The Wonder Stuff
The Wonder Stuff are a British alternative rock band. Originally based in Stourbridge in the West Midlands, England,[1] the band's first lineup released four albums and nearly 20 singles and EPs, enjoying considerable chart and live success in the UK.[2] The band have continued to tour and record since 2000.
The Wonder Stuff
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England
1986–1994, 2000–present
Miles Hunt
Mark Thwaite
Erica Nockalls
Pete Howard
Malc Treece
Tim Sewell
Rob "The Bass Thing" Jones
Martin Gilks
Paul Clifford
Martin Bell
Stuart Quinell
Andres Karu
Fuzz Townshend
Stevie Wyatt
Dan Donnelly
Tony Arthy
Mark McCarthy
Largely the vehicle for the songwriting of Miles Hunt, the band split up with a farewell performance as headliners of the 1994 Phoenix Festival,[3] but reformed in 2000 and have toured and recorded since then, with Hunt the anchor member of all line-ups.
Known for their catchy songs and Hunt's sharp lyrics, the band's sound evolved from guitar pop to include sampling and elements of folk and country. The band - and Hunt in particular — were favourites of the UK music press,[4] and were often associated with fellow Black Country acts Ned's Atomic Dustbin and Pop Will Eat Itself, with whom they have toured throughout their careers.
The band scored one UK number 1 single, their release of "Dizzy" with comedian Vic Reeves, 17 top-20 single hits, and three top-10 albums in the UK.[5] The band also toured internationally, and achieved some success in the United States, where they had six songs on the Billboard Alternative Songs Chart.[6]
History[edit]
Origins and The Eight Legged Groove Machine (1986–1989)[edit]
The original line-up of Miles Hunt (whose uncle Bill Hunt was keyboard player with ELO and Wizzard) on vocals and guitar; Malcolm Treece on guitar and vocals; bassist Rob "The Bass Thing" Jones (died July 1993); and Martin Gilks (died April 2006) on drums grew from Hunt and Treece's collaboration with future members of Pop Will Eat Itself in a band called From Eden that featured Hunt on drums.
The Wonder Stuff were formed on 19 March 1986 (their name reportedly came from a remark made about a very young Hunt by John Lennon[7]) and in September that year recorded a self-financed debut EP, A Wonderful Day. After finding management with Birmingham promoter Les Johnson[8] and signing with Polydor Records for £80,000 in 1987, the group released a series of singles including "Unbearable", "Give Give Give, Me More More More", "A Wish Away" and "It's Yer Money I'm After Baby" (their first Top 40 entry) that featured on their debut album The Eight Legged Groove Machine, which was released in August 1988 (UK No. 18).[9] This preceded a first headlining nineteen-date national tour, 'Groovers on Manoeuvres'.
A non-album single, "Who Wants to Be the Disco King?" was released in March 1989 and was followed by UK, European, and United States tours and appearances at the Reading and Glastonbury festivals.
Melody Maker made The Eight Legged Groove Machine one of their albums of the year for 1988, judging it, "A rollicking debut from the only band with enough wit, energy, charisma and acumen to cross over from loutish grebo into raffish pop."[10]
Hup (1989–1990)[edit]
In September 1989, "Don't Let Me Down, Gently", with its slick, American-shot video, became the Wonder Stuff's first Top-20 hit, heralding the release of second album, Hup, in October (UK No. 5).[9] The album saw the introduction of new band member, Martin Bell, a multi-instrumentalist who contributed violin and banjo,[9] most notably on "Golden Green" (the second single from the album), "Unfaithful" and "Cartoon Boyfriend". Several shows during the band's 1989 tour featured fellow Black Country acts Ned's Atomic Dustbin and The Sandkings as opening acts.
Jones left the band in December 1989, moving to the United States.[9]
A single, "Circlesquare", was released shortly afterwards, just before Paul Clifford replaced Jones on the bass in the Spring of 1990.[9] This led to a string of live outings for the renewed line-up in mid-1990.
