WANG CHUNG

This band had their first big hit with Dance Hall Days

Jack Hues (Singer/guitarist/keyboardist) - Born Jeremy Allan Ryder on December 10, 1954 in
Gillingham, Kent, England.
Jack Hues was studying music for three years at London’s Goldsmith College before going on
to attend the Royal College of Music, studying composition and writing. This is where Jack met
his friend (and future Huang Chung member) David Burnand (a.k.a. Hogg Robinson).

Nick Feldman (singer/bassist/guitarist/keyboardist) - Born Nicholas Laurence Feldman on May 1,
1955 in North London, England.
At the University of Liverpool, Feldman found himself studying subjects like psychology. ”I soon
found out that I wasn’t interested in rat behavior, but people instead.” He left the university,
joining various bands in Liverpool before moving to London, where he’d eventually meet Jack in
the midst of the punk movement.

1977 / 1978 Jack Hues met Nick Feldman for the first time after Jack Hues responded to an
advertisement that Nick Feldman placed in the weekly British music press, Melody Maker. They
first played together in an avantgarde group called ”The Intellektuals”, which was together from
mid ‘77 to late ‘78. The group included Jack Hues (guitar/vocals), Nick Feldman (guitar/vocals),
Bud Merrick (bass guitar), and the late Paul Hammond (drummer - formerly of the rock band
”Atomic Rooster”).

1979 - After ”The Intellektuals” split up, drummer Darren Costin, bass player Leigh Gorman (who
later joined the group ”Bow Wow Wow”), and lead singer Glenn Gregory (now with the group
”Heaven 17”) joined Jack and Nick after meeting them while in the same rehearsal studio in the
East End of London. The band was then reborn under the name ”57 Men”.
After ”57 Men”, Jack Hues, Nick Feldman and Darren Costin re-grouped and started out again as
a three-piece family, becoming ”Huang Chung”. They recorded four live tracks for 101 Records,
all of which appeared on a pair of compilation albums in 1980 and 1981.
Later they got a two singles deal with Rewind Records. The first single was ”Isn’t It About Time
We Were on Television?” and the second single was ”Stand Still”.
Saxophonist David Burnand joined the band just after these singles.

In 1981 Huang Chung signed to Arista Records for a 2 album deal andsupported Toyah on tour
in september.
1982 they released their first album, Huang Chung. It was produced by Rhett Davies of ”Roxy
Music” and Roger Bechirian from ”The Undertones”.
In early ‘82, saxophonist David Burnand left the band over ”musical differences”.

Late 1982 Huang Chung went back into the studio to start work on their 2nd album. During this
time, the band record an early version of ”Dance Hall Days”. Sensing the band’s future potential,
and ”Dance Hall Days” becoming a possibly big hit, David Massey (their manager) wanted Arista
to close their contract not to persue a second album from the band. Switching from Arista to
Geffen Records in America, the band also changed their name to Wang Chung and immediately
went back to the studio to record.
Wang Chung becomes the first UK act to be signed to Geffen Records in America.
The band again consisted of Jack Hues, Nick Feldman, and Darren Costin.
1983 they met Ross Cullum and Chris Hughes (ex Adam and the Ants and producer of Tears for
Fears and Howard Jones). Together they recorded their first album for Geffen Records, entitled
”Points On The Curve”.

When Wang Chung went into Abbey Road Studios to record ”Dance Hall Days” for the new
album, they knew they had a hit. The one thing they were lacking that day was a working fretted
bass guitar for Nick Feldman to lay the basic track with. ”We’re both sort of avid Beatles fans,”
Feldman explained. ”I needed a left handed, fretted bass for that particular track. Paul McCartney
was recording next door and he very kindly lent it to me.” So the song featured Paul McCartney’s
bass-played by Feldman.

”Dance Hall Days” was a small hit in UK but the band hit the Top 40 twice in America — ”Don’t Let
Go” made it to number 36, while ”Dance Hall Days” peaked at number 16 on Billboard’s ”Hot 100”
chart. From this point on, Wang Chung concentrated on America.
By summer 1984 ”Dance Hall Days” was a world-wide hit. Wang Chung spent two months touring
the U.S.A. (on their own and with The Romantics).

”Points On The Curve” was voted by the very prestigious RMS MUSIC SOCIETY in America, an
HONOURABLE MENTION BEST ALBUM OF 1984. (Hundreds of albums are evaluated for the RMS
awards. Albums are judged on sound quality, musicianship, originality, and production style).
1985 Geffen released the motion picture soundtrack for the film To Live and Die in L.A. in America
and director William Friedkin got Nick and Jack to score his movie and in november 1985 the theme
song from the movie was listed at No. 53 in the ”Top US Singles” Chart.
1986 Hues and Feldman continued as a duo and released ”Mosai”c in 1986. The album was their
biggest success, with the hit ”Everybody Have Fun Tonigh”t (peaking at number 2) and the Top
Ten smash ”Let’s Go!”
In 1989 Jack Hues wrote music for WILLIAM FRIEDKIN’S horror movie ”The Guardian”.

