Rick Wills

British bassist (born 1947)

Rick Wills

Wills in 1978

Background information
Birth name| Richard William Wills
Born|  (1947-12-05) 5 December 1947 (age 77)
Cambridge, England
Genres| Rock
Occupation| Bassist
Years active| 1966–present
Formerly of|

* Foreigner
* Bad Company
* Jokers Wild
* The Jones Gang
* Small Faces
* Roxy Music

Musical artist

Richard William Wills (born 5 December 1947) is an English bass guitarist. He is best known for his work with the rock band Foreigner and his associations with the Small Faces, Roxy Music, Peter Frampton, Spooky Tooth, David Gilmour, Bad Company and The Jones Gang.

## Career

[edit]

Rick Wills played in the early days of rock music in Cambridge, from c. 1961 in the Vikings, then in a succession of local bands: the Sundowners, Soul Committee,[1] Bullitt (with David Gilmour on guitar and John 'Willie' Wilson on drums) and Cochise before joining Frampton's Camel.[2]

Wills joined the rock band Jokers Wild in mid-1966, (with David Gilmour on guitars and vocals), until they broke up in 1967.[3] He played bass on Peter Frampton's first three albums before parting from Frampton in 1975. He became the bassist with Roxy Music in 1976, before leaving them and joining the Small Faces in 1977, during their reunion period. He left the Small Faces and appeared on David Gilmour's eponymous album in 1978, with Willie Wilson on drums. The next year, Wills became a member of rock band Foreigner[4] and remained with them for 14 years. At that time he was the longest-tenured bass player of Foreigner, though was later surpassed by Jeff Pilson.

After leaving Foreigner in 1992,[5] he joined Bad Company and stayed with them until Boz Burrell rejoined the band in 1998.[4] In July 1999 he filled in for Lynyrd Skynyrd bassist Leon Wilkeson for live shows when Wilkeson briefly became ill. He appeared at The Steve Marriott Memorial Concert on 24 April 2001, as part of a backing band with Bobby Tench, Zak Starkey and Rabbit Bundrick.[6][7]

Wills was reunited with Small Faces drummer Kenney Jones in The Jones Gang during 2006,[8] and appeared with the RD Crusaders for the Teenage Cancer Trust at The London International Music Show on 15 June 2008.[9] Wills left The Jones Gang in the summer of 2015 and was replaced by Pat Davey.

On 12 January 2015, in Sarasota, Florida, Wills and original drummer Dennis Elliott joined Foreigner on stage to play "Headknocker".

On 28 October 2021, Wills joined a Mick Jones-less Foreigner for a three song encore at the Hampton Casino Ballroom in Hampton, New Hampshire.

On 4 August 2023, Wills again rejoined Foreigner for a few songs at the Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion in Gilford, New Hampshire, having recently moved to Amherst, New Hampshire.

In 2024, Wills was selected for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, as a member of Foreigner.[10]

## Discography

[edit]

Cochise

* Cochise (1970)
* Swallow Tales (1971)
* So Far (1972)
* Past Loves (A History) (1992) - Compilation
* Velvet Mountain: An Anthology 1970-1972 (2013) - Compilation Double Album

With Peter Frampton[4]

* Wind of Change \- A&M (1972)
* Frampton's Camel – A&M (1973)
* Somethin's Happening – A&M Records|A&M (1974)

With Roxy Music[4]

* Viva! – Atco (1976)

With Kevin Ayers 1976

* Yes We Have No Mañanas (So Get Your Mañanas Today)

With The Small Faces[4]

* Playmates – Atlantic (1977)
* 78 in the Shade – Atlantic (1978)

With David Gilmour[4]

* David Gilmour – Harvest (1978)

With Foreigner[4]

* Head Games – Atlantic (1979)
* 4 – Atlantic (1981)
* Agent Provocateur – Atlantic (1984)
* Inside Information – Atlantic (1987)
* Unusual Heat – Atlantic (1991)

With Bad Company[4]

* What You Hear Is What You Get: The Best of Bad Company – Atco (1993)
* Company of Strangers – Elektra(1995)
* Stories Told & Untold – Elektra (1997)

With The Jones Gang[4]

* Any Day Now \- AAO Music (2005)

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Dosanjh, Warren; Brown, Mick (2015). The Music Scene of 1960s Cambridge. Cambridge: Warren Dosanjh. p. 60.
2. ^ "Roots of Cambridge Rock family tree". Cambridge Evening News. Retrieved 18 July 2010.
3. ^ Gilmour, Peter (April 2015). "Jokers Wild" (PDF). The Music Scene of 1960s Cambridge. 6th Edition: 58–59 - via Warren Dosanjh & Mick Brown.
4. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Rick Wills". allmusic.com. Retrieved 18 February 2010.
5. ^ Phoenix. "Foreigner band members". www.4eigner.net. Retrieved 18 February 2010.
6. ^ "Astoria concert 2001". humble-pie.net. 24 April 2001. Archived from the original on 22 January 2009. Retrieved 14 February 2009.
7. ^ "Mustn't Grumble: Steve Marriott Memorial Concert". allmusic.com. Retrieved 18 February 2010.
8. ^ "The Jones Gang". butgroup.com. Archived from the original on 20 March 2009. Retrieved 18 February 2010.
9. ^ "RD Crusaders play at LIMS". www.soundonsound. 5 January 2008.
10. ^ "2024 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees". Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. 22 April 2024. Retrieved 22 April 2024.

