Colin Walker | |
---|---|
Born | 8 July 1949 |
Origin | Minchinhampton, England |
Genres | Rock music |
Occupation(s) | Musician |
Instruments | Cello |
Labels | Harvest Records |
Associated acts | Electric Light Orchestra |
Colin Walker (born 8 July 1949) is an English cellist who played with Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) from 1972 to 1973. [1]
He was born in Minchinhampton, Gloucestershire, and was educated at Marling School in Stroud and the Royal Academy of Music in London. By his own admission, his greatest regret was not playing on The Beatles' "Eleanor Rigby". [2]
Walker was recruited into ELO after founding member Roy Wood quit the band and took cellist Hugh McDowell and horn player/keyboardist Bill Hunt with him and also joining at the time on bass was Mike de Albuquerque. Their new bandmates were singer/songwriter/guitarist/bandleader Jeff Lynne, drummer Bev Bevan, keyboardist Richard Tandy (who had previously played bass, but switched to keyboards), violinist Wilf Gibson and cellist Mike Edwards [3] and, at the time, Walker lived in a bachelor flat in the London suburb of Queen's Park. [2]
During his time in ELO, Walker played cello on two of their albums – ELO 2 and side two of On the Third Day – and he used a German-made cello with steel strings. [2] He also contributed cello to the single Showdown .
After leaving ELO, Walker joined the orchestra at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, London. He played cello on "Fool's Gold", a track on the album Thought Talk by the rock band Starry Eyed and Laughing [2]
Walker has also worked as a teacher. [4]
The Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) are an English rock band formed in Birmingham in 1970 by songwriters and multi-instrumentalists Jeff Lynne and Roy Wood with drummer Bev Bevan. Their music is characterised by a fusion of pop, classical arrangements and futuristic iconography. After Wood's departure in 1972, Lynne became the band's sole leader, arranging and producing every album while writing nearly all of their original material. For their initial tenure, Lynne, Bevan and keyboardist Richard Tandy were the group's only consistent members.
On the Third Day is the third studio album by Electric Light Orchestra (ELO), and the first to be recorded without input from Roy Wood. It was released in the United States in November 1973 by United Artists Records, and in the United Kingdom on 14 December 1973 by Warner Bros. Records. From this album on, the word The was dropped from the band's name. The album was reissued on 12 September 2006.
ELO 2 is the second studio album by the Electric Light Orchestra (ELO), released in 1973. In the US, the album was released as Electric Light Orchestra II. It was the band's last album to be released by the Harvest label, the last on which the band used the definite article The in their name, and the one that introduced their abbreviated name 'ELO'.
Zoom is the twelfth studio album by British symphonic rock band Electric Light Orchestra (ELO), released on 12 June 2001 on Epic Records. It was the first official ELO album since 1986's Balance of Power.
Wilfred Gibson was an English violinist, session musician, and early member of the Electric Light Orchestra.
ELO's Greatest Hits is a compilation by the Electric Light Orchestra (ELO), released in 1979. Despite being released after the album Discovery, this album omitted the band's most recent hits, "Don't Bring Me Down" and "Shine a Little Love".
Flashback is the second box set compilation by Electric Light Orchestra (ELO), released in November 2000 in the US and the following month in the UK.
All Over the World: The Very Best of Electric Light Orchestra is a compilation album by the Electric Light Orchestra, released in 2005.
Strange Magic: The Best of Electric Light Orchestra is a compilation album by Electric Light Orchestra (ELO), released in 1995 only in the US.
Hugh Alexander McDowell was an English cellist best known for his membership of the Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) and related acts.
"Showdown" is a 1973 song written by Jeff Lynne and recorded by the Electric Light Orchestra (ELO). It was the band's last contemporary recording to be released on the Harvest label. It was released as a single and reached No 12 in the UK Singles Chart, in the week beginning 28 October, and No 9 on the Norwegian chart VG-lista.
"The Diary of Horace Wimp" is the fourth track on the Electric Light Orchestra album Discovery, written by Jeff Lynne.
The Light Shines On is a compilation album by Electric Light Orchestra (ELO). This is the second Harvest compilation of their early years with the label, followed in 1979 by volume 2.
The Light Shines On Vol 2 is a compilation album by Electric Light Orchestra (ELO). Released in 1979 by Harvest Records, it is a compilation of their early years with the label.
Michael Edwards, later known as Swami Deva Pramada or simply Pramada, was an English cellist and music teacher. He was a member of the Electric Light Orchestra in their early years.
ELO Part II were a band formed by Electric Light Orchestra drummer and co-founder Bev Bevan. The band also included former ELO bassist and vocalist Kelly Groucutt, and violinist Mik Kaminski for most of its career, along with conductor Louis Clark who toured as a guest with ELO in its later years.
Eldorado is the fourth studio album by the Electric Light Orchestra (ELO). It was released in the United States in September 1974 by United Artists Records and in the United Kingdom in October 1974 by Warner Bros. Records.
The Electric Light Orchestra is the eponymous debut studio album by English rock band Electric Light Orchestra (ELO), released in December 1971 in the United Kingdom by Harvest Records. In the United States, the album was released in March 1972 as No Answer, after a misunderstood telephone message made by a United Artists Records executive asking about the album name; the caller, having failed to reach the ELO contact, wrote down "no answer" in his notes, and this was misconstrued to be the name of the album.
Light Years, The Very Best of Electric Light Orchestra is a two CD compilation album by Electric Light Orchestra (ELO), released in 1997.
Sources