Norman Watt-Roy
Encyclopedia
Norman Watt-Roy is the bassist
for The Blockheads, previously known as Ian Dury & the Blockheads.
In November 1954 the Watt-Roy family, including Norman, his older brother Garth (born Garth Philip Watt-Roy, December 1947 in Bombay, India) and his sister, moved to England. They settled in Highbury
, North London
, where Norman went to St Joan of Arc Primary School, Blackstock Road. When Norman was eight, the family relocated to Harlow
, Essex
. At the age of ten, he had been shown some guitar chords by his father, and played in school bands with his older brother Garth on lead guitar, who started playing in 1961. Norman Watt-Roy left school at 15 and briefly studied art at Harlow Technical College, before moving back to London.
label called "Let's Live For Today" (April 1967) and did regular gigs in venues such as The Angel Blues Rooms in Edmonton
, London. In 1968 Norman and Garth Watt-Roy formed a nine piece soul band and toured US
bases in Germany
backing American soul
singers such as Sonny Burke
and played a summer residency at the Maddocks Club in Spain
.
By this time the band was known as The Greatest Show On Earth
and, by 1969 had procured a recording contract
with Harvest Records
leading to the release in February 1970 of a single
"Real Cool World", which was a hit
in Europe and reached #1 in Switzerland. Their debut album
, Horizons, was followed by a second album The Going's Easy, both issued in 1970, and another single "Tell The Story" .
radio sessions before breaking up, and in 1974 got together with keyboardist Mick Gallagher to form the nucleus of a band which, with the addition of drummer Charlie Charles, was to be called Loving Awareness (managed by Radio Caroline
guru Ronan O'Rahilly
). It was while doing a session with Charles for a friend in 1976 that they met Chaz Jankel and Ian Dury
and went on to play on the album New Boots and Panties!!, which was released on the Stiff Records
label.
".
It was when Jankel was replaced for a time in 1980 by Wilko Johnson
that a rapport between Watt-Roy and Johnson resulted in Watt-Roy becoming a regular member of Johnson's own band by 1985.
's Jesus of Cool
, Rachel Sweet
's Fool Around
and Jona Lewie
's single "You'll Always Find Me in the Kitchen at Parties". He also made an appearance on The Selecter
's 1981 album Celebrate the Bullet and played on The Clash
Sandinista!
album along with fellow Blockhead Mick Gallagher on keyboards. Watt-Roy also played bass on their Cut The Crap
recordings.
In 1983, Watt-Roy provided the original bass line
for the Frankie Goes to Hollywood
single "Relax
" and, in 1984, teamed up with Gallagher again for Wreckless Eric
's Captains of Industry album.
In 2001, Watt-Roy completed sessions with members of Madness
, with whom he sporadically joined for live work at the time, and the ex producer of Depeche Mode
, who had recorded him jamming with drummer Steve Monti with plans to sample the results. Since then he has been busy working with Nick Cave
on Cave's solo shows, without the Bad Seeds, and continuing to be Wilko Johnson's bassist.
Bassist
A bass player, or bassist is a musician who plays a bass instrument such as a double bass, bass guitar, keyboard bass or a low brass instrument such as a tuba or sousaphone. Different musical genres tend to be associated with one or more of these instruments...
for The Blockheads, previously known as Ian Dury & the Blockheads.
In November 1954 the Watt-Roy family, including Norman, his older brother Garth (born Garth Philip Watt-Roy, December 1947 in Bombay, India) and his sister, moved to England. They settled in Highbury
Highbury
- Early Highbury :The area now known as Islington was part of the larger manor of Tolentone, which is mentioned in the Domesday Book. Tolentone was owned by Ranulf brother of Ilger and included all the areas north and east of Canonbury and Holloway Road. The manor house was situated by what is now...
, North London
North London
North London is the northern part of London, England. It is an imprecise description and the area it covers is defined differently for a range of purposes. Common to these definitions is that it includes districts located north of the River Thames and is used in comparison with South...
, where Norman went to St Joan of Arc Primary School, Blackstock Road. When Norman was eight, the family relocated to Harlow
Harlow
Harlow is a new town and local government district in Essex, England. It is located in the west of the county and on the border with Hertfordshire, on the Stort Valley, The town is near the M11 motorway and forms part of the London commuter belt.The district has a current population of 78,889...
, Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
. At the age of ten, he had been shown some guitar chords by his father, and played in school bands with his older brother Garth on lead guitar, who started playing in 1961. Norman Watt-Roy left school at 15 and briefly studied art at Harlow Technical College, before moving back to London.
