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For the film directed by Shinobu Yaguchi see Waterboys (film). is a 2001 Comedy film written and directed by the Japanese Film director Shinobu Yaguchi, about five boys who start a See also Water boy (disambiguation).
The Waterboys
The Waterboys, performing a concert in Antwerp in 2003. Members, from left to right, Mike Scott, Geoff Dugmore, Steve Wickham, and Brad Weissman, are shown.
The Waterboys, performing a concert in Antwerp in 2003. ||-||-||-||} Antwerp ( Dutch:, French: Anvers) is a City and Municipality in Belgium and the capital of the Members, from left to right, Mike Scott, Geoff Dugmore, Steve Wickham, and Brad Weissman, are shown.
Background information
Origin Edinburgh, Scotland
Genre(s) Rock
Celtic
Years active 1983 – 1996, 2000 – Present
Associated acts World Party
Website Official site

The Waterboys are a band formed in 1983 by Mike Scott. Edinburgh ( ˈɛdɪnb(ərə Dùn Èideann) is the Capital of Scotland and is its second largest city after Glasgow. Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. A music genre is a categorical and typological construct that identifies musical sounds as belonging to a particular category and type of music that can be distinguished from other Rock music is a genre of Popular music often though not necessarily employing Electric guitar, Bass guitar, and Drums. Celtic music is a term utilised by artists record companies music stores and music magazines to describe a broad grouping of Musical genres that evolved out of the Folk World Party is a British pop / rock band which is essentially the solo project of its multi-talented only member Karl Wallinger. Michael 'Mike' Scott (born December 14 1958 in Edinburgh, Scotland) is the founding member and chief Songwriter of rock band The band's membership, past and present, has been composed mainly of musicians from Scotland, Ireland and England. Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland London, Dublin, Spiddal, New York and Findhorn have all served as homes for the group. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. Dublin (ˈdʌblɨn/ /ˈdʊblɨn or /ˈdʊbəlɪn/, bˠalʲə aːha klʲiəh or cliə(ɸ is both the largest city and capital of Ireland. Spiddal, (official name An Spidéal) is a village on the shore of Galway Bay in County Galway in Ireland. New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous The Findhorn Foundation is a Scottish Charitable trust registered in 1972 formed by the spiritual community at the Findhorn Ecovillage, one of The band has played in a number of different styles, but their music is a mix of Celtic folk music with rock and roll, or folk rock. Folk music can have a number of different meanings including Traditional music: The original meaning of the term "folk music" was synonymous Rock and roll (also known as rock 'n' roll) is a form of Music that evolved in the United States in the late 1940s and early 1950s with roots in mostly African Folk rock is a musical genre combining elements of Folk music and rock music. After ten years of recording and touring, they dissolved in 1993 and Scott pursued a solo career. They reformed in 2000, and continue to release albums and tour worldwide. Scott emphasizes a continuity between The Waterboys and his solo work, saying that "To me there's no difference between Mike Scott and the Waterboys; they both mean the same thing. They mean myself and whoever are my current travelling musical companions. "[1]

The early Waterboys sound was dubbed "The Big Music" after a song on their second album, A Pagan Place. For the book by Edna O'Brien, see A Pagan Place (book. A Pagan Place was an album released in June 1984 by The Waterboys For the book by Edna O'Brien, see A Pagan Place (book. A Pagan Place was an album released in June 1984 by The Waterboys This musical style was described by Scott as "a metaphor for seeing God's signature in the world. God is the principal or sole Deity in Religions and other belief systems that worship one deity. "[2] It either influenced or was used to describe a number of other bands, including Simple Minds, The Alarm, In Tua Nua, Big Country, the Hothouse Flowers[3] and World Party, the last of which was made up of former Waterboys members. Simple Minds are a rock band from Scotland, who had their greatest worldwide popularity from the mid-1980s to the early 1990s The Alarm are an Alternative rock band that emerged from Wales in the early 1980s In Tua Nua ((roughly translated from the Irish as "A New Tribe" was an Irish Rock group who achieved a modicum of fame and success in both Ireland Big Country are a rock band from Dunfermline, Scotland, popular in the early to mid-1980s but still releasing material for a Cult The Hothouse Flowers are an Irish rock group that combines traditional Irish Music with influences from soul, gospel and World Party is a British pop / rock band which is essentially the solo project of its multi-talented only member Karl Wallinger. [4] In the late 1980s the band became significantly more folk influenced. The Waterboys eventually returned to rock and roll, and have released both rock and folk albums since reforming. Their songs, largely written by Scott, often contain literary references and are frequently concerned with spirituality. Both the group and its members' solo careers have received much praise from both rock and folk music critics, but The Waterboys as a band has never received the commercial success that some of its members have had independently. Aside from World Party, The Waterboys have also influenced musicians such as Colin Meloy of The Decemberists[5] Grant Nicholas of Feeder[6] and Miles Hunt of The Wonder Stuff;[7] both Bono[8] and The Edge[9] from U2 are fans of the band. Colin Patrick Henry Meloy (born October 5 1974) is the lead singer and songwriter for the Portland Oregon folk-rock band The Decemberists Grant Nicholas (Sometimes AKA Grantley) (born 12 November 1967, Newport, Monmouthshire) is the lead Singer of Feeder are a British rock band formed in Newport, South Wales in 1992 by singer /songwriter/ Guitarist Grant Nicholas Miles Hunt (born 29 July 1966, in Birmingham) is the Singer / Guitarist and Songwriter for the Stourbridge, The Wonder Stuff are a band originally based in Stourbridge, West Midlands, in the Black Country, England. David Howell Evans (born 8 August 1961 in Barking, East London) more widely known by his Moniker The Edge, is a Musician known best

Contents

History

The Waterboys have gone through three distinct phases. Their early years, or "Big Music" period, were both productive and defined a new sound in British rock and roll. The following folk music period was characterised by an emphasis on touring over album production and by a remarkably large band membership, leading to the description of the group as a "Raggle Taggle band". [10] After a brief return to the "Big Music" for one tour[11] and the release of a mainstream rock and roll album with Dream Harder, the band dissolved until its rebirth in 2000. Dream Harder is an album released in 1993 credited to The Waterboys, but recorded by Mike Scott with session musicians In the years since, the band has revisited both rock and folk music, and continues to tour and release studio albums.