In the 90’s Nick Feldman decided to team up with long-time friend Jon Moss (former drummer of
Culture Club) to create a band. Their 1992 band and debut album was called Promised Land and
their version of Thunderclap Newman’s ”Something In The Air” became ”Single of the Week” by the
UK’s NME publication, and was a rather decent club hit in the UK. Since then Nick has gotten deeply
involved in the professional music business, serving for many years as the A&R manager for Warner
Music UK Limited (WEA Records in London).

Jack Hues recorded and produced a solo album in 1992 entitled ”The Anatomy Lesson”, which has
yet to be released. In 1995, Jack collaborated with Genesis keyboardist Tony Banks, providing all
the lead vocals for a project which Banks named ”Strictly Inc.” Since then Jack has gotten much more
involved with music production, especially with Chris Hughes (who produced ”Points On The Curve”).
In 1994, Jack Hues helped produce an instrumental album by Chris Hughes entitled ”Shift” on Fontana
Records. In 1995 Jack Hues also co-produced an album with Chris Hughes for London’s Definition of
Sound on Mercury Records called ”Experience”.

After being involved in other musical projects, Wang Chung returned in 1997 with the release of their
greatest hits compilation ”Everybody Wang Chung Tonight...Wang Chung’s Greatest Hits”.
2000 - Wang Chung went on an American Summer Tour, featuring Jack Hues on Lead Guitar and
Lead Vocals, Bill Clift (Robert Plant, World Party, and Kylie Minogue) on Guitar and Vocals, Dony
Wynn (Robert Palmer and Patti LaBelle) on Drums, Manny Yanes on Bass Guitar, and Mike Bohannon
on Keyboards.

That summer Wang Chung also performed as part of ”Club 80’s - The Flashback Tour”, featuring
Wang Chung as headliners, as well as opening acts A Flock Of Seagulls, Dale Bozzio of Missing
Persons, and Gene Loves Jezebel (featuring Michael Aston).
Autumn 2000, Wang Chung embarked on a headlining tour of their own, with various support acts
along the way. Although Nick Feldman and Jack Hues are still partners in the Wang Chung project,
Nick was unable to appear with the band and tour this year, due to his hectic work schedule.

2001- Nick Feldman was an A&R manager for Warner Music UK Limited (WEA Records in London),
promoting fine new bands such as Arturo, The Screaming Orphans, The Webb Brothers, and ARKARNA.
However, in February 2001 he left the company.

TODAY, all four original members are still working within the music industry.

Jack Hues is still busy writing music and producing on his own, being responsible for such projects
as the 1990 film soundtrack to William Friedkin’s ”The Guardian”, among others. Recently, Jack has
just co-produced and co-written the new ARKARNA album for Warners. He is looking for very musical
projects which need a big writing/arranging input.
He has a daughter, Violet, and two sons, Harry, and Jack Ryder (who is now appearing as the
character ”Jamie Mitchell” on the weekly BBC soap opera EastEnders in GB and Australia).

Nick Feldman is an A&R man, now working for Sony Music UK with David Massey, who was Wang
Chung’s manager back in the 1980’s! Nick and Jack are also founding investors in Graeme Pleeth’s
great project called Studio EncycloMedia, an on-line directory of worldwide professional recording
studios and the focal point for the professional recording industry.

Darren Costin is also busy as an engineer, producing and editing various projects for the likes of
U2, Bjork and Pavarotti. Darren is reportedly now involved with a new band named ”LOBE”, with
an album in the works.

David Burnand (aka Hogg Robinson) is the Head of Music Technology, Head of the Centre for Screen
Music Studies, and a Principal Lecturer at the Royal College of Music. He composes electroacoustic
and film scores, including music and sound design for: Hoi Polloi (BBC, 1990), Acumen (C4, 1991),
Smart Alek (BFI, 1993), Là Bas (BFI, 1994), Gallivant (BFI/C4, 1996). The Gallivant soundtrack is
available on CD (TS CD001).

Thanx to Kent Markwart for letting me use his pictures and a lot of info as well. Thank you!
Most of this stuff is from Kent’s web site: http://wangchung.net
Go there to find out a lot more on Wang Chung.

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Photos: Used by permission of Kent Markwart (except Hogg picture)