Bow Wow Wow

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Bow Wow Wow
Bow Wow Wow album cover photo, a re-creation of The Luncheon on the Grass by Édouard Manet
Bow Wow Wow album cover photo, a re-creation of The Luncheon on the Grass by Édouard Manet
Background information
Origin English flag London, England
Genre(s) Rock, New Wave
Years active 1980–1983, 1997–1998, 2003–present
Label(s) EMI, RCA, Cleopatra
Associated
acts		 Adam and the Ants
Boy George
Chiefs of Relief
Republica
No Doubt
Website http://www.bowwowwow.org
Members
Annabella Lwin
Leigh Gorman
Phil Gough
Devin Beaman
Former members
Matthew Ashman (Deceased)
David Barbarossa
Dave Calhoun
Eshan Khadaroo
Adrian Young

Bow Wow Wow was a 1980s New Wave band organized by Sex Pistols manager Malcolm McLaren in 1980 whose music is described as having an "African-derived drum sound".[1]

Contents

[edit] History

McLaren persuaded guitarist Matthew Ashman, bassist Leigh Gorman and percussionist David Barbarossa (also known as Dave Barbe), of the original lineup of Adam & the Ants to leave Adam Ant and form a new group. After a six month long audition process, the band hired teen singer Annabella Lwin.[1] Dave Fischel, an acquaintance of McLaren's, discovered fourteen year old Lwin while she was working at her parents' laundrette singing along to a Stevie Wonder song on the radio. The group's sound was a mix of her "girlish squeal", Balinese chants, surf instrumentals, New Romantic pop melodies, and Barbarossa's Burundi ritual music influenced tom tom drum beats. Among the regular faces at the band's early London gigs were Latin songwriter/producer Richard Daniel Roman and Boy George, then known as Lieutenant Lush. McLaren was also going to use the latter (later of Culture Club fame) as a second lead singer, but he was deemed to be "too wild" for the band[citation needed]. In 1982 Bow Wow Wow had their first U.K. top 10 hit with “Go Wild in the Country.” The band's most popular hit was the New Wave staple, "I Want Candy" (originally a 1965 hit by The Strangeloves). "I Want Candy" was featured in an early music video on MTV. Bow Wow Wow's recording of "I Want Candy" continues to appear in film soundtracks and media and advertising events such as the 2005 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show. Their most notorious recording was "Sexy Eiffel Towers", a bold ode to masturbation, including excitedly heavy breathing and orgasmic moans; this was a song that went far beyond the slightly later Cyndi Lauper hit "She Bop", about similar subject matter. [2] The group released three full-length albums. In 1983, tensions in the group were rising. Suffering from illness and exhaustion after intense US touring, they went their separate ways.

Ashman went on to form Chiefs of Relief and play with other groups such as Max, Rams, and Agent Provocateur. In 1995 Ashman died from diabetes complications. Since his time in Bow Wow Wow, Barbe has worked on other musical projects such as Beats International, Live with Adam Ant in 1995, Republica, dance band Chicane, the London-based 'Faith' music collective, and Amber Gate. Barbe also wrote a novel entitled “We Were Looking Up". Gorman continued to perform and has had success as a record producer and composer for films and advertising. After Bow Wow Wow Lwin started a solo career. Lwin and Gorman embarked on the "Barking Mad" reunion tour in 1997 and 1998, adding guitarist Dave Calhoun and drummer Eshan Khadaroo. [1] The tour produced the live CD Wild in the U.S.A. which also included remixes of previous Bow Wow Wow tracks. In the wake of the success of the "Barking Mad" tour, there were reports that the band planned to record new material.

“ The group wrote at least 10 new songs while on the road, including "Bedouin Rocker," "Eastern Promise" and the ballad "A Thousand Tears." Consequently, Bow Wow Wow hope to release an album of new material later this year. [The band's publicist] also said the band is planning to return to the U.S. for more dates, acting as support for a still-unnamed "major" artist. ”

[3] (Also see [4] and [5])

The subsequent tour dates and records never materialized. The song 'A Thousand Tears' made it into the 1999 film Desperate but Not Serious starring Christine Taylor and Claudia Schiffer and this song along with some other previously unrecorded songs have been performed by Bow Wow Wow in recent concert dates, but presently, no new studio record has yet appeared. It wasn't until the September 20th, 2003 Inland Invasion show as part of KROQ's 25th Anniversary celebrations that Bow Wow Wow appeared on stage again this time with Los Angeles guitarist Phil Gough and Adrian Young of No Doubt on drums. The band has maintained a touring schedule since. In September, 2005 Philidelphia, PA native Devin Beaman was brought in as the new drummer. In June of 2006 Bow Wow Wow recorded a cover of The Smiths' song "I Started Something" for an upcoming Smiths tribute record. The recording can be heard on Bow Wow Wow's MySpace page.

