Wang Chung is performing across the United States this June and July as part of the Regeneration Tour 2009. ABC will headline the Regeneration Tour in the US and be joined by Wang Chung, Berlin, Cutting Crew and Missing Persons. The tour will go from June 17 to July 16 through North America. Please be sure to check them out!
Wang Chung came out of the post punk, New Wave scene in the UK and over their career released 5 albums and 2 Greatest Hits, selling millions of records around the world, achieving 6 US Top 40 hits, a number 1 and in the process becoming part of the contemporary culture of North America. Their huge smash Everybody Have Fun Tonight, with it's line 'Everybody Wang Chung tonight', even became a saying in the States .. . . 'to Wang Chung' meaning to have fun. Such notables as Homer Simpson and Frazier namechecked the band on TV and 'Wang Chung' even achieved punchline status in the Austin Powers, The Spy Who Shagged Me movie.
Jack Hues (vocalist/guitarist) and Nick Feldman (bassist/guitarist) form the core duo of Wang Chang. They originally met after Hues answered Feldman's ad for a musician in the classifieds section of the weekly British music magazine Melody Maker in 1977. Soon afterwards, Hues and Feldman joined up with Bud Merrick and Paul Hammond in late 1977/early 1978 to form the punk band The Intellektuals.
In less than a year, the band split up. Hues and Feldman then joined up with future Wang Chung drummer Darren Costin, bassist Leigh Gorman, keyboardist Simon Campbell and vocalist Glenn Gregory, to form 57 Men. This band lasted for about 18 months before breaking up.
Gregory went on to the become the vocalist for Heaven 17 and Gorman later played in Bow Wow Wow. Meanwhile Hues, Feldman and Costin stayed together and in 1979, rechristened themselves Huang Chung, which is Chinese for “perfect pitch” (though they later claimed on American Bandstand it was the sound a guitar made ). The lineup was then augmented by saxophonist David Burnand a.k.a “Hogg Robinson” and after regularly gigging ('in every toilet in town'), the band signed three live tracks to 101 Records compilation album in 1980.
Later in 1980, small independent record company Rewind Records signed the band up for a singles deal, releasing the minor post punk hit "Isn't It About Time We Were on TV?". The group had begun to attract the attention of major labels and Arista Records signed them to a two-album deal in early 1981.
Their self-titled debut, produced by Rhett Davies, producer of Roxy Music, was released by Arista Records in 1982 after several singles, all of which gradually raised the band's profile. In late 1982, Huang Chung returned to the studio to start work on their second album for Arista Records. However, their manager David Massey convinced Arista to close their contract with Huang Chung, and instead placed the band with American label Geffen Records, making the group the second UK-based act to be signed to Geffen worldwide after Asia (not counting then-New York-based John Lennon in 1980). They changed the spelling of their name to Wang Chung (at Geffen’s suggestion, to make pronunciation easier) and in 1984, they released their Abbey Road Studios recorded album Points on the Curve, which yielded two US hits, 'Don’t Let Go' and 'Dance Hall Days', also a worldwide smash. The album was produced by Chris Hughes and Ross Cullum of Tears for Fears/Adam and the Ants fame. They extensively toured the album in Europe and especially the US and Canada, with The Cars and The Romantics. They were fast becoming staples of MTV and radio.
In 1984, Costin left the band and Hues and Feldman continued to record as Wang Chung. They followed up the release of Points On The Curve with a spate of soundtrack work. Director William Friedkin specifically sought out Wang Chung to score his 1985 film To Live and Die in L.A. The resulting soundtrack became the group's third album, constituting 50% instrumental pieces and 50% songs . The movie became a huge hit on the video charts and the album sold very well as a result. The promo video to Wang Chung's title track was also directed by Friedkin himself.
In the same year 1985, the band also recorded "Fire in the Twilight" for John Hughes' seminal film The Breakfast ClubIn 1986, they teamed up with producer Peter Wolf (formerly keyboard player with Frank Zappa) and recorded their third album Mosaic which spawned their biggest hits: 'Everybody Have Fun Tonight' and 'Let’s Go'. Their final US Top 40 single from the album was 'Hypnotize Me' which was also featured on the soundtrack of the 1987 film Innerspace. Once again they toured the world, with acts such as Tina Turner as well as on their own.
