Darryl Way’s Wolf -

Darryl Way’s Wolf was an English jazz-rock band responsible for the 1973–74 Deram albums Canis Lupus, Saturation Point, and Night Music. Way led Wolf between stints as Curved Air‘s violinist.

Members: Ian Mosley (drums), Dek Messecar (bass, vocals, 1972-74), Darryl Way (violin, viola, keyboards), John Etheridge (guitar), John Hodkinson [Tony Allen] (vocals, 1974)

Background

Darryl Way (b. December 14, 1948) studied classical violin at the Royal College of Music. In 1969, he co-founded Curved Air, which signed to Warner Bros. for the 1970–72 albums Airconditioning, Second Album, and Phantasmagoria. For creative reasons, he left the band in late-1972 and formed Wolf with guitarist John Etheridge, bassist Dek Messecar, and drummer Ian Mosley.

John Etheridge hailed from Icarus, which sparked litigation from Marvel Comics over the 1972 Pye International release The Marvel World of Icarus.

Messecar was part of the duo Dek & Jerry, which cut the 1966 Philips single “What’s The Matter With Me” (b/w “Don’t Waste Your Time”).

Canis Lupus

Darryl Way’s Wolf released their debut album, Canis Lupus, in 1973 on Deram. Way composed “The Void” and co-wrote the rest of Side One (Vocals) with Dek Messecar.

Side Two (Instrumental) contains co-writes with Ian Mosley (“Cadenza”) and John Etheridge (“Chanson Sans Paroles”) and closes with the group-composed “McDonald’s Lament,” an ode to producer (and ex-King Crimson keyboardist) Ian McDonald, who plays piano and tambourine on “Chanson.”

A1. “The Void” (4:35)
A2. “Isolation Waltz” (4:37)
A3. “Go Down” (4:45)
A4. “Wolf” (4:06)

B1. “Cadenza” (4:48)
B2. “Chanson Sans Paroles” (6:28)
B3. “McDonald’s Lament” (7:10)

Recorded At – Advision Studios
Producer – Ian McDonald
Engineer [Recording] – Mike Dunne

Violin, Viola, Keyboards – Darryl Way
Bass, Vocals – Dek Messecar
Drums – Ian Mosley
Guitar – John Etheridge
Piano, Tambourine – Ian McDonald (tracks: B2)
Sleeve Notes [Melody Maker] – Chris Welch

Photography By [Back Cover] – Jane Burton
Photography By [Front Cover] – Bruce Coleman
Photography By [Inside Cover] – Suzette Stephens

Mar 16, 1973
A. “Wolf”
B. “Spring Fever” (Hadlow)

Saturation Point

Darryl Way’s Wolf released their second album, Saturation Point, in November 1973 on Deram. Way composed everything apart from two John Etheridge numbers, “Slow Rag” and “Game of X.”

1. “The Ache” (4:50)
2. “Two Sisters” (4:20)
3. “Slow Rag” (5:17)
4. “Market Overture” (3:38)
5. “Game of X” (5:48)
6. “Saturation Point” (6:45)
7. “Toy Symphony” (7:16)

Bonus Tracks
8. “A Bunch of Fives” (3:31)
9. “Five In the Morning” (2:40)
10. “Two Sisters (Single Version)” (3:21)

Engineer – Derek Varnals
Producer – Sean Davies
Performer – Darryl Way, Dek Messecar, Ian Mosley, John Etheridge

Liner Notes – Mark Powell, Phil Jackson

Darryl Way hired singer John Hodkinson, fresh off a four-year stint with If, the brass-rock ensemble responsible for the 1970–72 Island–UA titles If 1, If 2, If 3 and If 4 [aka Waterfall].

Night Music

Darryl Way’s Wolf released their third album, Night Music, in 1974 on Deram. Way composed three tracks (“Anteros,” “We’re Watching You,” “Comrade of the Nine”), and co-wrote songs with John Hodkinson (“Black September,” “Steal the World”) and Dek Messecar (“The Envoy”). John Etheridge submitted “Flat 2-55.”

A1. “The Envoy”
A2. “Black September”
A3. “Flat 2-55”
B1. “Anteros”
B2. “We’re Watching You”
B3. “Steal the World”
B4. “Comrade of the Nine”

Violin, Keyboards – Darryl Way
Guitar – John Etheridge
Bass Guitar – Dek Messecar
Drums – Ian Mosley
Vocals – John Hodkinson

Producer – Shaun Davies
Engineer – Derek Varnals

Photography By – Hipgnosis
Artwork [Graphics] – Colin Elgie

Post-Wolf

Darryl Way rejoined Curved Air for their 1975–76 albums Midnight Wire and Airborne. In 1978, he released a solo album, Concerto For Electric Violin, and played on titles by Jethro Tull, Marianne Faithfull, Pierre Moerlen’s Gong, and Wayne Country & The Electric Chairs. He reteamed with onetime Curved Air bandmate Francis Monkman for the 1981 album Dweller On The Threshold. In 1984, he re-teamed with Sonja Kristina for the single “Renegade” (b/w “We’re Only Human”), released as Curved Air ’84.

John Etheridge joined Soft Machine for the 1976–77 recordings Softs and Alive and Well: Recorded in Paris. In 1980, he formed 2nd Vision for the Chrysalis jazz-rock album First Steps.

Dek Messecar joined Caravan for their 1977–80 alums Better By Far and The Album.

John Hodkinson cut three albums with the folk-pop trio Rogue.

Ian Mosley joined the Dutch symphonic trio Trace for their 1975 second album Birds. After a stint in Gordon Giltrap‘s backing band, he played on early eighties albums by Steve Hackett, Sally Oldfield, and Renaissance. In 1984, he joined Marillion as their permanent drummer.

Discography: