Wet Wet Wet
Encyclopedia
Wet Wet Wet are a Scottish
pop rock
band that formed in the 1980s. They scored a number of hits in the British
charts and around the world. The band is composed of Marti Pellow
(vocals), Tommy Cunningham
(drums, vocals), Graeme Clark
(bass, vocals) and Neil Mitchell
(keyboards, vocals). A fifth, unofficial member, Graeme Duffin
(lead guitar, vocals), has been with them since 1983.
, Scotland
, in 1982, under the name Vortex Motion. "It was either crime, the dole
, football, or music - and we chose music," said Cunningham.
Graeme Clark and Tommy Cunningham met on the school bus and became close friends. Mutual friend Neil Mitchell, prompted by his pals' positive attitude, promised to supply keyboards when he could scrape together enough money from his paper round. To complete the quartet, Clark approached Mark McLachlan. He said, "At break we all went behind the kitchen for a fly smoke, and there in the corner was this quiet kid who said very little, but when he sang, everyone listened."
With the line-up complete, rehearsals took place in Mrs. Clark's kitchen. McLachlan sang to the gas cooker, and the musical blend quickly took shape: McLachlan's soul music
influences (from his mother's record collection) — Otis Redding
, Aretha Franklin
and Al Green
; Clark's love of the Clash
, Elvis Costello
and reggae
; Cunningham's penchant for 1960s music — the Beatles
, Long John Baldry
, Roy Orbison
, et al.; and Mitchell's musical tastes included everything from Stevie Wonder
and Jimmy Webb to ABC
and Burt Bacharach
.
Clubs, dominated by the Philadelphia Sound of Barry White
, the O'Jays
, the Three Degrees
, as well as the New York
dance sounds of Donna Summer
, Sister Sledge
, Chic
, etc., would also influence them.
They changed their name to Wet Wet Wet, a title they took from the Scritti Politti
song, Getting Having and Holding, and McLachlan changed his name to stage name
"Marti Pellow".
It was sometime in 1983 that Graeme Duffin joined Wet Wet Wet. He was previously in a 1970s Glasgow-based band called New Celeste, who produced three albums before they broke up. The band combined folk, rock and jazz players.
After obtaining a record deal with PolyGram
in 1985, the band scored their first hit two years later with their debut single "Wishing I Was Lucky
", which reached number six in the UK singles chart
in 1987. "I was in a queue in a chip shop
in Glasgow when it came on Radio Clyde
," Cunningham remembers. "I felt like shouting to everybody, 'That's me and my mates!' It was an incredible feeling I've not forgotten."
The parent album, Popped In Souled Out
, also became a hit and produced three more hit singles, namely "Sweet Little Mystery
", "Temptation
", and "Angel Eyes
". They also supported Lionel Richie
on his UK
tour.
In 1986, the band had contributed a track ("Home and Away", which would later be reworked into "Angel Eyes
") to a compilation cassette entitled Honey at the Core
, featuring then up-and-coming Glasgow bands, including Deacon Blue
and Hue and Cry
.
In 1988, the Wets scored their first Number 1 hit with a cover version of the Beatles
' "With a Little Help from My Friends
", recorded for the charity ChildLine
. Another Beatles song, "She's Leaving Home", was equally-billed on the flip side, performed by Billy Bragg
. In the same year, an album - entitled The Memphis Sessions
- was released from their spell in the USA prior to hitting the big time.
The following year the band released their third album, Holding Back the River
, which was also a success and produced the hit single "Sweet Surrender". The album was well-received, relying more on strings and other classical arrangements. At the end of 1989, Pellow appeared on the Band Aid II charity single.
, which spawned the Number 1 hit single "Goodnight Girl
" - the only self-penned chart-topping single they have had to date. The song proved something of a saviour, as the previous two releases from the album had failed in the singles charts, although the album sold well. In total, five singles were released from it. The following day saw the release of a special-edition album, Cloak & Dagger
.
The band's first greatest-hits package, End of Part One
, was released towards the end of 1993. The eighteen-song selection included "Shed a Tear
" and "Cold Cold Heart
", which were recorded especially for the album and released as singles.