Not long after releasing their final album The Warmer Side of Cool in 1989, Wang Chung disbanded in 1990. During the 1990s, Feldman joined up with Jon Moss of Culture Club to form the band Promised Land. They released the club anthem "Something in the Air' on the indie label Big World records and subsequently released their self-titled debut album on Epic US, Promised Land, in 1992. From 1996 - 2006, Feldman went on to do A&R at Warners UK, Sony Europe and SonyBmg signing Bullet For My Valentine and many other acts. In 1995, he co-wrote with Suggs from Madness the lead track, 'I am a Man' to the Hollywood movie the Avengers, which became a UK hit single.
Also in the 1990s, Hues worked on various film soundtracks, including 1990s The Guardian. He was signed to a solo deal by Columbia Records in the early 1990s, and he later teamed up with Tony Banks of Genesis to form the one-off group Strictly Inc, which released a self-titled album in 1995.
1997 saw the return of Wang Chung, still consisting of Hues and Feldman, with a greatest hits collection entitled Everybody Wang Chung Tonight: Wang Chung's Greatest Hits. Included on this CD was a new track, "Space Junk". The group also toured America around this time.
A 2000 edition of Wang Chung once again toured America, with Flock of Seagulls, Gene loves Jezebel, Berlin and Missing Persons
Aside from numerous movie and TV placements of their songs, in 2002, 'Dance Hall Days' was used in the video game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City on Flash FM as well as in the pre-mission cameo when Lance Vance is waiting for Tommy on a dock before raiding a crack house on Prawn Island. In 2006, their song 'Don't Let Go' was used in Vice City's prequel, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories, again on Flash FM.
In March 2005, Wang Chung (once again consisting of Hues and Feldman) contributed 'Akasha', a previously unreleased song, to the Of Hands and Hearts compilation, in response to the 2004 Southeast Asia tsunami crisis.
In June 2005, Hues and Feldman reunited as Wang Chung on the reality TV series on ABC, Hit Me Baby One More Time, performing 'Everybody Have Fun Tonight' and a cover of 'Hot in Herre' by Nelly.
Jack has also been working with his jazz band, The Quartet, releasing 2 albums, 'Illuminated' and 'Shattering' over the last few years.
In the middle of 2009, Wang Chung will be a part of the Regeneration 80's tour along with ABC, Berlin, Cutting Crew, and Heaven 17. They are also about to release an album of new material entitled 'Abducted By The 80's'.
What do you get when you mix Aussie hip hop, 80's beats, smooth sax solos, fretless bass, guitar solos and a heap of groove?? You get our brand new track "CITY LIGHTS"! Check it out! Love PNF.
Greetings Wang Chung fans from all over the world! Visit www.69facesofrock.com and read a very comprehensive interview with Jack Hues. Once you open the main page, click on the Wang Chung logo to get to the feature. Thanks to Jack Hues for making this interview very personal and special. Enjoy it.....and continue to support this great band.
I always loved Wang Chung. Jacks voice is so unique. I like that cool tension in his voice. He sings with an enormous courage. Bravissimo! William Friedkin made a great job when he decided to put Wang Chungs score in his movie. To live and Die is a classic for me. There are not many films with such a highly successful audio-visual amalgamation like To Live and Die and Blade Runner. I hope to hear Jacks The Anatomy Lesson one day... Blessings Charlotte (Dark Daze Music secretary) p.s. a friend of mine asked me once which one of you is Wang and which one Chung. And he seemed quite serious LOL
Just dropping in to say hi, and wish you a SUPER day!!! thanks for being my myspace friend. (drop by my page and sign my guest map) & add me on twitter http://twitter.com/dwilson2010
Hi Nick & Jack. Great meeting the both of you on this tour and really enjoyed conversing with both of you about your past, present and future. Atlanta welcomes you back and keep me posted on any new material forthcoming. If you need any PR assistance, I'm yours. Be blessed, be happy and be safe. Jeremy Kennedy
THANKS FOR THE ADD!! HELP SPREAD THE RED AND TELL EVERYONE YOU KNOW ABOUT JOAN RED. THE 'SIDE EFFECTS OF YOU' TOUR IS KICKIN OFF JULY 7TH STOP BY THEIR PAGE AND CHECK THOSE DATES OUT. CLICK ON THE BANNER BELOW TO GO STRAIGHT THERE. DEBUT ALBUM IS NOW AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER.
!! HELP SPREAD THE RED AND TELL EVERYONE YOU KNOW ABOUT JOAN RED. THE 'SIDE EFFECTS OF YOU' TOUR IS KICKIN OFF JULY 7TH STOP BY THEIR PAGE AND CHECK THOSE DATES OUT. CLICK ON THE BANNER BELOW TO GO STRAIGHT THERE. DEBUT ALBUM IS NOW AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER.
Online Now!
