Gary Malcolm Wright (born April 26, 1943) is an American musician and composer best known for his 1976 hit songs " Dream Weaver" and " Love Is Alive", and for his role in helping establish the

synthesizer A synthesizer (also spelled synthesiser) is an electronic musical instrument that generates audio signals. Synthesizers typically create sounds by generating waveforms through methods including subtractive synthesis, additive synthesis and ...

as a leading instrument in rock and pop music. Wright's breakthrough album, ''

The Dream Weaver ''The Dream Weaver'' is a solo album by Gary Wright released in July 1975. The album was said by Wright to be the first-ever all-keyboard album (though there were many all-synthesizer LPs before this, including ''Switched-On Bach'' by Wendy C ...

'' (1975), came after he had spent seven years in London as, alternately, a member of the British

blues rock Blues rock is a fusion music genre that combines elements of blues and rock music. It is mostly an electric ensemble-style music with instrumentation similar to electric blues and rock (electric guitar, electric bass guitar, and drums, sometimes w ...

band

Spooky Tooth Spooky Tooth were an English rock band originally formed in Carlisle in 1967. Principally active between 1967 and 1974, the band re-formed several times in later years. History Prior to Spooky Tooth, four of the band's five founding members h ...

and a solo artist on

A&M Records A&M Records was an American record label founded as an independent company by Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss in 1962. Due to the success of the discography A&M released, the label garnered interest and was acquired by PolyGram in 1989 and began distr ...

. While in England, he played keyboards on former

Beatle The Beatles were an English rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the most influential band of all time and were integral to the development ...

George Harrison George Harrison (25 February 1943 – 29 November 2001) was an English musician and singer-songwriter who achieved international fame as the lead guitarist of the Beatles. Sometimes called "the quiet Beatle", Harrison embraced Indian c ...

's triple album ''

All Things Must Pass ''All Things Must Pass'' is the third studio album by English rock musician George Harrison. Released as a triple album in November 1970, it was Harrison's first solo work after the break-up of the Beatles in April that year. It includes the h ...

'' (1970), so beginning a friendship that inspired the

Indian Indian or Indians may refer to: Peoples South Asia * Indian people, people of Indian nationality, or people who have an Indian ancestor ** Non-resident Indian, a citizen of India who has temporarily emigrated to another country * South Asia ...

religious themes and spirituality inherent in Wright's subsequent songwriting. His work since the late 1980s has embraced world music and the

new age New Age is a range of spiritual or religious practices and beliefs which rapidly grew in Western society during the early 1970s. Its highly eclectic and unsystematic structure makes a precise definition difficult. Although many scholars conside ...

genre, although none of his post-1976 releases have matched the same level of popularity as ''The Dream Weaver''. A former child actor, Wright performed on

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

in the hit musical '' Fanny'' before studying medicine and then psychology in New York and Berlin. After meeting

Chris Blackwell Christopher Percy Gordon Blackwell (born 22 June 1937) is an English businessman and former record producer, and the founder of Island Records, which has been called "one of Britain's great independent labels". According to the Rock and Roll ...

Island Records Island Records is a multinational record label owned by Universal Music Group. It was founded in 1959 by Chris Blackwell, Graeme Goodall, and Leslie Kong in Jamaica, and was eventually sold to PolyGram in 1989. Island and A&M Records, anoth ...

in Europe, Wright moved to London, where he helped establish Spooky Tooth as a popular live act. He also served as the band's principal songwriter on their recordings – among them, the well-regarded albums ''

Spooky Two ''Spooky Two'' is the second studio album by the English rock band Spooky Tooth. It was originally released in March 1969, on the label Island Records (licensed to A&M in the United States). Critical reception ''Spooky Two'' received mixed re ...

'' (1969) and '' You Broke My Heart So I Busted Your Jaw'' (1973). His solo album ''

Footprint Footprints are the impressions or images left behind by a person walking or running. Hoofprints and pawprints are those left by animals with hooves or paws rather than feet, while "shoeprints" is the specific term for prints made by shoes. They ...

'' (1971), recorded with contributions from Harrison, coincided with the formation of Wright's short-lived band Wonderwheel, which included guitarist Mick Jones. Also, during the early 1970s, Wright played on notable recordings by

B.B. King Riley B. King (September 16, 1925 – May 14, 2015), known professionally as B.B. King, was an American blues singer-songwriter, guitarist, and record producer. He introduced a sophisticated style of soloing based on fluid string bending, shi ...

Jerry Lee Lewis Jerry Lee Lewis (September 29, 1935October 28, 2022) was an American singer, songwriter and pianist. Nicknamed "The Killer", he was described as "rock & roll's first great wild man". A pioneer of rock and roll and rockabilly music, Lewis made ...

Ringo Starr Sir Richard Starkey (born 7 July 1940), known professionally as Ringo Starr, is an English musician, singer, songwriter and actor who achieved international fame as the drummer for the Beatles. Starr occasionally sang lead vocals with the ...

Harry Nilsson Harry Edward Nilsson III (June 15, 1941 – January 15, 1994), sometimes credited as Nilsson, was an American singer-songwriter who reached the peak of his commercial success in the early 1970s. His work is characterized by pioneering vocal ove ...

and

Ronnie Spector Veronica Yvette Greenfield (; August 10, 1943 – January 12, 2022) was an American singer who co-founded and fronted the girl group The Ronettes. She is sometimes referred to as the original "bad girl of rock and roll". Ronnie formed the ...

, while his musical association with Harrison endured until shortly before the latter's death in 2001. Wright turned to

film soundtrack A soundtrack is recorded music accompanying and synchronised to the images of a motion picture, drama, book, television program, radio program, or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack o ...

work in the early 1980s, including re-recording his most popular song, "Dream Weaver", for the 1992 comedy ''

Wayne's World "Wayne's World" was originally a recurring sketch from the NBC television series ''Saturday Night Live''. It evolved from a segment titled "Wayne's Power Minute" (1987) on the CBC Television series '' It's Only Rock & Roll'', as the main characte ...

''. Following Spooky Tooth's reunion tour in 2004, Wright has performed live frequently, either as a member of Starr's All-Starr Band, with his own live band, or on subsequent Spooky Tooth reunions. Wright's most recent solo albums, including ''Waiting to Catch the Light'' (2008) and ''Connected'' (2010), have all been issued on his Larklio record label. In 2014, Jeremy P. Tarcher published Wright's autobiography, ''Dream Weaver: Music, Meditation, and My Friendship with George Harrison''.

Early life

Gary Wright was born and raised in

Cresskill Cresskill is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States census, the borough's population was 8,573,New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...

. A child actor, he made his TV debut at the age of seven, on the show ''

Captain Video and His Video Rangers ''Captain Video and His Video Rangers'' is an American science fiction television series that aired on the DuMont Television Network and was the first series of its genre on American television. The series aired between June 27, 1949, and Apr ...

'', filmed in New York.''The New Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock & Roll'', p. 1094. He appeared in TV and radio commercials before being offered a part in the 1954

production of the musical '' Fanny''. Wright played the role of Cesario, the son of Fanny, who was played by future ''

Brady Bunch ''The Brady Bunch'' is an American sitcom created by Sherwood Schwartz that aired from September 26, 1969, to March 8, 1974, on ABC. The series revolves around a large blended family with six children. The show aired for five seasons and, after ...

'' matriarch

Florence Henderson Florence Agnes Henderson (February 14, 1934 – November 24, 2016) was an American actress. With a career spanning six decades, she is best known for her starring role as Carol Brady on the ABC sitcom ''The Brady Bunch''. Henderson also appeare ...

. He spent two years with the production, during which he performed with Henderson on ''

The Ed Sullivan Show ''The Ed Sullivan Show'' is an American television program, television variety show that ran on CBS from June 20, 1948, to March 28, 1971, and was hosted by New York City, New York entertainment columnist Ed Sullivan. It was replaced in Septembe ...

''. Having studied piano and organ, Wright led various local rock bands while attending

Tenafly High School Tenafly High School is a four-year comprehensive community public high school in Tenafly in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States, serving students in ninth through twelfth grades as the lone secondary school of the Tenafly Public Schools. ...

Tenafly, New Jersey Tenafly () is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2020 census the borough had a population of 15,409,

. In 1959, he made his first commercial recording, with Billy Markle at

NBC Radio The National Broadcasting Company's NBC Radio Network (known as the NBC Red Network prior to 1942) was an American commercial radio network which was in operation from 1926 through 2004. Along with the NBC Blue Network it was one of the first t ...

