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Wizzard
Wizzard
Wizzard
Background information
Origin Birmingham, UK
Genre(s) Rock, Glam rock
Years active 1972–1975
Associated acts Electric Light Orchestra
The Move
Wizzo Band
Members
Roy Wood
Bill Hunt
Hugh McDowell
Rick Price
Keith Smart
Mike Burney
Nick Pentelow
Charlie Grima
Former members
Dave Griffiths
This article refers to the 1970s rock and roll band. Birmingham ( ˈbɜːmɪŋəm Ber -ming-um The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located 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. Glam rock (also known as glitter rock) is a sub-genre of Rock music that developed in the UK in the post- Hippie early 1970s which was "performed by Year 1972 ( MCMLXXII) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Year 1975 ( MCMLXXV) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Move were one of the leading British rock bands of the 1960s from Birmingham, England, and were among the most popular British bands to not find any success Wizzo Band was formed by Roy Wood after Wizzard split in 1975, fulfilling his ambitions to create an outfit that was more Jazz -orientated than Roy Wood (born Roy Adrian Wood 8 November 1946, Kitts Green, Birmingham, West Midlands, England) is a Songwriter Hugh McDowell (born 31 July 1953, Hampstead, London) was a Cellist for Electric Light Orchestra briefly in 1972 and This article is about the Decade 1970-1979 For the Year 1970 see 1970. 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 For other uses, see Wizard.

Wizzard were a Birmingham-based band formed by Roy Wood, former member of The Move and co-founder of Electric Light Orchestra. Birmingham ( ˈbɜːmɪŋəm Ber -ming-um A musical ensemble is a group of two or more Musicians who perform instrumental or vocal Music. Roy Wood (born Roy Adrian Wood 8 November 1946, Kitts Green, Birmingham, West Midlands, England) is a Songwriter The Move were one of the leading British rock bands of the 1960s from Birmingham, England, and were among the most popular British bands to not find any success

Contents

Biography

Not long after the release of Electric Light Orchestra's first album, Wood found himself at odds with co-leader Jeff Lynne. Jeffrey Lynne (born 30 December 1947 in Shard End, Birmingham) is a Grammy Award -winning English rock Songwriter He decided he wanted to head off in a different musical direction and left, taking band members Bill Hunt (keyboards & french horn), Hugh McDowell (cello), and ELO's sound engineer, Trevor Smith, with him, to found Wizzard. Hugh McDowell (born 31 July 1953, Hampstead, London) was a Cellist for Electric Light Orchestra briefly in 1972 and Also in the line-up were former Move bassist Rick Price, drummers Charlie Grima and Keith Smart, (all taken from Birmingham group Mongerel) and saxophone players Mike Burney and Nick Pentelow, son of actor Arthur Pentelow. Hunt was later replaced by Bob Brady.

The band made their live debut at a Rock 'N' Roll Festival at Wembley in August 1972, followed by an appearance at the Reading Festival later that month. With Wood's distinctive warpaint make-up and colourful costume, not to mention regular appearances on BBC TV's Top of the Pops in which members and friends variously appeared in pantomime horses, gorilla costumes or as roller-skating angels, often wielding custard pies for good measure, they were one of the most picturesque groups in the British glam rock era. Top of the Pops, also known as TOTP, was a long-running British music chart Television programme, made and broadcast Glam rock (also known as glitter rock) is a sub-genre of Rock music that developed in the UK in the post- Hippie early 1970s which was "performed by In January 1973 they scored their first Top 10 hit with "Ball Park Incident". The Top Forty or Top 40 is a music industry shorthand for the currently most-popular songs in a particular genre. Although they released two albums, Wizzard Brew, and Introducing Eddy & The Falcons, their biggest hit was with their second single. Wizzard Brew is the first album by Glam rock group Wizzard, released in March 1973 Introducing Eddy & The Falcons is the second album by Wizzard. "See My Baby Jive", Wood's faithful and affectionate tribute to the Phil Spector "Wall of Sound", made No. See My Baby Jive was a song by the British Glam rock band Wizzard. 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 1 in the UK singles chart for four weeks. The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official UK Charts Company (OCC on behalf of the British record industry The follow-up, "Angel Fingers", also topped the charts, though for only one week.