With only one single release in 1990 and no album yet ready, the band put out Eleven Appalling Promos, a collection of video promos, with home video footage showing Hunt, Treece and Gilks giving their (usually critical) commentary between each song. In December the group celebrated their Brit Award nomination by turning down an invitation to the awards show at Wembley Arena, to play at Minsthorpe High School in South Elmsall in response to a fan's letter: a cover version of John Lennon's "Gimme Some Truth", recorded at the show, was included on the "Caught in My Shadow" single.
Never Loved Elvis and chart success (1990–1992)[edit]
Recording for a third album was started in late 1990 and completed early the following year. The first single from the new album was "The Size of a Cow". Released in March 1991 it became the band's first Top-10 hit, reaching No. 5, (and being nominated for a Brit Award for its video). It was swiftly followed by "Caught in My Shadow" (UK No. 18) in May, before the release of the album Never Loved Elvis in May 1991 (UK No. 3).[9]
After the album release, the band performed a first headlining stadium show at Walsall's Bescot Stadium, attracting 18,000 fans, before embarking on a world tour taking in the UK, Europe and the US. For the tour, the band was augmented by keyboardist Peter Whittaker.
Just after the third single from the album, "Sleep Alone" in September, the group scored a commercial success when they covered Tommy Roe's "Dizzy" with Vic Reeves in 1991, reaching the top of the UK Singles Chart for two weeks in November.[9] The band carried on touring into 1992. They released the single "Welcome to the Cheap Seats" (UK No. 8) in February, which was also the title of their video rockumentary released that Spring after eighteen months of filming on the road with the band.
Touring continued through the latter part of the year, with more dates in the United States (both as headliners and supporting Siouxsie and the Banshees) backed by an appearance on Late Night with David Letterman, performing "Welcome to the Cheap Seats". A further UK tour was complemented with a headlining slot at the 1992 Reading Festival.[11]
Construction for the Modern Idiot (1993–1994)[edit]
After previewing their new material at a few European summer festivals, a new single "On the Ropes" (UK No. 10) was released in September 1993 followed by the album Construction for the Modern Idiot in October 1993 (UK No. 4).[9] Another single "Full of Life (Happy Now)" came out just before Christmas. The band toured Europe before going to the United States in February 1994. A third single "Hot Love Now" (UK No. 19) was released in time for the UK tour in March and, by the time the tour - called 'Idiot Manoeuvres' - came to an end, it was the longest in the band's history with seventy eight dates since the album's release.
Band split and solo projects (1994–2000)[edit]
A planned tour of the Far East and Australia in May was cancelled. The band made no public announcement at that time but a split was announced in June in a fanclub newsletter.
The Wonder Stuff performed the final contracted show on 15 July 1994 as headliners at the Phoenix Festival near Stratford-on-Avon in front of an audience of 30,000. In September, an 18-song compilation If The Beatles Had Read Hunter...The Singles (UK No. 8), a re-issue of the "Unbearable" single (UK No. 16), and a video of their farewell performance from July were released. The Live in Manchester album (recorded in December 1991) was released in July 1995.[9]
During the hiatus between 1994 and 2000, Hunt was involved in several projects. He hosted MTV Europe's 120 Minutes show. He then put together another band, Vent 414, with ex-Senseless Things bassist Morgan Nicholls and later Clash, Eat and Wonder Stuff drummer Peter Howard. They released a self-titled debut album in October 1996, but were soon dropped by Polydor prior to the release of the second album.[12] Hunt started to tour as a solo artist, travelling to the US with Malc Treece, and releasing two albums: Miles Across America, an album of new material, Wonder Stuff tracks and Vent 414 material all reworked for the acoustic guitar, and a live acoustic album By the Time I Got to Jersey (1998). A full studio album, Hairy on the Inside (again featuring Treece and another fellow Wonder Stuff member Martin Bell) was released in April 1999, followed by The Miles Hunt Club in April 2002.[13]
Meanwhile, Treece, Clifford and Gilks formed We Know Where You Live (originally titled WeKnowWhereYouLive), with Ange Dolittle from Eat.[9] They gigged extensively throughout 1995 and 1996 and released two EPs before splitting.