After leaving The Waterboys in 1986, British singer and multi-instrumentalist Karl Wallinger began performing as World Party. World Party has obtained a single chart entry in the US that dates back to 1987 when "Ship Of Fools (Save Me From Tomorrow)" peaked at #27. Trying to ride this wave of success into the 90s was difficult, although World Party remained a favorite at college radio. One of the songs that should have gotten more attention was "Way Down Now," from the 1990 record, "Goodbye Jumbo." In the early days, World Party featured Sinead O'Connor on a couple tracks, and "She's The One," featured on 1997's "Egyptology," was covered by Robbie Williams.
Robbie Williams got his start in the English boy band Take That, which scored a major hit in the US when "Back For Good" soared to #7 in 1995. While Williams has found phenomenal success in the UK, where he's scored seven #1 hits, his solo career in the States has inexplicably failed to take off. The chart appearances Williams enjoyed in the US are limited largely to two singles from the fantastic 1999 record, "The Ego Has Landed." "Millennium" and "Angels" reached #72 and #53 that year. Williams resurfaced on US charts once more with Avicii in 2014 when "The Days" peaked at #78. Williams is a prolific writer and terrific singer who deserved more attention in the US. Riffing off a lyric from The Who, "Old Before I Die" is another underrated cut from "Ego."