In 1994, Wet Wet Wet had their biggest hit, a cover version of the Troggs
single "Love Is All Around", which was a huge international success and spent fifteen weeks atop the British charts. The week before it could have equalled the record for the longest-standing Number 1 single, held by Bryan Adams
' "(Everything I Do) I Do It for You
", Pellow insisted on its deletion (he was bored with its chart domination and overheard people complaining about it). However, it would not have broken the record, only tied it as there were still enough copies in the shops to be bought as the song slipped to #2 the week after its deletion. In any event, it remained in the Top 40 for the remainder of the year. "Love Is All Around" was used on the soundtrack to the film Four Weddings and a Funeral
. In the official UK best-selling singles list issued in 2002, it was placed 12th. The song also featured on the 1995 album Picture This
, their sixth, which also spawned the hit single "Julia Says
". The album, although well-received by critics, would ultimately live in the shadow of "Love Is All Around".
Around this time, the Wets became the shirt sponsors of their hometown football club, Clydebank
.
During the rest of the 1990s the band maintained a strong UK following, although success in the singles charts became more sporadic. Their seventh studio album, 1997's 10
, celebrated the group's decade at the top.
After the tour in support of 10, things turned sour over a dispute about royalty-sharing. Revenue from the group's songwriting had been a four-way equal split. Cunningham turned up for what he thought was a routine band meeting, only to discover the real reason was that the other three members wanted to revise the policy, paying the drummer a lesser amount. Cunningham quit the group, later forming The Sleeping Giants.
In 1999 Pellow also quit, and went into rehab to battle a debilitating heroin addiction.
.
In March 2004, the band cautiously reformed in order to work on an eighth album. A single entitled "All I Want
" was released in November 2004 from the band's second Greatest Hits
, released a week later. They undertook a successful tour of the UK the following month.
In July 2005, Wet Wet Wet played at the Summer Weekender festival in England, and were one of the headline acts at Live 8 Edinburgh in Scotland.
In September 2006, The Mail on Sunday
gave away, over two consecutive weekends, two CDs of live performances by the Wets, with ten songs in each volume. Volume One included performances of "Sweet Little Mystery
", "Goodnight Girl
", "All I Want
", "Love Is All Around", "Somewhere Somehow
", "Wishing I Was Lucky
", "I Don't Wanna Fight Anymore", "Sweet Surrender", "Angel Eyes (Home and Away)
" and "East of the River". Volume Two featured "With a Little Help from My Friends
", "Julia Says
", "Hold Back the River
", "(Feels Like I'm) Walking on Water", "Lip Service
", "Don't Want to Forgive Me Now
", "Gypsy Girl", "Temptation
", "I Can Give You Everything" and "Learn From Each Mistake". Graeme Duffin
featured on guitar, while Dave Phillips (bass
), Paul Spong (trumpet
), Neil Sidwell (trombone
) and Jamie Talboy (saxophone
) also assisted.
In October 2006, Graeme Clark posted on the band's website that the album that was rumoured to be released in 2004 is due out at the end of 2006 or early in 2007.
On December 31, 2006, Wet Wet Wet were the headline act for Aberdeen
's Hogmanay
celebrations when the celebrations in all other Scottish cities was held off because of strong winds and heavy rain. They performed thirteen songs in an hour-long set.
A single, "Too Many People
", was released on November 5, 2007, and its parent album, Timeless
, on November 12. These preceded a sold-out December tour, a taste of which was given at their Newmarket concert in August. In preparation for the tour, the band also announced that they will be playing two intimate dates at zavvi stores in Glasgow and London in November. "Weightless
", the second single from the album, was released on February 4 and charted at Number 10, giving them their first top-ten hit in eleven years. The song dropped from Number 10 to 96 a week later - the largest-ever fall for a top-ten single in the UK, beating the previous record held by The Wedding Present
in 1992, for their single "Come Play With Me".
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...
pop rock
Pop rock
Pop rock is a music genre which mixes a catchy pop style and light lyrics in its guitar-based rock songs. There are varying definitions of the term, ranging from a slower and mellower form of rock music to a subgenre of pop music...
band that formed in the 1980s. They scored a number of hits in the 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...
charts and around the world. The band is composed of Marti Pellow
Marti Pellow
Marti Pellow has been the lead singer of the Scottish pop group Wet Wet Wet since their formation in 1982. He has also recorded solo material.-Early life:...
(vocals), Tommy Cunningham
Tommy Cunningham
Thomas "Tommy" Cunningham is a Scottish musician, best known as the drummer for Wet Wet Wet.Cunningham's father, Tom Sr., bought his son his first drum kit in 1977, "down the Social Club for £15"...
(drums, vocals), Graeme Clark
Graeme Clark (musician)
Graeme Clark is a Scottish musician, best known as the bass guitarist for Wet Wet Wet.In 1977, at the age of 12, Clark, a pupil at Clydebank High School, bought his first guitar for £10. Shortly thereafter, a chance meeting with Tommy Cunningham on the school bus brought the two together.-External...