Formation

Scott, the founder and only permanent member of The Waterboys, made a number of solo recordings in late 1981 and early 1982 while in a band named Another Pretty Face (later called Funhouse). These sessions at Redshop Studio are the earliest recordings that would be released under The Waterboys name. During the same period, Scott formed the short-lived band The Red and the Black, with saxophone player Anthony Thistlethwaite, after hearing him play on Waiting on Egypt, a Nikki Sudden album. The saxophone (commonly referred to simply as sax) is a conical- bored transposing Musical instrument considered a member of the Woodwind Anthony Thistlethwaite (sometimes credited as Anto Thistlethwaite) (born 31 August 1955, Lutterworth, Leicestershire, England Nikki Sudden ( July 19, 1956 – March 26, 2006) was a prolific English Singer-songwriter and Guitarist. The Red and the Black performed nine concerts in London. [12] Thistlethwaite introduced Scott to drummer Kevin Wilkinson, who joined The Red and the Black. Kevin Wilkinson ( 11 June 1958 - July 17 1999) was a Musician based in Swindon, Wiltshire, England During 1982, Scott made a number of recordings, both solo and with Thistlethwaite and Wilkinson. These recording sessions, both of Scott's solo work and the group performances, would later be divided between The Waterboys' first and second albums.

In 1983, even though Scott's record label, Ensign Records, expected his first album to be a solo effort,[13] Scott decided to start a new band. Ensign Records was started in 1976 by Nigel Grainge and Chris Hill as an independent Phonogram subsidiary He chose The Waterboys as its name from a line in the Lou Reed song "The Kids" on the album Berlin. Lewis Allan Reed (born March 2 1942 is an American rock Singer-songwriter and Guitarist. Berlin is a 1973 album by Lou Reed, his third solo album and the follow-up to the widely accessible and upbeat glam rock classic ''Transformer''. [10] In March 1983, Ensign released the first recording under the new band name, a single titled A Girl Called Johnny, the A-side of which was a tribute to Patti Smith. Patricia Lee Smith ( born December 30 1946 is an American Singer-songwriter and poet This was followed in May by The Waterboys' first performance as a group, on the BBC's Old Grey Whistle Test. The Old Grey Whistle Test (usually abbreviated to Whistle Test or OGWT) was an influential BBC2 television music show that ran from 1971 The BBC performance included a new member, keyboard player Karl Wallinger. Karl Wallinger (born 19 October 1957 Prestatyn, Wales) is a Welsh Musician. [12] The Waterboys released their self-titled debut, The Waterboys, in July 1983. This eponymously named debut album from The Waterboys was recorded in several studio sessions between December 1981 and November 1982 Their music, influenced by Patti Smith, Bob Dylan and David Bowie, was compared by critics to Van Morrison and U2 in its cinematic sweep. Bob Dylan (born Robert Zimmerman, May 24 1941 in Duluth, Minnesota) is an American singer-songwriter author poet and painter who has been a major David Bowie (ˈboʊiː born David Robert Jones on 8 January 1947 is an English Musician, actor producer, and arranger. George Ivan Morrison OBE (generally known as Van Morrison) (born 31 August 1945 is a Grammy Award -winning Northern Irish Singer, [14]

Early years: the Big Music

Cover for the single of "The Big Music", whose title song would define The Waterboys' early sound. The album cover depicts members Scott, Thistlethwaite and Wilkinson.
Cover for the single of "The Big Music", whose title song would define The Waterboys' early sound. The album cover depicts members Scott, Thistlethwaite and Wilkinson.

After the release of their debut The Waterboys began touring. Their first show was at the Batschkapp Club in Frankfurt in February 1984. The band then consisted of Mike Scott on vocals and guitar, Anthony Thistlethwaite on saxophone and mandolin, Wallinger on keyboards, Roddy Lorimer on trumpets, Martyn Swain on bass and Kevin Wilkinson on drums. The guitar is a Musical instrument with ancient roots that is used in a wide variety of musical styles A mandolin is a musical instrument in the Lute family (plucked or strummed A keyboard instrument is any musical instrument played using a Musical keyboard. Roddy Lorimer (born May 19, 1953 in Glasgow) is a Scottish musician who has performed with a number of bands including Blur, The electric bass guitar (also called electric bass, or simply bass; ˈbeɪs as in "base" is a Stringed instrument played primarily with the The drum is a member of the percussion group technically classified as a Membranophone. John Caldwell from Another Pretty Face also played guitar, and Scottish singer Eddi Reader sang backing vocals for the band's first two concerts. Eddi Reader MBE (born Sadenia Reader 29 August 1959) is a Scottish Singer, known both for her work with Fairground Attraction [12] The band made some new recordings and over-dubbed old material in late 1983 and the spring of 1984 which would be released as The Waterboys' second album, A Pagan Place, in June 1984. For the book by Edna O'Brien, see A Pagan Place (book. A Pagan Place was an album released in June 1984 by The Waterboys The "official" Waterboys line-up at this time, according to the sleeve of A Pagan Place, was Scott, Thistlethwaite, Wallinger and Wilkinson, with guest contributions from Reader, Lorimer and many others.