's New York studios. Credited to Gary & Billy, the single "Working After School" was released on

20th Century Fox Records 20th Century Fox Records (also known as 20th Fox Records and 20th Century Records, or simply 20th Century Fox Film Scores and Fox Records) was a wholly owned subsidiary of film studio 20th Century Fox. The history of the label covers three dis ...

in 1960. Seeing music as "too unstable" a career choice, as he later put it, Wright studied to become a doctor at the

College of William & Mary The College of William & Mary (officially The College of William and Mary in Virginia, abbreviated as William & Mary, W&M) is a public research university in Williamsburg, Virginia. Founded in 1693 by letters patent issued by King William III ...

in Virginia and

New York University New York University (NYU) is a private research university in New York City. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded by a group of New Yorkers led by then-Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin. In 1832, the ...

before attending Downstate Medical College for a year, all the while continuing to perform with local bands. Having specialized in

psychology Psychology is the scientific study of mind and behavior. Psychology includes the study of conscious and unconscious phenomena, including feelings and thoughts. It is an academic discipline of immense scope, crossing the boundaries betwe ...

in New York, he then went to

West Germany West Germany is the colloquial term used to indicate the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG; german: Bundesrepublik Deutschland , BRD) between its formation on 23 May 1949 and the German reunification through the accession of East Germany on 3 O ...

in 1966 to complete his studies at the

Free University of Berlin The Free University of Berlin (, often abbreviated as FU Berlin or simply FU) is a public research university in Berlin, Germany. It is consistently ranked among Germany's best universities, with particular strengths in political science and t ...

Career

1967–1970: With Spooky Tooth

Wright has described his initial musical influences as "early R&B" – namely,

Ray Charles Ray Charles Robinson Sr. (September 23, 1930 – June 10, 2004) was an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. He is regarded as one of the most iconic and influential singers in history, and was often referred to by contemporaries as "The Ge ...

Aretha Franklin Aretha Louise Franklin ( ; March 25, 1942 – August 16, 2018) was an American singer, songwriter and pianist. Referred to as the " Queen of Soul", she has twice been placed ninth in ''Rolling Stone''s "100 Greatest Artists of All Time". With ...

James Brown James Joseph Brown (May 3, 1933 – December 25, 2006) was an American singer, dancer, musician, record producer and bandleader. The central progenitor of funk music and a major figure of 20th century music, he is often referred to by the honor ...

and

Bobby Bland Robert Calvin Bland (born Robert Calvin Brooks; January 27, 1930 – June 23, 2013), known professionally as Bobby "Blue" Bland, was an American blues singer. Bland developed a sound that mixed gospel with the blues and R&B. He was descr ...

– along with

rock 'n' roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock 'n' roll, or rock 'n roll) is a genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It originated from African-American music such as jazz, rhythm an ...

artists

Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one ...

and

, and

the Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatles, most influential band of al ...

. While in Europe in 1967, Wright abandoned his plans to become a doctor and instead toured locally with a band he had formed, the New York Times. When the latter supported the English group

Traffic Traffic comprises pedestrians, vehicles, ridden or herded animals, trains, and other conveyances that use public ways (roads) for travel and transportation. Traffic laws govern and regulate traffic, while rules of the road include traffic ...

– at Oslo in Norway, according to Wright – he met

founder

. Wright recalls that he and Blackwell had a mutual friend in

Jimmy Miller James Miller (March 23, 1942 – October 22, 1994) was an American record producer and musician. While he produced albums for dozens of different bands and artists, he is most closely associated for his work with several key musical acts of t ...

, the New York-born producer of Island acts such as

the Spencer Davis Group The Spencer Davis Group were a British band formed in Birmingham in 1963 by Spencer Davis (guitar), brothers Steve Winwood (keyboards, guitar) and Muff Winwood (bass guitar), and Pete York (drums). Their best known songs include the UK numbe ...

and Traffic. Blackwell invited Wright to London, where he joined English singer and pianist Mike Harrison and drummer

Mike Kellie Michael Alexander Kellie (24 March 1947 – 18 January 2017) was an English musician, composer and record producer. In a career that spanned more than 50 years, Kellie was a member of the rock bands the V.I.P.s, Spooky Tooth and the Only ...

in their band Art (formerly the VIPs).''The New Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock & Roll'', p. 938. The group soon changed its name to

, with Wright as joint lead vocalist and

Hammond organ The Hammond organ is an electric organ invented by Laurens Hammond and John M. Hanert and first manufactured in 1935. Multiple models have been produced, most of which use sliding drawbars to vary sounds. Until 1975, Hammond organs generated s ...

player. While noting the band's lack of significant commercial success over its career, ''The New Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock & Roll'' describes Spooky Tooth as "a bastion of Britain's hard-rock scene". Spooky Tooth's first album was ''

It's All About ''It's All About'' is the 1968 debut album by British band Spooky Tooth, released in the United Kingdom by Island Records on 26 July 1968. In West Germany the record was released by Fontana. The American version of the album, entitled ''Spoo ...

'', released on Island in June 1968. Produced by Miller, it contained the Wright-composed "Sunshine Help Me" and six songs he co-wrote with either Miller, Harrison or

Luther Grosvenor Luther James Grosvenor (born 23 December 1946) is an English rock musician, who played guitar in Spooky Tooth, briefly in Stealers Wheel and, under the pseudonym Ariel Bender, in Mott the Hoople and Widowmaker. Grosvenor was born in Evesha ...

, the band's guitarist.Graff & Durchholz, p. 1248. ''

'', often considered the band's best work, followed in March 1969, with Miller again producing.Graff & Durchholz, p. 1249. Wright composed or co-composed seven of the album's eight songs, including "That Was Only Yesterday" and "

Better By You, Better Than Me "Better by You, Better than Me" is a 1969 song by the English rock band Spooky Tooth. The song appeared on the album ''Spooky Two'' and was composed by keyboardist Gary Wright. In 1990, a 1978 cover version by heavy metal band Judas Priest wa ...

". ''Spooky Two'' sold well in America but, like ''It's All About'', it failed to place on the UK's top 40 albums chart. The third Spooky Tooth album was ''

Ceremony A ceremony (, ) is a unified ritualistic event with a purpose, usually consisting of a number of artistic components, performed on a special occasion. The word may be of Etruscan origin, via the Latin '' caerimonia''. Church and civil (secular) ...

'', a Wright-instigated collaboration with French

electronic music Electronic music is a genre of music that employs electronic musical instruments, digital instruments, or circuitry-based music technology in its creation. It includes both music made using electronic and electromechanical means ( electroac ...

pioneer

Pierre Henry Henry at his home (January 2008) Pierre Georges Albert François Henry (; 9 December 1927 – 5 July 2017) was a French composer and pioneer of musique concrète. Biography Henry was born in Paris, France, and began experimenting at the age of ...

, released in December 1969. Songwriting for all the tracks was credited to Henry and Wright,Sleeve and label credits
''Celebration'' LP (US promo).

, 1970; produced by Spooky Tooth & Pierre Henry. after the latter had passed the band's recordings on to Henry for what ''The New Rolling Stone Encyclopedia'' terms "processed ''

musique concrète Musique concrète (; ): " problem for any translator of an academic work in French is that the language is relatively abstract and theoretical compared to English; one might even say that the mode of thinking itself tends to be more schematic, ...

'' overdubs". Although Wright had traditionally provided an experimental influence within Spooky Tooth, he regretted the change of musical direction, saying in a 1973 interview: "We should have really taken off after ''Spooky Two'' but we got into the absurd situation of letting Pierre Henry make the ''Ceremony'' album. Then he took it back to France and remixed it."Salewicz, Chris (February 1973). "Spooky Tooth Together Again". '' Let It Rock''. Available a
Rock's Backpages
(''subscription required''). With bass player

Greg Ridley Alfred Gregory Ridley (23 October 1941 – 19 November 2003) was an English bassist who was the bassist and a founding member of the rock band Humble Pie and Spooky Tooth. Career Ridley was born in Carlisle, Cumberland, England. Early in h ...

having already left the band in 1969 to join

Humble Pie Humble Pie are an English rock band formed by guitarist and singer Steve Marriott in Moreton, Essex, in 1969. They are known as one of the first supergroups of the late 1960s and found success in the early 1970s with songs such as " Black Cof ...

, Wright departed in January 1970 to pursue a solo career.

