Wild Colonials

Last updated
Wild Colonials
Origin Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Genres Alternative rock, folk, jazz rock
Instrument(s) Vocals, guitar, bass, violin, piano, sax, etc.
Years active1992–present
Labels DGC/Geffen, Chromatic, UMe/Universal, WLPS
Members Shark
Paul Cantelon
Scott Roewe
Past members Angela McCluskey
Ian Bernard
Joel Virgel Vierset
Thaddeus Corea
Jason Payne
Skip Ward
Chad Smith
Website www.wildcolonials.net

Wild Colonials are an American alternative rock band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1992 by Angela McCluskey (vocals), Shark (guitar/vocals/percussion), Paul Cantelon (violin/piano), Scott Roewe (multi-instrumentalist) and Ian Bernard (drums/percussion). After 1993 members included Thaddeus Corea and Jason Payne on drums/percussion and Skip Ward on bass.

Contents

Biography

Formed in early 1992 as an impromptu jam session at an Irish coffee house in Hollywood called Café Beckett. Singer Angela McCluskey had gathered together a group of fellow musicians to arrange a “musical evening” to showcase her friend/guitarist Shark, who had recently relocated to Los Angeles from New York. Brought aboard were Paul Cantelon, on violin and piano; Scott Roewe, on bass, keyboards, and saxophone; and Ian Bernard (drums/percussion) and other revolving special guests. The “musical evening” evolved into a regular gig from the group soon to be known as Wild Colonials - named after the Irish song “Wild Colonial Boy.” Also joining in with the ever changing line up of guests included Dave King (Flogging Molly), Vivian Campbell (Def Leppard), and several members of the Hothouse Flowers and Leonard Cohen's touring band.

From Café Beckett the group developed a large following, performing regularly at Molly Malone's, an Irish pub in Los Angeles, and then moving to Café Largo a larger venue in West Hollywood. With a Tuesday night residency that lasted several months the buzz that developed in the LA music scene procured the Wild Colonials a record deal with DGC/Geffen Records. Fruit of Life (1994) and This Can’t Be Life (1996) were both released to critical acclaim, landing the group as the second stage headliner on the prestigious Lilith Fair lineup in 1997. Over that time, Wild Colonials–either as a group or as individual artists - have performed music for several films- a collection of unreleased tracks, soundtrack only tracks and score cues was collected to make up their third album "Reel Life vol 1" (2000) (released through indie label Chromatic Records).

The band's fourth album was intended to be released as four separate EPs under the umbrella name Life As We Know It (UMe/Universal). To date only EP 1/4 has been released.

The band members have a number of connections to other celebrities and musicians: Thaddeus Corea is the son of pianist/composer Chick Corea, violinist Paul Cantelon is the brother-in-law of American singer Rickie Lee Jones, and vocalist Angela McCluskey is British singer Lily Allen's Godmother.

Music in film

Wild Colonials music has appeared in over thirty different films from Disney's Mr. Wrong, to the quirky Indie sensation Flirting with Disaster and the Sundance Film Festival hit Dead Man's Curve. Three members of the band, Shark, Paul Cantelon and Scott Roewe have all scored feature-length films.

Discography

Awards

Vocalist Angela McCluskey as co-writer/guest vocalist with French Electronica band Télépopmusik was nominated for the 2004 Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording for the International hit "Breathe". The Grammy went to Kylie Minogue for "Come Into My World".

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bill Mumy</span> American actor (born 1954)

Charles William Mumy Jr. is an American actor, writer, and musician and a figure in the science-fiction community/comic book fandom. He came to prominence in the 1960s as a child actor whose work included television appearances on Bewitched, I Dream of Jeannie, The Twilight Zone, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, and a role in the film Dear Brigitte, followed by a three-season role as Will Robinson in the 1960s sci-fi series Lost in Space. Mumy later appeared as lonely teenager Sterling North in the film Rascal (1969) and Teft in the film Bless the Beasts and Children (1971).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The The</span> English post-punk band