A Pagan Place was preceded by the single The Big Music. "The Big Music", the name of the single's A-side track, was adopted by some commentators as a description of The Waterboys' sound, and is still used to refer to the musical style of their first three albums. The release of the album was followed by further touring including support for The Pretenders and U2 and a show at the Glastonbury Festival. The Pretenders are a British rock band The original band consisted of group founder and main Songwriter Chrissie Hynde ( lead vocals For the classical music and theatre festivals co-founded by Rutland Boughton between 1914 and 1926 see Glastonbury Festival (1914-1925 The

The band began to record new material in the spring of 1985 for a new album, with Wilkinson leaving the band to join China Crisis. China Crisis are an English pop / rock band. They formed in 1979 in Kirkby, near Liverpool, Merseyside with Late in the sessions future Waterboy Steve Wickham added his violin to the track The Pan Within; he had been invited after Scott had heard him on a Sinéad O'Connor demo recorded at Karl Wallinger's house. Steve Wickham is an Irish musician described by Mike Scott as "the world's greatest rock fiddle player" and by New Musical Express The violin is a bowed String instrument with four strings usually tuned in Perfect fifths It is the smallest and highest-pitched member Sinéad Marie Bernadette O'Connor (ʃɪˈneɪd oʊˈkɒnɚ (born 8 December 1966 is a Grammy Award winning Irish singer and songwriter [12]

The Waterboys (officially a trio of Scott, Thistlethwaite and Wallinger with a slew of guests) released their third album This Is the Sea in October 1985. This Is the Sea is the third and last of The Waterboys ' "Big Music" albums It sold better than either of the two earlier albums, and managed to get into the Top Forty. A single from it, The Whole of the Moon, reached number 26 in the UK. Promotion efforts were hampered by Scott's refusal to perform on Top of the Pops, which insisted that its performers lip sync. Top of the Pops, also known as TOTP, was a long-running British music chart Television programme, made and broadcast Lip-sync or Lip-synch (short for lip Synchronization) is a technical term for matching lip movements with voice [11] The album release was followed by successful tours of the UK and North America with Wickham becoming a full-time member, Marco Sin replacing Martyn Swain on bass, and Chris Whitten replacing Kevin Wilkinson on drums. Towards the end of the tour Wallinger left to form his own band, World Party, and was replaced by Guy Chambers. World Party is a British pop / rock band which is essentially the solo project of its multi-talented only member Karl Wallinger. Guy Chambers (born January 12, 1963 in London) is an English Songwriter and Record producer best known for his long partnership At the same time, drummer Dave Ruffy replaced Chris Whitten.

Late 1980s: The Raggle Taggle band

At the invitation of new member Steve Wickham, Mike Scott moved to Dublin and quickly became influenced by the traditional Irish music there as well as by country and gospel. Irish Music is the generic term for music that has been created in various genres on the entire island of Ireland, North and South of the border Country music is a blend of popular musical forms originally found in the Southern United States and the Appalachian Mountains. Gospel music is Music that is written to express either personal or a communal belief regarding Christian life as well as (in terms of the varying music styles to [15] The band's lineup changed once again with Scott, Wickham and Thistlethwaite now joined by Trevor Hutchinson on bass and Peter McKinney on drums. Trevor Hutchinson is the bass player and a founding member of Lúnasa. The new band, which the official Waterboys' website refers to as the "Raggle Taggle band" lineup,[10] spent 1986 and 1987 recording in Dublin and touring the UK, Ireland, Europe and Israel. Some of these performances were released in 1998 on The Live Adventures of the Waterboys, including a famous Glastonbury performance in 1986. The Live Adventures of the Waterboys is a concert recording released by The Waterboys in 1998

In 1988 Scott took the band to Spiddal in the west of Ireland where they set up a recording studio in Spiddal House to finish recording their new album. Spiddal, (official name An Spidéal) is a village on the shore of Galway Bay in County Galway in Ireland. Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world Fisherman's Blues was released in October of 1988 and showcased many guest musicians that had played with the band in Dublin and Spiddal. Fisherman's Blues is the 1988 album by The Waterboys. The album marked a change in the sound of The Waterboys', abandoning their earlier grandiose Critics and fans were split between those embracing the new influence of Scottish and Irish folk music and others disappointed after hoping for a continuation of the style of This Is the Sea. The album helped to increase the growing popularity of Irish music. World Music: The Rough Guide notes that "some cynics claim that Scotsman Mike Scott gave Irish music back to the Irish. . . his impact can't be underestimated",[16] but Scott himself explains that it was the Irish tradition that influenced him; "I was in love with Ireland. Every day was a new adventure, it was mythical. . . Being part of a brotherhood of musicians was a great thing in those days, with all the many musicians of all stripes we befriended in Ireland. I still have that connection to the Irish musicians and tap into it. . . "[17] Owing to the large number of tracks that were recorded in the three years between This Is the Sea and Fisherman's Blues, The Waterboys released a second album of songs from this period in 2001, titled Too Close to Heaven (or Fisherman's Blues, Part 2 in North America), and more material was released as bonus tracks for the 2006 reissue of the remastered Fisherman's Blues album. Too Close to Heaven is a collection of Outtakes alternative versions and unreleased tracks from The Waterboys ' Fisherman's Blues