1970–1972: Solo career on A&M Records, Wonderwheel, and London session work

''Extraction''

After signing with

, Wright recorded ''Extraction'' (1970) in LondonLeng, p. 108. with musicians including Kellie, guitarist

Hugh McCracken Hugh Carmine McCracken (March 31, 1942 – March 28, 2013) was an American rock guitarist and session musician based in New York City, primarily known for his performance on guitar and also as a harmonica player. McCracken was additionally ...

, bassist

Klaus Voormann Klaus Otto Wilhelm Voormann (born 29 April 1938) is a German artist, musician, and record producer. Voormann was the bassist for Manfred Mann from 1966 to 1969, and performed as a session musician on a host of recordings, including "You're So V ...

and drummer Alan White. Wright co-produced the album with

Andy Johns Jeremy Andrew "Andy" Johns (20 May 1950 – 7 April 2013) was a British sound engineer and record producer who worked on several well-known rock albums, including the Rolling Stones' ''Exile on Main St.'' (1972), Television's ''Marquee Moon'' (19 ...

, who had been the recording engineer on ''Spooky Two''Sleeve credits
''Spooky Two'' LP.

, 1969; produced by Jimmy Miller. and ''Ceremony''. The album included "Get on the Right Road", which was issued as a single, and "The Wrong Time", co-written by Wright and McCracken.

George Harrison's ''All Things Must Pass''

Through Voormann, Wright was invited to play piano on former Beatle

's 1970 triple album ''

''. Among what author

Nicholas Schaffner Nicholas Schaffner (January 28, 1953 – August 28, 1991) was an American non-fiction author, journalist, and singer-songwriter. Biography Schaffner was born in Manhattan to John V. Schaffner (1913–1983), a literary agent whose clients includ ...

later described as "a rock orchestra of almost symphonic proportions, whose credits read like a Who's Who of the music scene", Wright was one of the album's principal keyboard players, together with former

Delaney & Bonnie Delaney & Bonnie were an American duo of singer-songwriters Delaney Bramlett and Bonnie Bramlett. In 1969 and 1970, they fronted a rock/soul ensemble, Delaney & Bonnie and Friends, whose members at different times included Duane Allman, Gregg Al ...

organist

Bobby Whitlock Robert Stanley Whitlock (born March 18, 1948) is an American singer, songwriter and musician. He is best known as a member of the blues-rock band Derek and the Dominos, with Eric Clapton, in 1970–71. Whitlock's musical career began with Memph ...

. During the sessions, Wright and Harrison established a long-lasting friendship,Rodriguez, p. 87. based on music and their shared interest in Indian religion. In a 2009 interview with vintagerock.com, Wright described Harrison as "my spiritual mentor"; author Robert Rodriguez writes of Wright's "unique" place among musicians with whom Harrison collaborated at this time, in that Wright was neither an established star nor a friend from the years before Harrison achieved fame as a Beatle, and nor was he a "studio pro".Rodriguez, p. 88. Wright played on all of Harrison's subsequent solo albums during the 1970s, as well as on other releases that the ex-Beatle produced for

Apple Records Apple Records is a record label founded by the Beatles in 1968 as a division of Apple Corps Ltd. It was initially intended as a creative outlet for the Beatles, both as a group and individually, plus a selection of other artists including Mar ...

. These included two hit singles by Harrison's former bandmate

over 1971–72, "

It Don't Come Easy "It Don't Come Easy" is a song by English rock musician Ringo Starr that was released as a non-album single in April 1971. It was produced by Starr's former Beatles bandmate George Harrison, who also helped write the song, although only Starr ...

" and "

Back Off Boogaloo "Back Off Boogaloo" is a song by English rock musician Ringo Starr that was released as a non-album single in March 1972. Starr's former Beatles bandmate George Harrison produced the recording and helped Starr write the song, although he rem ...

", and a 1971 comeback single by ex- Ronette

, "

Try Some, Buy Some "Try Some, Buy Some" is a song written by English rock musician George Harrison that was first released in April 1971 as a single by American singer Ronnie Spector, formerly the lead vocalist of the Ronettes. She recorded it in London along wit ...

''Footprint''

To promote ''Extraction'', Wright formed the band Wonderwheel in April 1971, with a lineup comprising guitarist

Jerry Donahue Jerry Donahue (born September 24, 1946, Manhattan, New York City) is an American guitarist and producer primarily known for his work in the British folk rock scene as a member of Fotheringay and Fairport Convention as well as being a member of ...

– soon replaced by Mick Jones – Archie Legget (bass) and

Bryson Graham Bryson Macrae Graham (12 September 1952 – 6 December 1993) was an English people, English rock drummer, most notable as a member of Mainhorse, Spooky Tooth and Girl (band), Girl, and as a session musician. Life and career Bryson Macrae Graha ...

(drums). Donahue was among the many musicians on Wright's second album, ''

'' (1971), along with George Harrison and ''All Things Must Pass'' contributors such as Voormann, White, Jim Gordon,

Bobby Keys Robert Henry Keys (December 18, 1943 – December 2, 2014) was an American saxophonist who performed with other musicians as a member of several horn sections of the 1970s. He appears on albums by the Rolling Stones, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Harry Ni ...

and

John Barham John Barham is an English Classical music, classical pianist, composer, arranger, producer and educator. He is best known for his orchestration of George Harrison albums such as ''All Things Must Pass'' (1970) and for his association with Indian ...

. Produced by Wright, the album included "Stand for Our Rights", a call for social unity, partly inspired by the

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...

, "Two Faced Man" and "Love to Survive". In November 1971, Wright and Wonderwheel performed "Two Faced Man" on ''

The Dick Cavett Show ''The Dick Cavett Show'' was the title of several talk shows hosted by Dick Cavett on various television networks, including: * ABC daytime, (March 4, 1968–January 24, 1969) originally titled ''This Morning'' * ABC prime time, Tuesdays, We ...

'' in New York, with Harrison accompanying on

slide guitar Slide guitar is a technique for playing the guitar that is often used in blues music. It involves playing a guitar while holding a hard object (a slide) against the strings, creating the opportunity for glissando effects and deep vibratos tha ...

.Rodriguez, pp. 88, 319–20. Wright has expressed gratitude for Harrison's support during this stage of his career, citing the ex-Beatle's uncredited production on ''Footprint'' and his arranging the ''Dick Cavett Show'' appearance. Despite this exposure, like ''Extraction'', the album failed to chart. Among other recordings over this period, Wright played piano on

's 1972 hit " Without You" and accompanied

, Starr, Gordon, Voormann and others on ''

B.B. King in London ''B.B. King in London'' is a studio album by B.B. King, recorded in London in 1971. He is accompanied by US session musicians and various British rock- and R&B musicians, including Ringo Starr, Alexis Korner and Gary Wright, as well as members of ...

'' (1971), which included Wright's composition "Wet Hayshark". He later participated in London sessions by Jerry Lee Lewis, issued as the double album ''The Session'' (1973). Wright also produced an eponymous album by

folk rock Folk rock is a hybrid music genre that combines the elements of folk and rock music, which arose in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom in the mid-1960s. In the U.S., folk rock emerged from the folk music revival. Performers suc ...

band Howl the Good, released on the Rare Earth label.

''Ring of Changes''

In 1972, Wright moved to

Devon Devon ( , historically known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South West England. The most populous settlement in Devon is the city of Plymouth, followed by Devon's county town, the city of Exeter. Devon is ...

with Wonderwheel to work on songs for a new album, titled ''Ring of Changes''. With Tom Duffey having replaced Leggett on bass, the band recorded the songs at

Olympic Olympic or Olympics may refer to Sports Competitions * Olympic Games, international multi-sport event held since 1896 ** Summer Olympic Games ** Winter Olympic Games * Ancient Olympic Games, ancient multi-sport event held in Olympia, Greece b ...

and

Apple An apple is an edible fruit produced by an apple tree (''Malus domestica''). Apple fruit tree, trees are agriculture, cultivated worldwide and are the most widely grown species in the genus ''Malus''. The tree originated in Central Asia, wh ...

studios in London. After issuing "I Know" as an advance single, A&M chose to cancel the album.Wright, p. 113. Wright also wrote the soundtrack for a film by former

skier Willy Bogner, ''Benjamin'' (1972), from which the German label

Ariola Records Ariola (also known as Ariola Records, Ariola-Eurodisc and BMG Ariola) is a German record label. In the late 1980s, it was a subsidiary label of the Bertelsmann Music Group, which in turn has become a part of the international media conglomerat ...

released "Goodbye Sunday" as a single that year. The full soundtrack album, recorded with Jones, Leggett and Graham, was issued by Ariola in 1974. In September 1972, Wright decided to disband Wonderwheel and re-form Spooky Tooth.Rosen, Steven (November 1973). "The Return of Spooky Tooth". ''Music World''. Available a
Rock's Backpages
(''subscription required''). Shortly before doing so, he participated in sessions for Harrison's ''

Living in the Material World ''Living in the Material World'' is the fourth studio album by English musician George Harrison, released in 1973 on Apple Records. As the follow-up to 1970's critically acclaimed ''All Things Must Pass'' and his pioneering charity project, the ...

