Retro Spins: Wang Chung - Points On The Curve

 

With their debut a flop, Huang Chung returned to the studio, intent on recording and releasing their second studio album. Things started out with a new single Dance Hall Days. However, this too would fail to chart, prompting the band's manager, David Massey, to asked Arista to release them from their contract. He felt that the potential was there, and moved the band to Geffen Records, where they became the second UK act to be signed to the label (the first being the band Asia).

It was around this time that two things would happen. First, saxophonist, Dave Burnand would opt to quit the group around this time, citing creative differences as the reason. Second, Huang Chung would become Wang Chung. The latter would be at the request of Geffen Records, who felt it needed to be easier for people to pronounce. As for Burnand, he would go on to become a music teacher at University of London and the Royal College of Music.

Upon its release, Points On The Curve would spawn three top forty Billboard hits, which included the re-recorded Dance Hall Days (peaking at number sixteen), Don't Let Go (peaking at number thirty-eight), and Don't Be My Enemy (peaking at number eighty-six). The success of their first single would garner them the ability to tour the US alongside The Romantics and Berlin. As a whole, the album would also chart across six countries. Despite this, it would not reach any sales certifications.

Things kick off with the single, Dance Hall Days. However, depending on which pressing you have will dictate this. While the original UK release contains the same tracks as what would be repackaged and shipped worldwide, the initial UK order of songs is quite different from the rest. As for the song, there's not much to say about it. It's the tune I bought the album for.

Unlike their debut, which really impressed me, Points On The Curve doesn't quite stand up. It's not a bad album, and there are definitely standout tracks, but they're just fewer and further between. I also noticed a significant change in musical style, and this is probably based on the departure of Burnand. Whereas with his inclusion, the debut came off as a smoother jazz and pop fused release, this album goes straight for synth pop.

When Look At Me Now came on, my mind immediately told me, "This sounds like Hall And Oates." That wasn't necessarily a bad thing and served to make it quite an enjoyable tune. As for the remaining singles, Don't Let Go, and Don't Be My Enemy, I didn't find them all that impressive. In fact, with exception of Even If You Dream, and Talk It Out, the rest of the album was pretty bland.

Following the subsequent tour for Points On The Curve, drummer Darren Costin would depart, stating he wanted to pursue a solo career. This not only left Wang Chung without a drummer but reduced down to just two core founding members. Rather than call it quits or hire new members, Jack Hues and Nick Feldman opted to continue on as a duo.

However, the two found themselves dissatisfied with their latest album, and as a result, they asked their manager about the possibility of working on soundtracks. Timing seemed to line up, as someone who wasn't disappointed with it was director, William Friedkin. He invited the guys to write and record the music for his upcoming film, To Live And Die In L.A., which would be released in 1985 alongside Wang Chung's soundtrack. While I own that one, I'll be skipping over it, for now, instead focusing strictly on their studio releases. As such, tomorrow, I jump into 1986's Mosaic.

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Retro Spins: Huang Chung (AKA Wang Chung) - Huang Chung

For as many smash hits as there were in the 80's, there's not many bands I think of when the word, "anthem" comes to mind. However, that's exactly what comes to mind when I look back on the band, Wang Chung, or Huang Chung, as they were initially called. They'd take their name, and turn it into one of the most catchiest songs of 1986, with it creating an iconic slang verb that would remain predominant in the decades to come.

While they wouldn't initially last past the 80's, during their time, they'd churn out four albums, and with them, eight Billboard Hot 100 hits. Of those eight, to this day, I only know two, the first being the aforementioned hinted at Everybody Have Fun Tonight, and Dance Hall Days. Ironically, I was never really a big fan of either, but of course needed them in my collection of 80's music.

Further, I was unaware of the band initially going by the name Huang Chung until I started looking into their discography for this series of Retro Spins. It was in looking further into this that I found that wasn't even their initial choice. Rather, the band started as Intellektuals in 1977, when guitarist and lead vocalist Jack Hues (AKA Jeremy Ryder), and guitarist Nick Feldman met through Feldman's ad for musicians. They would add Bud Merrick on bass and Paul Hammond on drums to round out the group.

Less than a year would pass, and the band would break up, leading to Feldman and Hues joining drummer Darren Costin, bassist Leigh Gorman, keyboardist Simon Campbell and vocalist Glenn Gregory to form 57 Men. This band too would break up.

Hues, Feldman and Costin would go on to form Huang Chung. As a three piece, they would sign with 101 Records, and release one single, and three live tracks across two compilation albums from the label between 1980 and 1981. Rewind Records would also sign them to a two single deal in 1980, and upon releasing these, got the attention of Arista Records, who signed them to a two album deal in 1981. It was around this time that the band would also expand to a quartet, adding saxophonist Dave Burnand.

Rather than use their real names, the band adopted nicknames, with Ryder becoming Jack Hues, Nick Feldman becoming Nick de Spig, Darin Costin becoming Darwin, and Dave Burnand becoming Hogg. Of them, Hues would be the only one to adopt the name long term, still using it to this day.

The self-titled Huang Chung was released in 1982, but failed to garner much attention. This should have been no surprise to the label, as it comprised of multiple singles and b-sides released prior to its debut, and many of these were included on the album. As a result, in retrospect, it's no surprise that this particular album would fly under the radar of your casual Wang Chung listener.

As for me, I actually really liked it. I didn't see that coming, and perhaps this worked to its benefit, as I didn't go into it with any sort of expectation. Of the ten tracks, five were easily shuffle worthy. These included Ti Na Na, Straight From My Heart, Dancing, Why Do You Laugh, and I Can't Sleep.

What I equally found surprising was how the slower tempo tracks really stood out. In general, Wang Chung, or Huang Chung, aren't know for thrashing on their instruments, but they do keep a steady rock pace. As such, when they shifted to the milder ballad tempo, which I'm not usually a fan of, I was shocked to see I favored these more.

This was definitely a solid start for my listening sessions, and I'm totally psyched up to jump into their 1983 name change and follow-up album, Points On The Curve. That's subsequently their first album that delivered a top forty hit, Dance Hall Days, and paved the way for future success. However, that would be without Arista. That all unfolds tomorrow.

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Disclaimer: They Toy Box does not endorse or contribute to piracy. Retro Spins posts are intended for educational and entertainment purposes only. None of the music discussed here is available for sale, downloading or distribution.