R.I.P. UFO, Fastway and Waysted bassist Pete Way (1951-2020)
R.I.P. UFO, Fastway and Waysted bassist Pete Way (1951-2020)
Very sad news today as former UFO, Fastway and Waysted bassist Pete Way passed away today succumbing to injuries that he sustained in an accident two months ago.
A press release from earlier today indicates in part (with slight edits):
“Iconic bass player Pete Way founder of UFO, Waysted and, latterly, The Pete Way Band has died.
He sustained life threatening injuries in an accident two months ago but fought hard until finally succumbing to those injuries at 11.35am BST today. His wife, Jenny, was at his side.
Pete Way was a much loved and highly regarded figure among rock fans, critics and fellow musicians alike. Best known for his work with UFO, Pete’s energetic live performances were at the heart of the band’s countless world tours. His melodic bass lines underpinned the catalogue of enduring rock classics upon which UFO’s reputation and legacy were founded. Pete’s post UFO work included collaborating with “Fast” Eddie Clarke from Motörhead – the two putting together Fastway with Humble Pie drummer Jerry Shirley and bassist for his long time friend, Ozzy Osbourne. He then put together his own band Waysted. Pete’s keen ear for song arrangements have also seen him serve as producer for popular hard rock acts such as Twisted Sister and the Cockney Rejects. Pete had recently finished a solo album, “Walking On The Edge” with producer Mike Clink (Guns N’ Roses‘ “Appetite For Destruction” amongst many more). He had a biography published “A Fast Ride Out Of Here” in 2017 and an album “Amphetamine” which is currently out on Cargo Records.
Pete is survived by two daughters, Zowie and Charlotte and his younger brother, Neill.”
Pete Way’s discography (as per Wikipedia):
UFO — UFO 1 (1970)
UFO — UFO 2: Flying (1971)
UFO — UFO Live (1972)
UFO — Phenomenon (1974)
UFO — Live In Concert (1974)
UFO — Force It (1975)
UFO — No Heavy Petting (1976)
UFO — Space Metal (1976)
UFO — Lights Out (1977)
UFO — Obsession (1978)
UFO — Strangers In The Night (1979)
UFO — No Place To Run (1980)
UFO — The Wild, the Willing and the Innocent (1981)
UFO — Mechanix (1982)
Fastway — Fastway (credited but did not actually play on album) (1983)
Waysted — Vices (1983)
Waysted — Waysted EP (1984)
Waysted — The Good, The Bad, The Waysted (1985)
Waysted — Save Your Prayers (1986)
UFO — Anthology (1986)
UFO — The Best of The Rest (1988)
UFO — High Stakes & Dangerous Men (1992)
UFO — Lights Out In Tokyo (1992)
UFO — Live In Japan (1992)
UFO — The Essential UFO (1992)
UFO — T.N.T. (1993)
UFO — Walk On Water (1995)
UFO — Heaven’s Gate (1995)
UFO — The Best of UFO: Gold Collection (1996)
UFO — X-Factor: Out There & Back (1997)
Mogg/Way — Edge of The World (1997)
UFO — On With The Action (1998)
Mogg/Way — Chocolate Box (1999)
UFO — Covenant (2000)
UFO — Live In Texas (2000)
Waysted — Wilderness of Mirrors (2000)
Waysted — You Won’t Get Out Alive (2000)
Pete Way — Amphetamine (2000)
UFO — Regenerator – Live 1982 (2001)
UFO — Sharks (2002)
Pete Way — Pete Way (Alive In Cleveland) (2002)
The Plot — The Plot (2003)
UFO — You Are Here (2004)
UFO — Flying: The Early Years 1970-1973 (2004)
Waysted — Back From The Dead (2004)
UFO — Showtime (2005)
UFO — The Monkey Puzzle (2006)
UFO — An Introduction to UFO (2006)
Michael Schenker — Tales of Rock’n’Roll (2006)
Waysted — Organized Chaos (2007)
Waysted — The Harsh Reality (2007)
Pete Way — Acoustic Animal (2007)
Michael Schenker — Temple of Rock (2011)
UFO — Warfare Misanthropy (2018
Wikipedia summarizes Way‘s music career as follows: Peter Frederick Way (7 August 1951 – 14 August 2020) was an English bass player, best known as the bassist in UFO with whom he played from 1969 to 1982, briefly in 1988–1989 and once again from 1991 to 2008. Way was also known as a founding member of Waysted and Fastway. He also notably played with Michael Schenker Group and Ozzy Osbourne.”
UFO performing “Lights Out” in 1977:
Waysted‘s “Heaven Tonight” video: