The Wild Bunch (sound system)
Encyclopedia
The Wild Bunch was a sound system
based in the St Paul's
district of Bristol
, England
from 1983 to 1986. The group was renowned for playing sets that drew large crowds from the club scene and had performed shows as far away as London
. They performed in soundclashes against other Bristol sound systems. The Wild Bunch's sound incorporated a wide and disparate variety of musical styles - an unusual thing at the time. Their shows included elements of punk, R&B and reggae, with a focus on slower rhythms and ambient electronic atmospheres that would become a cornerstone of the Bristol sound, more popularly known as trip-hop. They were a key member of what became the Bristol underground scene
.
The Wild Bunch is perhaps best known for having been the first group of several notable British DJs and performers:
Other members included:
The first Wild Bunch record was a cover of Burt Bacharach's 'The Look of Love', featuring Shara Nelson
on vocals, and released in 1985.
In 2002, DJ Milo released The Wild Bunch - Story of a Sound System, a collection of songs that are representative of the music The Wild Bunch performed. The booklet included with the album contains an extensive history of the group, as well as pictures.
Sound system (DJ)
A sound system is a group of DJs and engineers contributing and working together as one, playing and producing music.-Origin:The sound system concept originated in the 1950s in Kingston, Jamaica. DJs would load up a truck with a generator, turntables, and huge speakers to set up street parties...
based in the St Paul's
St Pauls, Bristol
St Pauls is an inner suburb of Bristol, England, situated just north east of the city centre and west of the M32. It is bounded by the A38, the B4051 and the A4032 roads...
district of Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
from 1983 to 1986. The group was renowned for playing sets that drew large crowds from the club scene and had performed shows as far away as London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. They performed in soundclashes against other Bristol sound systems. The Wild Bunch's sound incorporated a wide and disparate variety of musical styles - an unusual thing at the time. Their shows included elements of punk, R&B and reggae, with a focus on slower rhythms and ambient electronic atmospheres that would become a cornerstone of the Bristol sound, more popularly known as trip-hop. They were a key member of what became the Bristol underground scene
Bristol underground scene
The Bristol underground scene is a term used to describe the culture surrounding trip hop, drum and bass, and graffiti art that has existed in Bristol from the early 1990s to the present....
.
The Wild Bunch is perhaps best known for having been the first group of several notable British DJs and performers:
- Robert Del NajaRobert Del NajaRobert Del Naja , also known as 3D, is an English artist and musician. Initially gaining notoriety as a graffiti artist and member of the Bristol collective known as "The Wild Bunch", Del Naja went on to become a founding member of the band Massive Attack where he is active to this day.-Music:Del...
, Grant MarshallDaddy GDaddy G, , is a British musician and a founding member of the band, Massive Attack.-Music:...
and Andrew VowlesAndrew VowlesAndrew Lee Isaac Vowles , also known as Mushroom, is a founding member of British trip-hop collective Massive Attack.-Early years:Vowles grew up in Bath, attending Newbridge Junior School...
, went on to form Massive AttackMassive AttackMassive Attack are an English DJ and trip hop duo from Bristol, England consisting of Robert "3D" Del Naja and Grant "Daddy G" Marshall. Working with co-producers, as well as various session musicians and guest vocalists, they make records and tour live. The duo are considered to be of the trip...
in 1987. - TrickyTrickyTricky is an English musician and actor. As a producer and a musician, he is noted for a dark, rich and layered sound and a whispering sprechgesang lyrical style. Culturally, Tricky encourages an intertwining of societies, particularly in his musical fusion of rock and hip hop, high art and pop...
, also a part-time member of the outfit, performed with Massive Attack on their first and second full-length releases, Blue LinesBlue Lines-Personnel:* All tracks produced and mixed by Massive Attack, Cameron McVey and Jonny Dollar.** Robert "3D" Del Naja: vocals - keyboards** Grantley "Daddy G" Marshall: vocals** Andrew "Mushroom" Vowles: keyboards# "Safe from Harm"#* Shara Nelson: vocals...
and ProtectionProtection (album)-Sound:Protection was featured in the top ten of Rolling Stone magazine's 'Coolest Albums of All Time List,' calling it "great music for when you're driving around a city at 4 am," due to the 'chill out' nature of the album...
respectively, before pursuing a successful solo career. - Nellee HooperNellee HooperNellee Hooper is a British producer/remixer/composer best known for his work with Björk, No Doubt/Gwen Stefani, Madonna, Sinéad O'Connor, Garbage, Andrea Corr, U2, Sneaker Pimps, Soul II Soul and Massive Attack...
, who moved to London after the group's dissolution and worked as a producer and remixer for a number of major artists, including MadonnaMadonna (entertainer)Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
, U2U2U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
, No DoubtNo DoubtNo Doubt is an American rock band from Anaheim, California that formed in 1986. The ska-pop sound of their first album No Doubt , failed to make an impact...
, BjörkBjörkBjörk Guðmundsdóttir , known as Björk , is an Icelandic singer-songwriter. Her eclectic musical style has achieved popular acknowledgement and popularity within many musical genres, such as rock, jazz, electronic dance music, classical and folk...
and others. He won the 1995 BRIT AwardBrit AwardsThe Brit Awards are the British Phonographic Industry's annual pop music awards. The name was originally a shortened form of "British", "Britain" or "Britannia", but subsequently became a backronym for British Record Industry Trust...
for Best Producer. He was also a member of Soul II SoulSoul II SoulSoul II Soul are a British group that was created in London in 1988. They are best known for their 1989 UK chart-topper and U.S. Top 5 hit, "Back to Life ".-Career:...
.
Other members included:
- Miles Johnson, aka DJ Milo, who subsequently moved to New York and released deep house records as Natureboy.
- Claude Williams, aka Willy Wee
The first Wild Bunch record was a cover of Burt Bacharach's 'The Look of Love', featuring Shara Nelson
Shara Nelson
Shara Nelson is a British singer and songwriter. She is notable for her work with the band Massive Attack in the early 1990s, and for her solo career in which she garnered five UK Top 40 hit singles...
on vocals, and released in 1985.
In 2002, DJ Milo released The Wild Bunch - Story of a Sound System, a collection of songs that are representative of the music The Wild Bunch performed. The booklet included with the album contains an extensive history of the group, as well as pictures.
External links
- http://inflightdata.com/wildbunch.html
- http://www.inkblotmagazine.com/We_Love_Bristol.htm
- http://weldgen.tripod.com/famous-faces-of-bristol/id5.html
- http://www.christopherporter.com/2006/09/return-of-wild-bunch-massi_115946745810345144.html