Wang Chung -

Wang Chung was an English New Wave/modern-rock band that released a self-titled album under the name Huang Chung on Arista in 1982, setting clubs alight with “Ti Na Na” and “China.” On Geffen, they issued Points on the Curve in 1983, charting internationally with “Dance Hall Days.” After scoring William Friedkin’s 1985 action-drama To Live and Die in L.A., their 1986 release Mosaic spawned the Billboard hits “Everybody Have Fun Tonight” and “Let’s Go.”

Members: Jack Hues (lead vocals, guitar), Nick Feldman (bass, vocals), Darren Costin (drums, 1979-85), Hogg Robinson [Dave Burnand] (saxophone, 1981-82)

Background

Wang Chung had its roots in a musical partnership between guitarist/singer Jack Hues and bassist/singer Nick Feldman, who met in the mid-1970s through a musicians-wanted ad placed by Feldman in Melody Maker.

Hues was born Jeremy Allan Ryder on December 10, 1954, in Gillingham, Kent, where he grew up listening to The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, Yes, Genesis, and classical music. He studied music for three years at London’s Goldsmiths College, followed by a year at the Royal College of Music. His stage name, adopted after forming Wang Chung, is a phonetic play on J’Accuse, the title of an 1898 open letter to French president Félix Faure by playwright Émile Zola.

Feldman was borne to a North London Jewish family on May 1, 1955, the son of politician Basil Feldman, Baron Feldman. His aunt was Carry On actress Fenella Fielding. Nick studied psychology for a time at the University of Liverpool, but left to start a music career. He formed a band with his keyboardist friend Mike Smith and ex-Atomic Rooster/Hard Stuff drummer Paul Hammond.

Hues joined the band after answering Feldman’s Melody Maker ad. For 18 months, they skirted London’s burgeoning punk scene as The Intellektuals. The group collapsed when Smith departed for a songwriting contract with Chapman and Chinn.

In late 1977, Hues and Feldman formed 57 Men with bassist Leigh Gorman, drummer Darren Costin, and vocalist Glenn Gregory. This band lasted 18 months, during which Gregory declined an invitation by Sheffield musicians Martyn Ware and Ian Craig Marsh to join their new band, The Human League. (Gregory would later team with Ware and Marsh in Heaven 17.)

After 57 Men collapsed, Gorman joined Adam and the Ants, just before the Ants left Adam to form Bow Wow Wow. Hues and Feldman retained Costin, forming the initial lineup of Huang Chung as a trio. All three played keyboards in addition to their respective instruments. Feldman adopted the stagename Nick De Spig.

Early Output

Huang Chung made their vinyl debut on the multi-artist comp Band’its at Ten O’Clock, released in 1980 on 101 Records. Their contribution, the Hues original “Baby I’m Hu-Man,” appears alongside early tracks by the Thompson Twins and The Comsat Angels.

Later in 1980, Huang Chung signed to small-press Rewind Records and issued their first two singles: “Isn’t It About Time We Were On TV” (b/w “Drive Me Crazy”) and “Stand Still” (b/w “I Dont Wanna Be Like You”). These releases caught the attention of Arista, which signed the band in early 1981.

Huang Chung expanded to a four-piece with saxophonist Dave Burnand, a friend of Hues from the Royal College who went by the stagename Hogg. Their first Arista single, “Hold Back The Tears” (b/w “Journey Without Maps”), appeared in 1981, produced by Rhett Davies (Camel, Roxy Music, The B-52’s, The Quick).

Huang Chung

Huang Chung released their self-titled debut album on March 12, 1982, on Arista. The name of the band/album is phonetic Chinese for 黃鐘, which means “Yellow Bell,” the name of the first note in the Chinese music scale.

The album presents the original four-piece lineup of singer/guitarist Jack Hues, bassist Nick De Spig, drummer Darren ‘Darwin’ Costin, and saxophonist Dave ‘Hogg’ Burnand. Hues adds piano while the others double on sundry percussion.

Huang Chung contains ten Hues originals, including the singles “Ti Na Na,” “Hold Back the Tears,” and the chorused “China,” one of three tracks (along with “Dancing” and “Why Do You Laugh”) co-written by De Spig.

A1. “Ti Na Na” (4:24)
A2. “Hold Back the Tears” (4:05)
A3. “I Never Want to Love You in a Half Hearted Way” (3:12)
A4. “Straight from My Heart” (2:46)
A5. “Dancing” (4:35)

B1. “Chinese Girls” (2:48)
B2. “Why Do You Laugh?” (4:00)
B3. “China” (3:24)
B4. “I Can’t Sleep” (3:15)
B5. “Rising in the East” (5:25)

Sessions occurred in late 1981 at studios in London (Jam, Basing St) and Chertsey (The Gallery). They recorded “China,” “Chinese Girls,” and “Why Do You Laugh” with Roger Bechirian, a new wave soundman (Lene Lovich, The Photos) who remixed the album’s bookend tracks. Bechirian moonlighted as Soldier in Blanket of Secrecy, a phantom trio rumored to be a Huang Chung alter ego. Hogg plays sax on the 1982 BoS album, Ears Have Walls, which includes the Hues/Feldman composition “Lovers.”

Huang Chung recorded the album’s balance with Rhett Davis, an early Eno soundman with production credits on recent titles by After the Fire, The B-52’s, Eye to Eye, and The Quick. Basing St. staffer Nigel Mills engineered Huang Chung in sequence with 1981/82 titles by The Dance, Blue Rondo a la Turk, King Crimson, and Scritti Politti.