'' (1973), an album that Wright describes as "a beautiful masterpiece" and his favorite Harrison album. Talking to

Chris Salewicz Chris Salewicz ( ) is a journalist, broadcaster and novelist who lives in London. He was as a senior features writer for the ''New Musical Express'' from 1975 to 1981, where under tutelage of editor Neil Spencer he and other journalists were ...

of '' Let It Rock'' in early 1973, Wright explained his decision to abandon his solo career: "I think my main talent is getting the music together and arranging it. I'm not a showman and so I couldn't be a

Cat Stevens Yusuf Islam (born Steven Demetre Georgiou; ), commonly known by his stage names Cat Stevens, Yusuf, and Yusuf / Cat Stevens, is a British singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. His musical style consists of folk, pop, rock, and, later in ...

out front with just backing musicians, which I was expected to be with Wonderwheel." In his autobiography, however, Wright says that it was his disappointment at A&M's rejection of ''Ring of Changes'' that led him to contact Blackwell about re-forming Spooky Tooth.

1972–1974: Re-forms Spooky Tooth

The only members from the original lineup, Wright and Mike Harrison relaunched Spooky Tooth with Jones and Graham from Wonderwheel, and Chris Stewart, formerly the bassist with English singer

Terry Reid Terrance James Reid (born 13 November 1949) is an English rock vocalist and guitarist. He has performed with high-profile musicians, as a supporting act, session musician, and sideman. Biography Reid was born in Paxton Park Maternity Home, L ...

. Salewicz visited the band while they were recording at

Island Studios An island (or isle) is an isolated piece of habitat that is surrounded by a dramatically different habitat, such as water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, skerries, cays or keys. An island ...

and remarked of Wright's role in the group, "it is clear who is the leader of this brand of Spooky Tooth, and, I suspect, of the original, too"; Salewicz described Wright as "urbane, loquacious with the remnants of a New Jersey accent, and a touch of

Dudley Moore Dudley Stuart John Moore CBE (19 April 193527 March 2002) was an English actor, comedian, musician and composer. Moore first came to prominence in the UK as a leading figure in the British satire boom of the 1960s. He was one of the four writ ...

about the face". On their new album, '' You Broke My Heart So I Busted Your Jaw'' (1973), Wright composed six of the eight tracks, including "Cotton Growing Man", "Wildfire" and "Self Seeking Man", and co-wrote the remaining two.Label credits
''You Broke My Heart So I Busted Your Jaw'' LP.

, 1973; produced by Gary Wright & Spooky Tooth. With the group's standing having been elevated since 1970 – a situation that music journalist Steven Rosen likened at the time to

the Yardbirds The Yardbirds are an English rock band, formed in London in 1963. The band's core lineup featured vocalist and harmonica player Keith Relf, drummer Jim McCarty, rhythm guitarist and later bassist Chris Dreja and bassist/producer Paul Samwell ...

the Move The Move were a British rock band of the late 1960s and the early 1970s. They scored nine top 20 UK singles in five years, but were among the most popular British bands not to find any real success in the United States. For most of their caree ...

and other 1960s bands after their break-up – Spooky Tooth toured extensively to promote the album. ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...

'' reviewer

Jon Tiven Jon Tiven (born January 3, 1955) is an American composer, guitarist, record producer, and music journalist. He has produced albums by Wilson Pickett, Frank Black and Don Covay as well as a series of tribute albums paying tribute to the songwriti ...

praised Wright's songwriting on ''You Broke My Heart'', adding: "there is tremendous consistency to these originals ... and 'Wildfire' is ample proof that Gary could have written for

the Temptations The Temptations are an American vocal group from Detroit, Michigan, who released a series of successful singles and albums with Motown Records during the 1960s and 1970s. The group's work with producer Norman Whitfield, beginning with the Top ...

if he really wanted to." The band released a follow-up, ''

Witness In law, a witness is someone who has knowledge about a matter, whether they have sensed it or are testifying on another witnesses' behalf. In law a witness is someone who, either voluntarily or under compulsion, provides testimonial evidence, e ...

'', in November 1973, by which point Graham had departed, with Mike Kellie returning on drums. By February 1974, Stewart and Harrison had also left. In January that year, Wright accompanied George Harrison to India, where they journeyed to

Varanasi Varanasi (; ; also Banaras or Benares (; ), and Kashi.) is a city on the Ganges river in northern India that has a central place in the traditions of pilgrimage, death, and mourning in the Hindu world. * * * * The city has a syncretic t ...

(Benares), the

Hindu Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism.Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...

spiritual capital of India, and home to Harrison's friend

Ravi Shankar Ravi Shankar (; born Robindro Shaunkor Chowdhury, sometimes spelled as Rabindra Shankar Chowdhury; 7 April 1920 – 11 December 2012) was an Indian sitarist and composer. A sitar virtuoso, he became the world's best-known export of North Ind ...

.Olivia Harrison, p. 258. The visit would influence the spiritual quality of Wright's lyrics when he returned to his solo career. In England, he and Harrison worked together on '' The Place I Love'' (1974), the debut album by English duo

Splinter A splinter (also known as a sliver) is a fragment of a larger object, or a foreign body that penetrates or is purposely injected into a body. The foreign body must be lodged inside tissue to be considered a splinter. Splinters may cause initia ...

. In addition to playing keyboards, Wright served as what author Simon Leng terms "a sounding board and musical amanuensis" on the project, which was the first album released on Harrison's

Dark Horse A dark horse is a previously lesser-known person or thing that emerges to prominence in a situation, especially in a competition involving multiple rivals, or a contestant that on paper should be unlikely to succeed but yet still might. Origin Th ...

record label. Wright regrouped with Spooky Tooth for a final album, '' The Mirror'' (1974), with

Mike Patto Mike Patto (born Michael Thomas McCarthy, 22 September 1942 – 4 March 1979) was an English musician, who was primarily notable as lead singer for Spooky Tooth, Patto and Boxer. Life and career Patto was born in Cirencester, England, and fir ...

as their new vocalist. Following further personnel changes, ''The Mirror'' was issued by Goodear Records in the UK in October 1974, a month after Wright had disbanded the group.

1975–1981: Solo career on Warner Bros. Records

''The Dream Weaver''

After Spooky Tooth's break-up, Wright returned to New Jersey and began compiling songs for his third solo album. Under the guidance of new manager

Dee Anthony Dee Anthony (April 9, 1926 – October 25, 2009) was an American talent manager who started in the business with fellow Bronx native Jerry Vale. After meeting Tony Bennett in 1954 at a nightclub in Yonkers, New York, he ended up representing t ...

, he chose to sign with

Warner Bros. Records Warner Records Inc. (formerly Warner Bros. Records Inc.) is an American record label. A subsidiary of the Warner Music Group, it is headquartered in Los Angeles, California. It was founded on March 19, 1958, as the recorded music division of the ...

, mainly because the company had no keyboard virtuosos among its other acts.Charlesworth, Chris (June 5, 1976). "Gary Wright: Wright at Last". ''

Melody Maker ''Melody Maker'' was a British weekly music magazine, one of the world's earliest music weeklies; according to its publisher, IPC Media, the earliest. It was founded in 1926, largely as a magazine for dance band musicians, by Leicester-born ...

''. Available a
Rock's Backpages
(''subscription required''). Wright says that it was while routining his songs with all his stage equipment set up –

Hohner Clavinet The Clavinet is an electrically amplified clavichord invented by Ernst Zacharias and manufactured by the Hohner company of Trossingen, West Germany, from 1964 to 1982. The instrument produces sounds by a rubber pad striking a point on a tension ...

Fender Rhodes The Rhodes piano (also known as the Fender Rhodes piano) is an electric piano invented by Harold Rhodes, which became popular in the 1970s. Like a conventional piano, the Rhodes generates sound with keys and hammers, but instead of strings, th ...

electric piano,

Minimoog The Minimoog is an analog synthesizer first manufactured by Moog Music between 1970 and 1981. Designed as a more affordable, portable version of the modular Moog synthesizer, it was the first synthesizer sold in retail stores. It was first popul ...

and

ARP String Ensemble The Solina String Ensemble, also marketed as the ARP String Ensemble, is a fully polyphonic multi-orchestral synthesizer with a 49-key keyboard, produced by Eminent BV (known for their ''Solina'' brand). It was distributed in the United States by ...