(bass, vocals) and Neil Mitchell
Neil Mitchell (musician)
Neil Mitchell is a Scottish musician, best known as the keyboard player for Wet Wet Wet.In June 2010, Mitchell was ordered to take part in a domestic violence programme after he admitted assaulting his girlfriend, Olivia Warren, in July 2009.-External links:*...
(keyboards, vocals). A fifth, unofficial member, Graeme Duffin
Graeme Duffin
Graeme Duffin has been the lead guitarist for the Scottish pop band Wet Wet Wet since 1983. However he did not appear in band photographs or interviews. The band were suspected of keeping him hidden for image purposes but it may have been Duffin's own choice due to his stammer...
(lead guitar, vocals), has been with them since 1983.
1980s
The quartet formed at Clydebank High School in ClydebankClydebank
Clydebank is a town in West Dunbartonshire, in the Central Lowlands of Scotland. Situated on the north bank of the River Clyde, Clydebank borders Dumbarton, the town with which it was combined to form West Dunbartonshire, as well as the town of Milngavie in East Dunbartonshire, and the Yoker and...
, Scotland
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...
, in 1982, under the name Vortex Motion. "It was either crime, the dole
Unemployment benefit
Unemployment benefits are payments made by the state or other authorized bodies to unemployed people. Benefits may be based on a compulsory para-governmental insurance system...
, football, or music - and we chose music," said Cunningham.
Graeme Clark and Tommy Cunningham met on the school bus and became close friends. Mutual friend Neil Mitchell, prompted by his pals' positive attitude, promised to supply keyboards when he could scrape together enough money from his paper round. To complete the quartet, Clark approached Mark McLachlan. He said, "At break we all went behind the kitchen for a fly smoke, and there in the corner was this quiet kid who said very little, but when he sang, everyone listened."
With the line-up complete, rehearsals took place in Mrs. Clark's kitchen. McLachlan sang to the gas cooker, and the musical blend quickly took shape: McLachlan's soul music
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
influences (from his mother's record collection) — Otis Redding
Otis Redding
Otis Ray Redding, Jr. was an American soul singer-songwriter, record producer, arranger and talent scout. He is considered one of the major figures in soul and R&B...
, Aretha Franklin
Aretha Franklin
Aretha Louise Franklin is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. Although known for her soul recordings and referred to as The Queen of Soul, Franklin is also adept at jazz, blues, R&B, gospel music, and rock. Rolling Stone magazine ranked her atop its list of The Greatest Singers of All...
and Al Green
Al Green
Albert Greene , better known as Al Green, is an American gospel and soul music singer. He reached the peak of his popularity in the 1970s, with hit singles such as "You Oughta Be With Me", "I'm Still In Love With You", "Love and Happiness", and "Let's Stay Together"...
; Clark's love of the Clash
The Clash
The Clash were an English punk rock band that formed in 1976 as part of the original wave of British punk. Along with punk, their music incorporated elements of reggae, ska, dub, funk, rap, dance, and rockabilly...
, Elvis Costello
Elvis Costello
Elvis Costello , born Declan Patrick MacManus, is an English singer-songwriter. He came to prominence as an early participant in London's pub rock scene in the mid-1970s and later became associated with the punk/New Wave genre. Steeped in word play, the vocabulary of Costello's lyrics is broader...
and reggae
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
; Cunningham's penchant for 1960s music — the Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
, Long John Baldry
Long John Baldry
John William "Long John" Baldry was an English and Canadian blues singer and a voice actor. He sang with many British musicians, with Rod Stewart and Elton John appearing in bands led by Baldry in the 1960s. He enjoyed pop success in the UK where Let the Heartaches Begin reached No...
, Roy Orbison
Roy Orbison
Roy Kelton Orbison was an American singer-songwriter, well known for his distinctive, powerful voice, complex compositions, and dark emotional ballads. Orbison grew up in Texas and began singing in a rockabilly/country & western band in high school until he was signed by Sun Records in Memphis...
, et al.; and Mitchell's musical tastes included everything from Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder
Stevland Hardaway Morris , better known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and activist...
and Jimmy Webb to ABC
ABC (band)
ABC are an English band, that charted ten UK and five US Top 40 singles between 1981 and 1990. The band continues to tour and released a new album, Traffic, in 2008.-Formation:...
and Burt Bacharach
Burt Bacharach
Burt F. Bacharach is an American pianist, composer and music producer. He is known for his popular hit songs and compositions from the mid-1950s through the 1980s, with lyrics written by Hal David. Many of their hits were produced specifically for, and performed by, Dionne Warwick...
