Norman Watt-Roy

Norman Joseph Watt-Roy (born 15 February 1951) is an English musician, arranger and composer.

Watt-Roy's music career spans more than 40 years. He came to prominence in the late 1970s, during the punk and new wave era of rock music as the bass player for Ian Dury and the Blockheads. He had previously been a member of the Greatest Show on Earth.

In addition to his work with the Blockheads, Watt-Roy has been a session musician and has released one solo album.

Early life Norman Joseph Watt-Roy was born into an Anglo-Indian family on 15 February 1951, in Bombay, India. In November 1954, the Watt-Roy family, including Norman, his older brother Garth Watt-Roy (born Garth Philip Watt-Roy, December 1947, 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 8, the family moved to Harlow, Essex. At the age of 8, he learned a few guitar chords from his father, and played in high school bands with his older brother Garth, who started playing the lead guitar in 1961. Norman left high school at the age of 15, and briefly studied art at Harlow Technical College, and then moved back to London.

Early band work In early 1967, Norman Watt-Roy formed the band the Living Daylights with his brother Garth and released a single on the Philips label titled "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 U.S. military 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 won a recording contract with Harvest.

Ian Dury and the Blockheads

John Turnbull and Watt-Roy performing live at The Water Rats, 2011The Loving Awareness quartet were later to join up with Dury and Jankel for the first Stiff Tour of UK and became known as Ian Dury and the Blockheads. Under the management of Andrew King and Peter Jenner, the original managers of Pink Floyd, Ian Dury and the Blockheads quickly gained a reputation as one of the top live acts of new wave music. They released two more albums on Stiff and several singles, achieving a UK number one in 1979 with "Hit Me with Your Rhythm Stick".

In 1980, Wilko Johnson replaced Jankel for a while, which led to a rapport between Johnson and Watt-Roy. This resulted in Watt-Roy becoming a regular member of Johnson's own band by 1985. Watt-Roy performed on the Sandinista! tracks recorded at Electric Lady Studios in New York City, including "The Magnificent Seven", "Hitsville UK", and others. Watt-Roy also played bass on their Cut the Crap recordings.

In 1983, Watt-Roy provided basslines for the Frankie Goes to Hollywood single "Relax" during a session which included Blockheads John Turnbull, Mick Gallagher and Charlie Charles. This version however, was not used for the final release of the song. In 1984, he teamed up with Gallagher again for Wreckless Eric's Captains of Industry's 1985 album A Roomful of Monkeys.

In 1984, he provided bass on all tracks to the Who's Roger Daltrey's solo album, Parting Should Be Painless. The album had one minor hit single, "Walking in My Sleep", which featured Watt-Roy and Ian Dury in its music video.

In 2001, Watt-Roy completed sessions with members of Madness and also joined them sporadically for live work. He also worked with the ex-producer of Depeche Mode, who had recorded him jamming with drummer Steve Monti meaning to sample the results. Since then, he has found work with Nick Cave on Cave's solo shows, without the Bad Seeds, and continued as bass player for Wilko Johnson.

Discography

The Greatest Show on Earth Horizons (1970) The Going's Easy (1970) The Greatest Show on Earth (1975)

The Blockheads New Boots and Panties!! (1977) Do It Yourself (1979) Laughter (1980) Live! Warts 'n' Audience (1990) The Bus Driver's Prayer and other Stories (1994) Mr. Love Pants (1998) Straight from the Desk (2001) Ten More Turnips from the Tip (2002) Where's the Party? (2004) 30 – Live at The Electric Ballroom (2008) Staring Down the Barrel (2009) Same Horse Different Jockey (2013) Beyond the Call of Dury (2017)