Melbourne Marvels

Wally Badarou

Island Records, France

Lovely Wally grew up with a super-keen interest in aviation, so it's little wonder he took to working in the cockpits of recording studios like a little ducky to water. In 2006 you'll find his name in the production credits of African megastars like Salif Keita, Wasis Diop, Youssou N'Dour and Papa Wemba, on various movie soundtracks, through numerous solo projects or even in the castlists to stage plays and TV dramas. Back in the day though - the day being any from the mid-sixties to early-nineties - he twiddled nobs and played synths for Grace Jones, James Brown, Fela Kuti, Foreigner, Robert Palmer, Level 42 and loads more. Given how much he's done and how rarely he's credited you might expect him to be bitter, but in fact he's sweeter than anything you could conjure in a Paris patiserie.