Archive - Wang Chung
Albums
Points On The Curve

Total Disc Time = 43:16

01. Dance Hall Days (4:02) (Real Audio)
02. Wait (4:22) (Real Audio)
03. True Love (3:54) (Real Audio)
04. The Waves (4:28) (Real Audio)
05. Look At Me Now (4:37) (Real Audio)
06. Don't Let Go (4:22) (Real Audio)
07. Even If You Dream (4:11) (Real Audio)
08. Don't Be My Enemy (4:24) (Real Audio)
09. Devoted Friends (4:08) (Real Audio)
10. Talk It Out (4:48) (Real Audio)

Originally released on Geffen Records (GHS 4004) on CD, LP, and cassette in 1984.
Geffen Records GEF-25589

Produced and recorded by Chris Hughes and Ross Cullum
Assistant Engineer: Mark McGuire
Management: David Massey at Domino Directions Ltd. London

Jack Hues: Lead vocals, keyboards, guitar
Nick Feldman: Bass guitar, keyboards, guitar, vocals
Darren Costin: Drums, percussion, keyboards, vocals

Mel Collins: Saxophone
Chris Hughes: Rhythm, sequence and computer programming
Paul Ridout: MC4 programming
Recorded at Abbey Road Studios, London
LP Originally Mastered by Greg Fulginiti at Artisan Sound Recorders, L.A.
CDD Pre-Mastering by WCI Record Group
Thanks to Peter Reichardt, Ronnie Vance and Mark McGuire (aka Trouser Billy)
Special thanks to John David Kalodner and Carole Childs
LP design and art director: Barney Bubbles
Front cover photograph: Brian Griffin
Back cover photograph: Paul Cox
Hand tinting: Ronn Spencer

WANG CHUNG TRIVIA
In geometry, what is the line that joins two "Points On The Curve"?
It's called a "Chord" (...as in a musical chord!)

Darren Costin Interview
Taken from DEBUT LP Magazine, Issue #1,
London, UK, March, 1984
Words: Adam Scott

There is more than an even chance that Wang Chung are going to make the big time. They currently have singles in both the British and American top fifties, both heading in the right direction. It hasn't been an overnight success story, by any stretch of the imagination. Darren Costin, the band's drummer, filled me in on the story so far.

The tale begins a few years back with a band called '57 Men'. This was a six piece which featured Glen Gregory (now Heaven 17) and Lee Gorman (Bass Man/Bow Wow Wow). It was a short lived affair, "a case of too many chefs," but Darren, Jack Hues, and Nick Feldman stayed together to form 'Wang Chung'. The name is the literal Chinese translation of 'perfect pitch'. They spent a couple of years doing the kind of things all new bands do, the usual round of pubs, clubs, and support tours, not to mention the pestering of record labels. Finally in 1982, the ship came in and Arista signed them to a major deal. Unfortunately the ship began to sink fairly rapidly.

By Darren's own admission the band played their part in the bad feelings between the two parties. "We saw ourselves as stars and didn't realise that the hard work was just beginning." They made one album and released a single, but after some 'political wrangling' they left both the label and their management. This limbo situation was soon to change when David Massey became their new manager and he proceeded to take the album and some demo tapes to America. They were heard by David Geffen, who immediately signed them on a worldwide basis. Here Darren takes up the story: "The great thing was that the label had complete faith in us, the album took nine months and a lot of money to produce and at no time did they give us any flack about budget or going over the deadline. The fact that they let us do what we wanted to do and in our own time was nothing less than inspirational. We were very lucky".

The new album, 'Points On The Curve', came out in March. It was produced by Chris Hughes and Ross Cullum, who had previously worked with Tears For Fears and Adam and The Ants. Darren says that it reflects the different influences that the band members have without being "all things to all men". Jack Hues spent time as both student and teacher at the Royal College of Music and has introduced Darren and Nick to music that they might not have heard. Both Darren and Nick have a strong jazz-funk background and it is this that breaks through in the kind of music they play.

When I first heard the British single, 'Dance Hall Days', I was struck by a number of things. Firstly, I couldn't remember having heard anything even vaguely similar. Whilst this might be good for the artist it doesn't make my job any easier! Secondly, they were playing good 'human' instruments in the sense that there was a lovely saxophone, chunky guitar sound and an interesting voice mixed right up front. Although synthesisers do play a part, they are used as a secondary rather than a preliminary instrument.

The next single due out is the one which was released in America, called 'Don't Let Go'. 'Dance Hall Days' will be released as the second single in the States, to their credit the band aren't worried about bringing in session musicians to augment their own abilities. The sax on 'Dance Hall Days' was done by Mel Collins (Dire Straits, Kokomo, Bob Dylan). He is featured on the album and will be playing with the band when they tour Britain at the end of May. Because of their commitment to an American label, that is their next port of call. A short tour of east and west coast venues takes place in March. Apparently 'Don't Let Go' is receiving wide and varied airplay on American radio stations. A.O.R. (Adult Orientated Rock), Heavy Metal and the new wave stations are all giving time to the song. This is pleasing from the band's point of view because they are achieving the wide spectrum of 'Listenership' that they are aiming for. To give some idea of their American reception, Donald Fagan offered to produce the next album. It was an offer which was politely declined as Darren says: "It was great that someone like Fagan made us such an offer, but Chris and Ross had done such a good job that we were happy to stick with them."

If an eminence such as Donald Fagan sees promise in the band, who am I to say otherwise, Wang Chung are not about to make any silly moves. If the band keeps on going the way they have been it should be Megastardom this time around.

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