.
Clubs, dominated by the Philadelphia Sound of Barry White
Barry White
Barry White, born Barry Eugene Carter , was an American composer and singer-songwriter.A five-time Grammy Award-winner known for his distinctive bass voice and romantic image, White's greatest success came in the 1970s as a solo singer and with the Love Unlimited Orchestra, crafting many enduring...
, the O'Jays
The O'Jays
The O'Jays are an American R&B group from Canton, Ohio, formed in 1963 and originally consisting of Eddie Levert , Walter Williams , William Powell , Bobby Massey and Bill Isles. The O'Jays were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2004, and The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2005...
, the Three Degrees
The Three Degrees
The Three Degrees are an American female vocal group. Formed in 1963 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,, the group has always been a trio though there have been a number of personnel changes and a total of fourteen women have represented the group so far. The original members were Fayette Pinkney,...
, as well as the New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
dance sounds of Donna Summer
Donna Summer
LaDonna Adrian Gaines , known by her stage name, Donna Summer, is an American singer/songwriter who gained prominence during the disco era of the 1970s. She has a mezzo-soprano vocal range. Summer is a five-time Grammy winner and was the first artist to have three consecutive double albums reach...
, Sister Sledge
Sister Sledge
Sister Sledge is an American musical group from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, formed in 1972 and consisting of four sisters: Kim Sledge Debbie Sledge , Joni Sledge , and Kathy Sledge . They are granddaughters of the former opera singer Viola Williams. The sisters used to perform under the name of "Mrs...
, Chic
Chic (band)
Chic was an African American disco and R&B band that was organized during 1976 by guitarist Nile Rodgers and bassist Bernard Edwards. It is known best for its commercially successful disco songs, including "Dance, Dance, Dance " , "Everybody Dance" , "Le Freak" , "I Want Your Love" , "Good Times"...
, etc., would also influence them.
They changed their name to Wet Wet Wet, a title they took from the Scritti Politti
Scritti Politti
Scritti Politti are a British band, originally formed in 1977 in Leeds, Yorkshire, England. Although there have been various changes to the line-up, Cardiff-born singer-songwriter Green Gartside was the founding member of the band and the only member to have remained throughout the group's...
song, Getting Having and Holding, and McLachlan changed his name to stage name
Stage name
A stage name, also called a showbiz name or screen name, is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers such as actors, wrestlers, comedians, and musicians.-Motivation to use a stage name:...
"Marti Pellow".
It was sometime in 1983 that Graeme Duffin joined Wet Wet Wet. He was previously in a 1970s Glasgow-based band called New Celeste, who produced three albums before they broke up. The band combined folk, rock and jazz players.
After obtaining a record deal with PolyGram
PolyGram
PolyGram was the name of the major label recording company started by Philips from as a holding company for its music interests in 1945. In 1999 it was sold to Seagram and merged into Universal Music Group.-Hollandsche Decca Distributie , 1929-1950:...
in 1985, the band scored their first hit two years later with their debut single "Wishing I Was Lucky
Wishing I Was Lucky
"Wishing I Was Lucky" was the debut single by Wet Wet Wet. It was taken from their 1987 album Popped In Souled Out. It was released on 6 April 1987 and was their first hit, peaking at #6 on the UK Singles Chart....
", which reached number six in the UK singles chart
UK Singles Chart
The 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 ...
in 1987. "I was in a queue in a chip shop
Fish and chips
Fish and chips is a popular take-away food in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand and Canada...
in Glasgow when it came on Radio Clyde
Radio Clyde
Radio Clyde is a division of Bauer Radio based in Glasgow, Scotland. They currently operate an FM station and an AM station from studios in Clydebank West Dunbartonshire.- History :...
," Cunningham remembers. "I felt like shouting to everybody, 'That's me and my mates!' It was an incredible feeling I've not forgotten."
The parent album, Popped In Souled Out
Popped In Souled Out
Popped In Souled Out is the debut album by Wet Wet Wet. It was released on 28 September 1987. Its offspring singles were "Wishing I Was Lucky", "Sweet Little Mystery", "Angel Eyes " and "Temptation". Upon release, it reached #2 in the UK album chart, held off top spot by Michael Jackson's Bad...
