-up for a
special gig in July 1975.
Their only concert was finally released on a live album
several years later, in 1982, under the name of At the
Roundhouse. In 1991, it was reissued under the name At
the Roundhouse/Previously Unreleased, comprising the original
live album, plus additional songs by Larry Wallis from 1984, and an EP by Twink
from 1977.
Motörhead and still the Pink
Fairies
As well as being part of the Pink Fairies, Wallis also joined
a new band called Motörhead in May 1975 with Lemmy
and Lucas
Fox. In December 1975 Fox left (to form Warsaw Pakt with Andy Colquhoun) and Motörhead
recruited a new drummer, Phil "Philthy Animal"
Taylor. Wallis recorded an album with the band, On Parole,
but it remained unreleased for some years until Motörhead were a big
name. In February 1976
Wallis was joined by "Fast" Eddie Clarke on guitar and later
in the same month left Motörhead. He was still in the Pink Fairies,
which continued as a trio until July 1976 when they gained an additional guitarist,
Martin Stone. In September 1976 the Pinks released a single, Between
the lines/Spoiling for a fight on Stiff
Records. Four months later in January 1977 they split up. In the same month Wallis
guested at a one-off gig with members of Thin Lizzy
and Rat Scabies of The Damned.
Steve Took
During 1975/1976 Wallis did
further work with Steve Peregrin Took
although none of it has been released to date and he was present, by
accident, at Pathway Studios in 1977 when Steve Took's Horns recorded material
which would not be released until 2004, which has since been declared a
masterpiece of its genre and era.
Stiff Records - Performer and
Producer
Wallis then became an in-house producer at Stiff Records and
released a solo single, Police Car/On parole,
produced by the other in-house producer, Nick
Lowe, in November 1977. As well as appearing on a Stiff
compilation A Bunch of Stiffs, Wallis was part of
an ad-hoc line-up called The Takeaways with Dave
Edmunds, Nick Lowe and Sean Tyla. Wallis was on the Live
Stiffs tour and on the resultant live album with Larry Wallis'
Psychedelic Rowdies, also appearing on the live album that was released
some time later. Other artists on the Live Stiffs tour included Elvis
Costello, Nick Lowe, Dave Edmunds, Ian Dury and The
Blockheads and Wreckless Eric.
Wallis also produced albums for a number of Stiff Records
artists including The Adverts and Larry Mick
Farren's Screwed Up (November 1977) and Vampires
Stole My Lunch Money (August 1978).
Farren/MC5 collaborations and
his own bands
In September 1978, Wallis became a member of another Farren
project Mick Farren & The Good Guys; featuring Mick Farren
(vocals), Andy Colquhoun (guitar), Willy
Stallybrass (harmonica), Gary Tibbs (bass) and Alan (Hawkwind)
Powell (drums).
In March 1979 Wallis joined ex-MC5 band member Wayne Kramer, Andy Colquhoun and
George Butler for a series of live gigs.
In February 1982 Wallis formed Larry Wallis & The
Death Commandos of Love with Johnny Reverb on guitar, Big George Webley
on bass and Jim Toomey on drums.
Two years later in 1984 Wallis was once again working with Mick
Farren who resurrected the Deviants name to record a live album
Human Garbage featuring Mick Farren on vocals, Wayne
Kramer and Wallis on guitar, Duncan Sanderson on bass and vocals, and
George Butler on drums.
Pink Fairies Resurrection
In 1987
the Pink Fairies were revived with Wallis on guitar and vocals, Andy
Colquhoun on guitar, Duncan Sanderson on bass and vocals, and both Twink
and Russell Hunter on drums. This resulted in the album Kill
'em & Eat 'em.
Dr. Feelgood links
Around 1991 Wallis worked with Lee Brilleaux and Phil Mitchell (both
from Dr.
Feelgood) on the On The Bench recording, with Ian
Gibbons. This led to the formation of Wallis' new band, the Redbyrds featuring Wallis (guitar, vocals),
Mitchell (bass) and Chris North (drums). The Redbyrds released one EP, Truth
Justice and a Wholesome Packed Lunch.
Back in Business
2002 saw the release of the first ever Larry Wallis 'solo'
album Death in the Guitarfternoon, proving that
Wallis could still play a mean guitar. There have also been hints of
another Pink Fairies album and perhaps gigs,
however this has not yet appeared to have come to fruition. A comeback
gig for The Fairies was planned for The
Roundhouse, Chalk Farm, London on 22nd January 2007. However, this was
cancelled due to Larry having a trapped nerve in his back. It has not
yet been rescheduled.