The The are an English post-punk band. They have been active in various forms since 1979, with the singer-songwriter Matt Johnson as the only constant, and often sole, band member. The The achieved critical acclaim and commercial success in the UK, with 15 chart singles, and their most successful studio album, Infected (1986), spent 30 weeks on the chart. They followed this with the top-ten studio albums Mind Bomb (1989) and Dusk (1993).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reel Big Fish</span> American ska punk band

Reel Big Fish is an American ska punk band from Huntington Beach, California. The band gained mainstream recognition in the mid-to-late 1990s during the third wave of ska with the release of the gold-certified album Turn the Radio Off. Soon after, the band lost mainstream recognition but gained an underground cult following. As of 2006, the band was no longer signed to a major record label and has since been independent. After numerous line-up changes, frontman Aaron Barrett is the last remaining founding member still performing in the band.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark</span> English band

Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD) are an English electronic band formed on the Wirral, Merseyside, in 1978. The group consists of founding duo and principal songwriters Andy McCluskey and Paul Humphreys, along with Martin Cooper and Stuart Kershaw (drums). Regarded as pioneers of electronic music, OMD combined an experimental, minimalist ethos with pop sensibilities, becoming key figures in the emergence of synth-pop; McCluskey and Humphreys also introduced the "synth duo" format to British popular music. In the United States, the band were an early presence in the MTV-driven Second British Invasion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paul McCartney and Wings</span> English–American rock band

Paul McCartney and Wings, often billed simply as Wings, were an English-American rock band formed in 1971 in London by former Beatles songwriter, bassist, guitarist; and singer Paul McCartney; his wife Linda McCartney on keyboards; session drummer Denny Seiwell; and former Moody Blues guitarist Denny Laine. They were noted for their commercial successes, musical eclecticism, and frequent personnel changes. They went through three lead guitarists and four drummers. The core trio of the McCartneys and Laine, however, remained intact throughout the group's existence.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stanley Clarke</span> American bassist (born 1951)

Stanley Clarke is an American bassist, composer and founding member of Return to Forever, one of the first jazz fusion bands. Clarke gave the bass guitar a prominence it lacked in jazz-related music. He is the first jazz-fusion bassist to headline tours, sell out shows worldwide and have recordings reach gold status.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chick Corea</span> American musician and composer (1941–2021)

Armando Anthony "Chick" Corea was an American jazz pianist, composer, bandleader and occasional percussionist. His compositions "Spain", "500 Miles High", "La Fiesta", "Armando's Rhumba" and "Windows" are widely considered jazz standards. As a member of Miles Davis's band in the late 1960s, he participated in the birth of jazz fusion. In the 1970s he formed Return to Forever. Along with McCoy Tyner, Herbie Hancock and Keith Jarrett, Corea is considered to have been one of the foremost pianists of the post-John Coltrane era.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jason Bonham</span> English drummer

Jason John Bonham (born 15 July 1966) is an English drummer. He is the son of Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham. Since his father's death in September 1980, he has performed with the surviving three members of Led Zeppelin on several occasions, including the Ahmet Ertegun Tribute Concert at O2 arena in London in December 2007. He has also done extensive work as a session musician, led the group Bonham in the 1980s and '90s, and is a member of the supergroups Black Country Communion and Sammy Hagar and the Circle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Penguin Cafe Orchestra</span> 20th century minimalist folk pop band

The Penguin Cafe Orchestra (PCO) were an avant-pop band led by British guitarist Simon Jeffes. Co-founded with cellist Helen Liebmann, the band toured extensively during the 1980s and 1990s. The band's sound is not easily categorized, having elements of exuberant folk music and a minimalist aesthetic occasionally reminiscent of composers such as Philip Glass.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Télépopmusik</span> French electronic music duo

Télépopmusik is a French electronic music trio, composed of Fabrice Dumont, Stephan Haeri, and Christophe Hetier.