, also became a hit and produced three more hit singles, namely "Sweet Little Mystery
Sweet Little Mystery
"Sweet Little Mystery" was the second single from Wet Wet Wet's debut album, Popped In Souled Out. It was released on 20 July 1987 and reached #5 in the UK charts....
", "Temptation
Temptation (Wet Wet Wet song)
"Temptation" was the fourth and final single from Wet Wet Wet's debut album, Popped In Souled Out. It was released on March 7, 1988, and reached number 12 on the UK Singles Chart....
", and "Angel Eyes
Angel Eyes (Home and Away)
"Angel Eyes " was the third single from Wet Wet Wet's debut album, Popped In Souled Out. It was released on 30 November 1987 and reached #5 in the UK charts....
". They also supported Lionel Richie
Lionel Richie
Lionel Brockman Richie, Jr. , is an American singer-songwriter, musician and record producer. Since 1968, he has been a member of the musical group Commodores signed to Motown Records...
on his 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...
tour.
In 1986, the band had contributed a track ("Home and Away", which would later be reworked into "Angel Eyes
Angel Eyes (Home and Away)
"Angel Eyes " was the third single from Wet Wet Wet's debut album, Popped In Souled Out. It was released on 30 November 1987 and reached #5 in the UK charts....
") to a compilation cassette entitled Honey at the Core
Honey at the Core
Honey at the Core was the name given to two compilation cassettes of then up-and-coming Scottish rock artists issued in the 1980s and 1990s.The first cassette - which came together with a fanzine giving further details of the artists - was released in 1986 having been compiled by future Glasgow...
, featuring then up-and-coming Glasgow bands, including Deacon Blue
Deacon Blue
Deacon Blue are a Scottish pop band formed in Glasgow during 1985. Their name was taken from the title of the Steely Dan song "Deacon Blues". The band consists of vocalist Ricky Ross and Lorraine McIntosh, keyboard player James Prime and drummer Dougie Vipond....
and Hue and Cry
Hue and Cry
Hue and Cry is a pop duo formed in 1983 in Coatbridge, Scotland by the brothers Pat Kane and Greg Kane . They had a number of modest hits in the UK Singles Chart in the late 1980s, and early 1990s, and have released sixteen albums from 1987 to date.-Career:Their first single "Here Comes...
.
In 1988, the Wets scored their first Number 1 hit with a cover version of the Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
' "With a Little Help from My Friends
With a Little Help from My Friends
-Joe Cocker version:Joe Cocker's version was a radical re-arrangement of the original, in a slower, 6/8 meter, using different chords in the middle eight, and a lengthy instrumental introduction...
", recorded for the charity ChildLine
ChildLine
ChildLine is a free 24 hour counselling service for children and young people up to 18 in the UK provided by the NSPCC. ChildLine deals with any issue which causes distress or concern, common issues dealt with include child abuse, bullying, parental separation or divorce, pregnancy and substance...
. Another Beatles song, "She's Leaving Home", was equally-billed on the flip side, performed by Billy Bragg
Billy Bragg
Stephen William Bragg , better known as Billy Bragg, is an English alternative rock musician and left-wing activist. His music blends elements of folk music, punk rock and protest songs, and his lyrics mostly deal with political or romantic themes...
. In the same year, an album - entitled The Memphis Sessions
The Memphis Sessions
The Memphis Sessions is the second studio album by Wet Wet Wet. It was released on 7 November 1988, but it was actually recorded prior to their debut album, 1987's Popped In Souled Out...
- was released from their spell in the USA prior to hitting the big time.
The following year the band released their third album, Holding Back the River
Holding Back the River
Holding Back the River is the third studio album by Wet Wet Wet. It was released on October 30, 1989. Its offspring singles were "Sweet Surrender", "Broke Away", "Hold Back the River" and "Stay With Me Heartache ". The album reached #2 in the charts...
, which was also a success and produced the hit single "Sweet Surrender". The album was well-received, relying more on strings and other classical arrangements. At the end of 1989, Pellow appeared on the Band Aid II charity single.
1990s
In 1992, the band released a fourth studio album, entitled High on the Happy SideHigh on the Happy Side
High on the Happy Side is the fourth studio album by Wet Wet Wet. It was released on 27 January 1992, and reached the top of the charts on 8 February...
, which spawned the Number 1 hit single "Goodnight Girl
Goodnight Girl
"Goodnight Girl" is the third single from Wet Wet Wet's fourth studio album, High on the Happy Side. It was released on 23 December 1991, and was the second of the band's three UK number-one singles , but the only one to be self-penned...
