Editing World Party (section)

===''Egyptology'' (and "She's the One"), ''Dumbing Up'', Wallinger's aneurysm and hiatus===

Written following the death of Wallinger's mother, World Party's fourth album, ''[[Egyptology (album)|Egyptology]]'', was released in 1997. A single, "Beautiful Dream", only reached No. 31 in the British charts;<ref name=UKchart>{{Cite web|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/23923/world-party/|title=WORLD PARTY|website=Officialcharts.com|access-date=11 May 2024}}</ref> and the album itself was commercially unsuccessful. Wallinger severed ties with his record label, regained his back catalogue in 1998, and began a three-year break.<ref name="mojo337" />

Wallinger's discouragement with being shuffled from label to label (Ensign to Charisma to EMI) due to corporate takeovers had a lot to do with the break and his desire for practical independence.<ref name="mojo337" /> In 2012, he explained "basically my last fax or whatever it was to EMI was literally just like "fuck off"... At that point I just said "tell them we don’t want any more money, just say give me back the catalogue and I'll walk and we'll call it a day". Just to demonstrate how little it mattered to them, they said yes. It ended up on the front cover of ''[[Music Week]]''... It was great to get my music back because otherwise they can do anything with it, they can just put it on a shelf, anything. Getting control of that back was the essence of being able to survive really, because since then I've had tracks in films and in television programmes and the money's come to me instead of a black hole as it was with EMI. And also when you're doing your own thing, it's much nicer because you can surround yourself with people you want to be surrounded with."<ref name=godisinthetv18092012>[https://www.godisinthetvzine.co.uk/2012/09/18/interview-karl-wallinger-of-world-party/ Mike Hughes - In Conversation - September 18, 2012 - Interview – Karl Wallinger of World Party] - interview in ''God is in the TV'', 18 September 2012</ref>

Meanwhile, in January 1997, Chambers had departed the band in order to accept the role of musical director for [[Robbie Williams]]. This, in turn, led to Williams re-recording an ''Egyptology'' track, "[[She's the One (World Party song)|She's the One]]" (which had won Wallinger an [[Ivor Novello Award]] in 1997),<ref name="kwobituaryguardian" /> and releasing it as a single in November 1999. The Williams version reached No. 1 in the UK charts.<ref name="kwobituaryguardian" /> Chris Sharrock, plus World Party's touring bassist of the time, performed on the new version, which was very similar to the World Party original apart from the addition of string orchestra parts. Wallinger was not informed about either the recording of the cover version or the involvement of members of his own band, later commenting "it was very strange. Nobody phoned me to say they were doing it, and they used the band I’d just been on the road with to record it. It also annoyed me that Robbie didn’t sing the right words. It was a weird one: you lose your friends but you make loads of money."<ref name=telegraphbacon />

Wallinger was further annoyed when Sharrock subsequently quit World Party to join Chambers in Williams' live band.
He would later admit to having experienced "ongoing bitterness" and that "the song had a much better time than me, popping off to the Brits while I was at home eating crackers dipped in water".<ref name=telegraphbacon /> In 2012, he recalled "at the time it seemed horribly clandestine and then Robbie stole my band and I was like, "What are you doing, guys?"..."<ref name="mojo337" />

With Catlin-Birch still on board, Wallinger released a fifth World Party album, ''[[Dumbing Up]]'', in 2000 (which peaked at No. 64 on the [[UK Albums Chart]]).<ref name=UKchart/> A lone single, "Here Comes the Future", was released the same year, pointedly featuring the original version of "She's the One" as a B-side.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/master/230335-World-Party-Here-Comes-The-Future|title=World Party - Here Comes The Future &#124; Releases &#124; Discogs}}</ref>

Plans were made for touring in spring 2001, only to be cut short by Wallinger sufferering a brain [[aneurysm]] in February 2001 while cycling with his son on a Center Parcs holiday in Suffolk.<ref name=telegraphbacon /> He was left with damaged eyesight plus a prolonged (if temporary) inability to speak, play instruments or carry out any other musical activities.<ref name="kwobituaryguardian" />

All World Party activity was put on hold for five years while Wallinger recuperated and painstakingly learned how to play music again. During this time, he was sustained by royalties from the Williams cover of "She's the One". In 2012, he admitted "thank God they did record it. It kept me and the family in spaghetti when I was ill and couldn’t work."<ref name="mojo337" />