Huang Chung appeared in an off-white sleeve with the band name in capitalized res erif font sandwiched by gold bars and the Chinese”Yellow Bell” letters. Alex Feldman (a relative of Nick) created the logo, set to a cover designed by Steve Joule, also credited on Tin Drum, the 1981 studio swan song of Japan. The back cover shows profile pics of each member in New Romantic makeup by rock photojournalist Fin Costello.

“Dance Hall Days”

On October 29, 1982, Huang Chung released “Dance Hall Days,” an advance single from their second album-in-progress for Arista. Hues wrote the song, which appeared as an Arista blue-label 7″ (3:53) with the pre-released b-side “Why Do You Laugh?” The single also appeared as a 12″ dance mix (5:25) with an extended version of “China” (6:58).

Huang Chung recorded the song with Talk Talk producer Tim Friese-Green. Despite its failure to chart, the band’s manager, David Massey, saw transatlantic potential in “Dance Hall Days.” He freed Huang Chung from their Arista contract and signed them with Geffen Records, the label behind the recent stateside prominence of Asia and Peter Gabriel.

At Geffen’s suggestion, the band re-spelled their name Wang Chung for pronunciation ease among Western audiences. David Burnand left the band over musical differences. The remaining trio started anew on their second album. In August 1983, “Don’t Be My Enemy” became the renamed band’s first Geffen release (b/w “The Wave”).

Points on the Curve

Wang Chung released their second album, Points on the Curve, on January 16, 1984, on Geffen.

Recorded as a trio, the album contains “Don’t Be My Enemy” and a re-recorded “Dance Hall Days,” plus eight new Jack Hues originals. Nick Feldman co-wrote “Don’t Let Go,” “True Love,” and “Talk It Out.” Darren Costin co-wrote both sides of the 1983 single. Ex-member David Burnand co-wrote “Even If You Dream.”

Hues plays guitar an keyboards, doubled on both by bassist Feldman. Drummer Costin plays sundry percussion and additional keyboards. Select tracks feature saxophonist Mel Collins, a ubiquitous UK sessionist with assorted prior band memberships (Circus, King Crimson, Kokomo, Camel)

A1. “Don’t Let Go” (4:21)
A2. “Dance Hall Days” (3:58)
A3. “True Love” (3:51)
A4. “Devoted Friends” (4:07)
A5. “Talk It Out” (4:48)

B1. “Even If You Dream” (4:08)
B2. “Don’t Be My Enemy” (4:24)
B3. “The Waves” (4:26)
B4. “Look at Me Now” (4:36)
B5. “Wait” (4:22)

Sessions spanned 1983 at Abbey Road Studios, London, with co-producers Chris Hughes and Ross Cullum, the team behind earlier Adam & The Ants recordings. Chris (a former Ant under the mononym Merrick) handled sequencer programming on Points on the Curve, which the team produced in sequence with The Hurting, the debut album by Tears for Fears.

The re-recorded “Dance Hall Days” appeared ten days before Points on the Curve as the band’s eighth single, backed with the non-album “There Is a Nation,” a self-produced song.

B. “There Is a Nation”

In the main “Dance Hall Days” video, Hues (in monochrome) descends on a 1940s ballroom, where Wang Chung perform (in color) as dancers line the floor and a disco ball reveals a mirror-clad dancer. Afterwards, he leaves the place (in monochrome) as his suitcase comes to life and chases him.

“Dance Hall Days” achieved international chart success, reaching No. 2 in Italy and No. 3 in Belgium. It secured top-ten positions in Switzerland (No. 5), West Germany (No. 5), Canada (No. 6 on The Record, No. 9 on RPM Top Singles), New Zealand (No. 6), Australia (No. 7), the Netherlands (No. 9 on Dutch Top 40, No. 10 on Single Top 100), and Sweden (No. 9).

In late 1984, “Dance Hall Days” reached No. 16 in the US, where MTV exposure made Wang Chung a late entry in the Second British Invasion.

In the UK, “Don’t Let Go” became the band’s April 1984 ninth single, backed with “Ornamental Elephant,” a Hues exclusive. In June, Geffen lifted “Wait” as the album’s fourth single, backed with “Dance Hall Days – Pt 2.”

B. “Ornamental Elephant”

Wang Chung toured the US and played select dates with Berlin and The Cars, supporting the latter on the Boston band’s Heartbeat City tour. After these dates, Darren Costin quit Wang Chung.

To Live and Die in L.A. (OST)

Wang Chung released their third album, To Live and Die in L.A., on September 30, 1985, on Geffen. The album is the official soundtrack to the namesake neo-noir action thriller by director William Friedkin.

To Live and Die in LA stars William Petersen as Richard Chance, a Secret Service agent who, after his partner is murdered by a ruthless counterfeiter, becomes consumed by a quest for revenge, leading him and his new, by-the-book partner John Vukovich down an increasingly violent and morally compromised path. Their pursuit of justice blurs the lines of legality as they engage in illicit activities and death-defying car chases, culminating in a deadly confrontation where Vukovich must embrace his partner’s reckless methods to finally bring the counterfeiter down.

Jack Hues and Nick Feldman recorded the soundtrack as a duo. Friedkin selected Wang Chung for the project on the strength of their prior album, of which “Waiting” (repeated here) and “Dance Hall Days” appear in the film. The soundtrack features one vocal and one instrumental side.

A1. “To Live and Die In L.A.” (4:52) Producer – Steve Jolley & Tony Swain
A2. “Lullaby” (4:40)
A3. “Wake Up, Stop Dreaming” (4:36)
A4. “Wait” (4:22) Producer – Chris Hughes, Ross Cullum

B1. “City of the Angels” (9:16)
B2. “The Red Stare” (3:10)
B3. “Black-Blue-White” (2:20)
B4. “Every Big City” (5:10)

Liner Notes – William Friedkin

Discography: