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The Wolfgang Press

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For the Bill Graham live music archive, seeWolfgang's Vault.

The Wolfgang Press
1992 4AD/Warner US promotional photo for Queer: Mick Allen, Mark Cox, Andrew Gray.
1992 4AD/Warner US promotional photo forQueer:Mick Allen, Mark Cox, Andrew Gray.
Background information
OriginLondon,England
GenresPost-punk,post-industrial
Years active1983–1995, 2024-
Labels4AD,Warner Bros.(US)
MembersMichael Allen
Andrew Gray
Stephen Gray
Past membersMark Cox
WebsiteThe Wolfgang Press at 4AD

The Wolfgang Pressare an Englishpost-punkband,originally active from 1983 to 1995. The core of the band during that era was Michael Allen (vocals, bass), Mark Cox (keyboards), and Andrew Gray (guitar). They reformed in 2024 with Stephen Gray, brother of Andrew, replacing Cox, to release a new LP titled "A 2nd Shape" on Downwards Records.

The group is best known for its 1992 international hit single "A Girl Like You".

Style and influences

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The official 4AD band profile describes them as "post-punk", transforming to "avant-dance groovers" withQueer.[1]The group were frequently labelled "goth,"though they denied the charge.[2]

Allen's list of "important records" as of 1995 includedDe La Soul's3 Feet High and Rising,Massive Attack'sBlue Linesand "anything fromNick CaveandThe Fall".He recalled that the record that" maybe started it all "for him wasPublic Image Ltd'sMetal Box.[2]

History

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Rema-Rema, Mass (1978–1981)

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Allen started inthe Modelsin 1977. Allen and Cox had both been members ofRema-RemaandMass,while Gray had been a member ofIn Camera.All of these bands had also recorded for 4AD.[1]

Rema-Rema were formed in 1978[3]by schoolmates[4]Allen andGary Asquith,with Cox,Marco Pirroni(also a school friend of Allen's[5]and a fellow member of the Models[6]) and Max Prior (who later recorded as Dorothy withPsychic TV[7]). 4AD founderIvo Watts-Russellsaid that hearing Rema-Rema's demo tape "was the first point I knew that we were actually doing something serious [with 4AD]."[8]Their sole recording was theWheel in the Roses12 "EP (4AD BAD-5, 1 Apr 1980).[9]The band split when Pirroni left to joinAdam and the Ants[4](although Pirroni says he had already left[10]), and reformed as Mass.

Mass consisted of Allen and Cox with Asquith andDanny Briottet.Mass recorded a single, "You And I" / "Cabbage" (4AD AD-14, Oct 1980),[11]and an album,Labour of Love(4AD CAD-107, May 1981).[12]Mass split in 1981.[3]Asquith and Briottet later (1986) formedRenegade Soundwave.(Asquith remained a friend and contributed toQueer.)

The Burden of Mules(1983)

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After Mass split, Allen and Cox continued working together.The Burden of Muleswas described byTrouser Pressas "dark and cacophonous, an angry, intense slab of post-punk gloom that is best left to its own (de)vices";[13]theAllMusic Guide to Electronicadescribes some tracks as "so morose and vehement as to verge on self-parody."[14]ZigZagwas more positive, regarding the album as an artistic success and an "emphatic statement."[3]The band's career retrospective compilation,Everything Is Beautiful,contains no tracks from the album.

Guest musicians included Richard Thomas (Dif Juz), David Steiner (In Camera) and guitarist and percussionist Andrew Gray, who soon joined the band.[1]

Early EPs

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The EPsScarecrow,WaterandSweatboxfollowed, produced byRobin Guthrie.These were later compiled (with some remixed versions) asThe Legendary Wolfgang Press and Other Tall Stories.TheAllMusic Guide to ElectronicadescribesScarecrowas "a lighter, more streamlined affair",Wateras spotlighting "ominously sparsetorch songs",andSweatboxas "deconstructionistpop ".[14]

Standing Up Straight(1986)

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The 4AD band profile describesStanding Up Straightas "an intense blend of industrial and classical tropes".[1]Trouser Pressdescribes it as "as challenging and inventive as the band's other work, adding industrial and classical instrumentation to the creative arsenal", "dark and thoroughly uncompromising" and "not for the easily intimidated."[13]TheAllMusic Guide to Electronicadescribes it as "a challenging, even punishing album, but a rewarding one as well."[14]