" - the only self-penned chart-topping single they have had to date. The song proved something of a saviour, as the previous two releases from the album had failed in the singles charts, although the album sold well. In total, five singles were released from it. The following day saw the release of a special-edition album, Cloak & Dagger
Cloak & Dagger (Wet Wet Wet album)
Cloak & Dagger is a special-edition fifth studio album by Wet Wet Wet. It was released on 28 January 1992, the day after their fourth album, High on the Happy Side. The band billed themselves as fake veteran act Maggie Pie & The Impostors...
.
The band's first greatest-hits package, End of Part One
End of Part One: Their Greatest Hits
End of Part One: Their Greatest Hits is a compilation album by Wet Wet Wet. It was released on 8 November 1993. The final two tracks — "Shed a Tear" and "Cold Cold Heart" — were recorded especially for the album, and were released as the album's singles. The album reached #4 in the chart the first...
, was released towards the end of 1993. The eighteen-song selection included "Shed a Tear
Shed a Tear
"Shed a Tear" was a single by Wet Wet Wet recorded especially for their first greatest-hits album, End of Part One. It was released on 25 October 1993 and reached #22 in the UK Singles Chart....
" and "Cold Cold Heart
Cold Cold Heart (Wet Wet Wet song)
"Cold Cold Heart" is a song by Wet Wet Wet, released as a single, specially recorded for their first Greatest Hits album, End of Part One. It was released on 27 December 1993, and reached number 23 on the UK Singles Chart....
", which were recorded especially for the album and released as singles.
In 1994, Wet Wet Wet had their biggest hit, a cover version of the Troggs
The Troggs
The Troggs are an English rock band from the 1960s that had a number of hits in UK and the US. Their most famous songs include, "Wild Thing", "With a Girl Like You", and "Love Is All Around"...
single "Love Is All Around", which was a huge international success and spent fifteen weeks atop the British charts. The week before it could have equalled the record for the longest-standing Number 1 single, held by Bryan Adams
Bryan Adams
Bryan Adams, is a Canadian rock singer-songwriter, guitarist, bassist, producer, actor and photographer. Adams has won dozens of awards and nominations, including 20 Juno Awards among 56 nominations. He has also received 15 Grammy Award nominations including a win for Best Song Written...
' "(Everything I Do) I Do It for You
(Everything I Do) I Do It for You
" I Do It for You" is a power ballad performed by Bryan Adams and co-written with Michael Kamen and Robert John "Mutt" Lange, featured on the soundtrack album from the 1991 film Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves and on Adams' album Waking Up the Neighbours...
", Pellow insisted on its deletion (he was bored with its chart domination and overheard people complaining about it). However, it would not have broken the record, only tied it as there were still enough copies in the shops to be bought as the song slipped to #2 the week after its deletion. In any event, it remained in the Top 40 for the remainder of the year. "Love Is All Around" was used on the soundtrack to the film Four Weddings and a Funeral
Four Weddings and a Funeral
Four Weddings and a Funeral is a 1994 British comedy film directed by Mike Newell. It was the first of several films by screenwriter Richard Curtis to feature Hugh Grant...
. In the official UK best-selling singles list issued in 2002, it was placed 12th. The song also featured on the 1995 album Picture This
Picture This (Wet Wet Wet album)
Picture This is the sixth studio album by Wet Wet Wet. It was released on 10 April 1995. Its six offspring singles were "Love Is All Around", "Julia Says", "Don't Want to Forgive Me Now", "Somewhere Somehow", "She's All on My Mind" and "Morning"...
, their sixth, which also spawned the hit single "Julia Says
Julia Says
"Julia Says" is a song by Wet Wet Wet, released as the second single from their sixth studio album, Picture This. It was released on 13 March 1995 and peaked at number 3 on the UK Singles Chart....
". The album, although well-received by critics, would ultimately live in the shadow of "Love Is All Around".
Around this time, the Wets became the shirt sponsors of their hometown football club, Clydebank
Clydebank F.C.
Clydebank Football Club are a Scottish football club based in the town of Clydebank, West Dunbartonshire, near Yoker. The present club, formed in 2003, is a member of the Scottish Junior Football Association, and currently plays in West Super League Premier Division...
.
During the rest of the 1990s the band maintained a strong UK following, although success in the singles charts became more sporadic. Their seventh studio album, 1997's 10
10 (Wet Wet Wet album)
10 is the seventh studio album by Wet Wet Wet. It was released on 3 March 1997, to mark the release of their debut album, Popped In Souled Out, a decade earlier. Its three offspring singles were "If I Never See You Again", "Strange" and "Yesterday/Maybe I'm in Love"...
