Wet Wet Wet
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Wet Wet Wet were a successful Scottish pop band of the 1980s and 1990s and scored a number of hits in the British charts, and around the world. Wet Wet Wet were formed in Glasgow, Scotland in 1986.
The band members were:
- Marti Pellow (real name Mark McLaughlin) - vocals
- Tommy Cunningham - drums
- Graeme Clark - bass
- Neil Mitchell - keyboards
- Graeme Duffin - guitar (not an official member, but always given prominent billing by the rest of the band)
The band scored their first hit in 1987 with their first single "Wishing I was Lucky" which reached number six in the UK charts. That year the band released their first album Popped In Souled Out which also became a hit and produced three more hit singles including, "Sweet Little Mystery", "Temptation", and "Angel Eyes". They also supported Lionel Richie on his UK tour.
In 1988 Wet Wet Wet scored their first Number 1 hit with a cover version of the Beatles song "With a Little Help from My Friends" recorded for the charity Childline, run by Esther Rantzen. Another Beatles song, "She's Leaving Home", was equally-billed on the flip side, performed by Billy Bragg. In the same year, an album was released of their spell in the USA prior to hitting the big time, called The Memphis Sessions.
The following year the band released their second album Holding Back The River, which was also a success and produced the hit single "Sweet Surrender". The album was well-received, relying more on strings and other classical arrangements, while Pellow's vocals were always regarded as one of the best of the era. At the end of 1989, Pellow appeared on the Band Aid II charity single.
In 1992 the band released a third album called High On The Happy Side which produced the Number 1 hit single "Goodnight Girl" - the only self-penned Number 1 single they would have. The single proved something of a saviour, as they previous two releases from the album had failed in the singles charts, although the album sold well. In total, five singles were released from it.
In 1994 Wet Wet Wet had their biggest hit with a cover version of the Troggs single "Love is All Around" which was a huge international success and spent 15 weeks at Number 1 in the British charts. Only Pellow's insistence on deletion (he was bored of its chart domination and overheard people complaining about it) prevented the song from equalling and then breaking the record for the longest-standing Number 1 single, held by Bryan Adams.
The song was from the soundtrack to the film Four Weddings and a Funeral. In the official UK best-selling singles list issued in 2002, it was placed 11th.
During the rest of the 1990s the band maintained a strong UK following although success in the singles charts became more sporadic. Pellow quit the band and went into rehab to battle a debilitating heroin addiction, while Cunningham resigned acrimoniously.
Pellow succeeded in kicking his habit and returned to the public eye in 2001 with a solo album. In 2003, the band cautiously reformed in order to work on a new record, and a single called "All I Want" was released in October 2004.