For fans of bassist, songwriter, and all-around madman Pete Way, these are fruitful times, indeed. Having passed away in 2020, the influential musician was best known as one of the core members of UK arena-rock greats UFO, as well as several related projects throughout the 1980s.
To call Pete Way anything but colorful would be a serious understatement. He was rock ‘n’roll personified. Whereas most bassists during the ’70s were content at hanging back, heads-down onstage, Way was instrumental in bringing bass to the forefront. As much a showman as he was a musician, Way’s ostentatious swagger and signature stage wear would influence hordes of four-string axemen for decades to come. He was also known to be a bit of a lunatic, living the rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle to the hilt, even prompting Ozzy Osbourne to proclaim “They call me a madman, but compared to Pete Way I’m outta my league, he’s fucking mental!” Two new mini box sets bearing Way’s ample fingerprints have recently hit the bins, making it the perfect time to revisit his legacy.
UFO began life in 1968 as spaced-out, stoner refugees until they drafted German teenage wunderkind guitarist Michael Schenker from the Scorpions, and crafted some of the finest hard rock in the 1970s. Far from a textbook metal band, UFO served as a bridge from the past (overindulgent, blues-based proto-metal) to a soulful, melodic hard rock sound that would highly inform various subgenres throughout the ‘80s. The band’s ultimate lineup during the late ’70s would include Way on bass, Schenker on lead guitar, vocalist Phil Mogg, keyboardist/guitarist Paul Raymond, and drummer Andy Parker. Schenker’s melodic ear and virtuoso licks, coupled with Mogg’s thinking-man lyrics, Raymond’s keyboard flourishes and Way’s streetwise swagger made for a unique combination that would lead to a string of successful studio albums and tours throughout the decade.
During the period, UFO released several acclaimed albums, including Phenomenon (1974), Force It (1975), No Heavy Petting (1976), and its two best albums Lights Out (1977). and Obsession (1978). Tracks such as “Doctor Doctor,” “Rock Bottom,” “Too Hot to Handle,” “Lights Out” and “Cherry” would solidify UFO’s reputation as a leading light on the international stage, culminating in the release of its trail-blazing double live album Strangers in the Night (1979). Despite fandom that included young future members of Iron Maiden, Metallica, Pearl Jam, Rage Against the Machine, Cockney Rejects, Drive-By Truckers and so many others, the band hit several bumps around this time, the first of which, was the exit of often unreliable Michael Schenker in 1978 who would briefly rejoin the Scorpions and then later go on to success with The Michael Schenker Group (MSG) during the ‘80s. UFO would replace the unpredictable axe man with Paul Chapman and record a few more strong records, but to many fans, it was the start of a downward slide. Unhappy with the band’s effort to broaden its commercial appeal, Way quit UFO in 1982 to pursue a host of different opportunities…more on that in a few.
Covenant (2000) would see the refreshed band getting back to basics with driving numbers such as the opening “Love Is Forever,” with its dramatic intro and heady mix of melancholy lyrics and blazing guitars. It’s worth noting that over time, Mogg’s lyrical style had matured, focusing on storytelling, chronicling the lives of orphans, misfits, and also-rans, and this album has its share of that, especially in “Miss the Lights” with its ultra-hooky main refrain and flourishing background vocals.
Sharks (2002) found the band exploring its seamier side. Way’s penchant for dirty, street rock ‘n’ roll was all over this record. Harkening back to UFO’s prime era with Lights Out, Sharks finds the band ditching some of the studio polish in favor of a grittier, straightforward approach. And opening track “Outlaw Man” is the perfect statement of intent for a band with a revitalized sense of self. Rife with Stones-y slide guitars, brazen bravado with Mogg’s signature wink, and a ripping Schenker solo, it’s a helluva way to kick off an album. The record kicks things up a notch with the busy riffage of “Quicksilver Rider” and the pulsing shuffle groove of “Someone’s Gonna Have To Pay.”
This new comp Covenant + Sharks comes in a 3-CD digipak set that also includes a third disc of live tracks culled from one of the Walk On Water tour shows from 1995 featuring the re-energized original band in top form. The songs, including a few from its ‘70s glory days, sound electric, making this disc alone worth the price of the set. The package comes with a fold-out cover featuring photos and stories about the period. Unfortunately, this would be the last recorded output featuring Way, Mogg, and Schenker altogether. But either way, it was one killer last hurrah. Okay, as mentioned earlier, we need to get to the bottom of what the hell happened to Pete Way. Quite a bit. And it can be a bit confusing, but here goes. Upon leaving the band, Way had struck up a friendship with Motörhead guitarist “Fast” Eddie Clarke. The two agreed that their appreciation of straightforward, bluesy rock ‘n’ roll should be seen to fruition and the pair set about putting together Fastway, an amalgamation of their namesakes. Soon, the band drafted a killer singer in the form of Irishman and future Flogging Molly frontman Dave King and partnered up with drummer Jerry Shirley from one of their favorite retired bands Humble Pie. A hefty deal was struck with CBS Records and the band would soon be off to the races…or so everyone thought.
