W is for Wallinger, Karl. Sadly recently deceased, he was still alive when I decided he was going to have an important role in Dead Man Singing. His band, World Party, released their second album Goodbye Jumbo in 1990 and it’s an absolute gem. You can read my thoughts on his death and his career here. 

W is also for Wings. When I was building up Dave’s backstory, I was looking for suitable bands for Dave to have toured with as a support act, and Wings were a good fit both in terms of style and chronology.

It’s easy to turn Wings into a punchline (Alan Partridge, we’re looking at you). No, they weren’t the Beatles, and there’s inevitably a sense of failing to living up to what came before, but that’s equally true of the solo work from the rest of the Fab Four. Wings were a great band in their own right, and Dave’s time on the road with them would have been a cherished memory for him, even without the mischievous anecdotes recounted in Dead Man Singing.

I spent quite some time dipping into different Wings albums trying to decide which one would join Rubber Soul (1965), Let It Be (1970) and McCartney (1970) in Dave’s selection of 100 albums to take with him to his new life. In the end, after prevaricating endlessly between Red Rose Speedway and Band on the Run, neither of which seemed quite the right choice, I finally opted for Wings Over America (1976), one of several live albums to make their way into Dave’s record cases.

What are your favourite albums from artists who left successful groups to go solo?

What are your favourite live albums?