– together with a drum machine, that he decided to record the album "all on keyboards", without guitars. He acknowledges that artists such as

Stevie Wonder Stevland Hardaway Morris ( Judkins; May 13, 1950), known professionally as Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, who is credited as a pioneer and influence by musicians across a range of genres that include rhythm and blues, Pop musi ...

had similarly released keyboard-dominated music, but " onderused brass and he used other things as well". On Wright's debut album for Warner Bros., ''

'' (1975), he,

David Foster David Walter Foster (born November 1, 1949) is a Canadian musician, composer, arranger, record producer and music executive who chaired Verve Records from 2012 to 2016. He has won 16 Grammy Awards from 47 nominations. His music career spans mor ...

and

Bobby Lyle Robert Lyle (born March 11, 1944) is a jazz pianist/organist and educator. Early life Lyle was born in Memphis, Tennessee, on March 11, 1944 to parents Robert and Elise Lyle. He grew up in a musical household after the family moved from Memphis ...

played a variety of keyboard instruments, supported only by drummers

Jim Keltner James Lee Keltner (born April 27, 1942) is an American drummer and percussionist known primarily for his session work. He was characterized by Bob Dylan biographer Howard Sounes as "the leading session drummer in America".Howard Sounes. ''Down ...

and

Andy Newmark Andrew Newmark (born July 14, 1950)

, apart from a guitar part on the track "Power of Love" by

Ronnie Montrose Ronald Douglas Montrose (November 29, 1947 – March 3, 2012) was an American guitarist who founded and led the rock bands Montrose and Gamma. He also performed and did session work with a variety of musicians, including Van Morrison, Herbie H ...

.Sleeve credits
''The Dream Weaver'' LP.

, 1975; produced by Gary Wright. Jason Ankeny of

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

describes ''The Dream Weaver'' as "one of the first ock albumscreated solely via synthesizer technology". The album was issued in July 1975 and enjoyed minimal success in America until the release of its second single, " Dream Weaver", in November. The song, which Wright had written on acoustic guitar after his visit to India with Harrison, went on to peak at number 2 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and number 1 on the ''

Cash Box ''Cashbox'', also known as ''Cash Box'', was an American music industry trade magazine, originally published weekly from July 1942 to November 1996. Ten years after its dissolution, it was revived and continues as ''Cashbox Magazine'', an online ...

'' singles chart. Becoming Wright's biggest hit, "Dream Weaver" sold over 1 million copies in the US and was awarded a

gold disc Music recording certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped, sold, or streamed a certain number of units. The threshold quantity varies by type (such as album, single, music video) and by nation or territory (see ...

by the

RIAA The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...

in March 1976.Murrells, p. 365. The album climbed to number 7 on the ''Billboard'' 200 and was certified

platinum Platinum is a chemical element with the symbol Pt and atomic number 78. It is a dense, malleable, ductile, highly unreactive, precious, silverish-white transition metal. Its name originates from Spanish , a diminutive of "silver". Platinu ...

. " Love Is Alive", originally the album's lead single, then hit number 2 on the Hot 100, and "Made to Love You" peaked at number 79. Although neither ''The Dream Weaver'' or its singles charted in the UK, the album was a big seller in

, where, Wright says, Spooky Tooth had been "the number one band" during 1969. Following the album's release, Wright toured extensively with a band comprising three keyboard players and a drummer. His elder sister Lorna, also a professional singer, joined the tour band as his backing vocalist. Subsidized by synthesizer manufacturers Moog and

Oberheim Oberheim is an American synthesizer manufacturer founded in 1969 by Tom Oberheim. History and products Tom Oberheim founded the company in 1969, originally as a designer and contract manufacturer of electronic effects devices for Maestro (most ...

, Wright became one of the first musicians to perform with a portable keyboard, in the style of

Edgar Winter Edgar Holland Winter (born December 28, 1946) is an American musician. He is a multi-instrumentalist, playing keyboards, guitar, saxophone, and percussion, as well as singing. His success peaked in the 1970s with his band the Edgar Winter Group ...

. Shawn Perry of vintagerock.com credits Wright with being "as responsible for the emergence of the synthesizer as a mainstream instrument as

Keith Emerson Keith Noel Emerson (2 November 1944 – 11 March 2016) was an English keyboardist, songwriter, and record producer. He played keyboards in a number of bands before finding his first commercial success with the Nice in the late 1960s. He became ...

and ...

Rick Wakeman Richard Christopher Wakeman (born 18 May 1949) is an English keyboardist best known as a former member of the progressive rock band Yes across five tenures between 1971 and 2004, and for his solo albums released in the 1970s. Born and raised ...

", while Robert Rodriguez describes Wright as a pioneer in both "the integration of synthesizers into

analog recording Analog recording is a technique used for the recording of analog signals which, among many possibilities, allows analog audio for later playback. Analog audio recording began with mechanical systems such as the phonautograph and phonograph. ...

s" and the use of the keyboard–guitar hybrid known as the

keytar The keytar is a lightweight synthesizer that is supported by a strap around the neck and shoulders, similar to the way a guitar is supported by a strap. Keytars allow players a greater range of movement onstage, compared to conventional keyboard ...

. Among his live performances in 1976, Wright shared the bill with

Yes Yes or YES may refer to: * An affirmative particle in the English language; see yes and no Education * YES Prep Public Schools, Houston, Texas, US * YES (Your Extraordinary Saturday), a learning program from the Minnesota Institute for Talente ...

and

Peter Frampton Peter Kenneth Frampton (born 22 April 1950) is an English musician and songwriter who was a member of the rock bands Humble Pie and the Herd. As a solo artist, he has released several albums, including his major breakthrough album, the live ...

at the

US Bicentennial The United States Bicentennial was a series of celebrations and observances during the mid-1970s that paid tribute to historical events leading up to the creation of the United States of America as an independent republic. It was a central event ...

concert held at

JFK Stadium John F. Kennedy Stadium, formerly Philadelphia Municipal Stadium and Sesquicentennial Stadium. was an open-air stadium in Philadelphia that stood from 1926 to 1992. The South Philadelphia stadium was on the east side of the far southern end of ...

, Philadelphia, playing to a crowd estimated at 120,000.Welch, Chris (June 26, 1976). "Yes, Peter Frampton, Gary Wright: JFK Stadium, Philadelphia". ''

''. Available a
Rock's Backpages
(''subscription required''). Wright then supported Frampton on a European tour, by which time a fourth keyboard player had been added to the band.Salewicz, Chris (October 30, 1976). "Peter Frampton: Empire Pool, Wembley, London". ''

NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...

''. Available a
Rock's Backpages
(''subscription required''). Amid this success, A&M issued ''That Was Only Yesterday'' (1976) – a compilation containing tracks from Wright's albums for the label and selections by Spooky Tooth – which charted at number 172 in America.

''The Light of Smiles''

Wright started recording his follow-up to ''The Dream Weaver'' in summer 1976, before which

Chris Charlesworth Chris Charlesworth is a British-based music journalist and author; and, between 1983 and 2016, managing editor of Omnibus Press. He is particularly noted for his work about, and with, The Who, for whom he has worked as an executive producer. Char ...

of ''

'' reported that it would be "a logical development" of its predecessor and "again based entirely around what he can do with various types of keyboards". Titled '' The Light of Smiles'' (1977), the album included "I Am the Sky", for which Wright gave a songwriting credit to the late Indian

guru Guru ( sa, गुरु, IAST: ''guru;'' Pali'': garu'') is a Sanskrit term for a "mentor, guide, expert, or master" of certain knowledge or field. In pan-Indian traditions, a guru is more than a teacher: traditionally, the guru is a reverentia ...

and Kriya Yoga teacher,

Paramahansa Yogananda Paramahansa Yogananda (born Mukunda Lal Ghosh; January 5, 1893March 7, 1952) was an Indian Hindu monk, yogi and guru who introduced millions to the teachings of meditation and Kriya Yoga through his organization Self-Realization Fellows ...

. The latter's poem "The Light of Smiles", taken from his book ''Metaphysical Meditations'', appeared on the inner sleeve to Wright's new album.Inner sleeve
''The Light of Smiles'' LP.