After further touring the band returned to Spiddal in order to record a new album. The Waterboys now consisted of Mike Scott, Steve Wickham, Anthony Thistlethwaite, Colin Blakey on whistle, flute and piano, Sharon Shannon on accordion, Trevor Hutchinson on bass and Noel Bridgeman on drums. A simple whistle is a Woodwind instrument which produces Sound from a stream of forced air The flute is a Musical instrument of the Woodwind family Unlike other woodwind instruments a flute is a Reedless wind instrument that produces its The piano is a Musical instrument played by means of a keyboard that produces sound by striking steel strings with Felt covered hammers Sharon Shannon (born November 12, 1968 in Corofin County Clare) is an Irish musician. The accordion is a portable box-shaped Musical instrument of the hand-held Bellows -driven free-reed aerophone family sometimes referred to as a Squeezebox Their fifth album, Room to Roam was released in September, 1990. Room to Roam is an Album by The Waterboys; it continued the Folk-rock sound of 1988's Fisherman's Blues, but was less It is from Room to Roam that the "Raggle Taggle band" reference comes from. One of the album's tracks was a recording of the traditional folk ballad "The Raggle Taggle Gypsy". Folk music can have a number of different meanings including Traditional music: The original meaning of the term "folk music" was synonymous " The Gypsy Laddie " ( Roud 1 Child 200) also known as " Black Jack Davy " and " The Raggle Taggle Gypsies " among

Just before Room to Roam was released Wickham left over a disagreement with Scott and Thistlethwaite regarding the future direction of the band's sound. Scott and Thistlethwaite wanted to move the band back to a more rock and roll style, and Wickham disagreed. [10] His departure started the band's dissolution, and in his wake Shannon and Blakey both left. Scott, Thistlethwaite and Hutchinson recruited Ken Blevins on drums to fulfil the group's tour dates.

End and return of the Waterboys

Trevor Hutchinson left the band in 1991, a momentous year for the group that also saw a re-release of the single The Whole of the Moon from This Is the Sea. The single reached number three on the United Kingdom charts. Scott spent the rest of the year writing new material and moved to New York. Thistlethwaite left the band in December, leaving Mike Scott as The Waterboys' only member. The next album was completed with session musicians and was released in 1993 as Dream Harder with a new hard rock-influenced sound. Hard rock (also referred to as heavy rock) is a variation of Rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage and Psychedelic rock Frustrated by not being able to get a new touring Waterboys band together, Scott left New York, abandoning the "Waterboys" name and embarking upon a solo career.

However, Scott later resurrected the Waterboys name, citing its recognition amongst fans, for the 2000 album A Rock in the Weary Land. A Rock in the Weary Land was an Album released in 2000 (see 2000 in music) by The Waterboys. The album had a new, experimental rock sound, inspired by contemporary bands Radiohead and Beck that "shocked" some listeners. Radiohead Beck' s birth name was Bek see the sources given This is not a typo and should not be changed without good reason [15] Scott described the new sound as "Sonic Rock". [1] A number of old Waterboys guested on the album including Thistlethwaite and Wilkinson. By 2001 the core of the new Waterboys included Mike Scott on vocals and guitar, Richard Naiff on keyboards and organs and Wickham, who had returned to the band, on violin. Richard Naiff is a pianist and flautist from London, England who has performed with the bands Soulsec, The Catacoustics The Waterboys and The A keyboard instrument is any musical instrument played using a Musical keyboard. The organ (from Greek όργανον – organon "organ instrument tool" is a Keyboard instrument of one or more divisions each The group changed direction once again in 2003 and released Universal Hall a mostly acoustic album with a return of some Celtic influences from the Fisherman's Blues era. Universal Hall is a 2003 (see 2003 in music) album released by The Waterboys. The album was followed by a tour of the UK and then Europe. Their first official live album, Karma to Burn, was released in 2005. Karma to Burn is the first official live Album from The Waterboys. A new studio album, Book of Lightning, was released April 2, 2007. Book of Lightning is the ninth studio album by The Waterboys, released April 2 2007 through W14/ Universal Records. Events 68 - Galba, Governor of Hispania, names himself legatus senatus populique Romani, breaking the line of Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century.

Music

The Waterboys' lyrics and arrangements reflect Scott's current interests and influences,[18] the latter including the musical sensibilities of other members. Wickham in particular had a tremendous impact on the band's sound after joining the group. [19] In terms of arrangement and instrumentation, rock and roll and Celtic folk music[20] have played the largest roles in the band's sound. Literature and spirituality have played an important role in Scott's lyrics[21] Other contributing factors include punk music's DIY ethic,[11] the British poetic tradition, and Scott's experiences at Findhorn,[22] where he has lived for some years. The Findhorn Foundation is a Scottish Charitable trust registered in 1972 formed by the spiritual community at the Findhorn Ecovillage, one of

Sound

The Waterboys' music can be divided into three distinct styles. The first is represented by the first three albums, released between 1983 and 1985. The band's arrangements during this period, described by All Music Guide as a "rich, dramatic sound. . . majestic",[23] and typically referred to as "The Big Music", combined the rock and roll sound of early U2 with elements of classical trumpet (Lorimer), jazz saxophone (Thistlethwaite) and contemporary keyboards (Wallinger). Scott emphasized the arrangement's fullness by using production techniques similar to Phil Spector's "Wall of Sound". Harvey Philip Spector (born December 26 1940) is an American Record producer and Songwriter. The Wall of Sound is a music production technique for pop and rock music recordings developed by Record producer Phil Spector at Gold Star Studios The archetypal example, the song "The Big Music", gave the style its name, but the best-selling example was "The Whole of the Moon", the song that the early-1980s Waterboys are best known for and that demonstrates both Wallinger's synthpop keyboard effects and the effectiveness of the brass section of the band. Synthpop is a subgenre of New Wave and Pop music in which the Synthesizer is the dominant musical instrument A brass instrument is a Musical instrument whose tone is produced by vibration of the lips as the player blows into a tubular Resonator.

