The Wiseguys
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- This article is about a British hip hop band. For the German a cappella band, see Wise Guys.
The Wiseguys was a British electronica and hip hop band that was responsible for creating the song "Start the Commotion" that was in a Mitsubishi TV advertisement, as well as the films Lizzie McGuire, Zoolander and Kangaroo Jack; and "Ooh La La", which was used in Budweiser commercials. Both tracks of which came from The Wiseguys second album, The Antidote.
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[edit] Career
The band was formed in 1994 with two members, Touche (Theo Keating, born 1972) and Regal (real name Paul Eve). They were partners from 1990 and released an EP called "Ladies Say Ow!" in the same year on the Blackmarket record label. The record label Wall of Sound signed the duo and released the double A-side "Nil by Mouth" / "Too Easy" in 1995. Their first album Executive Suite was released in 1996 to critical acclaim, feature downtempo jazz beats and happy optimistic hip-hop numbers, and is now considered a cult classic.[citation needed]
Regal left the band in 1997 to pursue other interests, and Touche worked on the second Wiseguys album, The Antidote. This was released in 1998, and contained their two most famous songs "Ooh La La" and "Start the Commotion". "Ooh La La" was a minor UK hit in April 1998, then in March 1999 it was re-released as a single and got to #2 in the UK Singles Chart following it's use in a popular TV commercial for Budweiser. In 2001, "Start the Commotion" was shown on a Mitsubishi Motors television commercial in the United States, and that song reached the Top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100.
The Wiseguys name disbanded in 2002, and Touche worked solo on house music under Fatboy Slim's Southern Fried record label. In July 2006, Regal released his first solo single "Shock Ya Mind" on the Funk Weapons label.
On 31 December 2006, Executive Suite made its way onto the US version of iTunes. Touche is currently in a duo called The Black Ghosts.
[edit] Discography
- Ladies Say Ow! (EP) (1994)
- "Nil By Mouth" / "Too Easy" (1995)
- "The Sound You Hear" / "We Keep On" (1996)
- Executive Suite (1996)
- "Casino 'Sans Peril'" (1997)
- The Antidote (1998)
- "Ooh La La" (1999)
- "Start the Commotion" (1999)
- Wall Of Sound Essentials - Mixed By The Wiseguys (2000) (Mix CD)
- "Dizzy Spell" / "Black Light" (2002) (DJ Touche, solo)
- "Gimme My Money" (2002) (DJ Touche, solo)
- "Ultraviolet" (2002) (DJ Touche, solo) (Mix CD)
- "Temper" (2003) (DJ Touche, solo)
- "The Paddle" / "The Girl's A Freak" (2004) (DJ Touche, solo)
- "She's at the Club" (EP) (2005) (DJ Touche, solo)
- "The Offspring - Greatest Hits" (2005) (one remix song)
- "Command Me" / "Calling My Name" (2006) (DJ Touche, solo)
- "Shock Ya Mind" (2006) (DJ Regal, solo)
- Loop Dreams (2007) (DJ Regal, solo)
[edit] Record track listings
[edit] Ladies Say Ow!
Side One
- 1. "Ladies Say 'Ow'"
- 2. "If the Style Fits"
Side Two
- 3. "The Real Vibes"
[edit] Executive Suite
Side One
- 1. "Intro"
- 2. "Casino 'Sans Pareil'"
- 3. "The Sound Your Hear"
- 4. "Room Service"
- 5. "We Keep On" (featuring Sense Live)
Side Two
- 6. "Nil by mouth"
- 7. "Trailblazing"
- 8. "Cromwell Street"
Side Three
- 9. "Sweet Baby Truth" (featuring Sense Live & Tito-T)
- 10. "Pootang"
- 11. "The Geneini IV Incident"
Side Four
- 12. "Carabeen Breeze" (featuring Season & Joey Bunsen)
- 13. "Water"
- 14. "Dust you off"
- 15. "Too Easy" (CD bonus track)
- On the vinyl LP version of Executive Suite, the final track "Too Easy" is missing.
[edit] The Antidote
Side One
- 1. "Re-Introduction"
- 2. "Ooh La La"
- 3. "We be the crew"
- 4. "Experience" (featuring Jerry Beeks, Season & Sense Live)
Side Two
- 5. "Cowboy '78"
- 6. "Search's End"
- 7. "The Grabbing Hands" (featuring Joie Bunsen, L.E.W., Season)
- 8. "The Temple"
Side Three
- 9. "Start the Commotion" (featuring Greg Nice)
- 10. "Face the Flames"
- 11. "Who The Hell?" (featuring Sense Live)
Side Four
- 12. "The Executives"
- 13. "Au Pair Girls"
- 14. "Production" (featuring Mr. Mojo, Season, Sense Live and Tito-T)
- 15. "The Bounce"
- The Japanese version contains a bonus track "Expand on the Topic" which features guest spots from J-Nise, Season and Sense Live, and was the B-side to the "Ohh La La" single.
