Karl Wallinger, who has died aged 66, was a multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter who became successful in the 1980s and 90s on both sides of the Atlantic with World Party, a band that consisted of “me and whoever is playing with me at any given time”.
Often working alone in the studio, Wallinger recorded and produced the bulk of his albums by himself, playing an array of instruments that included keyboards, guitar and bass, while defying the musical fashions of the time with songs that matched thoughtful, contemporary and witty lyrics with unashamed musical references to the Beatles and a number of his other 60s and 70s heroes. A cover version of Wallinger’s song She’s the One was released by Robbie Williams in 1999 and became a No 1 hit single in the UK.
