Wet Wet Wet – in concert – Christmas At The Quay – 2021 – BBC Radio Scotland –
Wet Wet Wet keeping everything in a holiday spirit tonight. From Christmas at The Quay 2021 via BBC Scotland, an hour’s worth of Blue-Eyed Celtic soul.
Wet Wet Wet is composed of Graeme Clark (bass, vocals), Tommy Cunningham (drums, vocals), Neil Mitchell (keyboards, piano, vocals) and, since 2018, lead vocalist and former Liberty X singer Kevin Simm, who replaced founding member Marti Pellow after he left during the previous year. A fifth, unofficial member, Graeme Duffin (lead guitar, vocals), has been with them since 1983. The band were named Best British Newcomer at the 1988 Brit Awards.
In 1988, Wet Wet Wet scored their first Number 1 hit with a cover version of the Beatles’ “With a Little Help from My Friends”, recorded for the charity ChildLine. Another Beatles song, “She’s Leaving Home”, was equally-billed on the flip side, performed by Billy Bragg. In the same year, an album – entitled The Memphis Sessions – was released from their spell in the United States prior to hitting the big time. It was produced and mixed by Willie Mitchell. It was recorded at his Royal Studios in Memphis, Tennessee.
In 1992, the band released a fourth studio album, entitled High on the Happy Side, which spawned the Number 1 hit single “Goodnight Girl” – the only self-penned chart-topping single they have had to date. The song proved something of a saviour, as the previous two single releases from the album had failed in the singles charts, although the album reached the top of the UK Albums Chart. In total, five singles were released from it. The following day saw the release of a special-edition album, Cloak & Dagger, released under the alias “Maggie Pie & The Impostors”. “Maggie Pie” was Marti Pellow, and the “impostors” were (on album cover, clockwise from top left) Neil Mitchell, Graeme Duffin, Tommy Cunningham, and Graeme Clark.
In July 2005, Wet Wet Wet played at the Summer Weekender festival in England, and were one of the headline acts at Live 8 Edinburgh in Scotland. On 31 December 2006, Wet Wet Wet were the headline act for Aberdeen’s Hogmanay celebrations when the celebrations in all other Scottish cities was held off because of strong winds and heavy rain. They performed thirteen songs in an hour-long set.
On 25 September 2018, the band announced that Kevin Simm (formerly of Liberty X) was their new singer. Simm started singing with the band at two shows: St Lukes in Calton, Glasgow, and 229 The Venue in London in November 2018. Following on from their sold-out shows, they announced a nationwide 18-date tour, starting in April 2019.
In November 2020, the band announced the 2021 release of new album The Journey, their first studio album since 2007 and the first including vocals from former The Voice UK winner Kevin Simm, who also re-recorded the vocals on a number of their hits for the bonus CD (which comes with the 2CD/DVD version of album).
Here they are as they were recorded only a few days ago – in case you missed them the first time, pull up a chair – if you’ve been a fan since day One you’ve already jumped into it.
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