, 1977; produced by Gary Wright. Wright had acknowledged the guru as his inspiration for the title of ''The Dream Weaver'', and he later said of Yogananda's ''

Autobiography of a Yogi ''Autobiography of a Yogi'' is an autobiography of Paramahansa Yogananda (5 January 1893 – 7 March 1952) first published in 1946. Paramahansa Yogananda was born as Mukunda Lal Ghosh in Gorakhpur, India, into a Bengali Hindu family. '' ...

'': "It's a fantastic book and you won't want to put it down when you start reading it. Even, not from a spiritual point of view, but as a piece of literature, it's a total classic ..." Produced again by Wright, ''The Light of Smiles'' featured Wright, Foster, Peter Relich and others on a range of keyboard instruments, including Moog, Oberheim and ARP synthesizers, and drumming contributions from Art Wood and Keltner. Issued by Warner Bros. in January 1977, neither the album nor its lead single, "Phantom Writer", matched the popularity of Wright's earlier releases for the label. On the US ''Billboard'' charts, ''The Light of Smiles'' climbed to number 23, while "Phantom Writer" peaked at number 43.

''Touch and Gone'', ''Headin' Home'' and ''The Right Place''

Wright continued to record albums for Warner Bros. until 1981, with only limited commercial success. Released in late 1977, '' Touch and Gone'' charted at number 117 in America, with its title track reaching number 73. ''

Headin' Home ''Headin' Home'' is a 1920 American silent biopic sports film directed by Lawrence C. Windom. It attempts to create a mythology surrounding the life of baseball player Babe Ruth. The screenplay was written by Arthur "Bugs" Baer from a story b ...

'', which AllMusic's Joe Viglione describes as "an album seemingly driven by a serious relationship in crisis", peaked at number 147 in 1979. In between these two albums, Wright played on " If You Believe", a song he co-wrote with Harrison in England on New Year's Day 1978, which appeared on Harrison's eponymous 1979 album. Wright's last chart success in America was in 1981, when his album ''The Right Place'', co-produced with

Dean Parks Weldon Dean Parks (born December 6, 1946) is an American session guitarist and record producer from Fort Worth, Texas. Albums Parks was member of the North Texas State One O'clock Lab Band before moving to Los Angeles to work with Sonny and Cher ...

, climbed to number 79. The single " Really Wanna Know You", which Wright co-wrote with Scottish singer

Ali Thomson Ali Thomson (born 1959 in Glasgow, Scotland) is a Scottish singer-songwriter. His brother is Dougie Thomson, of the Alan Bown Set and Supertramp. Ali began singing and playing piano in local bands and moved to London in the 1970s where he worked ...

, peaked at number 16 that year. A second single from the album, "Heartbeat", appeared on ''Billboard''s

Bubbling Under Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles (also known as Bubbling Under the Hot 100) is a chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine in the United States. The chart lists the top songs that have not yet charted on the main ''Billboard'' Hot 100. Chart ...

listings, at number 107.

1982–2000: Film soundtracks and world music

Wright's subsequent releases focused on film soundtracks and forays into world music. After writing the score for

Alan Rudolph Alan Steven Rudolph (born December 18, 1943) is an American film director and screenwriter. Early life Rudolph was born in Los Angeles, California, the son of Oscar Rudolph (1911–1991), a television director and actor, and his wife. He be ...

's 1982 thriller ''

Endangered Species An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching and inv ...

'', he supplied the soundtrack to another skiing-themed movie by Willy Bogner, '' Fire and Ice'' (1986), which hit number 1 on the German albums chart. Wright also contributed the song "Hold on to Your Vision" to the soundtrack of '' Cobra'', a 1986

action movie Action film is a film genre in which the protagonist is thrust into a series of events that typically involve violence and physical feats. The genre tends to feature a mostly resourceful hero struggling against incredible odds, which include life ...

starring

Sylvester Stallone Sylvester Enzio Stallone (; born Michael Sylvester Gardenzio Stallone, ) is an American actor and filmmaker. After his beginnings as a struggling actor for a number of years upon arriving to New York City in 1969 and later Hollywood in 1974, h ...

. Among notable cover versions of Wright's songs during this period,

Chaka Khan Yvette Marie Stevens (born March 23, 1953), better known by her stage name Chaka Khan (), is an American singer. Her career has spanned more than five decades, beginning in the 1970s as the lead vocalist of the funk band Rufus. Known as the " Qu ...

recorded "Love Is Alive" (retitled "My Love Is Alive") for her 1984 album '' I Feel for You'', which became an RIAA-certified million-seller. A cover of his Spooky Tooth composition "Better By You, Better Than Me", by English heavy metal band

Judas Priest Judas Priest are an English heavy metal band formed in Birmingham in 1969. They have sold over 50 million albums and are frequently ranked as one of the greatest metal bands of all time. Despite an innovative and pioneering body of work in th ...

, was at the center of a 1990 court case regarding

subliminal message Subliminal stimuli (; the prefix ' literally means "below" or "less than") are any sensory stimuli below an individual's threshold for conscious perception, in contrast to stimuli (above threshold). A 2012 review of functional magnetic resonance ...

s in song lyrics, after two

Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. N ...

n teenagers had enacted a

suicide pact A suicide pact is an agreed plan between two or more individuals to die by suicide. The plan may be to die together, or separately and closely timed. General considerations Suicide pacts are an important concept in the study of suicide, and h ...

five years before. From 1989 through to the late 1990s, samples of Wright's "Dream Weaver", "Love Is Alive" and "Can't Find the Judge" variously featured in songs by popular

rap Rapping (also rhyming, spitting, emceeing or MCing) is a musical form of vocal delivery that incorporates "rhyme, rhythmic speech, and street vernacular". It is performed or chanted, usually over a backing beat or musical accompaniment. The ...

and hip-hop artists

Tone Lōc Anthony Terrell Smith (born March 3, 1966), better known by his stage name Tone Lōc (), is an American rapper, actor, and producer. He is known for his raspy voice, his hit songs " Wild Thing" and "Funky Cold Medina", for which he was nomina ...

, Dream Warriors,

3rd Bass 3rd Bass was an American hip hop group that was active in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Formed by MC Serch, Pete Nice, and DJ Richie Rich, the group was notable for being one of the first successful interracial hip hop acts. Along with Beast ...

and

Mýa Mya Marie Harrison (; born October 10, 1979), (stylized as Mýa), is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and actress. Born into a musical family, she studied ballet, jazz, and tap dance as a child. Initially, Mýa began her career as a VJ ...

. Wright himself re-recorded "Dream Weaver" for the 1992 comedy ''

'', the soundtrack album for which topped the US charts. The song has since appeared in the films ''

The People vs. Larry Flynt ''The People vs. Larry Flynt'' is a 1996 American biographical drama film directed by Miloš Forman, chronicling the rise of pornographer Larry Flynt and his subsequent clash with religious institutions and the law. It stars Woody Harrelson, Cour ...

'' (1996) and ''

Toy Story 3 ''Toy Story 3'' is a 2010 American computer-animated comedy-drama film produced by Pixar Animation Studios for Walt Disney Pictures. It is the third installment in the ''Toy Story'' series and the sequel to ''Toy Story 2'' (1999). It was d ...

'' (2010). He later provided "We Can Fly" for another Bogner film, ''Ski to the Max'', released in

IMAX IMAX is a proprietary system of high-resolution cameras, film formats, film projectors, and theaters known for having very large screens with a tall aspect ratio (approximately either 1.43:1 or 1.90:1) and steep stadium seating. Graeme F ...

cinemas in October 2000.

''Who I Am'', ''First Signs of Life'' and ''Human Love''

In 1988, Wright released ''Who I Am'' on A&M-distributed

Cypress Records Cypress Records is a record label which was distributed by A&M Records between 1988 and 1990. References External links Cypress RecordsLabel history, artist roster, Billboard performance. Cypress Records photo gallery See also * List of rec ...

. Among the album's contributors were Western musicians such as Harrison, White and Keltner, a group of

South Indian South India, also known as Dakshina Bharata or Peninsular India, consists of the peninsular southern part of India. It encompasses the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana, as well as the union territo ...

percussionists, and

Indian classical Indian classical music is the classical music of the Indian subcontinent. It has two major traditions: the North Indian classical music known as '' Hindustani'' and the South Indian expression known as '' Carnatic''. These traditions were no ...

violinists

L. Subramaniam Lakshminarayana Subramaniam (born 23 July 1947) is an Indian violinist, composer and conductor, trained in the classical Carnatic music tradition and Western classical music. Early years Subramaniam was born in Madras, Madras Presidency, Br ...

and

L. Shankar Lakshminarayana Shankar (born 26 April 1950), better known as L. Shankar, Shankar and Shenkar, is an Indian violinist, singer and composer. Early life, family and education Shankar was born in Madras, India, and raised in Ceylon (current- ...