Early band work
In Early 1967 he formed 'The Living Daylights' with his brother Garth and released a single on the PhilipsPhilips Records
Philips Records is a record label that was founded by Dutch electronics company Philips. It was started by "Philips Phonographische Industrie" in 1950. Recordings were made with popular artists of various nationalities and also with classical artists from Germany, France and Holland. Philips also...
label called "Let's Live For Today" (April 1967) and did regular gigs in venues such as The Angel Blues Rooms in Edmonton
Edmonton
Edmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census...
, London. In 1968 Norman and Garth Watt-Roy formed a nine piece soul band and toured US
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
bases in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
backing American soul
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
singers such as Sonny Burke
Sonny Burke
Sonny Burke was a big band leader. In 1937, he graduated from Duke University where he had formed and led the jazz big band known as the Duke Ambassadors....
and played a summer residency at the Maddocks Club in Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
.
By this time the band was known as The Greatest Show On Earth
The Greatest Show on Earth (band)
The Greatest Show on Earth were a British rock band, who recorded two albums for Harvest Records in 1970, who became well known for their European hit Real Cool World....
and, by 1969 had procured a recording contract
Recording contract
A recording contract is a legal agreement between a record label and a recording artist , where the artist makes a record for the label to sell and promote...
with Harvest Records
Harvest Records
-References:* Harvest Records collectors guide ISBN 978-5-9622-0021-7...
leading to the release in February 1970 of a single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
"Real Cool World", which was a hit
Hit record
A hit record is a sound recording, usually in the form of a single or album, that sells a large number of copies or otherwise becomes broadly popular or well-known, through airplay, club play, inclusion in a film or stage play soundtrack, causing it to have "hit" one of the popular chart listings...
in Europe and reached #1 in Switzerland. Their debut album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
, Horizons, was followed by a second album The Going's Easy, both issued in 1970, and another single "Tell The Story" .
Pre-Blockhead
In 1972, Watt-Roy joined Glencoe and met guitarist John Turnbull. The quartet released two albums Glencoe and The Spirit of Glencoe along with three singles and four recorded John PeelJohn Peel
John Robert Parker Ravenscroft, OBE , known professionally as John Peel, was an English disc jockey, radio presenter, record producer and journalist. He was the longest-serving of the original BBC Radio 1 DJs, broadcasting regularly from 1967 until his death in 2004...
radio sessions before breaking up, and in 1974 got together with keyboardist Mick Gallagher to form the nucleus of a band which, with the addition of drummer Charlie Charles, was to be called Loving Awareness (managed by Radio Caroline
Radio Caroline
Radio Caroline is an English radio station founded in 1964 by Ronan O'Rahilly to circumvent the record companies' control of popular music broadcasting in the United Kingdom and the BBC's radio broadcasting monopoly...
guru Ronan O'Rahilly
Ronan O'Rahilly
Ronan O'Rahilly is an Irish businessman best known for the creation of the offshore radio station, Radio Caroline.O'Rahilly's parents owned the private port of Greenore in Carlingford Lough, County Louth...
). It was while doing a session with Charles for a friend in 1976 that they met Chaz Jankel and Ian Dury
Ian Dury
Ian Robins Dury was an English rock and roll singer, lyricist, bandleader and actor who initially rose to fame during the late 1970s, during the punk and New Wave era of rock music...
and went on to play on the album New Boots and Panties!!, which was released on the Stiff Records
Stiff Records
Stiff Records is a record label created in London in 1976, by entrepreneurs Dave Robinson and Andrew Jakeman , and active until 1985. It was reactivated in 2007....
label.
Ian Dury and the Blockheads
The 'Loving Awareness' quartet were later to join up with Jankel and Dury for the first Stiff Tour of UK and became known as Ian Dury and The Blockheads releasing two more albums on Stiff and a bevy of singles, achieving #1 status in the UK in 1979 with "Hit Me With Your Rhythm StickHit Me With Your Rhythm Stick
"Hit Me with Your Rhythm Stick" is a song and single by Ian Dury & The Blockheads, first released 23 November 1978 and was first released on the 7" single BUY 38 Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick / There Ain't Half Been Some Clever Bastards by Stiff Records. It went to number one on the UK Singles...
".
It was when Jankel was replaced for a time in 1980 by Wilko Johnson
Wilko Johnson
Wilko Johnson is an English guitarist and songwriter, particularly associated with the UK rhythm and blues band Dr. Feelgood in the 1970s.-Career:...
that a rapport between Watt-Roy and Johnson resulted in Watt-Roy becoming a regular member of Johnson's own band by 1985.
Other work
During the 1970s and 1980s Watt-Roy did session work, appearing on albums such as Nick LoweNick Lowe
Nicholas Drain "Nick" Lowe , is an English singer-songwriter, musician and producer.A pivotal figure in UK pub rock, punk rock and new wave, Lowe has recorded a string of well-reviewed solo albums. Along with vocals, Lowe plays guitar, bass guitar, piano and harmonica...
