Wendy Wu
Encyclopedia
The Photos were a British new wave
band fronted by Wendy Wu, who had a top 5 album in the UK in 1980.
, Worcestershire
in 1977, with the first stable line-up of Paul Rencher (vocals), Steve Eagles (guitar/vocals), Roy Wilkes (bass guitar), and Olly Harrison (drums). They released three singles as Satans Rats before Wilkes left, to be replaced by Dave Sparrow; and then Rencher left, after which the others deciding to expand the group with the addition of a female singer; They unsuccessfully tried to get Big in Japan
's Jayne Casey to join, but convinced Wendy Wu (born Wendy Cruise, 29 November 1959), the former manager of pub rock
band City Youth to join in 1979. The Photos signed to CBS Records
but moved on to Epic Records
after one single. They released a self-titled album
(Epic, 1980) and number of singles
. These included "I'm so Attractive" and "Barbarellas" (concerning the closure of a Birmingham
nightclub
).
The album was successful, reaching number 4 in the UK Albums Chart
, and Wu's picture was briefly a regular item in the music press
. Initial copies of the vinyl release of the album came with a bonus album, The Blackmail Tapes, the additional tracks also included on the caseette release, and the album was supported by the group performing numerous concert
s around the UK
. The album was later re-released in CD
format, although only a limited number of copies were pressed. The CD was re-released in October 2007 by Cherry Red Records, the label
originally due to have signed the band before they were contracted to CBS
. The re-release includes some additional tracks including "I'm So Attractive".
They released several singles in the UK including "I'm So Attractive". which was added to the U.S.
album release. "I'm So Attractive" was not included on the CD that was released in 1999, along with eight additional tracks from The Blackmail Tapes.
Their scheduled appearance on BBC Television
's Top of the Pops
was cancelled due to industrial action. A second album, Crystal Tips and Mighty Mice, was released in promotional form in 1981, but withdrawn before it reached the shops, and reissued by Cherry Red Records in 2008. Wu left the band in 1981, to be replaced by Che, and The Photos split up later that year.
Wu went on to release some generally poorly-received solo
singles during 1982 and 1983 and joined Steve Strange
to form the duo Strange Cruise
in 1986.
The Photos reformed without Wu, and with Angus Hines replacing Harrison, although this line-up only released one single, "There's Always Work", in 1983. They were joined by Wu for a one-off gig at London's Marquee Club
, before finally disbanding. Steve Eagles became guitarist in Ted Milton
's Blurt
, and later formed Bang Bang Machine
.
New Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
band fronted by Wendy Wu, who had a top 5 album in the UK in 1980.
History
The Photos were originally a punk band named Satan's Rats that formed in EveshamEvesham
Evesham is a market town and a civil parish in the Local Authority District of Wychavon in the county of Worcestershire, England with a population of 22,000. It is located roughly equidistant between Worcester, Cheltenham and Stratford-upon-Avon...
, Worcestershire
Worcestershire
Worcestershire is a non-metropolitan county, established in antiquity, located in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire" NUTS 2 region...
in 1977, with the first stable line-up of Paul Rencher (vocals), Steve Eagles (guitar/vocals), Roy Wilkes (bass guitar), and Olly Harrison (drums). They released three singles as Satans Rats before Wilkes left, to be replaced by Dave Sparrow; and then Rencher left, after which the others deciding to expand the group with the addition of a female singer; They unsuccessfully tried to get Big in Japan
Big in Japan
Big in Japan was a punk band that emerged from Liverpool, England in the late 1970s. They are better known for the later successes of their band members than for their own music...
's Jayne Casey to join, but convinced Wendy Wu (born Wendy Cruise, 29 November 1959), the former manager of pub rock
Pub rock (UK)
Pub rock was a rock music genre that developed in the mid 1970s in the United Kingdom. A back-to-basics movement, pub rock was a reaction against progressive and glam rock. Although short-lived, pub rock was notable for rejecting stadium venues and for returning live rock to the small pubs and...
band City Youth to join in 1979. The Photos signed to CBS Records
CBS Records
CBS Records is a record label founded by CBS Corporation in 2006 to take advantage of music from its entertainment properties owned by CBS Television Studios. The initial label roster consisted of only three artists; rock band Señor Happy and singer/songwriters Will Dailey and P.J...
but moved on to Epic Records
Epic Records
Epic Records is an American record label, owned by Sony Music Entertainment. Though it was originally conceived as a jazz imprint, it has since expanded to represent various genres. L.A...
after one single. They released a self-titled album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
(Epic, 1980) and number of singles
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
. These included "I'm so Attractive" and "Barbarellas" (concerning the closure of a Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
nightclub
Nightclub
A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...
).
The album was successful, reaching number 4 in the UK Albums Chart
UK Albums Chart
The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
, and Wu's picture was briefly a regular item in the music press
Music journalism
Music journalism is criticism and reportage about music. It began in the eighteenth century as comment on what is now thought of as 'classical music'. This aspect of music journalism, today often referred to as music criticism , comprises the study, discussion, evaluation, and interpretation of...
