Wally Nightingale

Wally Nightingale, born Warwick Alan Nightingale, was an English musician.

He was the guitarist and founder of the band which would eventually become the Sex Pistols. According to guitarist Steve Jones Nightingale left in 1975 after Malcolm McLaren agreed to manage the band, but "... only if we got rid of Wally". Nightingale died in 1996, apparently from complications of substance abuse.

Nightingale and the Sex Pistols

Apart from the affectionate nickname "the Pete Best of Punk Rock", few other details of his life are known. However, in the documentary The Filth and The Fury, drummer Paul Cook says "I think it was Wally, the famous Wally Nightingale, who had said 'Well, let's start a band' ," accompanied by pictures showing the early band which consisted of Nightingale on guitar, Steve Jones on bass and vocals, and Cook on drums. No name for the band is given in the film, but other sources indicate that it was called "Strand", after a song by Roxy Music.

The band was formed in 1972. They reportedly rehearsed quite a lot, mostly upstairs at Nightingale's house on Hemlock Road in East Acton during the day when his parents were working, and may have played a few gigs in the area although no verifiable reports exist. The band had a very fluid line-up; at some point Paul Cook's uncle handled the bass guitar duties, at some point Steve Hayes played bass guitar with the outfit. Jimmy Mackin played organ with the band from 1974 to early 1975, and the band also had a conga player, known to history only by his first name; Cecil.

By 1975 the band was rehearsing at Crunchy Frog, a studio near the London Docklands. They were at the time managed by Bernie Rhodes, who tried to set up gigs for the band. The only reported gig during the entire existence of the band was in early 1975 at a party above Tom Salter’s Café on Kings Road in Chelsea, London. At the short, three-song gig, The Strand consisted of Steve Jones on vocals, Wally Nightingale on guitar, Del Noones on bass and Paul Cook on drums. The band had changed their name to The Swankers prior to the gig. Nightingale recorded the performance on a C-tape, but accidentally erased the tape two years later. Noones, despite being married to Cook's sister and thus being Cook's brother-in-law, was ejected from the band shortly afterwards, due to his unreliability and unwillingness to rehearse. In the early summer of 1975 Glen Matlock stepped in as permanent bass player.

After persistent efforts by singer Jones, McLaren agreed to become manager of the Strand. However, McLaren thought Nightingale was "too nice", and by early 1975 he and Jones were in disagreement over the direction the band should take. Having been after McLaren to manage them for some time because of his connections in the music business, Cook and Jones eventually decided to take his advice. Jones switched to guitar and the band continued on as The Swankers, without founder Nightingale. Nightingale was informed of the decision upon his arrival to rehearsals. In interviews he has stated he "was so gutted that I didn't say anything. I even went for a drink with them that evening."

With the personnel changes, the band initially changed their name "QT Jones & his Sex Pistols" at McLaren's suggestion, but the name was later shortened to the Sex Pistols. McLaren considered Jones' singing weak, and John Lydon was quickly recruited. The Sex Pistols played their first gig on the 5th of November the same year, a little over six months after Nightingale was given his walking papers.

After the Swankers

After Nightingale was ousted from the Swankers, he tried to form a new band, but it wasn't long lived. He developed a heroin habit after his father, an electrician and part-time film technician at Riverside Studios in Hammersmith, died in 1981, and was subsequently jailed in the early 1980s after receiving a 6 month sentence for undisclosed "drug-related offences".

The only known gig Nightingale performed after being fired from the Swankers was as a one-off guest guitarist with fellow Brentwood punk rockers Beat of the Beast in 1989.

Nightingale died in 1996 from drug related complications, ironically the same year the Sex Pistols did their comeback with the live album Filthy Lucre. He is survived by his mother.

Authorship

The only original songs from the "Nightingale period" band that can be verified are an unreleased track called "Scarface" -- with lyrics penned by Nightingales's father, according to Matlock—and the track "Did You No Wrong" (which Nightingale wrote the music for). The latter is included on Flogging a Dead Horse and is regularly played live by the Sex Pistols. The Warner Chappell Music database recognizes Nightingale as co-author, however the band itself never has.

Fictional portrayals

A character based upon Nightingale, billed as "Wally Hairstyle", appeared in the 1986 Sid Vicious biopic Sid & Nancy, portrayed by Graham Fletcher-Cook.