Why Name It That?: W

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06 July 2016

Wang Chung

Wang Chung are an English new wave musical group formed in 1980. Their biggest U.S. hits were between 1983 and 1987: "Dance Hall Days" (1984), "Everybody Have Fun Tonight" (1986) and "Let's Go!" (1987).

Jeremy Ryder, known professionally as "Jack Hues" (vocalist/guitarist) and Nick Feldman (bassist) were the core of Wang Chung. Along with other musicians, they started as The Intellektuals.
That band lasted less than a year, and next was a new lineup called 57 Men. This incarnation lasted for a about a year and a half and after a few more musician changes they reformed as Huang Chung.

I could not find an origin story for that name change. I found no Chinese connections, but it means "yellow bell" in Chinese (黃鐘, pinyin: huáng zhōng). More on point, it is the first note in the Chinese classical music scale.

When they signed with Geffen Records, it was suggested that they change the spelling to a more phonetic Wang Chung to make it easier for English-speakers. Apparently, they were being called "Hung Chung."

At the moment of this posting, the www.wangchung.com website is down and out.

Wang Chung - Wikipedia

28 January 2015

The Who

THE WHO in 1975

The 3 founding members of The Who are Roger Daltrey, Pete Townshend and John Entwistle who grew up in Acton, London and went to Acton County Grammar School. Townshend and Entwistle became friends in their second year of Acton County, and formed a traditional jazz group. Entwistle and Townshend both played guitar but Entwhistle had problems playing because he had large fingers and moved to bass.

After Acton County, Townshend attended Ealing Art College which he claims as very influential on the course of the band in later years.

Daltrey was expelled at 15 and working at construction when in 1959 he started the Detours. The band played corporate and wedding functions and Daltrey handled the finances and selected the music. He saw Entwistle by chance on the street carrying a bass and recruited him into the Detours. In 1961, Entwistle suggested Townshend as a guitarist. This early version of The Who (but still called The Detours) had Daltrey on lead guitar, Entwistle on bass, Harry Wilson on drums, and Colin Dawson on vocals.

It was a cover band with Daltrey clearly the leader. Dawson left after frequently arguing with Daltrey and Daltrey moved to lead vocals. Townshend became the sole guitarist. Another local band, The Pirates, also had only one guitarist, Mick Green, who inspired Townshend to combine rhythm and lead guitar in his style. Entwistle then began to use his bass as more of a lead instrument playing melodies.

According to Before I Get Old: The Story of The Who by dave Marsh and other books, in 1964 the Detours became aware that there was another group called Johnny Devlin and the Detours and decided to change there name. The band members and friend considered "No One" and "The Group" and "The Hair" but Daltrey chose "The Who." No deep meaning, but rather one of several goofs on band names.

Their classic line-up consisted of lead singer Daltrey, guitarist Townshend, bassist Entwistle, and drummer Keith Moon. They are considered one of the most influential rock bands of the 20th century, selling over 100 million records worldwide and establishing their reputation equally on live shows and studio work.

04 April 2013

Wilco

Wilco is an American alternative rock band based in Chicago, Illinois. The band was formed in 1994.

Tweedy

Wilco's lineup has changed frequently, with only singer Jeff Tweedy and bassist John Stirratt remaining from the original incarnation. The current lineup is guitarist Nels Cline, multi-instrumentalists Pat Sansone and Mikael Jorgensen, and drummer Glenn Kotche.

Wilco has released nine albums: eight studio albums and a live double album. They also have four collaborations, 3 with Billy Bragg, and one with The Minus 5.

Wilco was formed following the breakup of the alternative country music group Uncle Tupelo after singer Jay Farrar quit the band in 1994 because of issues with co-singer Jeff Tweedy. Tweedy was able to keep the remaining Uncle Tupelo lineup (bassist John Stirratt, drummer Ken Coomer, and multi-instrumentalist Max Johnston and sometime guitarist Brian Henneman)

They considered keeping the Uncle Tupelo name. They decided to rename the band based on a military slang term. WILCO is a portmanteau abbreviation of will comply. The term came into usage during World War II. Combined with the term "roger" (meaning that a radio message was received) "roger wilco" means "message received and we will comply." Will Comply is, as Tweedy has said, a fairly ironic name for a rock band that often does not comply.

Wilco got a lot of media attention for the circumstances of its fourth album, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot . After it was recorded, Reprise Records rejected the album and dismissed Wilco from the label.

Wilco maintained the rights to the album, streamed it on its website, and then sold the album to Nonesuch Records for a 2002 release. It became their most successful release.

They won two Grammy Awards for their next studio album, A Ghost Is Born, including Best Alternative Music Album.

Wilco's The Whole Love was released in 2011.