Ticket 2 Ride

Another classic rock songwriter/musician has passed away. Gary Wright, best know for his 1970s hits, “Dream Weaver” and “My Love is Alive” is dead at 80.

I enjoyed his music and the fact that he lent his keyboard skills to many albums I listened to. He was a frequent collaborator with George Harrison. Wright was also a member of Ringo Starr’s All Starr Band in 2008, 2010 and 2011.

I only had the pleasure once of seeing Wright in concert, in fact, it might have one of his last concerts. He was part of a “yacht rock” show with other performers of the era. The group Orleans served as the house band for Wright and a few others. This was a few years ago, and it could have been around the time he became ill. At any rate, I enjoyed the short set of his most popular songs.

Wright would form Spooky Tooth, which also listed Mick Jones (Foreigner) as a member. They released several albums in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Wright left to form a short-lived band, Wonderwheel, before focusing on his solo career. The Dream Weaver (1975) was his greatest success, which climbed to number seven on the Billboard chart and would eventually sell several million copies. “Dream Weaver” and “Love is Alive” each reach number two on the Billboard singles chart. The album was essentially keyboards and drums (Jim Keltner, Andy Newmark), and electric guitar (Ronnie Montrose) on one track. The rest of it was Wright on keyboards, along with a young Canadian musician named David Foster, and Bobby Lyle. Wright toured and did a lot of television to promote the album. He was known for his satin stage-wear, and playing the a strapped keyboard first called a keytar, a combination keyboard and guitar.

Wright moved away from the guitar-based rock from his early days into music that embraced a wide selection of forms and used synthesizers in addition to piano and organ. He was one of the first musicians to accompany himself using a drum machine, and used the synthesizer for the bass parts.

Wright’s style was more meditative and cerebral, as he was deeply religious and studied spirituality, something he shared with George Harrison. By the early 1980s, Wright’s hits dried up, but he sporadically released new music, toured with Spooky Tooth, Ringo and others.

Thanks, Dream Weaver. Rest in peace among the stars.

Though the dawn may be coming soon
There still may be some time
Fly me away to the bright side of the moon
And meet me on the other side