, celebrated the group's decade at the top.
After the tour in support of 10, things turned sour over a dispute about royalty-sharing. Revenue from the group's songwriting had been a four-way equal split. Cunningham turned up for what he thought was a routine band meeting, only to discover the real reason was that the other three members wanted to revise the policy, paying the drummer a lesser amount. Cunningham quit the group, later forming The Sleeping Giants.
In 1999 Pellow also quit, and went into rehab to battle a debilitating heroin addiction.
2000s
Pellow succeeded in kicking his habit, and returned to the public eye in 2001 with his debut solo album, SmileSmile (Marti Pellow album)
Smile is the debut solo album by Wet Wet Wet frontman Marti Pellow. It was released on 4 June 2001. The album's offspring singles were "Close to You" and "I've Been Around the World"....
.
In March 2004, the band cautiously reformed in order to work on an eighth album. A single entitled "All I Want
All I Want (Wet Wet Wet song)
"All I Want" was a single from Wet Wet Wet's second greatest hits compilation. It was released on 1 November 2004.-Track listings:CD 1:#"All I Want"#"Learn From Each Mistake"CD 2:#"All I Want"#"I Don't Wanna Fight Anymore"...
" was released in November 2004 from the band's second Greatest Hits
Wet Wet Wet: The Greatest Hits
The Greatest Hits is a compilation album by Wet Wet Wet. It was released on November 8, 2004, the band's first release since disbanding seven years earlier. "All I Want" was recorded especially for the compilation and released as a single a week before the album...
, released a week later. They undertook a successful tour of the UK the following month.
In July 2005, Wet Wet Wet played at the Summer Weekender festival in England, and were one of the headline acts at Live 8 Edinburgh in Scotland.
In September 2006, The Mail on Sunday
The Mail on Sunday
The Mail on Sunday is a British conservative newspaper, currently published in a tabloid format. First published in 1982 by Lord Rothermere, it became Britain's biggest-selling Sunday newspaper following the closing of The News of the World in July 2011...
gave away, over two consecutive weekends, two CDs of live performances by the Wets, with ten songs in each volume. Volume One included performances of "Sweet Little Mystery
Sweet Little Mystery
"Sweet Little Mystery" was the second single from Wet Wet Wet's debut album, Popped In Souled Out. It was released on 20 July 1987 and reached #5 in the UK charts....
", "Goodnight Girl
Goodnight Girl
"Goodnight Girl" is the third single from Wet Wet Wet's fourth studio album, High on the Happy Side. It was released on 23 December 1991, and was the second of the band's three UK number-one singles , but the only one to be self-penned...
", "All I Want
All I Want (Wet Wet Wet song)
"All I Want" was a single from Wet Wet Wet's second greatest hits compilation. It was released on 1 November 2004.-Track listings:CD 1:#"All I Want"#"Learn From Each Mistake"CD 2:#"All I Want"#"I Don't Wanna Fight Anymore"...
", "Love Is All Around", "Somewhere Somehow
Somewhere Somehow
"Somewhere Somehow" is a song by Wet Wet Wet, released as the fourth single from their sixth studio album, Picture This. It was released on 18 September 1995....
", "Wishing I Was Lucky
Wishing I Was Lucky
"Wishing I Was Lucky" was the debut single by Wet Wet Wet. It was taken from their 1987 album Popped In Souled Out. It was released on 6 April 1987 and was their first hit, peaking at #6 on the UK Singles Chart....
", "I Don't Wanna Fight Anymore", "Sweet Surrender", "Angel Eyes (Home and Away)
Angel Eyes (Home and Away)
"Angel Eyes " was the third single from Wet Wet Wet's debut album, Popped In Souled Out. It was released on 30 November 1987 and reached #5 in the UK charts....
" and "East of the River". Volume Two featured "With a Little Help from My Friends
With a Little Help from My Friends
-Joe Cocker version:Joe Cocker's version was a radical re-arrangement of the original, in a slower, 6/8 meter, using different chords in the middle eight, and a lengthy instrumental introduction...
", "Julia Says
Julia Says
"Julia Says" is a song by Wet Wet Wet, released as the second single from their sixth studio album, Picture This. It was released on 13 March 1995 and peaked at number 3 on the UK Singles Chart....
", "Hold Back the River
Hold Back the River
"Hold Back the River" is the third single from Wet Wet Wet's third studio album, Holding Back the River. It was released on 11 March 1990 and peaked at number 31 on the UK Singles Chart.Title lyric: Somebody's gotta hold back the river....
