Michael Kaminski (born 2 September 1951) is an
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ...
musician. He is best known for playing
violin
The violin, sometimes known as a '' fiddle'', is a wooden chordophone ( string instrument) in the violin family. Most violins have a hollow wooden body. It is the smallest and thus highest-pitched instrument ( soprano) in the family in regu ...
in the rock band
Electric Light Orchestra
The Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) are an English rock band formed in Birmingham in 1970 by songwriters and multi-instrumentalists Jeff Lynne and Roy Wood with drummer Bev Bevan. Their music is characterised by a fusion of pop, classical ...
(ELO) between 1973 and 1979 and touring from 1981 to 1986, as well as being a member of
Electric Light Orchestra Part II
ELO Part II were a band formed by Electric Light Orchestra drummer and co-founder Bev Bevan. The band also included former ELO bassist and vocalist Kelly Groucutt, and violinist Mik Kaminski for most of its career, along with conductor Loui ...
from 1991 until its end 2000 and
The Orchestra from 2000–present.
Early life
Kaminski was born in
Harrogate
Harrogate ( ) is a spa town and the administrative centre of the Borough of Harrogate in North Yorkshire, England. Historically in the West Riding of Yorkshire, the town is a tourist destination and its visitor attractions include its spa ...
,
West Riding of Yorkshire
The West Riding of Yorkshire is one of three historic subdivisions of Yorkshire, England. From 1889 to 1974 the administrative county County of York, West Riding (the area under the control of West Riding County Council), abbreviated County ...
, England. He made his first professional performance with the
Leeds Orchestra
Leeds () is a city and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds district in West Yorkshire, England. It is built around the River Aire and is in the eastern foothills of the Pennines. It is also the third-largest settlement (by populati ...
, when he was 14. During his time at the
Leeds School of Music, he founded the band Cow, together with his friends John Hodgson, who played drums, and John Marcangelo, who played keyboards and other percussion.
Career
In 1973, he joined Joe Soap and played violin on their ''Keep It Clean'' album. Their producer Sandy Roberton suggested Kaminski to Andy Roberts, who needed a violinist for his album. Thus Kaminski played in 1973 on Roberts' ''Andy Roberts and The Grand Stampede''.
["INTERVIEW: ELO violinist Mik Kaminski talks about their Worthing gig"]
, ''Littlehampton Today'', 19 September 2008.
After those albums Kaminski applied for the vacant post as ELO's violinist because of an advertisement in ''
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 ...
''. He was recruited after two interviews and was also the only person auditioning who did not play a wrong note. Bandleader
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 band Electric Light Orchestra (ELO), which was formed in 1970. As a songwriter, he has cont ...
held the audition.
During his stint in ELO, Kaminski initially tried to imitate his predecessor
Wilf Gibson by wearing a cape while playing the violin, but soon acquired his trademark blue violin, which he has played variants of ever since. Kaminski's own band is called Blue Violin.
Kaminski was one of the three remaining string players for the group when Lynne decided to remove them. However, he performed on the tours for the ELO albums ''
Time
Time is the continued sequence of existence and event (philosophy), events that occurs in an apparently irreversible process, irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various me ...
'' and ''
Balance of Power'', and on the 1983 single "
Rock 'n' Roll Is King". Later, he joined the ELO offshoot
ELO Part II
ELO Part II were a band formed by Electric Light Orchestra drummer and co-founder Bev Bevan. The band also included former ELO bassist and vocalist Kelly Groucutt, and violinist Mik Kaminski for most of its career, along with conductor Lo ...
, playing as part of the live touring band.
Apart from the hits he had with ELO, in early 1979 Kaminski made the
Top 40
In the music industry, the Top 40 is the current, 40 most-popular songs in a particular genre. It is the best-selling or most frequently broadcast popular music. Record charts have traditionally consisted of a total of 40 songs. "Top 40" or "cont ...
of the
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
as the frontman of a
one-hit wonder
A one-hit wonder or viral hit is any entity that achieves mainstream popularity, often for only one piece of work, and becomes known among the general public solely for that momentary success. The term is most commonly used in regard to music p ...
group called
Violinski, with the single "
Clog Dance Clog dancing is dancing whilst wearing clogs. The rigid nature of the clogs and their percussive sound when dancing on a hard surface has given rise to a number of distinct styles, including the following: Dance
* Clog dancing, a Welsh and Northern ...
".
Violinski: Clog Dance - The Very Best of Violinski
at Face The Music
Kaminski was featured as violinist on a selection of tracks from the second studio album, ''Beauty In Chaos'', by the Anglo-Irish acoustic duo Fay & Latta.
In 2000, Kaminski set out on tour under the moniker The Orchestra featuring former members of ELO and ELO II.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kaminski, Mik
1951 births
Living people
British male violinists
Electric Light Orchestra members
People from Harrogate
Musicians from Yorkshire
British rock violinists
English classical violinists
English classical musicians
21st-century classical violinists
Male classical violinists