. The previous year, Wright had contributed to Harrison's album '' Cloud Nine'' (1987), for which he co-wrote " That's What It Takes" with Harrison and

Jeff Lynne Jeffrey Lynne (born 30 December 1947) is an English musician, singer-songwriter, and record producer. He is best known as the co-founder of the rock music, rock band Electric Light Orchestra (ELO), which was formed in 1970. As a songwriter, h ...

, and played keyboards on songs such as "

When We Was Fab "When We Was Fab" is a song by English musician George Harrison, which he released on his 1987 album '' Cloud Nine''. It was also issued as the second single from the album, in January 1988. The lyrics serve as a nostalgic reflection by Harrison ...

". One of the tracks from ''Who I Am'', "Blind Alley", was used in the 1988 horror film '' Spellbinder''. Wright's next solo album was ''First Signs of Life'' (1995), recorded in Rio de Janeiro and at his own High Wave Studios in Los Angeles,Album booklet, ''First Signs of Life'' CD. Triloka/Worldly, 1995; produced by Gary Wright & Franz Pusch. and issued on the Triloka/Worldly record label. The album combined Brazilian rhythms with elements of African vocal tradition, creating what AllMusic's reviewer describes as "an infectious

worldbeat Worldbeat is a music genre that blends pop music or rock music with world music or traditional music. Worldbeat is similar to other cross-pollination labels of contemporary and roots genres, and which suggest a rhythmic, harmonic or textural con ...

hybrid", where "the musicians' performances radiate sincerity and joy". ''First Signs of Life'' featured guest appearances from drummer

Terry Bozzio Terry John Bozzio (born December 27, 1950) is an American drummer best known for his work with Missing Persons and Frank Zappa. He has been featured on nine solo or collaborative albums, 26 albums with Zappa and seven albums with Missing Person ...

, Brazilian guitarist Ricardo Silveira and Harrison. The song "Don't Try to Own Me", co-written with Duane Hitchings, was later included on

Rhino Records A rhinoceros (; ; ), commonly abbreviated to rhino, is a member of any of the five extant species (or numerous extinct species) of odd-toed ungulates in the family Rhinocerotidae. (It can also refer to a member of any of the extinct species o ...

' ''Best of Gary Wright: The Dream Weaver'' – a 1998 compilation spanning his solo career from 1970 onwards, and featuring extensive liner notes by Wright. ''Human Love'' (1999) included new versions of "Wildfire" and "The Wrong Time", as well as "If You Believe in Heaven", a song written with

Graham Gouldman Graham Keith Gouldman (born 10 May 1946) is an English singer, songwriter, and musician, best known as the co-lead singer and bassist of the art rock band 10cc. He has been the band's only constant member since its formation in 1972. Before 10cc ...

that had first appeared on ''Best of Gary Wright''. The album was co-produced by German world-music producer

Marlon Klein Marlon Klein (born 13 December 1957 in Herford, Germany) is a musician and producer in the World Music and Fusion genres. He is a co-founder of the German group Dissidenten. Career Klein's musical career started with studies of classical percuss ...

and released on the High Wave Music label. Contributors to the sessions, held at High Wave and at Exil Musik in

Bielefeld Bielefeld () is a city in the Ostwestfalen-Lippe Region in the north-east of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. With a population of 341,755, it is also the most populous city in the administrative region (''Regierungsbezirk'') of Detmold and the ...

, included

Hindustani classical Hindustani classical music is the classical music of northern regions of the Indian subcontinent. It may also be called North Indian classical music or, in Hindustani, ''shastriya sangeet'' (). It is played in instruments like the violin, sita ...

vocalist

Lakshmi Shankar Lakshmi Shankar (née Sastri, 16 June 1926 – 30 December 2013) was an Indian singer and a noted Hindustani classical. Born into a south Indian Brahmin family, she became an outstanding Hindustani vocalist of the Patiala Gharana and married Ra ...

, Lynne and German composer

Roman Bunka Roman Bunka (2 December 1951 – 12 June 2022) was a German guitarist, oud player and composer, active in world music and jazz fusion bands. He lived most of his life in Munich, Bavaria, where he was involved in various musical crossover proj ...

.Album booklet, ''Human Love'' CD. High Wave Music, 1999; produced by Gary Wright, Marlon Klein, Bernhart Locker & Franz Pusch.

Later career

Having dedicated much of his time during the 1990s to his family, Wright subsequently resumed a more active musical career, starting with Spooky Tooth's 2004 reunion. Their album and DVD ''Nomad Poets Live in Germany'' (2007) features Wright, Mike Harrison and Kellie from the band's original lineup. Wright's past work has continued to inspire rap and dance tracks in the 21st century; samples of "Heartbeat" appear in songs by

Jay-Z Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), known professionally as Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and founder of Manhattan-based conglomerate talent and entertainment agency Roc Nation. He is regarded as one of ...

and

Diam's Mélanie Georgiades (; born 25 July 1980 in Nicosia), better known by her stage name Diam's (), is a French rapper of Greek Cypriot origin. Biography Mélanie Marie Georgiades was born on July 25, 1980 in Nicosia, capital of Cyprus. Her mother ...

, while Topmodelz covered the song in 2007. Other artists who have used samples from Wright's 1975–81 recordings include

Dilated Peoples Dilated Peoples is an American hip hop group from Los Angeles, California. They have had little mainstream success in the US, with the exception of the song " This Way", a 2004 collaboration with Kanye West. Better known in the UK, they reached t ...

Atmosphere An atmosphere () is a layer of gas or layers of gases that envelop a planet, and is held in place by the gravity of the planetary body. A planet retains an atmosphere when the gravity is great and the temperature of the atmosphere is low. A s ...

Infamous Mobb Infamous Mobb, also known as IM3, is a hip hop group from Queensbridge, Long Island City, Queens, New York, United States, composed of members Ty Nitty, Twin Gambino aka Big Twin and G.O.D. Part III aka Godfather Part III. They are an integral ...

, T.I. and Armand Van Helden, the last of whom incorporated part of "Comin' Apart" (from ''The Right Place'') in his 2004

club Club may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * ''Club'' (magazine) * Club, a ''Yie Ar Kung-Fu'' character * Clubs (suit), a suit of playing cards * Club music * "Club", by Kelsea Ballerini from the album ''kelsea'' Brands and enterprises ...

hit " My My My". In addition,

Eminem Marshall Bruce Mathers III (born October 17, 1972), known professionally as Eminem (; often stylized as EMINƎM), is an American rapper and record producer. He is credited with popularizing hip hop in middle America and is critically acclai ...

used "interpolations" from Spooky Tooth's "Self Seeking Man" in his song "Spend Some Time" (released on ''

Encore An encore is an additional performance given by performers after the planned show has ended, usually in response to extended applause from the audience.Lalange Cochrane, in ''Oxford Companion to Music'', Alison Latham, ed., Oxford University Pres ...

'' in 2004). In the summer of 2008, Wright joined

Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band is a live rock music, rock Supergroup (music), supergroup founded in 1989 with shifting personnel, led by former The Beatles, Beatles drummer and vocalist Ringo Starr. History and description Since 1989, Starr h ...

for a North American tour, with Edgar Winter also in the lineup. The All-Starr Band's album and DVD '' Live at the Greek Theatre 2008'' (2010) includes Wright's performance of "Dream Weaver". Wright later described the tour as "a lot of fun" and "a big boost" for his career.

