Mik Kaminski
Mik Kaminski | |
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Background information | |
Birth name | Michael Kaminski |
Born | (1951-09-02) 2 September 1951 (age 72) |
Origin | Harrogate, England |
Genres | Rock, pop, classical |
Occupation(s) | Musician |
Instrument(s) | Violin, viola, keyboards |
Years active | 1965– |
Labels | Jet |
Website | Musical career |
Michael Kaminski (born 2 September 1951) is an English musician. He is best known for playing violin in the rock band Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) between 1973 and 1980 and touring from 1981 to 1986, as well as being a member of Electric Light Orchestra Part II from 1991 until its end in 2000, and then The Orchestra from 2000.
Early life
Kaminski was born in Harrogate, North Riding of Yorkshire, England. He made his first professional performance with the Leeds Orchestra when he was 14. During his time at the Leeds School of Music, he founded the band Cow, together with his friends John Hodgson, who played drums,[1] and John Marcangelo, who played keyboards and other percussion.
Career
In 1973, he joined Joe Soap and played violin on their Keep It Clean album. Their producer Sandy Roberton suggested Kaminski to Andy Roberts, who needed a violinist for his album. Thus Kaminski played in 1973 on Roberts' Andy Roberts and The Grand Stampede.[2]
After those albums Kaminski applied for the vacant post as ELO's violinist because of an advertisement in Melody Maker.[3] He was recruited after two interviews and was also the only person auditioning who did not play a wrong note. Bandleader Jeff Lynne held the audition.[2]. Kaminski first appeared on ELO's 1973 studio album On the Third Day, playing violin on four tracks.
During his stint in ELO, Kaminski initially tried to imitate his predecessor Wilf Gibson by wearing a cape while playing the violin, but soon acquired his trademark blue violin, which he has played variants of ever since. Kaminski's own band is called Blue Violin.[4]
Kaminski was one of the three remaining string players for the group when Lynne decided to remove them in 1980. However, he performed on the tours for the ELO albums Time and Balance of Power, and on the 1983 single "Rock 'n' Roll Is King". Following ELO's breakup in 1986, Kaminski formed the group Player (later revised to OrKestra) alongside former ELO bassist and vocalist Kelly Groucutt; the pair were joined by former ELO cellist Hugh McDowell several years later. Increasingly dissatisfied with the promotional campaign for OrKestra, Kaminski, Groucutt and McDowell accepted an offer to perform in the debut tour for the ELO spinoff band ELO Part II in 1991 (Kaminski had previously appeared as a guest on one track from Part II's debut album). While promoted as guest artists from OrKestra[5], Kaminski, Groucutt and McDowell performed alongside Part II as a single eight-piece unit during the tour. By 1993, Kaminski and Groucutt dissolved OrKestra and became full-time members of Part II; Kaminski thereby prominently features on the group's second album Moment of Truth, both playing violin on and receiving songwriting credits for several tracks. Kaminski continued to perform with ELO Part II for the remainder of its lifetime [6].
Upon ELO Part II's rebranding as The Orchestra in 2000, Kaminski chose to remain with the band, contributing violin parts to its sole released studio album No Rewind the following year. As of 2024[update], Kaminski continues to perform with the Orchestra and is the only remaining member of the band (following the death of Louis Clark in 2021) to have formerly been involved with the original ELO.
Apart from the hits he had with ELO, in early 1979 Kaminski made the Top 40 of the UK Singles Chart as the frontman of a one-hit wonder group called Violinski, with the single "Clog Dance".[7]
Kaminski was featured as violinist on a selection of tracks from the second studio album, Beauty In Chaos, by the Anglo-Irish acoustic duo Fay & Latta.
References
- ^ "ELO, ELO, ELO! Violinist Mik Kaminski back in Huddersfield for third gig". 18 March 2010. Retrieved 2 September 2021.
- ^ a b "INTERVIEW: ELO violinist Mik Kaminski talks about their Worthing gig" Archived 15 February 2009 at the Wayback Machine, Littlehampton Today, 19 September 2008.