The Whole of the Moon

The album version of "The Whole of the Moon" demonstrates the sound of The Big Music period.
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After Wickham's joining and the move to Ireland, the band went three years before releasing another album. Fisherman's Blues, and more particularly Room to Roam, traded "The Big Music"'s keyboards and brass for traditional instruments such as tin whistle, flute, fiddle, accordion, harmonica, and bouzouki. A harmonica is a free reed Wind instrument which is played by blowing air into it or drawing air out by placing lips over individual holes (reed chambers or The bouzouki ( gr το μπουζούκι pl. τα μπουζούκια (plural sometimes transliterated as bouzoukia) is the mainstay of modern Celtic folk music replaced rock as the main inspiration for song arrangements on both albums. Rolling Stone describes the sound as "an impressive mixture of rock music and Celtic ruralism. Rolling Stone is a United States -based Magazine devoted to Music, Politics, and Popular culture that is published . . , Beatles and Donovan echoes and, of course, lots of grand guitar, fiddle, mandolin, whistle, flute and accordion playing". Donovan ( Donovan Phillips Leitch, born 10 May 1946 in Glasgow) is a Scottish Singer-songwriter and guitarist [24] Traditional folk songs were recorded along with those written by Scott. "The Raggle Taggle Gypsy", a British folk ballad at least two hundred years old, was recorded on Room to Roam. It became closely associated with the band, much as the song "The Big Music" did, and also gave its name to describe the band's character. The recording emphasizes how distinctly different the band's music had become in the five years since the last of "The Big Music" albums.

The Raggle Taggle Gypsy

The Waterboys' Room to Roam version of the folk song "The Raggle Taggle Gypsy".
Problems listening to the file? See media help.


After the break-up of the "Raggle Taggle band", Scott used The Waterboys' name for Dream Harder and A Rock in the Weary Land. These two albums, separated by seven years and bookending Scott's solo album releases, were both rock albums but with distinctive approaches to that genre. Dream Harder was described as "disappointingly mainstream",[25] whereas the sound of the A Rock in the Weary Land was inspired by alternative music and was praised by critics. Alternative rock (also called alternative music, alt-rock or simply alternative; known primarily in the UK as indie) is a genre of [1] For 2003's Universal Hall, however, Wickham had once again rejoined the band, and that album saw a return of the acoustic folk instrumentation of the late 1980s Waterboys, with the exception of the song "Seek the Light", which is instead an idiosyncratic EBM track. Electronic body music ( EBM, also known as aggropop) is a Music genre that combines elements of Industrial music and Electronic

Literary influences

Scott reads aloud from Hafez' The Gift at a Waterboys concert in Antwerp in 2004. Waterboys' concerts often feature readings from the Sufi poet's work.
Scott reads aloud from Hafez' The Gift at a Waterboys concert in Antwerp in 2004. Khwāja Šamsu d-Dīn Muḥammad Hāfez-e Šīrāzī, or simply Hāfez ( was a Persian mystic and Poet. Waterboys' concerts often feature readings from the Sufi poet's work. [26]

Scott, who briefly studied literature and philosophy at the University of Edinburgh, has made heavy use of English literature in his music. The University of Edinburgh (Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann founded in 1582 is a renowned centre for teaching and research in Edinburgh, Scotland, UK. "The Whole of the Moon", one of The Waterboys' signature songs, is partially a tribute to writer C. S. Lewis. Clive Staples Lewis (29 November 1898 – 22 November 1963 Lewis' work is also referenced in other Waterboys' songs, such as "Church Not Made With Hands" and "Further Up, Further In".

The Waterboys have recorded poems set to music by writers including William Butler Yeats ("The Stolen Child" and "Love and Death"), George MacDonald ("Room to Roam"), and Robert Burns ("Ever To Be Near Ye"). " The Stolen Child " is a Poem by William Butler Yeats, published in 1889 in The Wanderings of Oisin and Other Poems. George MacDonald ( 10 December 1824 &mdash 18 September 1905) was a Scottish author poet and Christian minister Robert Burns (25 January 1759 – 21 July 1796 (also known as Rabbie Burns, Scotland's favourite son, the Ploughman Poet, the Bard of Ayrshire A member of the Academy of American Poets writes that "The Waterboys' gift lies in locating Burns and Yeats within a poetic tradition of song, revelry, and celebration, re-invigorating their verses with the energy of contemporary music". The Academy of American Poets is the preeminent organization in the United States dedicated to the art of Poetry. So close is the identification of The Waterboys with their literary influences that the writer also remarks that "W. B. ", the initials to which Yeats' first and middle names are often shortened, could also stand for "Waterboys". [2]

Scott has also used a number of poetic tropes in lyrics, including anthropomorphism (eg. Anthropomorphism is the attribution of uniquely Human characteristics to non-human creatures and beings natural and supernatural phenomena material states and objects "Islandman"), metaphor (eg. Metaphor (from the Greek: μεταφορά - metaphora, meaning "transfer" is language that directly compares seemingly unrelated subjects "A Church Not Made with Hands", "The Whole of the Moon"), and metonymy (eg. In Rhetoric, metonymy (mɨˈtɒnɨmi is the use of a word for a concept or object associated with the concept/object originally denoted by the word "Old England"). The latter song quotes from both Yeats and James Joyce. James Augustine Aloysius Joyce (2 February 1882 &ndash 13 January 1941 was an Irish expatriate writer widely considered to be one of the most influential writers of the While the lyrics of the band have explored a large number of themes, symbolic references to water are especially prominent. "Symbolic" redirects here For other uses see Symbolism (disambiguation and Symbolic (disambiguation. Water is often referenced in their songs (eg. "This Is the Sea", "Strange Boat", "Fisherman's Blues"). The Waterboys' logo, first seen on the album cover of The Waterboys, symbolizes waves. [10]