[edit] Controversy

Their label at the time, EMI, refused to promote the cassingle "C30, C60, C90, Go" because it allegedly promoted home taping,[2] as Side B was blank. EMI dropped the group after releasing its second single "W.O.R.K." [2]

Lwin's mother alleged exploitation of a minor for immoral purposes and instigated a Scotland Yard investigation. As a result the band was only allowed to leave England after McLaren promised not to promote Lwin as a "sex kitten". This included an agreement to not use a nude photograph depicting Lwin as the woman in Manet's The Luncheon on the Grass (Le déjeuner sur l'herbe), though the picture was used as the cover of an EP in 1982. [2] (The photo was originally to be used for 1981's See Jungle!..., and the cover was used as planned in some European countries - such as Holland - though not in the UK or the US.) Lwin was almost made to quit the band by her family over the publication of the photo, particularly as she was only fifteen when the photo was taken.

[edit] Legacy

Bow Wow Wow has many famous admirers including members of the Red Hot Chili Peppers and No Doubt. Anthony Kiedis included the lines, "Swimming in the sound Of bow wow wow" in the RHCP song 'Suck My Kiss' and "Holy cow bow wow wow" in 'Right on Time'. John Frusciante claims Matthew Ashman as an influence on his work since returning to the Red Hot Chili Peppers in the late 90's. Adrian Young said of the opportunity to play drums for Bow Wow Wow from 2003 - 2005, "It is a dream come true to play with a band I grew up idolizing. I feel like a kid back in the sand box."[6] Film director Sofia Coppola drew inspiration from Annabella when conceiving the style for her film, Marie Antoinette. Says Bow Wow Wow's manager in 2006, "They actually based Marie Antoinette, from a styling point of view, on Annabella Lwin. They drew parallels from the fact that they were both young girls who found fame and fortune at a ridiculously early age.”[6] Bow Wow Wow's recording and video of "I Want Candy" has enduring appeal for enthusiasts of '80s pop culture.

[edit] Discography (UK)

[edit] Albums

  • Your Cassette Pet (EMI WOW 1, cassette EP) Dec 1980
  1. Louis Quatorze
  2. Gold He Said
  3. Uomo Sex Al Apache
  4. I Want My Baby On Mars
  5. Sexy Eiffel Tower
  6. Giant Sized Baby Thing
  7. Fools Rush In
  8. Radio G. String
  • See Jungle! See Jungle! Go Join Your Gang, Yeah. City All Over! Go Ape Crazy. (RCA RCALP 3000, 33rpm LP) Oct 1981
  1. Jungle Boy
  2. Chihuahua
  3. Prince of Darkness (Sinner! Sinner! Sinner!) [Instrumental]
  4. Mickey Put It Down
  5. (I'm a) TV Savage
  6. Elimination Dancing
  7. Golly! Golly! Go Buddy!
  8. King Kong
  9. Go Wild in the Country
  10. I'm Not a Know It All
  11. Why Are Babies So Wise?
  12. Orang-Outang
  13. Hello, Hello Daddy (I'll Sacrifice You)
  • The Last of the Mohicans (RCA CPL1-4314, 33rpm EP) Jul 1982
  1. I Want Candy
  2. Cowboy
  3. Louis Quatorze
  4. The Mile High Club
  • I Want Candy (RCA AFL1-4375, 33rpm LP) 1982
  1. I Want Candy
  2. Baby, Oh No
  3. Louis Quartorze
  4. Cowboy
  5. The Mile High Club
  6. Go Wild in the Country
  7. Jungle Boy
  8. El Boss Dicho
  9. (I'm a) T.V. Savage
  10. King Kong
  • When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Get Going (RCA RCALP 6068, 33rpm LP) Feb 1983
  1. Aphrodisiac
  2. Do You Wanna Hold Me?
  3. Roustabout
  4. Lonesome Tonight
  5. Love Me
  6. What's the Time? (Hey Buddy)
  7. Mario (Your own Way to Paradise)
  8. Quiver (Arrows in my)
  9. The Man Mountain
  10. Rikki Dee
  11. Tommy Tucker
  12. Love, Peace and Harmony
  • Wild in the U.S.A. (Cleopatra CLP 0424-2, CD) 1999

Remixed Tracks: 1 to 6; Live Tracks: 7 to 20.

