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Wizzard

From Alfawiki
Wizzard
Company typeBand
IndustryMusic
Founded1972; 54 years ago (1972)
FounderRoy Wood
Defunct1975 (1975)
Headquarters
Birmingham
,
England, United Kingdom
ProductsMusic albums and singles

Wizzard was a British rock ensemble established by Roy Wood, who also co-founded the Move and Electric Light Orchestra. Best remembered for their 1973 festive hit "I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday" (which reached the UK Top 5), the band also achieved two UK number one singles with "See My Baby Jive" and "Angel Fingers (A Teen Ballad)".

Formation

Following the release of Electric Light Orchestra's first album, Wood departed due to disagreements with manager Don Arden. During the sessions for ELO 2, he left and assembled musicians from the Birmingham group Mongrel, including ex-Move bassist Rick Price, along with drummers Charlie Grima and Keith Smart, to create Wizzard.[1]

Wood brought along ELO collaborators Bill Hunt (handling keyboards and french horn) and cellist Hugh McDowell, as well as sound engineer Trevor Smith. Although press reports suggested tension with co-founder Jeff Lynne, Wood refuted claims of significant disputes, explaining his exit was driven by anticipated creative clashes influenced by management decisions.[2][3]

The lineup expanded to include saxophonists Mike Burney and Nick Pentelow. Prior to recording their second album, Introducing Eddy and the Falcons, McDowell departed to rejoin ELO, while Bill Hunt was succeeded by Bob Brady from Mongrel. Drummer Keith Smart left before the final album Main Street (released in 2000), with no replacement enlisted.

Commercial achievements and live performances

Wizzard’s live debut took place at The London Rock and Roll Show held at Wembley Stadium on 5 August 1972, followed by an appearance at that year's Reading Festival. With Wood’s signature warpaint, flamboyant costumes, and theatrical stage presence showcased on BBC Television's Top of the Pops, Wizzard quickly distinguished themselves within the British glam rock scene. Their initial Top 10 success arrived in 1973 with "Ball Park Incident", which held the No. 6 spot for three consecutive weeks starting 13 January. The band’s most prominent hit was their second single, "See My Baby Jive", an homage to the Phil Spector-inspired 'Wall of Sound' production style; it dominated the UK Singles Chart for four weeks, sold over one million copies globally, and earned a gold certification. The subsequent single, "Angel Fingers", also topped the charts. Extended instrumental passages were a hallmark of many Wizzard songs.

Their seasonal track from 1973, "I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday", has become a lasting staple on British and Irish airwaves, reissued in 1981 with a re-recorded version following in 1984.

In the same year, Harvest Records released Roy Wood’s solo project Boulders, which had been recorded before Wizzard’s formation and featured the Top 20 single "Dear Elaine". Wood later admitted to feeling disengaged from Boulders upon release, choosing instead to concentrate on Wizzard’s output. Intense touring demands took a toll on the band’s health, resulting in multiple cancellations or postponements of UK dates during spring 1974. That year also saw a return to the Top 10 with "Rock 'n' Roll Winter (Loony's Tune)", issued in late March accompanied by an apology from their label for its untimely seasonal release. Notably, both this track and its B-side were issued in mono format. The song was dedicated to Wood’s then-partner, Lynsey de Paul, who subsequently recorded a Wizzard-influenced track titled "Ooh I Do".

A tour across the United States in 1974 did not yield commercial success; however, some band members participated in a session with the Beach Boys after meeting Brian Wilson, culminating in the 1976 release "It's OK". Wood remarked that despite their established popularity in the UK, promotional efforts by their record company prioritized England over America.

Financial challenges

Maintaining Wizzard proved to be expensive due to its extensive roster, significant recording costs, and Bill Hunt's tendency to destroy pianos during performances. The band's finances were heavily impacted by studio expenses; Price noted that the recording of "Angel Fingers" reportedly consumed more studio hours than Paul McCartney's entire Band on the Run album. Consequently, the majority of the record label's budget was allocated to studio sessions, compelling the band to depend on live tours as their primary revenue source. Nonetheless, tours in both the UK and US did not generate consistent income, leading members to seek more financially rewarding ventures.

Breakup

By the fall of 1975, Wizzard had dissolved, leaving behind a final single, "Rattlesnake Roll," which did not achieve chart success, and a third album, Main Street, which was rejected by their label for its lack of commercial viability. Originally, the second album was intended to be a double release: one disc featuring rock and roll tributes and another showcasing jazz-rock compositions. The label ultimately issued only the rock and roll segment as Introducing Eddy & The Falcons in 1974. The jazz-rock album Main Street remained unreleased until the year 2000.

After Wizzard

Following the band's breakup, Wood and Price established the short-lived Wizzo Band, before Wood embarked on a solo career and took on production roles for other musicians, including producing a 1979 Top 10 cover of "Duke of Earl" for British doo-wop revival group Darts.

Saxophonist Mike Burney passed away on 13 November 2014 at age 76 after battling cancer. Cellist Hugh McDowell died on 6 November 2018 at age 65 following a prolonged illness. Bassist Rick Price died on 17 May 2022 at age 77. Drummer Keith Smart passed away on 2 September 2025 at age 78.

Personnel

  • Roy Wood – lead vocals, guitar, saxophone, woodwind instruments, string instruments, keyboards, percussion (1972–1975)
  • Mike Burney – saxophone, clarinet, flute (1972–1975; passed away 2014)
  • Charlie Grima – drums, percussion, vocals (1972–1975)
  • Bill Hunt – keyboards, French horn (1972–1973)
  • Hugh McDowell – cello, synthesizers (1972–1973; deceased 2018)
  • Nick Pentelow – saxophone, clarinet, flute (1972–1975)
  • Rick Price – bass guitar, vocals (1972–1975; died 2022)
  • Keith Smart – drums (1972–1975; died 2025)
  • Bob Brady – keyboards, vocals (1974–1975)

Albums

Title Album information Highest chart rankings Certifications
UK AUS
Wizzard Brew
  • Issued: March 1973
  • Label: Harvest
 29 50
Introducing Eddy and the Falcons
  • Issued: 1974
  • Label: Warner Bros.
 19 —
Main Street
  • Issued: 2000
  • Label: Edsel
 — —
"—" indicates releases that did not chart or were unavailable in that market.

Compilations

Title Album information
See My Baby Jive
  • Issued: 1973
  • Label: Harvest
The Best of Roy Wood and Wizzard
  • Issued: 1996
  • Label: Disky

Singles

Year Title Highest chart positions Certifications Album association
UK AUS IRL
1972 "Ball Park Incident" 6 70 8 non-album singles
1973 "See My Baby Jive" 1 12 1
  • BPI: Gold
"Angel Fingers (A Teen Ballad)" 1 42 7
  • BPI: Silver
"I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday" 4 52 6
  • BPI: Triple Platinum
1974 "Rock 'n' Roll Winter (Loony's Tune)" 6 — 13
"This Is the Story of My Love (Baby)" 34 — — Introducing Eddy and the Falcons
"Are You Ready to Rock" 8 — 10 non-album singles
1975 "Rattlesnake Roll" — — —
1976 "Indiana Rainbow" — — —
1981 "I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday" (re-release) 41 — —


External links

  1. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named WizzInt
  2. ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  3. ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
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