Bird Wood Cage(1988)

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TheAllMusic Guide to ElectronicanotesBird Wood Cageas "one of the most pivotal records in the Wolfgang Press catalog; here, the trio begins to incorporate the dance and funk elements which would ultimately emerge as the dominant facet of their work."[14]Trouser PressdescribesBird Wood Cageas "inserting fascinating bits of business into superficially forbidding songs", including female backing vocals, funky wah-wah guitar and elements of dub reggae.[13]

The album was preceded by the EPBig Sex,which presagesBird Wood Cage's musical themes. "King of Soul", "Kansas" and "Raintime" / "Bottom Drawer" were singles from the album.

Allen later said thatBird Wood Cagewas the Wolfgang Press album he was most proud of.[15]

Queer(1991), "A Girl Like You" (1992)

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The genesis of the 1991 albumQueerwas listening toDe La Soul's 1989 debut album3 Feet High and Rising.As Allen put it, this was when they "rediscovered that music could indeed be fun."[2]"It seemed such a joyous record. There was a freshness and ease about the way it was made that inspired us to reassess our working process."[16]

The album's sound includes many samples and funkier, poppier beats than previous albums.[17]TheAllMusic Guide to Electronicadescribes it as "alien funk, a collection of idiosyncratic rhythms, dark textures, and ominous grooves."[14]The band members each play multiple instruments, making the sound fuller than previous work.[13]Bassist Leslie Langston ofThrowing Musesguests on most tracks.

The singles from the album were "Time" (the album version being titled "Question of Time" ), which included a sample fromPink Floyd's "Time"(fromThe Dark Side of the Moon),[18]followed by a cover ofRandy Newman's "Mama Told Me Not to Come".

The single "A Girl Like You" was released in May 1992[19]and became an international hit, scoring No. 2 on theBillboardUSModern Rock(Alternative Songs) chart on 15 August 1992.[20]The song was later covered byTom Jones(with Allen and Gray providing bass and guitar on the recording), who then asked the band to write "Show Me (Some Devotion)" for him, both recordings appearing onThe Lead and How to Swing It(1994). Jones also joined them on-stage forAll Virgos Are Mad,a 4AD anniversary concert in Los Angeles in January 1995.[2][21]

Due tosampleclearanceissues, the 1992 U.S. release ofQueer(which includes "A Girl Like You" ) needed considerable rerecording and remi xing.[17]

Funky Little Demons(1995)

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After "A Girl Like You", the band bought their own studio, removing the financial pressure of traditional studio rental. The band spent two years recordingFunky Little Demons.[2]

Trouser Pressdescribes the album as "straight-ahead dance music with the correct materials", though "no longer Enigma tic risk-takers, the Wolfgang Press have become just another white post-new wave soul band."[13]

The single "Going South" reached No. 117 on theUK Singles Chartand No. 33 on the US alternative chart.[22]A promotional CD of "Christianity" was also distributed in the US[23]and a video released, directed by Mark Neale,[24]but the band was dropped by 4AD before the single could be released.

The album spent one week on theUK Albums Chartat No. 75 in February 1995.[25]

Cox left the band in February 1995, shortly before the release of the album. Allen and Gray aimed to continue,[26]and toured the US without Cox to promote the album,[27]but later conceded the band had run its course.[15]

Post-Wolfgang Press andUnremembered Remembered

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A compilation album,Everything Is Beautiful (A Retrospective 1983–1995),was released in 2001. (Despite the name, it contains nothing from before 1984.)

Allen records and plays live periodically with his bandGeniuserwith Giuseppe De Bellis, whom Allen regards as the driving force.[15]Geniuser released the albumMud Blackon the Phisteria label in 2005, an EP calledPress/Deletein 2010 on the same label,[17]and another album in 2018 on the Ooh Ahh Records label called "I Am". Allen also played with Gary Asquith's Lavender Pill Mob.[4]

Gray recorded under the nameLimehouse Outlaw,[16]and released an albumHomegrownon his own label on 27 May 2002,[28]with some songs co-written by Allen. Gray also recorded with the Lavender Pill Mob.[4]

Cox has contributed writing and production to a project entitled U:guru.