  1. I Want Candy (Razed in Black Mix)
  2. W.O.R.K. (Atomic Dog Mix Remixed by Wayne Hussey of the Mission UK)
  3. C30 C60 C90 Go! (Remixed by Kevin Haskins of Love & Rockets Remix)
  4. Do You Wanna Hold Me (CKB Remix)
  5. W.O.R.K. (Spahn Ranch Mix)
  6. I Want Candy (Girl Eats Boy Remix)
  7. Giant Sized Baby Thing
  8. Louis Quatorze
  9. Baby, Oh No!
  10. Sexy Eiffel Tower
  11. See Jungle
  12. Mile High Club
  13. Uomo Sex Al Apache
  14. Prince of Darkness
  15. Go Wild in the Country
  16. Aphrodisiac
  17. I Want Candy
  18. C30 C60 C90 Go
  19. Do You Want to Hold Me
  20. What's the Time (Hey Buddy)

[edit] Singles

  • "C30, C60, C90, Go!" b/w "Sun, Sea and Piracy" (EMI 5088, 45rpm single) Jul 1980 #34 UK
  • "W.O.R.K. (N.O. Nah, No No My Daddy Don't)" b/w "C30, C60, C90, Anda" (EMI 5153, 45rpm single) Mar 1981 #62 UK
  • "Prince of Darkness" b/w "Orang-outang" (RCA 100, 45rpm single) Jul 1981 #58 UK
  • "Chihuahua" b/w "Golly! Golly! Go Buddy!" (RCA 144, 45rpm single) Oct 1981 #51 UK
  • "Go Wild in the Country" b/w "El Bosso Dicho" (RCA 175, 45rpm single) Jan 1982 #7 UK
  • "See Jungle! (Jungle Boy)" / "(I'm a ) TV Savage" (RCA 220, 45rpm single, double A-side) Apr 1982 #45 UK
  • "I Want Candy" b/w "King Kong" (RCA 238, 45rpm single) May 1982; #39 AUS, #9 UK
  • "Louis Quatorze" b/w "Mile High Club" (RCA 263, 45rpm single) Jul 1982 #66 UK
  • "Fools Rush In" b/w "Sex (instrumental)" (EMI 5344, 45rpm single) Sep 1982
  • "Do You Wanna Hold Me?" b/w "What's the Time" (RCA 314, 45rpm single) Feb 1983 #47 UK

[edit] Compilations

AllMusicGuide's Stephen Thomas Erlewine recommends The Best of Bow Wow Wow (RCA Oct. 29, 1996) for its liner notes and highlights from their "inconsistent" albums and EPs. [7]

[edit] Sources

  1. ^ a b c *Ruhlmann, William. "Bow Wow Wow" All Music Guide.
  2. ^ a b c d *Holly George-Warren, Patricia Romanowski, and Jon Pareles (2001). The Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock & Roll (Revised and Updated for the 21st Century), p.107-108. ISBN 0-7432-0120-5.
  3. ^ [1]
  4. ^ [2]
  5. ^ [3]
  6. ^ a b http://kenphillipsgroup.com/Phillips/bww.htm
  7. ^

[edit] External links

Bow Wow Wow
Annabella Lwin | Leigh Gorman | Phil Gough | Devin Beaman
Matthew Ashman | Dave Barbe | Eshan Khadaroo | Dave Calhoun | Adrian Young
Discography
Studio albums: See Jungle! See Jungle! Go Join Your Gang, Yeah. City All Over! Go Ape Crazy (1981) | I Want Candy (1982) | When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Get Going (1983)
EPs, Live albums and compilations: Your Cassette Pet (E.P.) (1980) | The Last of the Mohicans (compilation) (1982) | The Best of Bow Wow Wow (compilation) (1996) | Wild in the U.S.A. (live and remix compilation) (1998)
Singles: 1980: C30, C60, C90, Go! | 1981: W.O.R.K. (N.O. Nah, No No My Daddy Don't), Prince of Darkness, Chihuahua | 1982: Go Wild in the Country, See Jungle! (Jungle Boy), I Want Candy, Louis Quatorze, Fools Rush In | 1983: Do You Wanna Hold Me?
Other pages: Videography | Songs | B-sides Compilation
Related articles
Annabella Lwin | Adam and the Ants | Boy George | Chiefs of Relief | Republica | No Doubt
Categories: Bow Wow Wow | Bow Wow Wow Songs
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