- September 30, 1985 - Geffen Records released the motion picture soundtrack for the
film To Live and Die in L.A. in
America, which allowed Jack Hues and Nick Feldman to take an experimental
turn when director William Friedkin asked them to score his movie. The
soundtrack album not only contained Wang Chung's pop stylings, but also
included several instrumental tracks as well. Dropping work on a follow-up
album to Points On The Curve,
Geffen Records allowed Nick and Jack
only one week of recording for the instrumental soundtrack. After finishing
several "big chunks of music," they sent it to William Friedkin to
include in the film. Upon completion of a rough draft of the film, Nick and
Jack flew to L.A. to view it. That viewing of the rough cut of the film
inspired Jack Hues to write the title track for the film, which was the last
song to be included on the record. The title track was produced by Swain and
Jolley (The famous producers of Imagination, Bananarama, Alison Moyet, and
Spandau Ballet).
- October 28, 1985 - Air date of a Wang Chung interview on the "Rockline"
Radio Program.
- November 1, 1985 - American opening day of the motion picture film
"To Live and Die In L.A.", from WILLIAM FRIEDKIN,
Academy Award Winning Director of "The French Connection,"
"The Exorcist," and "Rules Of Engagement."
- By November 2, 1985, To Live and Die In L.A. (Real Audio), the theme song from
William Friedkin's thrilling film, was listed at No. 53 in the "Top US
Singles" Chart. However, the song just missed making the Top 40 in
1985, peaking at number 41 on Billboard's "Hot 100" chart.
AMERICAN T.V. SHOW APPEARANCES IN NOVEMBER, 1985
- November 8, 1985 - "Video One"
- November 9, 1985 - "American Bandstand"
- November 10, 1985 - "Video Beat"
- November 11, 1985 - "Solid Gold"
- November 12, 1985 - "Merv Griffin Show"
- December 6, 1985 - To Live and Die in L.A. peaks at #41 on the U.S.
Pop Charts.
1986
- Hues and Feldman continued as a duo and released Mosaic in 1986. The album was their
biggest success, launching the number two hit Everybody Have Fun Tonight
(Real Audio) and the Top Ten
smash Let's Go! (Real Audio).
Both tunes spawned videos that were put into heavy rotation on MTV in late
1986. To promote the album, the band made several appearances on American TV
again, performing on Johnny Carson's "The Tonight Show" and Joan
Rivers' (now defunt) talk show.
- October 13, 1986 - Everybody Have Fun Tonight is released in
England.
- November 15, 1986 - Newspaper article:
Wang-Chunging Up The Charts With 'Mosaic'.
- December 27, 1986 - Everybody Have Fun Tonight just misses the
number one spot in America, peaking at #2 on the U.S. Pop Charts. The music
video also got to number 2 on MTV, and the top three in the U.S. Dance
Charts. Ultimately, the song ranked #12 among the top 100 songs of 1986.
What was the #1 song at the time that stalled EHFT? It was "Walk Like
An Egyptian" by The Bangles.
1987
- January 13, 1987 - Let's Go is
released in America. It was released in the UK later in March, which
coincided with the band touring Britain throughout April to promote the
single. Let's Go peaked at number 9 on Billboard's "Hot 100" chart.
- Wang Chung formed a full 'touring' band, including three U.S. musicians, Bryan Hitt on drums,
Debra Dobkin on percussion, and Mikal Reid on guitar, along with UK
saxophone extrordinaire Martin Winning, and UK keyboards wizard Graeme
Pleeth (who played with them on their last tour). Unfortunately halfway
through the tour, Graeme Pleeth had to leave and head home. However, upon
the recommendation of drummer Bryan Hitt, Jeff Naideau slipped
in to finish out the second half of the tour. For rehearsals, the British
dates served as a great warm up to their first headlining U.S. tour. Check
out the front,
back, and
copyright
of their 1987 tour shirt.
- February 6, 1987 - Norwich, U.K. - University of East Anglia.
- February 7, 1987 - Leicester, U.K. - Leicester PolyTechnic.
- February 8, 1987 - Peterborough, U.K. - Tropicana.
- February 10, 1987 - London, U.K. - The Marquee.
- February 11, 1987 - London, U.K. - The Marquee.
- February 27, 1987 - performed on
Johnny Carson's "The Tonight Show" on American TV.
- February 28, 1987 - Irvine, CA - Crawford Hall, Irvine College.
- March 1, 1987 - Santa Barbara, CA - Events Center.
- March 2, 1987 - Davis, CA - Recreation Hall.
- March 3, 1987 - Chico, CA - Cal. State Chico Gym.
- March 5, 1987 - Portland, OR - Starry Nights (or Civic).
- March 6, 1987 - Spokane, WA - Opera House.
- March 7, 1987 - Seattle, WA - Paramount Theater.
- March 8, 1987 - Vancouver, Canada - Commodore.
- March 11, 1987 - Salt Lake City, UT - Symphony Hall.
- March 13, 1987 - Colorado Springs, CO - Arnold Hall, USAF Academy.
- March 14, 1987 - Denver, CO - Paramount Theater.
- March 16, 1987 - Minneapolis, MN - Northrup Auditorium.
- March 17, 1987 - Milwaukee, WI - Riverside Theater.
- March 22, 1987 -
Newspaper article:
'Mosaic' tour, banned music video.
- March 25, 1987 - Daytona Beach, FL - Clarendon Plaza Hotel.
- March 27, 1987 - Hollywood, FL - Six Flags Atlantis Water Park.
- March 29, 1987 - Newspaper article:
Tour bus collision in FL Everglades.
- April 3, 1987 - Newspaper article: Will whole
world want to Wang Chung tonight?
- June, 1987 - Wang Chung performs in Montreux, Switzerland during the
annual Montreux Rock Festival and International Music and Media Conference.
Their performance was later broadcast on "MTV's Montreux Rock Festival
Weekend" on June 20 and 21, 1987.
- July 17, 1987 - Hypnotize Me peaks at #36 on the U.S. Pop Charts.
- August 24, 1987 - Magazine article: Twin
Ads: A Case of Mistaken Identity.
- In 1987, Wang Chung contributed the song Feel My Love to the Motion
Picture
Hearts Of Fire. The song only appears in the movie, and NOT on the
soundtrack.
- Wang Chung returned in 1989 with The Warmer
Side of Cool (Real Audio),
which spent a mere six weeks on the charts, spawning the minor hit Praying
to a New God (Real Audio).
- May 27, 1989 - Praying To A New God peaks at #63 on the U.S. Pop
Charts.
- March 1, 1985 -
- January 13, 1987 - Let's Go is
released in America. It was released in the UK later in March, which
coincided with the band touring Britain throughout April to promote the
single. Let's Go peaked at number 9 on Billboard's "Hot 100" chart.
- February 27, 1987 - performed on
Johnny Carson's "The Tonight Show" on American TV.
- May, 1987 - Returned to America to
play in larger venues, such as at 