Spirituality

The Waterboys' lyrics show influences from different spiritual traditions. The first is the romantic Neopaganism and esotericism of authors such as Yeats and Dion Fortune, which can be observed in the repeated references to the ancient Greek deity Pan in both "The Pan Within" and "The Return of Pan". Neopaganism or Neo-Paganism is an Umbrella term used to identify a wide variety of modern religious movements particularly those influenced by historical Violet Mary Firth Evans, born Violet Mary Firth ( December 6 1890 - 1946 and better known as Dion Fortune, was a British The term ancient Greece refers to the period of Greek history lasting from the Greek Dark Ages ca Pan ( Greek, Genitive) is the Greek god of shepherds and flocks of mountain wilds hunting and rustic music paein means to pasture Pan was also featured on the album art for Room to Roam. "Medicine Bow", a song from the recording sessions for This Is the Sea, refers to Native American spirituality in its use of the word "medicine" to mean spiritual power. Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples from the regions of North America now encompassed by the continental United States Scott's interest in Native American issues is also demonstrated in his preliminary recordings for the group's debut album, which included the songs "Death Song of the Sioux Parts One & Two" and "Bury My Heart". "Bury My Heart" is a reference to Dee Brown's Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee. Dorris Alexander "Dee" Brown ( February 28, 1908 – December 12, 2002) was an American Novelist and Historian This article is about the 1970 book by Dee Brown For the 2007 film of the same name see Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee (film. [27] a history of Native Americans in the western United States. Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples from the regions of North America now encompassed by the continental United States Scott took the traditional Sioux song "The Earth Only Endures" from Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee, and set it to new music; the arrangement appears on The Secret Life of the Waterboys. The Sioux are a diverse group of Native Americans generally divided into three subgroups Lakota, Dakota and Nakota. Christian imagery can be seen in the songs "December" from The Waterboys, "The Christ in You" on Universal Hall, and indirectly in the influence of Lewis in a number of other songs, but Scott writes that his lyrics are not influenced by Christianity. Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings [28]

Scott has also said, "I've always been interested in spirituality, and I've never joined any religion. And it really turns me off when people from one religion say theirs is the only way. And I believe all religions are just different ways to spirituality. And if you call that universality, well, then I'm all for it. Universalism can be classified as a Religion, Theology and Philosophy that generally holds all persons and creatures are related to God or the Divine and "[29] Despite Scott's pluralist perspective, The Waterboys have been labelled as "Christian rock" by some reviewers. Religious pluralism (rel Comparative religion) is a loosely defined expression concerning acceptance of different Religions and is used in a number of related Christian rock (occasionally abbreviated CR) is a form of Rock music played by bands whose members are Christians and who often focus the lyrics on [30]

Music Video

Meiert Avis directed the video for The Whole of the Moon using visionary lighting based on Helprin's Winter's Tale, and his memories of a 1962 theatrical production of Charles Kingsley's The Water Babies. This Is the Sea is the third and last of The Waterboys ' "Big Music" albums The Winter's Tale is a play by William Shakespeare, first published in the First Folio in 1623 Avis addressed Scott's aversion to lip syncing by shooting the visuals for "The Whole of the Moon" while recording live vocals and guitar. The video is a unique and authentic performance of the song. Avis later used this technique on several videos with Bruce Springsteen, who shares Scott's aversion to lipsync.

Membership

Steve Wickham, The Waterboys' fiddler, has played an especially important role in the band's direction.
Steve Wickham, The Waterboys' fiddler, has played an especially important role in the band's direction.

More than thirty musicians have performed live as a Waterboy. [31] Some have spent only a short time with the band, contributing to a single tour or album, while others have been long-term members with significant contributions. Scott has been the band's lead vocalist, motivating force, and principal songwriter throughout the group's history, but a number of other musicians are closely identified with the band.

Anthony Thistlethwaite was an original member of the band, and remained a member until 1991 when the band broke up, although he also joined a few recording sessions for A Rock in the Weary Land. Anthony Thistlethwaite (sometimes credited as Anto Thistlethwaite) (born 31 August 1955, Lutterworth, Leicestershire, England After Scott and Wickham, Thistlethwaite has more songwriting credits than any other Waterboy. His saxophone, regularly featured in solos, was one half of the early group's distinctive brass section, but he has also played guitar, keyboards and a number of other instruments for the band. He pressed to return The Waterboys to a rock music sound after Room to Roam, but did not appear on Dream Harder, the result of that decision. He is now a member of The Saw Doctors, and has also released three solo albums. The Saw Doctors are a Folk-rock band from Tuam, County Galway in the west of Ireland.

Kevin Wilkinson, another original member, was The Waterboys' drummer from 1983–1984, and continued to play in some studio sessions afterwards. Kevin Wilkinson ( 11 June 1958 - July 17 1999) was a Musician based in Swindon, Wiltshire, England His most recent appearance was on A Rock in the Weary Land. He led the rhythm section of the group during its "Big Music" phase, sometimes without the assistance of any bass guitar. Scott describes Wilkinson's drumming as "bright and angular, an unusual sound". [18]

Karl Wallinger joined the group in 1983, shortly after its formation. Karl Wallinger (born 19 October 1957 Prestatyn, Wales) is a Welsh Musician. He left the group two years later, but in that relatively short period made important contributions to both A Pagan Place and This is the Sea. He co-wrote "Don't Bang the Drum", the environmentalism anthem on This is the Sea. Environmentalism is a broad philosophy and Social movement centered on a concern for the conservation and improvement of the environment. His keyboards and synthesizer work expanded the group's sound, and he also did some studio work for demo sessions. Wallinger's World Party project was heavily influenced by his work with The Waterboys. World Party is a British pop / rock band which is essentially the solo project of its multi-talented only member Karl Wallinger.