- ^ "The Orchestra Official Website". Archived from the original on 29 April 2015. Retrieved 23 April 2015.
- ^ "ELO are back but not as you know them". Birminghammail.co.uk. 21 April 2013.
- ^ Guttenbacher, Patrik; Haines, Marc; Von Petersdorff, Alexander (1 January 1996). Unexpected Messages. ISBN 6892740790.
- ^ Danny Cox interviews Mik Kaminski, BBC, 2 February 2006.
- ^ Violinski: Clog Dance - The Very Best of Violinski Archived 3 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine at Face The Music
- v
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- Bev Bevan
- Roy Wood
- Richard Tandy
- Mike Edwards
- Wilfred Gibson
- Hugh McDowell
- Mike de Albuquerque
- Colin Walker
- Mik Kaminski
- Kelly Groucutt
- Melvyn Gale
- The Electric Light Orchestra (No Answer)
- ELO 2 (Electric Light Orchestra II)
- On the Third Day
- Eldorado
- Face the Music
- A New World Record
- Out of the Blue
- Discovery
- Time
- Secret Messages
- Balance of Power
- Zoom
- Alone in the Universe
- From Out of Nowhere
- The Night the Light Went On in Long Beach
- Live at Wembley '78
- Live at Winterland '76
- The BBC Sessions
- Live at the BBC
- Electric Light Orchestra Live
- Wembley or Bust
- Xanadu
- Showdown
- Olé ELO
- The Light Shines On
- Three Light Years
- The Light Shines On Vol 2
- ELO's Greatest Hits
- A Box of Their Best
- Four Light Years
- Afterglow
- ELO's Greatest Hits Vol. 2
- The Very Best of the Electric Light Orchestra
- Strange Magic
- Light Years
- Definitive Collection
- Friends & Relatives
- Flashback
- The Ultimate Collection
- The Essential Electric Light Orchestra
- All Over the World
- Ticket to the Moon
- The Essential Electric Light Orchestra (2 CD Edition)
- Mr. Blue Sky
- "10538 Overture"
- "Mr. Radio" (withdrawn)
- "Roll Over Beethoven"
- "Showdown"
- "Ma-Ma-Ma Belle"
- "Can't Get It Out of My Head" / "Illusions in G Major"
- "Boy Blue" / "Eldorado"
- "Evil Woman"
- "Strange Magic"
- "Nightrider"
- "Strange Magic"
- "Livin' Thing" / "Fire On High"
- "Rockaria!"
- "Do Ya"
- "Telephone Line" / "Poor Boy (The Greenwood)"
- "Turn to Stone" / "Mister Kingdom"
- "Mr. Blue Sky" / "One Summer Dream"
- "Sweet Talkin' Woman"
- "Wild West Hero"
- "It's Over"
- "Shine a Little Love"
- "The Diary of Horace Wimp"
- "Don't Bring Me Down"
- "Confusion"
- "Last Train to London"
- "I'm Alive"
- "Xanadu" (with Olivia Newton-John)
- "All Over the World"
- "Don't Walk Away"
- "Hold On Tight"
- "Twilight"
- "Here Is the News" / "Ticket to the Moon"
- "Rain Is Falling"
- "The Way Life's Meant to Be"
- "Rock 'n' Roll Is King"
- "Secret Messages"
- "Four Little Diamonds"
- "Stranger"
- "Calling America"
- "So Serious"
- "Getting to the Point"
- Out of the Blue: Live at Wembley (1980)
- Fusion – Live in London (1990)
- Zoom Tour Live (2001)
- ELO – Total Rock Review (2006)
- Live: The Early Years (2010)
- Jeff Lynne's ELO: Live in Hyde Park (2015)
- Wembley or Bust (2017)
- Louis Clark
- Dave Morgan
- Gregg Bissonette
- Matt Bissonette
- Marc Mann
- Rosie Vela
- Discography
- Members
- Song list
- The Move
- Wizzard
- ELO Part II
- The Orchestra
- Violinski
- Earthrise
- L.E.O.
- Juliana Hatfield Sings ELO
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