''Waiting to Catch the Light'' and ''Connected''

Two solo releases by Wright followed in late 2008, including the

new-age New Age is a range of spiritual or religious practices and beliefs which rapidly grew in Western society during the early 1970s. Its highly eclectic and unsystematic structure makes a precise definition difficult. Although many scholars conside ...

album ''Waiting to Catch the Light''. A collection of instrumental pieces from "several years" before, he describes it as "an atmospheric,

ambient music Ambient music is a genre of music that emphasizes tone and atmosphere over traditional musical structure or rhythm. It may lack net composition, beat, or structured melody.The Ambient Century by Mark Prendergast, Bloomsbury, London, 2003. It u ...

kind of an album", performed on "vintage analog synthesizers ... all ecordedon analog tape". Also issued on Larkio, Wright's own record label, the EP ''The Light of a Million Suns'' consisted of unreleased tracks from his previous album projects, together with a new version of "Love Is Alive", sung by his son Dorian. Gary Wright, Everett, WA USA 2016-10-14

In May 2009, Wright rejoined Spooky Tooth to participate in a series of London concerts celebrating the 50th anniversary of Island Records' founding, before performing further shows with the band in Germany. In June the following year, he released the album ''Connected'', which marked a return to his more pop- and rock-oriented sound of the 1970s. Starr,

Joe Walsh Joseph Fidler Walsh (born November 20, 1947) is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. In a career spanning over five decades, he has been a member of three successful rock bands: the James Gang, Eagles, and Ringo Starr & His All-Starr B ...

and

Jeff "Skunk" Baxter Jeffrey Allen "Skunk" Baxter (born December 13, 1948) is an American guitarist, known for his stints in the rock bands Steely Dan and The Doobie Brothers during the 1970s and Spirit in the 1980s. More recently, he has worked as a defense consu ...

made guest appearances on the track "Satisfied", which Wright co-wrote with songwriter Bobby Hart. As a posthumous tribute to his friend George Harrison, the Deluxe Digital Edition of ''Connected'' included "Never Give Up", which he and Harrison recorded in 1989, while the

iTunes iTunes () is a software program that acts as a media player, media library, mobile device management utility, and the client app for the iTunes Store. Developed by Apple Inc., it is used to purchase, play, download, and organize digital mul ...

version added "To Discover Yourself", a song that the two musicians wrote together in 1971. Wright recorded the latter song on the day of Harrison's death in November 2001. He also contributed to

Martin Scorsese Martin Charles Scorsese ( , ; born November 17, 1942) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter and actor. Scorsese emerged as one of the major figures of the New Hollywood era. He is the recipient of List of awards and nominatio ...

's 2011 documentary '' George Harrison: Living in the Material World'' and supplied personal reminisces and family photographs for

Olivia Harrison Olivia Trinidad Harrison (née Arias; born May 18, 1948) is an American author and film producer, and the widow of English musician George Harrison of the Beatles. She first worked in the music industry in Los Angeles, for A&M Records, where s ...

's book of the same title. In 2010 and 2011, Wright toured again with Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band. Following a summer 2011 tour of Europe with Starr, Wright participated in the Hippiefest US tour with artists such as

Felix Cavaliere Felix Cavaliere (born November 29, 1942) is an American musician and singer-songwriter. He is best known for being the lead vocalist and keyboard player for the Young Rascals. Although he was a member of Joey Dee and the Starliters, known for ...

Mark Farner Mark Fredrick Farner (born September 29, 1948) is an American singer, guitarist and songwriter, best known as the lead singer and lead guitarist for the hard rock band Grand Funk Railroad, and later as a contemporary Christian musician. Early ...

Dave Mason David Thomas Mason (born 10 May 1946) is an English singer-songwriter and guitarist from Worcester, who first found fame with the rock band Traffic. Over the course of his career, Mason has played and recorded with many notable pop and rock mu ...

and

Rick Derringer Rick Derringer (born Richard Dean Zehringer; August 5, 1947) is an American guitarist, vocalist, producer and songwriter. He came to prominence in the 1960s as founding member of his band, the McCoys. Their debut single, "Hang on Sloopy", was ...

, before returning to Europe for shows with his own band late that year.

Personal life

Wright resides in

Palos Verdes Estates, California Palos Verdes Estates (''Palos Verdes'', Spanish for "Green Sticks") is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States, situated on the Palos Verdes Peninsula. The city was master-planned by the noted American landscape architect and pl ...

with wife Rose, whom he married in 1985. He was previously married to Christina, who, as Tina Wright, received co-writing credits on Wright's songs "I'm Alive" (from ''The Mirror''),Sleeve credits
''The Mirror'' LP.

, 1974; produced by Gary Wright, Mick Jones & Eddie Kramer. "Feel for Me" (''The Dream Weaver'') and "I'm the One Who'll Be by Your Side" (''Headin' Home''). He has two adult sons, Dorian and Justin. Justin is a member of the band Intangible. Wright has a sister, Lorna Dune, who recorded the song ''Midnight Joey''. The song was an answer song to Joey Powers' ''Midnight Mary'' in 1962. Wright has spoken out on the importance of creative opportunities for children in the public educational system, and expressed his opposition to the prevalence of free

music download A music download (commonly referred to as a digital download) is the digital transfer of music via the Internet into a device capable of decoding and playing it, such as a personal computer, portable media player, MP3 player or smartphone. Thi ...

ing and its disadvantage to artists. In 2008, he voiced his support for

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the U ...

presidential campaign President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...

, during which "Dream Weaver" was a song adopted for the

Democratic National Convention The Democratic National Convention (DNC) is a series of presidential nominating conventions held every four years since 1832 by the United States Democratic Party. They have been administered by the Democratic National Committee since the 1852 ...

Denver, Colorado Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...

. That year, Wright discussed the message behind "Dream Weaver" with ''

Huffington Post ''HuffPost'' (formerly ''The Huffington Post'' until 2017 and sometimes abbreviated ''HuffPo'') is an American progressive news website, with localized and international editions. The site offers news, satire, blogs, and original content, and ...

'' writer and political activist

Howie Klein Howie Klein (born February 20, 1948) is an American writer, concert promoter, disc jockey, music producer, record label founder, record label executive, progressive political activist, adjunct professor of music, and a fan of punk rock. He is perh ...

, saying: "With ''Wayne's World'' and all that, the perception of the song's meaning got a little bit changed for a lot of people. It's a very spiritual song. 'Dream Weaver' is really a song whose lyrical content is about the consciousness of the Universe: God moving us through the night – delusion and suffering – into the Higher Realms." In August 2014, Wright announced the imminent publication of his autobiography, ''Dream Weaver: Music, Meditation, and My Friendship with George Harrison''. Coinciding with the book's release, Wright's Warner Bros. albums were reissued for digital download.

Discography

Albums

* 1970 ''Extraction'' (1970) * 1971 ''

'' (1971) * 1975 ''

'' (1975) US #7 - US: 2× Platinum * 1977 '' The Light of Smiles'' (1977) US #23 * 1977 '' Touch and Gone'' (1977) US #117 * 1979 ''

'' (1979) US #147 * 1981 ''The Right Place'' (1981) US #79 * 1988 ''Who I Am'' (1988) * 1995 ''First Signs of Life'' (1995) * 1999 ''Human Love'' * 2008 ''Waiting to Catch the Light'' * 2010 ''Connected''

Collaborations

* 1972 ''That Was Only Yesterday'' (with Spooky Tooth) * 1972 ''Ring of Changes'' (with Wonderwheel) * 2004 ''Down This Road'' (Gary Wright & Leah Weiss)

Soundtracks

* 1974 ''Benjamin – The Original Soundtrack of Willy Bogner's Motion Picture'' * 1986 ''Fire and Ice'' (soundtrack)

Compilations

* 1998 ''The Best of Gary Wright: The Dream Weaver'' * 2003 ''The Essentials'' * 2017 ''Greatest Hits''

Extended play

* ''The Light of a Million Suns'' (2008)

Singles

Notes

References

Sources

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

External links

* www.TheDreamWeaver.com
Gary Wright biography by Jason Ankeny, discography and album reviews, credits & releases
at

Gary Wright discography, album releases & credits
at

Discogs Discogs (short for discographies) is a database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. While the site was originally created with a goal of becoming the la ...

Gary Wright albums to be listened
on

Spotify Spotify (; ) is a proprietary Swedish audio streaming and media services provider founded on 23 April 2006 by Daniel Ek and Martin Lorentzon. It is one of the largest music streaming service providers, with over 456 million monthly active us ...

Gary Wright albums to be listened
on

YouTube YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...

Career retrospective interview from November 2015 with Pods & Sods
at PodsOdCast.com {{DEFAULTSORT:Wright, Gary 1943 births American expatriates in the United Kingdom American hard rock musicians American male singers American new-age musicians American rock keyboardists American soft rock musicians College of William & Mary alumni Living people New York University alumni People from Cresskill, New Jersey Progressive rock keyboardists Spooky Tooth members SUNY Downstate Medical Center alumni Tenafly High School alumni American world music musicians People from Palos Verdes Estates, California American organists American male organists American rock pianists American male pianists A&M Records artists Island Records artists Warner Records artists Devotees of Paramahansa Yogananda 20th-century American pianists 21st-century American keyboardists 21st-century organists 20th-century American keyboardists Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band members