Roddy Lorimer's participation in the group began in 1983, contributing his trumpet playing "on and off"[10] through 1990. Roddy Lorimer (born May 19, 1953 in Glasgow) is a Scottish musician who has performed with a number of bands including Blur, He and Thistlethwaite took turns leading the brass section of the band, and Lorimer was also a featured soloist, most famously on "The Whole of the Moon" and "Don't Bang the Drum". He further contributed backing vocals to the song. His trumpet style is a combination of his classical training with an experimental approach encouraged by Scott. [32] Lorimer returned for some studio work in 2006. [10]

Steve Wickham transformed the group with his joining in 1985. Steve Wickham is an Irish musician described by Mike Scott as "the world's greatest rock fiddle player" and by New Musical Express His strong interest in folk music directly resulted in the band's change of direction. His initial involvement with The Waterboys ended in 1990 when Scott and Thistlethwaite wanted to return to rock and roll, but Wickham rejoined the group again in 2000, and, as of 2007, continues to perform with the band. Described by Scott as "the world's greatest rock fiddle player",[33] he has written more songs for the band than anyone other than Scott, including the group's handful of instrumental recordings.

After 2000, Richard Naiff became one of the three core Waterboys members.
After 2000, Richard Naiff became one of the three core Waterboys members.

Richard Naiff first recorded with the band in 1999, and joined permanently in 2000. Richard Naiff is a pianist and flautist from London, England who has performed with the bands Soulsec, The Catacoustics The Waterboys and The As of 2007, he is a core member, along with Scott and Wickham. He is a classically-trained pianist and flautist, and plays keyboards for The Waterboys. A pianist (/'piənɪst/ is a Musician who plays the Piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces play with an ensemble or Orchestra A flautist, flutist, or flute player is a Musician who plays the Flute. Ian McNabb described him as Scott's "find of the century"[34] and reviewers have described him as "phenomenally talented". Ian McNabb (born Robert Ian McNabb 3 November 1960, Liverpool, England) is known both for his work as leader and songwriter-in-chief of [35]

Other notable members of the band include bassist McNabb, leader of Icicle Works; Sharon Shannon, who became Ireland's all-time best-selling traditional musician;[36] the experimental musician Thighpaulsandra, producer Guy Chambers, and Patti Smith Group drummer Jay Dee Daugherty. The Icicle Works were an independent English Rock band of the 1980s Sharon Shannon (born November 12, 1968 in Corofin County Clare) is an Irish musician. Experimental music is a term introduced by composer John Cage in 1955 Thighpaulsandra (Tim Lewis is a Welsh experimental musician known mostly for performing on Synthesizers and keyboards As Tim Lewis he began Guy Chambers (born January 12, 1963 in London) is an English Songwriter and Record producer best known for his long partnership Patricia Lee Smith ( born December 30 1946 is an American Singer-songwriter and poet Jay Dee Daugherty (born March 22, 1952) is an American Drummer and Songwriter most well known for his work with Patti Smith

Discography

The Waterboys have released several albums and singles. The group's releases have received a great deal of praise from critics, but have had less commercial success than some of their contemporaries. In terms of music charts, the group's greatest success was with the 1991 re-release of the single for "The Whole of the Moon", which reached number three on the UK singles chart[37] and won the Ivor Novello Award. Record chart are a method of ranking Music according to Popularity during a given period of time The Ivor Novello Awards, named after the Cardiff born entertainer Ivor Novello, are Awards for Songwriting and Composing. Fisherman's Blues was the group's best-selling studio album, reaching number thirteen on the UK album charts upon its release in 1988. The highest chart position of any album was for The Best of the Waterboys 81–90. The compilation album reached position two in the UK.

Studio albums

Live albums and compilations

Mike Scott is alone on the album cover for The Whole of the Moon: the Music of Mike Scott and the Waterboys, a compilation album containing both Waterboys and Mike Scott solo material.
Mike Scott is alone on the album cover for The Whole of the Moon: the Music of Mike Scott and the Waterboys, a compilation album containing both Waterboys and Mike Scott solo material. This eponymously named debut album from The Waterboys was recorded in several studio sessions between December 1981 and November 1982 For the book by Edna O'Brien, see A Pagan Place (book. A Pagan Place was an album released in June 1984 by The Waterboys This Is the Sea is the third and last of The Waterboys ' "Big Music" albums Fisherman's Blues is the 1988 album by The Waterboys. The album marked a change in the sound of The Waterboys', abandoning their earlier grandiose Room to Roam is an Album by The Waterboys; it continued the Folk-rock sound of 1988's Fisherman's Blues, but was less Dream Harder is an album released in 1993 credited to The Waterboys, but recorded by Mike Scott with session musicians A Rock in the Weary Land was an Album released in 2000 (see 2000 in music) by The Waterboys. Too Close to Heaven is a collection of Outtakes alternative versions and unreleased tracks from The Waterboys ' Fisherman's Blues Universal Hall is a 2003 (see 2003 in music) album released by The Waterboys. Book of Lightning is the ninth studio album by The Waterboys, released April 2 2007 through W14/ Universal Records.