", "(Feels Like I'm) Walking on Water", "Lip Service
Lip Service (Wet Wet Wet song)
"Lip Service" is the fifth and final single from Wet Wet Wet's fourth studio album, High on the Happy Side. It was released on 29 June 1992 and peaked at number 15 in the UK Singles Chart.Title lyric: Your lip service getting right out of order....
", "Don't Want to Forgive Me Now
Don't Want to Forgive Me Now
"Don't Want to Forgive Me Now" is a song by Wet Wet Wet, released as the third single from their sixth studio album, Picture This. It was released on 5 June 1995...
", "Gypsy Girl", "Temptation
Temptation (Wet Wet Wet song)
"Temptation" was the fourth and final single from Wet Wet Wet's debut album, Popped In Souled Out. It was released on March 7, 1988, and reached number 12 on the UK Singles Chart....
", "I Can Give You Everything" and "Learn From Each Mistake". Graeme Duffin
Graeme Duffin
Graeme Duffin has been the lead guitarist for the Scottish pop band Wet Wet Wet since 1983. However he did not appear in band photographs or interviews. The band were suspected of keeping him hidden for image purposes but it may have been Duffin's own choice due to his stammer...
featured on guitar, while Dave Phillips (bass
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
), Paul Spong (trumpet
Trumpet
The trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
), Neil Sidwell (trombone
Trombone
The trombone is a musical instrument in the brass family. Like all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player’s vibrating lips cause the air column inside the instrument to vibrate...
) and Jamie Talboy (saxophone
Saxophone
The saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
) also assisted.
In October 2006, Graeme Clark posted on the band's website that the album that was rumoured to be released in 2004 is due out at the end of 2006 or early in 2007.
On December 31, 2006, Wet Wet Wet were the headline act for Aberdeen
Aberdeen
Aberdeen is Scotland's third most populous city, one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas and the United Kingdom's 25th most populous city, with an official population estimate of ....
's Hogmanay
Hogmanay
Hogmanay is the Scots word for the last day of the year and is synonymous with the celebration of the New Year in the Scottish manner...
celebrations when the celebrations in all other Scottish cities was held off because of strong winds and heavy rain. They performed thirteen songs in an hour-long set.
A single, "Too Many People
Too Many People (Wet Wet Wet song)
"Too Many People" is a pop song by Scottish group Wet Wet Wet. It is the first single lifted from their comeback album, Timeless. It was released on 5 November 2007 in the United Kingdom, as stated on the band's official website.-Tracklists:...
", was released on November 5, 2007, and its parent album, Timeless
Timeless (Wet Wet Wet album)
Timeless is the eighth studio album from Wet Wet Wet, and their first in ten years. The album was released on 12 November 2007.The sleeve artwork is designed by Klaus Voorman, who also designed the artwork for The Beatles album Revolver....
, on November 12. These preceded a sold-out December tour, a taste of which was given at their Newmarket concert in August. In preparation for the tour, the band also announced that they will be playing two intimate dates at zavvi stores in Glasgow and London in November. "Weightless
Weightless (Wet Wet Wet song)
"Weightless" is a pop song by Scottish group Wet Wet Wet. It is the second single lifted from their comeback album, Timeless. Released on 4 February 2008, it reached #10 on the UK singles chart, becoming their first single to chart inside the UK Top 10 since 1997. However, the following week it...
", the second single from the album, was released on February 4 and charted at Number 10, giving them their first top-ten hit in eleven years. The song dropped from Number 10 to 96 a week later - the largest-ever fall for a top-ten single in the UK, beating the previous record held by The Wedding Present
The Wedding Present
The Wedding Present are a British indie rock group based in Leeds, England, formed in 1985 from the ashes of the Lost Pandas. The band's music has evolved from fast-paced indie rock in the vein of their most obvious influences The Fall, Buzzcocks and Gang of Four to more varied forms...
in 1992, for their single "Come Play With Me".
Maggie Pie & The Impostors
"Maggie Pie & The Impostors" was the name assumed by the band for their 1992 album Cloak & Dagger. "Maggie Pie" was Marti Pellow, and the "impostors" were (on album cover, clockwise from top left) Neil Mitchell, Graeme Duffin, Tommy Cunningham, and Graeme Clark.External links
- Wet Wet Wet Official Web site
- Clydebank Through A Lens — a documentary about Clydebank from the 1960s to '80s, featuring Tommy Cunningham