I always like it when padded envelopes land on my doormat, it usually meand I have got some new music to wrap my ears around.
Upon opening the envelope that arrived this morning I was caught my self getting a little excited at what I held in my hand, the new album from Wang Chung, yes THAT Wang Chung.
There’s been a trend over the past few years for artists to re-visit their hits and re-record them with orchestras, some work – Elvis and Roy Orbison. This offering exceeds all the other orchestral pop offerings I’ve heard recently.
Wang Chung, one of the defining bands of the 80s who conquered the UK, US and global charts have returned with their original key protagonists, Jack Hues and Nick Feldman. Having become a staple of movie, TV, game soundtracks and commercials over the years, their name has almost uniquely passed into popular culture. The line “Everybody Wang Chung Tonight” from their mega-hit Everybody Have Fun Tonight has developed a life of its own, prompting the band to appeal to their fans around the world to have it officially recognised in dictionaries as a verb – here combining their electro-pop, new wave sounds with the full backing of the City of Prague Orchestra.
Their combined efforts bring new life to some of their classic tracks, including Dance Hall Days; Everybody have Fun Tonight; Let’s Go andSpace Junk. For over 35 years, Wang Chung have enjoyed success around the world, with America, Canada, Australia and the UK in particular taking them to their hearts, with six top 40 hits, including a number one hit. Featuring tracks taken from across their six albums, Orchesography is an exciting opportunity to acquaint yourselves in a new way with a band who have broken through into popular culture like few before.
As well as satiating the appetite for their legion of fans from back in the day, they are also introducing themselves to a brand-new audience who will have heard them featured across popular culture, from their breakout soundtrack to legendary The Exorcist/French Connection director,William Friedkin’s ‘To Live & Die in LA’, to ‘The Breakfast Club’, ‘Sex and the City’, ‘Grand Theft Auto: Vice City’; ‘Breaking Bad’, ‘South Park’ to Rick Grimes’ first and final scenes in ‘Walking Dead’.
Wang Chung, Orchesography is out May 31st 2019.