In 1995 and 1996, after Cox had left the band andFunky Little Demonshad been released, the duo of Allen and Gray had planned a follow-up album. Six songs from these sessions would be finally released onRecord Store Day2020, under the titleUnremembered Remembered.The album is billed as amini-LPand as the band's final studio album. Although there was a seventh track recorded, the band opted not to include it on the release.[29]The band released a new album,A 2nd Shape,on September 27, 2024, with Stephen Gray, brother of Andrew, replacing Cox.[30]

Name

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Although some sources indicate that they named themselves after German actorWolfgang Preiss,[31]Spinsaid the band claimed to have named themselves after a device thatMozarttried (unsuccessfully) to invent to type out his music.[32]No such device is known. Allen has stated elsewhere that the name was chosen to be "meaningless and open to interpretation."[15]

Discography

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Albums

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Singles and EPs

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  • Scarecrow(12 "EP, recorded July 1984, released August 1984), 4AD
  • Water(12 "EP, recorded January 1985, released March 1985), 4AD
  • Sweatbox(12 "EP, recorded Apr 1985, released Jul 1985), 4AD
  • Big Sex(12 "EP, recorded Dec 1986, released Apr 1987), 4AD
  • "King of Soul" (12 ", 22 Aug 1988), 4AD
  • "Kansas" (12 ", 30 January 1989), 4AD
  • "Raintime/Bottom Drawer" (12 "/ CD, 2 May 1989), 4AD
  • "Time" (12 "/ CD, 2 Apr 1991), 4AD
  • "Mama Told Me Not to Come" (7 "/ 12", 13 May 1991), 4AD/Warner U.S.
  • "A Girl Like You" (7 "/ 12" / CD), 4AD/Warner U.S.
  • "Going South", 4AD/Warner U.S.
  • "Christianity" (CD), 4AD/Warner U.S.

Compilations

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  • The Legendary Wolfgang Press and Other Tall Stories(Nov 1985), 4AD - compilation of EPsScarecrow,WaterandSweatboxwith some different versions / CD includes two bonus tracks: "The Deep Briny" and "Muted"
  • Everything Is Beautiful (A Retrospective 1983-1995)(1 Oct 2001), 4AD

Various artists compilation appearances

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  • State of Affairs(Pleasantly Surprised cassette PS-002, 1984): "Prostitute" (Remixed Version)
  • Dreams and Desires(Pleasantly Surprised cassette PS-006, 1984): "Ecstasy" (instrumental)
  • Document: Pleasantly Surprised (82 - 85)(Pleasantly Surprised cassette PS-012, Feb 1986): "Prostitute" (Remixed Version)[36]
  • Abstract 5(Sweatbox AMO-5, 1985; LP withAbstractmagazine No. 5): "Fire Eater" (Remix)[37]
  • Lonely Is an Eyesore(4AD CAD-703, June 1987): "Cut the Tree"
  • Unbelievable - The Indie Dance Album(Posh Music for Kids UNB-101, 1991): "Time"[38]
  • Volume One(Volume CD, Sep 1991; CD withVolumemagazine No. 1): "Sucker" (Version) (3:36)
  • Rough Trade: Music for the 90's Vol. 3(Rough Trade Deutschland RTD-199.1215.2 CD, 1991): "Louis XIV" (4:10)[39]
  • NME Viva 8 - Live at the Town and Country Club 8-1-92(NME,1992): "Dreams and Light" (3:22)
  • Lilliput 1 & 2(4AD LILLIPUT-1+2, 1992): "A Girl Like You", "Birmingham"
  • 4AD Presents the 13 Year ItchCD (4AD SHUFFLE-1, 1993): "Peace on Fire" (4:02)[40][41]
  • 4AD Presents the 13 Year ItchVHS (4AD SHUFFLE-1, 1993): "Kansas"
  • All Virgos Are Mad(4AD/Warner 45789 CD, 1994; free CD forAll Virgos Are Madshows): "One"
  • All Virgos Are Mad(4AD/Warner 45789 CD, 1994; free VHS forAll Virgos Are Madshows): "Kansas"
  • Facing the Wrong Way(4AD FTWW-1, 1995): "Christianity" (Wicked Man Remix)