Singles

Further reading

A biography of Mike Scott & The Waterboys has been published:

Notes and references

  1. ^ a b c A Rock in the Weary Land review. All Music Guide. Retrieved on October 22, 2005.
  2. ^ a b The "Big Music" of the Waterboys: Song, Revelry, and Celebration. Retrieved on October 22, 2005. This article appeared as part of the Academy of American Poets' web-based National Poetry Almanac's 2004 "Poetry and Music" series. The author is unidentified. See Poetry and Music. National Poetry Almanac. Retrieved on December 1, 2005. for more information about the series.
  3. ^ 6 Echoes of The Big Music. Retrieved on October 22, 2005.
  4. ^ Karl Wallinger formed the band, Guy Chambers and Chris Whitten later left The Waterboys to join World Party. Karl Wallinger (born 19 October 1957 Prestatyn, Wales) is a Welsh Musician. Guy Chambers (born January 12, 1963 in London) is an English Songwriter and Record producer best known for his long partnership World Party is a British pop / rock band which is essentially the solo project of its multi-talented only member Karl Wallinger.
  5. ^ The Decembrists Biography. Retrieved on January 16, 2007.
  6. ^ Feeder Frequently Asked Questions. Retrieved on October 26, 2005.
  7. ^ interviews: Howe Gelb. tastyfanzine. org. Retrieved on November 21, 2005.
  8. ^ News:Bono's Top Ten List. U2 station. Retrieved on January 11, 2007.
  9. ^ "Four Chancers From North Dublin" (December 2005). Word Magazine.  
  10. ^ a b c d e f g FAQ. mikescottwaterboys. Retrieved on October 28, 2005.
  11. ^ a b c Peter Anderson. Mike Scott/Waterboys biography. Record Collector magazine. Retrieved on October 22, 2005.
  12. ^ a b c d Archive 1978-85. mikescottwaterboys. com. Retrieved on October 28, 2005.
  13. ^ Scott, Mike (2002). "Recording Notes", The Waterboys. EMI, 2.  
  14. ^ A comparison which continues to be made. See All Music Guide review. Retrieved on October 22, 2005.
  15. ^ a b Gerry Galipault. Mike Scott is The Waterboys and The Waterboys Are Mike Scott. Pause and Play. Retrieved on October 22, 2005.
  16. ^ Broughton, Simon; & Ellingham, Mark (1999). World Music: the Rough Guide Volume 1. Rough Guides, Ltd. , 188. ISBN 1-85828-635-2.  
  17. ^ Mike Talks. mikescottwaterboys. Retrieved on December 1, 2005.
  18. ^ a b Scott, Mike (2004) Recording Notes in This is the Sea (p. Michael 'Mike' Scott (born December 14 1958 in Edinburgh, Scotland) is the founding member and chief Songwriter of rock band 5) [CD liner notes] London: EMI
  19. ^ Findhorn. mikescottwaterboys. Retrieved on November 18, 2005.
  20. ^ Scott, Mike (2006) "Fisherman's Blues, Roots and the Celtic Soul" [CD liner notes] London: EMI
  21. ^ Scott, Mike. Michael 'Mike' Scott (born December 14 1958 in Edinburgh, Scotland) is the founding member and chief Songwriter of rock band "The day I downloaded myself". The Guardian. The Guardian (until 1959 The Manchester Guardian) is a British Newspaper owned by the Guardian Media Group. March 23, 2007. Events 1174 - Jocelin, Abbot of Melrose, is elected Bishop of Glasgow. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century.
  22. ^ Too Close to Heaven history. mikescottwaterboys. Retrieved on November 18, 2005.
  23. ^ All Music Guide biography. Retrieved on November 3, 2005.
  24. ^ Room to Roam review. Rolling Stone. com. Retrieved on November 3, 2005.
  25. ^ Mike Scott. Chicago Other Voices Poetry. Retrieved on November 2, 2005.
  26. ^ One World peace concert. EdinburghGuide. com. Retrieved on January 16, 2007.
  27. ^ The phrase "Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee" is originally from Stephen Vincent Benet's poem "American Names". Stephen Vincent Benét ( July 22, 1898 &ndash March 13, 1943) was an American Author, Poet, Short story
  28. ^ Scott, Mike (2007). "Mike's world: Wikipedia" myspace. com Waterboys blog. URL accessed January 6, 2007. Events 1066 - Harold Godwinson is crowned King of England. 1205 - Philip of Swabia becomes King Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century.
  29. ^ Waterboys Express Spirituality. Chicago Innerview. Retrieved on October 29, 2005.
  30. ^ The Waterboys concert review. Pop Matters. Retrieved on October 29, 2005.
  31. ^ FAQ Who's Who. mikescottwaterboys. Retrieved on October 28, 2005.
  32. ^ Roddy Lorimer. Kick Horns Line Up. Retrieved on October 31, 2005.
  33. ^ Wickham agrees. An interview with Steve Wickham. Retrieved on October 22, 2005.
  34. ^ Karma to Burn reports. mikescottwaterboys. Retrieved on November 3, 2005.
  35. ^ Universal Hall, Findhorn, Scotland, January 2002. Cluas. com Irish music. Retrieved on October 30, 2005.
  36. ^ Sharon Shannon biography 2005. The Daisy Label. Retrieved on October 30, 2005.
  37. ^ Weller, Helen; Tony Brown (1997). Guinness Book of British Hit Singles, 11th ed. British Hit Singles & Albums is a Music Reference book published in the United Kingdom by Hit Entertainment . ISBN 0-85112-027-X.  
  38. ^ a b Scott, Mike (2007). "New Waterboys Album Book of Lightning April 2" Myspace blog. URL accessed January 16, 2007. Events 27 BC - The title Augustus is bestowed upon Gaius Julius Caesar Octavian by the Roman Senate. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century.

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