. Initial copies of the vinyl release of the album came with a bonus album, The Blackmail Tapes, the additional tracks also included on the caseette release, and the album was supported by the group performing numerous concert
Concert
A concert is a live performance before an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, a choir, or a musical band...
s around the UK
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...
. The album was later re-released in CD
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
format, although only a limited number of copies were pressed. The CD was re-released in October 2007 by Cherry Red Records, the label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
originally due to have signed the band before they were contracted to CBS
CBS Records
CBS Records is a record label founded by CBS Corporation in 2006 to take advantage of music from its entertainment properties owned by CBS Television Studios. The initial label roster consisted of only three artists; rock band Señor Happy and singer/songwriters Will Dailey and P.J...
. The re-release includes some additional tracks including "I'm So Attractive".
They released several singles in the UK including "I'm So Attractive". which was added to the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
album release. "I'm So Attractive" was not included on the CD that was released in 1999, along with eight additional tracks from The Blackmail Tapes.
Their scheduled appearance on BBC Television
BBC Television
BBC Television is a service of the British Broadcasting Corporation. The corporation, which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a Royal Charter since 1927, has produced television programmes from its own studios since 1932, although the start of its regular service of television...
's Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops, also known as TOTP, is a British music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly from 1 January 1964 to 30 July 2006. After 25 December 2006 it became a radio program, now hosted by Tony Blackburn...
was cancelled due to industrial action. A second album, Crystal Tips and Mighty Mice, was released in promotional form in 1981, but withdrawn before it reached the shops, and reissued by Cherry Red Records in 2008. Wu left the band in 1981, to be replaced by Che, and The Photos split up later that year.
Wu went on to release some generally poorly-received solo
Solo (music)
In music, a solo is a piece or a section of a piece played or sung by a single performer...
singles during 1982 and 1983 and joined Steve Strange
Steve Strange
Steve Strange , is a Welsh pop singer, best known as the lead singer and frontman of the 1980s pop group Visage...
to form the duo Strange Cruise
Strange Cruise
Strange Cruise was the name of a 1980s British pop group, led by former Visage singer Steve Strange and Wendy Wu, the former singer of The Photos...
in 1986.
The Photos reformed without Wu, and with Angus Hines replacing Harrison, although this line-up only released one single, "There's Always Work", in 1983. They were joined by Wu for a one-off gig at London's Marquee Club
Marquee Club
The Marquee was a music club first located at 165 Oxford Street, London, England when it opened in 1958 with a range of jazz and skiffle acts.It was also the location of the first ever live performance by The Rolling Stones on 12 July 1962....
, before finally disbanding. Steve Eagles became guitarist in Ted Milton
Ted Milton
Ted Milton is an English poet and musician, best known for leading the Blurt, an experimental jazz-rock group.Milton grew up in Africa, Canada and Great Britain. He published some early poems in magazines like Paris Review...
's Blurt
Blurt
Blurt is a British musical group founded by the poet, saxophonist and puppeteer Ted Milton in 1979 in Stroud, Gloucestershire; with Milton's brother Jake Milton, formerly of psychedelic group Quintessence, on drums and Peter Creese on guitar...
, and later formed Bang Bang Machine
Bang Bang Machine
Bang Bang Machine were a cult indie band from Evesham, Worcestershire in England. They formed in 1989 and split up in 1996 after record company troubles.-Career:...
.
Singles
- "In My Love For You" / "Facade" 7" (October 1977), DJM
- "Year of the Rats" / "Louise" 7" (December 1977), DJM
- "You Make Me Sick" / "Louise" 7" (March 1978), DJM
Albums
- What a Bunch of Rodents (2005), Overground - compilation of tracks from the singles plus 13 previously-unreleased tracks
Singles
- "I'm So Attractive" / "Guitar Hero" 7" (November 1979), CBS
- "Irene"/"Barbarellas" / "Shy"/"Crissilla" double-7" (April 1980), Epic - UKUK Singles ChartThe UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
#56 - "Friends" / "Je T'Aime" 7" (July 1980), Epic - withdrawn
- "Now You Tell Me That We're Through" / "Je T'Aime" 7" (September 1980), Epic
- "Life In a Day" / "More Than a Friend" 7" (February 1981), Epic
- "We'll Win" / "You Won't Get to Me" 7" (July 1981), Epic
- "There's Always Work" / "Work Phase" 7"/12" (April 1983), Rialto
Albums
- The Photos (June 1980), Epic - UKUK Albums ChartThe UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
#4 - Crystal Tips and Mighty Mice (March 1981), Epic - withdrawn after promotional copies were released, issued by Cherry RedCherry RedCherry Red is a London-based independent record label formed in 1978.-History:Cherry Red grew from the rock promotion company founded in 1971 to promote rock concerts at the Malvern Winter Gardens...
in 2008
Wendy Wu
- "For Your Love" / "Charlotte" 7" (March 1982), Epic
- "Run Jilly Run" / "Neanderthal Boy" 7" (September 1982), Epic
- "Let Me Go" / "Love Tonight" 7" (October 1983), Epic