's Jesus of Cool
Jesus of Cool
Jesus of Cool is the 1978 solo debut album by British singer-songwriter Nick Lowe who left Brinsley Schwarz in 1974. Produced by Lowe, it was released in March 1978 by Radar Records in the UK...
, Rachel Sweet
Rachel Sweet
Rachel Sweet is an American singer, television writer and actress.-Biography:After beginning her singing career at the age of three, when she won an electric garage door opener in a singing contest, she began recording commercials at the age of six, toured with Mickey Rooney, and performed in Las...
's Fool Around
Fool Around
Fool Around is Rachel Sweet's debut album. It was released when she was 16.This album was originally released in England as Stiff Records SEEZ 12 with a somewhat different set of tracks from what appeared on the American release and all other releases since.-Track listing :All tracks composed by...
and Jona Lewie
Jona Lewie
Jona Lewie is an English singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist.-Career:Jona Lewie joined his first group, The Johnston City Jazz Band, while still at school in 1963, and by 1968 had become a blues & boogie singer and piano player...
's single "You'll Always Find Me in the Kitchen at Parties". He also made an appearance on The Selecter
The Selecter
The Selecter are a 2 Tone ska revival band from Coventry, England, formed in mid 1979.Like many other bands in the ska revival movement, The Selecter featured a racially diverse line-up. Their lyrics featured themes connected to politics and marijuana, set to strong melodies and a danceable beat...
's 1981 album Celebrate the Bullet and played on The Clash
The Clash
The Clash were an English punk rock band that formed in 1976 as part of the original wave of British punk. Along with punk, their music incorporated elements of reggae, ska, dub, funk, rap, dance, and rockabilly...
Sandinista!
Sandinista!
Sandinista! is the fourth studio album by the English punk rock band the Clash. It was released on 12 December 1980 as a triple album containing 36 tracks, with 6 songs on each side...
album along with fellow Blockhead Mick Gallagher on keyboards. Watt-Roy also played bass on their Cut The Crap
Cut the Crap
Cut the Crap is the sixth and final album by the English punk rock band The Clash, released on 4 November 1985 by Epic Records.Following the ejection of founding member Mick Jones from the group, The Clash hired guitarists Nick Sheppard and Vince White to replace him...
recordings.
In 1983, Watt-Roy provided the original bass line
Bassline
A bassline is the term used in many styles of popular music, such as jazz, blues, funk, dub and electronic music for the low-pitched instrumental part or line played by a rhythm section instrument such as the electric bass, double bass, tuba or keyboard...
for the Frankie Goes to Hollywood
Frankie Goes to Hollywood
Frankie Goes to Hollywood were a British dance-pop band popular in the mid-1980s. The group was fronted by Holly Johnson , with Paul Rutherford , Peter Gill , Mark O'Toole , and Brian Nash .The group's debut single "Relax" was banned by the BBC in 1984 while at number six in the charts and...
single "Relax
Relax (song)
"Relax" is the debut single by British dance group Frankie Goes to Hollywood, released in the UK by ZTT Records in 1983. The song was later included on the album Welcome to the Pleasuredome ....
" and, in 1984, teamed up with Gallagher again for Wreckless Eric
Wreckless Eric
Wreckless Eric is an English rock and roll/new wave singer-songwriter, best known for his 1977 single " Whole Wide World" on Stiff Records. More than two decades after its release, the song was included in Mojo magazine’s list of the best punk rock singles of all time...
's Captains of Industry album.
In 2001, Watt-Roy completed sessions with members of Madness
Madness (band)
In 1979, the band recorded the Lee Thompson composition "The Prince". The song, like the band's name, paid homage to their idol, Prince Buster. The song was released through 2 Tone Records, the label of The Specials founder Jerry Dammers. The song was a surprise hit, peaking in the UK music charts...
, with whom he sporadically joined for live work at the time, and the ex producer of Depeche Mode
Depeche Mode
Depeche Mode are an English electronic music band formed in 1980 in Basildon, Essex. The group's original line-up consisted of Dave Gahan , Martin Gore , Andy Fletcher and Vince Clarke...
, who had recorded him jamming with drummer Steve Monti with plans to sample the results. Since then he has been busy working with Nick Cave
Nick Cave
Nicholas Edward "Nick" Cave is an Australian musician, songwriter, author, screenwriter, and occasional film actor.He is best known for his work as a frontman of the critically acclaimed rock band Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, established in 1984, a group known for its eclectic influences and...
on Cave's solo shows, without the Bad Seeds, and continuing to be Wilko Johnson's bassist.