Discography
Compilations
- Glastonbury Faire 1972 Pink Fairies
- A bunch of Stiffs 1977 The Takeaways
- What's in the pub in 1996 1995 one track
by Wallis, "Touch and Go"
Albums with the Pink Fairies/Deviants/Mick
Farren
- Kings of Oblivion - June 1973
- Flashback - July 1975 (compilation)
- Screwed Up - November 1977 (EP produced
by Wallis)
- Vampires Stole My Lunch Money - August
1978) (produced by Wallis)
- At the Roundhouse - June 1982
- Human Garbage - 1984
- Kill 'em & Eat 'em - 1987
- At the Roundhouse/Previously Unreleased
- 1991
- Fragments of Broken Probes - 1998 with Jack Lancaster, Andy Colquhoun
- The Deviants Have Left the Planet -
1999, with Jack Lancaster
Albums with the 'Live Stiffs' package
Albums with Motörhead
Albums with On The Bench
- Escape From Oil City - 1991 Album shared
with Canvey Island All Stars with Lee Brilleaux and Phil Mitchell
A French Single
Albums with Redbyrds
- Truth, Justice and a Wholesome Packed Lunch
- 1992
Albums with The Stranglers and Friends
Other albums produced by Larry Wallis
- Wreckless Eric - A Louder Silence - 1977
- Wreckless Eric - Wreckless Eric, 1978
(Wallis also plays guitar)
| v • d • e Motörhead |
| Ian
"Lemmy" Kilmister - Phil Campbell
- Mikkey
Dee |
| Larry Wallis - "Fast"
Eddie Clarke - Brian "Robbo" Robertson - Michael
"Würzel" Burston - Lucas Fox - Phil "Philthy Animal"
Taylor - Pete Gill - Tommy
Aldridge |
| Discography |
| Studio albums:
On
Parole - Motörhead
- Overkill - Bomber
- Ace of Spades
- Iron Fist
- Another Perfect Day
- Orgasmatron
- Rock 'n' Roll
- 1916 - March
ör Die - Bastards
- Sacrifice
- Overnight Sensation
- Snake Bite Love
- We Are Motörhead
- Hammered - Inferno
- Kiss of Death |
| EPs: The
Golden Years - Beer Drinkers and
Hell Raisers - St. Valentine's Day
Massacre EP - Stand by Your Man
- '92 Tour EP |
| Live albums:
No Sleep 'til Hammersmith
- Nö Sleep at All
- Everything
Louder Than Everyone Else - Live at
Brixton Academy - BBC
Live & In-Session - Better
Motörhead than Dead: Live at Hammersmith |
| Compilations:
No Remorse - The Best
Of - Stone
Deaf Forever! - Deaf Forever: The
Best of Motörhead |
| Singles:
"Leaving Here" - "Motorhead"
- "Louie Louie" - "Overkill"
- "No
Class" - "Bomber" - "Ace
of Spades" - "Motorhead (live)" - "Iron
Fist" - "I
Got Mine" - "Shine" - "Killed by Death" - "Deaf
Forever" - "Eat the Rich" - "Ace
of Spades (live)" - "The One to Sing the Blues"
- "Hellraiser" - "Don't Let Daddy Kiss Me" - "Born
to Raise Hell" - "God Save the
Queen" |
| Videography |
| VHS: Live
in Toronto - Another Perfect Day EP - The Birthday Party
- Deaf Not Blind - EP - 1916
Live...Everything Louder than Everything Else |
| DVDs:
25 & Alive Boneshaker
- Motörhead EP - The
Best of Motörhead - The Special
Edition EP - Classic Albums: Motörhead - Ace of
Spades - Stage Fright |
| Related
Articles |
| Joe
Petagno - Alan Burridge - Headgirl
- White Line Fever |
| v • d • e UFO |
| Phil Mogg | Andy
Parker | Pete
Way | Vinnie Moore | Paul
Raymond |
Michael
Schenker | Jason Bonham | Paul Chapman | Danny Peyronel | Neil Carter | Mick Bolton | Paul Gray | Atomik Tommy M | Laurence Archer |
Clive Edwards | Aynsley
Dunbar | Bernie Marsden | Larry Wallis | Robbie
France
|
| Discography |
| Studio albums:
UFO 1
| Flying | Phenomenon
| Force
It | No
Heavy Petting | Lights Out
| Obsession
| No Place to Run
| The Wild, the
Willing and the Innocent | Mechanix
| Making Contact
| Misdemeanor
| Ain't Misbehavin'
| High Stakes &
Dangerous Men | Walk
on Water | Covenant
| Sharks | You Are Here
| The Monkey Puzzle |
| Live albums:
Live | Live
in Concert | Strangers in the
Night | Lights Out in Tokyo
| Live in Japan
| T.N.T. | Heaven's
Gate | On With the Action
| Live in Texas
| Regenerator - Live 1982
| Showtime |
| Compilations:
Space Metal
| Anthology
| The Essential UFO
| Best of UFO: Gold
Collection | X-Factor:
Out There & Back | Flying:
The Early Years 1970-1973 | An
Introduction to UFO CD | The
Best of the Rest |