Turns out, Way was contractually prohibited by UFO’s label Chrysalis to sign a deal anywhere else, and rather than informing Fast Eddie and the other Fastway gents, he instead joined up with drinking buddy Ozzy Osbourne’s band for the highly successful Speak of the Devil tour in late 1982. After sorting things out with Chrysalis, Way got approval to put his own band together to meet his contractual obligation. And thus, the cleverly named Waysted was born. Fuelled by the same spirit that defined UFO’s early days, Waysted embodied reckless energy and a defiant attitude towards commercial conformity, quickly distinguishing itself in concert and in the UK music press.
The original and best Waysted line-up consisted of Way along with ex-UFO keyboardist Paul Raymond, American guitarist Ronnie Kayfield, drummer (and early Def Leppard member) Frank Noon and a powerhouse lead vocalist simply known as “Fin.” The mysterious Fin was no ordinary frontman — he was an oddball in every sense of the word. Vocally, he had the whiskey-soaked pipes of Rod Stewart mixed with the fluid swagger of Steven Tyler. And compared with the legions of hard rock frontmen during the early ’80s, he was flamboyant and different. On stage, Fin strutted about with all the cocksure prowess of vintage David Lee Roth but with an offbeat fashion sense that had more in common with the likes of Adam Ant, than that of a traditional metal foot-soldier. (Fun fact: a couple of decades later, Fin would re-emerge from obscurity to sing the theme song to the UK version of The Office.)
The band would release its debut Vices in 1983, creating a buzz in the UK metal press, while remaining fairly obscure in these parts. Brimming with dirty Aerosmith-meets-AC/DC riffs as in the opening track “Love Loaded,” and “Sleazy,” the band’s sound was different for its time, surveying the bluesier side, years before it got trendy later in the decade. Deviating a bit from the harder-edged numbers, one song especially stands out. “Women in Chains,” relies heavily on a keyboard-driven, spooky goth groove, falling somewhere between Led Zeppelin’s “Kashmir” and Bauhaus’ “Bela Lugosi’s Dead.” A heavy cover of the Jefferson Airplane standard “Somebody to Love“ closes the record out in high style. The album would stand as the band’s most unique and well-rounded offering, mixing trashy hard rock, with modern production values and a dash of idiosyncratic mayhem. While far from having much commercial appeal, Vices has stood the test of time, still sounding original, vibrant, and a little weird to this day.
Noon, Raymond, and Kayfield would all be gone by the band’s next offerings: a self-titled EP (1984), the live offering You Won’t Get Out Alive (1984), and The Good, The Bad, The Waysted (1985). Paul Chapman, Michael Schenker’s original replacement in UFO, would handle the six-string duties for these offerings. While these were all solid releases, more lineup changes would soon plague Waysted, with Fin Muir leaving to pursue his own project. The band would soon draft American Danny Vaughn to handle the lead vox spot. The polar opposite of Fin, Vaughn had a voice and style made for American radio, and with a healthy new major-label deal in place, the band would release Save Your Prayers in 1986. Ironically, the slick commercial sounds would be eerily similar to the territory UFO had been exploring when Way decided to get back to the street-level basics. The band would tour with Iron Maiden and do some decent business with the new album and style, but truly Waysted, it was not.
Once the album and tour ran its course, the band found itself increasingly at odds with the hard rock zeitgeist — dominated by both pop metal and thrash — and would soon call it a day, with Way eventually making his way back to UFO.
The new box set Won’t Get Out Alive: Waysted Volume One 1983-1986 (Hear No Evil) collects all of the releases above in one slick package. Each album comes in a mini-LP style sleeve, bonus tracks, and a book that tells about the trials and tribulations Way and company got into — all while initially just trying to fulfill a record contract. It’s also a fitting tribute to its namesake, the man who played a key role in one mega-band — and one that remains a cult favorite to this day.
Pete Way passed away on August 14, 2020, leaving behind a legacy that indexed heavily in musical excellence, personal excess, and colorful rock ‘n’ roll antics. RIP.
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