The band's 1973 Christmas single "I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday" has become something of an annual fixture on British radio and television (along with Slade's "Merry Xmas Everybody" and, until his highly public fall from grace, Gary Glitter's "Another Rock N' Roll Christmas". Year 1973 ( MCMLXXIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar of the 1973 Gregorian calendar. "I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday" is a popular Christmas song in the UK, first released in 1973 by Wizzard, when it reached #4 Slade are an English Glam rock band Slade were one of the most recognizable acts of the glam rock movement and were at their peak the most commercially popular "Merry Xmas Everybody" is a single by the English Glam-rock band Slade. Paul Francis Gadd (born 8 May 1944 is an English Glam rock Singer and Songwriter, and is better known by his Stage name Gary "Another Rock N' Roll Christmas" is a popular 1984 Christmas song by Gary Glitter. ) It was reissued in 1981, and a 12" re-recording appeared in 1984.

During 1973 Wood was simultaneously exploring a solo career with his Album Boulders, which produced a Top 20 hit "Dear Elaine". The subsequent heavy working schedule and strain led to health problems, and several cancelled or postponed live dates on a spring 1974 tour of the UK. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located One highlight of 1974 was a return to the top 10 with "Rock 'N' Roll Winter", a song dedicated to girlfriend of the time Lynsey De Paul, who repaid the honour by recording a Wizzard flavoured song "Ooh I Do" a few months later. A tour of the U.S. later that year failed to bring them any commercial success there, but some members guested on a Beach Boys session, which resulted in the eventual release of the latter group's single "It's OK" in 1976. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The Beach Boys is an American rock band Formed in 1961 the group gained popularity for its close vocal harmonies and lyrics reflecting a California Youth culture

Wizzard were an expensive band to maintain, both because of the large line-up, in terms of recording costs, and Bill Hunt's capacity to smash the pianos of the venues they were playing at. According to Price in a radio interview, ". . . even when we've had permission to do so. At one gig they said, 'Oh, go on, smash it up; it's only worth a fiver. ' So Bill smashed it up, and we got a bill for a hundred and ten quid!" Studio time was an even greater drain on the band's finances. Price again: "When we finished recording 'Angel Fingers' it was rumoured that we had spent more time in the studio than Paul McCartney had with the whole of the Band On The Run album. Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE (born 18 June 1942 is an English rock Singer, Bass guitarist songwriter Composer, Band on the Run is an album by Wings, released in 1973 McCartney's fifth album since the breakup of The Beatles (and Wings' third it became Wings' Whether it was true or not, this meant that most of the record company's money was spent in studio time and that the members of the band had to rely on live touring work for their income. A couple of tours in the UK and one tour of the USA were not enough to ensure regular wages for the band. One by one the band members found other, more lucrative, things to occupy their time. " [1]

By autumn 1975 they had split, leaving a farewell single "Rattlesnake Roll", which failed to chart, plus a third album Main Street which their record company did not release as they deemed it too uncommercial. Main Street, credited to Roy Wood & Wizzard (whereas the group's first two albums had been credited simply to Wizzard was initially planned to showcase the It finally saw the light of day in 2000. 2000 ( MM) was a Leap year that started on Saturday of the Common Era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. Wizzard had initially intended their second album to be a double, with one disc a set of rock'n'roll pastiches, the other disc jazz-rock. 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 The record company heard the rock'n'roll set, and said they intended to release that as a single album, which appeared in 1974 as Introducing Eddy & The Falcons. Introducing Eddy & The Falcons is the second album by Wizzard. Main Street, which languished in the vaults for around 25 years and was for some time presumed lost, was the jazz-rock set. Main Street, credited to Roy Wood & Wizzard (whereas the group's first two albums had been credited simply to Wizzard was initially planned to showcase the

In 1977 Wood and Price formed the shortlived Wizzo Band, after which Wood reverted to a solo career in addition to producing records for other acts, notably a 1979 Top 10 cover version of "Duke of Earl" for British doo-wop revivalists Darts. Wizzo Band was formed by Roy Wood after Wizzard split in 1975, fulfilling his ambitions to create an outfit that was more Jazz -orientated than The Top Forty or Top 40 is a music industry shorthand for the currently most-popular songs in a particular genre. " Duke of Earl " is a 1962 #1 hit Song, originally by Gene Chandler. Darts were a successful nine-piece British Doo-wop revival band at the end of the 1970s and early 1980s

Discography

Albums

Singles

References

External links

British Hit Singles & Albums is a Music Reference book published in the United Kingdom by Hit Entertainment allmusic (previously All Music Guide) is a Metadata database about music owned by All Media Guide.
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