Wet Wet Wet was founded in 1982 in Clydebank (England). The history of the band's creation began with the love for music of four friends: Marty Pellow (vocals), Graham Clarke (bass guitar, vocals), Neil Mitchell (keyboards) and Tommy Cunningham (drums).
Once Graham Clark and Tommy Cunningham met on a school bus. They were brought together by a passion for music, after which they decided to create a group. Their mutual friend Neil Mitchell was inspired by the mood of his friends.
He promised to purchase keys for the group when he raised enough money to do so. To complete the quartet, Graham Clark called in Marty Pellow as vocalist.
How did everything develop?
When the band took its first steps, Graham Duffin helped the musicians during recordings and live performances. The guys decided to name the band with a line from the song of the band Scritti Politti Getting Having and Holding. And so the name Wet Wet Wet was born.
The real creative activity of the group, according to the musicians, began in 1984. The first concert performances for a huge audience, the first recordings of demos in studios were carried out. In 1985, Wat Wat Wat collaborated with Phonogram Records. Then one of the demo versions of the group's records came out.
The first success of the band Vet Vet Vet
Willie Mitchell worked with the guys, by that time he was a professional producer. In 1987, when the first single Wishing I Was Lucky was released, the group hit the top 10 at number 6.
This was a landmark moment - thanks to the single, the group found a resounding success. The victories were just beginning, and thanks to the second single Sweet Little Mystery, the group got into the list of the first five lines of the chart.
The band's fans have been eagerly awaiting the band's first album. In September 1987, the LP album Popped in Souled Out was released under the Mercury label. The album peaked at number 2 in the UK charts.
This is not surprising, because at that time the group released two more singles Angel Eyes (Home and Away) and Temptation. In January 1988, the group took the 1st position of the chart.
Conflict with Van Morrison
Along with the overwhelming success of the group, the first troubles also awaited. The band had a serious problem after the famous Irish singer Van Morrison sued the band.
The reason for this conflict was Van Morrison's copyright infringement due to the use of his words in the Sweet Little Mystery single. But still, the musicians of Vet Vet Vet managed to solve the problem peacefully, and there was no court case.
Musicians in 1988 released old songs that were written in the second half of the 1980s. They considered them worthy and combined them with new material in the second album, The Memphis Sessions.
At the same time, the band continued to chart in the UK with the single Sgt. Pepper Knew My Father. It was just a cover of The Beatles With a Little Help From My Friends. The Scottish quartet Wet Wet Wet became the first British group and idols of the 1980s.
In 1989, the team released the album Back Back the River. The new single from the album Holding Back the River gave the band another success. This studio recording was the band's transition from pop soul to pop music.
However, in addition to such strong hits as Sweet Surrender and Holding Back the River, there were records that did not receive significant attention from listeners: Stay with Me Heartache, Broke Away and Hold Back the River. Overall, the album was well received due to the classic arrangements.
The creative period of the Wet Wet Wet team in the 1990s
In the early 1990s, the band went on tour in Britain and later around the world. On one of the tours, the group performed "as the opening act" for the concert of the famous Elton.
The band's fourth album, High on the Happy Side, was released in 1992. Thanks to Goodnight Girl, which became a hit, the group was saved. The album's previous singles were unsuccessful despite significant sales.
A special album Cloak & Dagger was subsequently released, but the band released it under the pseudonym Maggie Pie & The Impostors. The prototype of Maggie Pie was Marty Pellow, and The Impostors - the rest of the group.
In 1999, Marty Pellow was forced to leave the band due to alcohol and drug addiction. The group subsequently disbanded. He managed to recover, and he returned to the stage in 2001, but already as a solo artist.
The mature period of the team - after 2004
In March 2004, the band was resurrected to work on a new album. The single All I Want (2004) was released, then they organized a successful UK tour.
In March 2012, it was announced that the band would perform their first show in five years at the Glasgow Green on 20 July to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the release of Popped in Souled Out.
In 2017, Marty Pellow left the band to start his solo career. The band was replaced by vocalist Kevin Simm.
