Alastair Donaldson
Encyclopedia
Alastair Donaldson is a Scottish
multi-instrumentalist
and is a bass guitar
player for the Scottish punk
/pop
band The Rezillos
, for whom he played under the stage name of William Mysterious. He was a formative member of the folk ensemble Silly Wizard
prior to his involvement with The Rezillos, and appears on many of their recordings under his real name. He appears on the Rezillos' second single for Sire Records
, a double A-side featuring the songs "Flying Saucer Attack" and "My Baby (Does Good Sculptures)" and also on their first and only studio album Can't Stand The Rezillos. He took over the bass slot in the Rezillos whilst working as their saxophonist. He left The Rezillos after a British
tour supporting The Ramones, although he did make a guest appearance at the Rezillos' final gig at the Glasgow
Apollo
, where he returned to his original role of saxophone player alongside his replacement on bass guitar, Simon Templar. This performance was captured on the The Rezillos' posthumous live second album, Mission Accomplished (But the beat goes on). After leaving the Rezillos, he released one single as William Mysterious, "Security of Noise". The Rezillos became The Revillos, and Donaldson rejoined them in 1979 for the Rev Up LP.
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
multi-instrumentalist
Multi-instrumentalist
A multi-instrumentalist is a musician who plays a number of different instruments.The Bachelor of Music degree usually requires a second instrument to be learned , but people who double on another instrument are not usually seen as multi-instrumentalists.-Classical music:Music written for Symphony...
and is a bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
player for the Scottish punk
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
/pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
band The Rezillos
The Rezillos
The Rezillos are a punk/new wave band, who formed in Edinburgh in 1976 and still play gigs around the world in a re-formed line-up. Although frequently aligned with the punk movement, the Rezillos' irreverent glam rock image and affection for campy girl-group iconography, set them distinctly apart...
, for whom he played under the stage name of William Mysterious. He was a formative member of the folk ensemble Silly Wizard
Silly Wizard
Silly Wizard was a Scottish folk band that began forming in Edinburgh in 1970. The founder members were two like-minded university students—Gordon Jones and Bob Thomas...
prior to his involvement with The Rezillos, and appears on many of their recordings under his real name. He appears on the Rezillos' second single for Sire Records
Sire Records
Sire Records is an American record label, owned by Warner Music Group and distributed through Warner Bros. Records.-Beginnings:The label was founded in 1966 as Sire Productions by Seymour Stein and Richard Gottehrer, each investing ten thousand dollars into the new company. Its early releases as a...
, a double A-side featuring the songs "Flying Saucer Attack" and "My Baby (Does Good Sculptures)" and also on their first and only studio album Can't Stand The Rezillos. He took over the bass slot in the Rezillos whilst working as their saxophonist. He left The Rezillos after a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
tour supporting The Ramones, although he did make a guest appearance at the Rezillos' final gig at the Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
Apollo
The Apollo (Glasgow)
The Apollo was a music venue in Glasgow, Scotland, operating from 1973-1985. It was opened by Unicorn Leisure, in September 1973, after acquiring a lease from the owners George Green Ltd. The venue's debut live performance was by Johnny Cash on 5 September 1973. While in operation, it hosted the...
, where he returned to his original role of saxophone player alongside his replacement on bass guitar, Simon Templar. This performance was captured on the The Rezillos' posthumous live second album, Mission Accomplished (But the beat goes on). After leaving the Rezillos, he released one single as William Mysterious, "Security of Noise". The Rezillos became The Revillos, and Donaldson rejoined them in 1979 for the Rev Up LP.