## Further reading

[edit]

* The Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock & Roll – 3rd Edition

## External links

[edit]

* Rick Wills discography at Discogs
* Rick Wills at IMDb

* v
* t
* e

Bad Company

* Paul Rodgers
* Howard Leese
* Todd Roning
* Simon Kirke

* Boz Burrell
* Mick Ralphs
* Brian Howe
* Gregg Dechert
* Dave "Bucket" Colwell
* Rick Wills
* Robert Hart
* Jaz Lochrie

Studio albums|

* Bad Company (1974)
* Straight Shooter (1975)
* Run with the Pack (1976)
* Burnin' Sky (1977)
* Desolation Angels (1979)
* Rough Diamonds (1982)
* Fame and Fortune (1986)
* Dangerous Age (1988)
* Holy Water (1990)
* Here Comes Trouble (1992)
* Company of Strangers (1995)
* Stories Told & Untold (1996)

Live albums|

* What You Hear Is What You Get: The Best of Bad Company Live (1993)
* In Concert: Merchants of Cool (2002)
* Live in Albuquerque 1976 (2006)
* Hard Rock Live (2010)
* Live at Wembley (2011)
* Live in Concert 1977 & 1979 (2016)

Compilation albums|

* 10 from 6 (1985)
* The 'Original' Bad Co. Anthology (1999)
* Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy: The Very Best of Bad Company (2015)

Singles|

* "Can't Get Enough" (1974)
* "Movin' On" (1974)
* "Good Lovin' Gone Bad" (1975)
* "Feel Like Makin' Love" (1975)
* "Young Blood" (1975)
* "Honey Child" (1976)
* "Burnin' Sky" (1975)
* "Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy" (1979)
* "Gone, Gone, Gone" (1979)
* "Electricland" (1982)
* "This Love" (1986)
* "Fame and Fortune" (1987)
* "No Smoke Without a Fire" (1988)
* "Shake It Up" (1989)
* "If You Needed Somebody" (1990)

Other songs|

* "Ready for Love" (1974)
* "Bad Company" (1974)
* "Shooting Star" (1975)

Related articles|

* Discography
* Members
* Inside Bad Company 1974–1982
* Scotland, PA
* Free

* v
* t
* e

Foreigner

* Mick Jones
* Thom Gimbel
* Jeff Pilson
* Kelly Hansen
* Michael Bluestein
* Chris Frazier
* Bruce Watson

* Dennis Elliott
* Lou Gramm
* Al Greenwood
* Ian McDonald
* Ed Gagliardi
* Rick Wills
* Johnny Edwards
* Jeff Jacobs
* Mark Schulman
* Bruce Turgon
* Brian Tichy
* Denny Carmassi
* Jason Bonham
* Paul Mirkovich
* Jason Sutter

Studio albums|

* Foreigner
* Double Vision
* Head Games
* 4
* Agent Provocateur
* Inside Information
* Unusual Heat
* Mr. Moonlight
* Can't Slow Down

Compilations|

* Records
* The Very Best ... and Beyond
* Complete Greatest Hits
* The Definitive Collection
* No End in Sight: The Very Best of Foreigner
* 40

Live albums|

* Classic Hits Live/Best of Live
* Extended Versions
* Can't Slow Down ... When It's Live!

Singles|

* "Feels Like the First Time"
* "Cold as Ice"
* "Long, Long Way from Home"
* "Hot Blooded"
* "Double Vision"
* "Blue Morning, Blue Day"
* "Dirty White Boy"
* "Head Games"
* "Love on the Telephone"
* "Women"
* "Urgent"
* "Juke Box Hero"
* "Waiting for a Girl Like You"
* "Break It Up"
* "Luanne"
* "I Want to Know What Love Is"
* "That Was Yesterday"
* "Reaction to Action"
* "Growing Up the Hard Way"
* "Down on Love"
* "Say You Will"
* "I Don't Want to Live Without You"

Related articles|

* Discography
* Members
* Shadow King
* Black Sheep

* v
* t
* e

Small Faces

* Kenney Jones
* Ronnie Lane
* Steve Marriott
* Ian McLagan

* Jimmy Winston
* Rick Wills
* Jimmy McCulloch

Studio albums|

* Small Faces (1966)
* Small Faces (1967)
* There Are But Four Small Faces
* Ogdens' Nut Gone Flake
* Playmates
* 78 in the Shade

Compilation albums|

* From the Beginning
* In Memoriam
* The Autumn Stone
* The BBC Sessions

Singles|

* "Whatcha Gonna Do About It"
* "I've Got Mine"
* "Sha-La-La-La-Lee"
* "Hey Girl"
* "All or Nothing"
* "My Mind's Eye"
* "I Can't Make It"
* "Patterns"
* "Here Come the Nice"
* "Itchycoo Park"
* "Tin Soldier"
* "Lazy Sunday"
* "The Universal"
* "Afterglow of Your Love"

Songs|

* "Shake"
* "You Need Loving"
* "Runaway"
* "My Way of Giving"
* "(Tell Me) Have You Ever Seen Me?"
* "Baby Don't You Do It"
* "Plum Nellie"
* "You've Really Got a Hold on Me"
* "Talk to You"
* "Green Circles"
* "Get Yourself Together"
* "Up the Wooden Hills to Bedfordshire"
* "Every Little Bit Hurts"
* "If I Were a Carpenter"

Related articles|

* Discography
* Members
* Faces
* Don Arden
* Would You Believe

* v
* t
* e

Roxy Music

* Bryan Ferry
* Andy Mackay
* Paul Thompson
* Phil Manzanera

* Graham Simpson
* Brian Eno
* David O'List
* Eddie Jobson

Studio albums|

* Roxy Music
* For Your Pleasure
* Stranded
* Country Life
* Siren
* Manifesto
* Flesh + Blood
* Avalon

Live albums|

* Viva!
* The High Road
* Heart Still Beating
* Concert Classics
* Concerto
* Live

Compilation albums|

* Greatest Hits
* The Atlantic Years 1973–1980
* Street Life: 20 Great Hits
* The Ultimate Collection
* More than This: The Best of Bryan Ferry + Roxy Music
* The Thrill of It All
* The Best of Roxy Music

Singles|

* "Virginia Plain"
* "Pyjamarama"
* "Do the Strand"
* "Street Life"
* "All I Want Is You"
* "The Thrill of It All"
* "Love Is the Drug"
* "Both Ends Burning"
* "Trash"
* "Dance Away"
* "Angel Eyes"
* "Over You"
* "Oh Yeah"
* "Same Old Scene"
* "In the Midnight Hour"
* "Jealous Guy"
* "More Than This"
* "Avalon"

Other songs|

* "Re-Make/Re-Model"
* "Ladytron"
* "If There Is Something"
* "2HB"
* "Bitters End"
* "In Every Dream Home a Heartache"
* "Like a Hurricane"

Related articles|

* Discography
* List of Roxy Music members
* John Porter
* John Gustafson
* Sal Maida
* John Wetton
* Rick Wills
* Alan Spenner
* Gary Tibbs
* Paul Carrack
* Andy Newmark
* Neil Hubbard

* v
* t
* e

Spooky Tooth

* Luther Grosvenor
* Mike Harrison
* Mike Kellie
* Greg Ridley
* Gary Wright

* Henry McCullough
* Alan Spenner
* John Hawken
* Bryson Graham
* Mick Jones
* Mike Patto

Studio albums|

* It's All About
* Spooky Two
* The Last Puff
* You Broke My Heart So I Busted Your Jaw
* Witness
* The Mirror
* Cross Purpose

Other albums|

* Supernatural Fairy Tales
* Ceremony

Related|

* The V.I.P.'s / Art
* "Better by You, Better than Me"

* v
* t
* e

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame – Class of 2024

Performers|

* Mary J. Blige
* Cher
* Dave Matthews Band (Carter Beauford, Jeff Coffin, Stefan Lessard, Dave Matthews, LeRoi Moore, Tim Reynolds, Rashawn Ross, Boyd Tinsley)
* Foreigner (Dennis Elliott, Ed Gagliardi, Lou Gramm, Al Greenwood, Mick Jones, Ian McDonald, Rick Wills)
* Peter Frampton
* Kool & the Gang (Robert "Kool" Bell, Ronald Bell, George Brown, Robert "Spike" Mickens, Claydes Charles Smith, James "J.T." Taylor, Dennis "Dee Tee" Thomas, Ricky Westfield)
* Ozzy Osbourne
* A Tribe Called Quest (Ali Shaheed Muhammad, Phife Dawg, Q-Tip, Jarobi White)

Non-performers
(Ahmet Ertegun Award)|

* Suzanne de Passe

Award for Musical Excellence|

* Jimmy Buffett
* MC5 (Michael Davis, Wayne Kramer, Fred "Sonic" Smith, Dennis Thompson, Rob Tyner)
* Dionne Warwick
* Norman Whitfield

Award for Musical Influence|

* Alexis Korner
* John Mayall
* Big Mama Thornton

Authority control databases

International|

* ISNI
* VIAF
* WorldCat

National|

* Germany
* France
* BnF data
* Czech Republic

Artists|

* MusicBrainz

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