References

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  1. ^abcd4AD band profile,p. 1, 4ad
  2. ^abcde"Rewind: The Wolfgang Press interview from 1995".Cyclic Defrost.Archived fromthe originalon 28 March 2007.Retrieved11 May2023.
  3. ^abcThe Worriers(Marina Merosi,ZigZagMarch 1984, p12-13)
  4. ^abcdRiding Mikes Bikes With Gary Asquith Of The Lavender Pill Mob(Todd E. Jones, April 2006)
  5. ^The Mud Black Geniuser Of Michael Allen(Todd C. Allen,MVRemix,February 2006, p4)
  6. ^The Models(punk77.co.uk)
  7. ^The Story Of "I Confess"(Kid Shirtblog, 2006-01-14)
  8. ^Rema-Rema(4AD official profile)
  9. ^Rema-Rema – Wheel In The Roses(discogs )
  10. ^Interview with Marco Pirroni & Chris Constantinou – The WolfmenArchived4 June 2011 at theWayback Machine(Terry Lane,Buzzin Music,2010-12-15) — "Adam didn’t headhunt me — I was already out of Rema Rema when he called me."
  11. ^Mass (4) – You And I / Cabbage(discogs )
  12. ^Mass (4) – Labour Of Love(discogs )
  13. ^abcdeWolfgang Press(Altricia Gethers/Megan Frampton,Trouser Press)
  14. ^abcdeJason Ankeny."Wolfgang Press."AllMusic Guide to Electronica: the definitive guide to electronic music,p560. Vladimir Bogdanov, ed., 2001. Backbeat Books.ISBN0-87930-628-9.
  15. ^abcdThe Mud Black Geniuser of Michael Allen(Todd C. Allen,MVRemix,February 2006, p. 2)
  16. ^abJeremy Simmonds."The Wolfgang Press."The Rough Guide to Rock,3rd ed., Peter Buckley (ed.), p1182. Rough Guides Ltd, October 2003.ISBN1-85828-457-0.
  17. ^abc4AD band profile,p. 2, 4ad
  18. ^Wolfgang Press, The - Time(discogs )
  19. ^The Wolfgang Press - "A Girl Like You / Angel"Archived2 October 2011 at theWayback Machine(erasure.ru)
  20. ^The Wolfgang Press - A Girl Like You[permanent dead link‍](billboard )
  21. ^"He's With The Band."(Billboard,28 January 1995, p12)
  22. ^The Wolfgang Press Songs(MusicVF charts database)
  23. ^Wolfgang Press, The – Christianity(discogs )
  24. ^Production Notes: Other Cities(Billboard,20 May 1995, p36)
  25. ^Roberts, David (2006).British Hit Singles & Albums(19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 608.ISBN1-904994-10-5.
  26. ^The Wolfgang Press(Chaos Control Digizine,1995)
  27. ^World View News(Keyboard21, 1995, p11)
  28. ^"homegrown".Archived fromthe originalon 13 March 2012.Retrieved8 January2016.
  29. ^"rsd2020".
  30. ^https:// brooklynvegan /80s-4ad-vets-the-wolfgang-press-announce-first-album-in-29-years/.{{cite web}}:Missing or empty|title=(help)
  31. ^Aston, Martin (2013).Facing the Other Way: The Story of 4AD(1st ed.). The Friday Project; Pck Slp Ha edition (September 26, 2013).ISBN978-0007489619.
  32. ^Press Conference: The Wolfgang Press squeezes the soul out of laid-back English pop.(Amy Talkington,Spin,October 1992, p30)
  33. ^"The Wolfgang Press".Discogs.Retrieved9 April2020.
  34. ^"The Wolfgang Press - Standing Up Straight".Discogs.Retrieved9 April2020.
  35. ^"The Unlikely Return of the Wolfgang Press".26 September 2024.
  36. ^Various – Document: Pleasantly Surprised (82 - 85)(discogs )
  37. ^Various Artists - Abstract Magazine: Volume 5(Everything Starts With An A)
  38. ^Various – Unbelievable - The Indie Dance Album(discogs )
  39. ^Various – Rough Trade - Music For The 90's • Vol. 3(discogs )
  40. ^1993 releasesArchived16 November 2010 at theWayback Machine(4AD)
  41. ^4AD Presents The 13 Year ItchArchived11 November 2010 at theWayback Machine(allmusic )
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