<i>All Night Long</i> (1962 film) 1962 British film by Basil Dearden

All Night Long is a 1962 British neo noir drama film directed by Basil Dearden and starring Patrick McGoohan, Keith Michell, Betsy Blair, Paul Harris, Marti Stevens, and Richard Attenborough. The story by Nel King and Paul Jarrico is an updated version of William Shakespeare's Othello, set in the London jazz scene of the 1960s. The action takes place in a single evening, during an anniversary party. The black-and-white film features performances by several prominent British jazz musicians—among them John Dankworth and Tubby Hayes—as well as the Americans Dave Brubeck and Charles Mingus, who were in the UK in 1961 when filming took place and were recruited to participate.

<i>Light as a Feather</i> 1973 studio album by Return to Forever

Light as a Feather is the first studio album credited to jazz band Return to Forever led by keyboardist Chick Corea. It features saxophonist/flautist Joe Farrell, bassist Stanley Clarke, vocalist Flora Purim and her husband, drummer/percussionist Airto Moreira, who all performed on Corea's previous album Return to Forever, from which the group took its name.

<i>Fruit of Life</i> 1994 studio album by Wild Colonials

Fruit of Life is the debut album by the Wild Colonials, released in 1994. "Spark" was released as a single and was a radio hit. The band supported the album with a North American tour, including shows with Toad the Wet Sprocket and Grant Lee Buffalo.

Paul Cantelon is an American contemporary classical music and popular music composer, a film score composer and an actor He is also a violinist, pianist, and accordionist, and a founding member of the American alternative band Wild Colonials.

Shark is a Los Angeles–based musician, film composer, radio host, and is a founding member and guitarist for American alternative band Wild Colonials. He also records under the name Shark and Co.. The name Sharkey is an Anglicised form of the Gaelic "O'Searcaigh", composed of the elements "O", male descendant of, with "Searcach", a byname meaning "beloved". The name originated in County Tyrone, and is now to be found located in considerable numbers in various parts of Northern Ireland.

<i>This Cant Be Life</i> 1996 album by Wild Colonials

This Can't Be Life is the second album by the American band Wild Colonials, released in 1996. The first single was "Charm", which was an alternative radio hit. The band supported the album with a North American tour that included stints with Los Lobos and Chalk FarM. They also headlined the second stage at the inaugural 1997 Lilith Fair.

Angela McCluskey was a Scottish singer-songwriter based in California, United States. She performed as a solo artist and as a member of the folk rock group Wild Colonials. McCluskey also provided vocals for Curio and recorded the European dance hit and U.S. Mitsubishi commercial hit, "Breathe", among other songs with Télépopmusik. She also sang "Beautiful Things" for American Express and later her voice was heard on the Schick Quattro commercial singing "I'm Not the Girl". Her songs have appeared on the soundtracks for the films Rachel Getting Married (2008), Sherrybaby (2006), and The Beat That My Heart Skipped (2005). Her music has also been featured in the television series Grey's Anatomy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mr. Big (American band)</span> American hard rock band

Mr. Big is an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1988. The band was originally composed of Eric Martin, Paul Gilbert (guitar), Billy Sheehan (bass), and Pat Torpey (drums). Though primarily a hard rock band, they are also known for softer songs. Their songs are often marked by strong vocals and vocal harmonies. Their hits include "To Be with You" and "Just Take My Heart". The band takes its name from a song by Free which it covered on the 1993 album Bump Ahead.

<i>The Chick Corea Songbook</i> 2009 studio album by The Manhattan Transfer

The Chick Corea Songbook is the twenty-second studio album released by The Manhattan Transfer on September 29, 2009. The album features The Manhattan Transfer's interpretations of several Chick Corea compositions, including a song written by Corea for this album. The executive producer was Yusuf Gandhi. It was the final album with Tim Hauser, who died in between the release of this album and their subsequent album.

<i>Circling In</i> 1975 studio album by Chick Corea

Circling In is a double LP collection by jazz pianist Chick Corea featuring performances recorded between 1968 and 1970, including the first recordings by the group Circle, which was first released on the Blue Note label in 1975. It contains trio performances by Corea with Miroslav Vitouš and Roy Haynes recorded in March 1968, which were later added to the CD reissue of Now He Sings, Now He Sobs as bonus tracks, and performances by permutations of the band Circle recorded in April and July 1970 some of which were later released as Early Circle.

References