Howard Jones

Electronic music pioneer Howard Jones has been a constant presence on the international touring scene for the past four decades, playing live in a number of different configurations including intimate solo shows and dates with his full high-tech band set-up.  He first burst upon the contemporary music scene in 1983, with his very English songwriting and pioneering synthesizers with “New Song”. His first two albums HUMAN’S LIB and DREAM INTO ACTION were worldwide hits.  HUMAN’S LIB reached #1 in 1984 in the UK and featured the hits “New Song,” and “What Is Love?”  In 1985, Jones released the follow-up, DREAM INTO ACTION, which quickly became a Top Ten Platinum album in the United States and featured the smashes: “Things Can Only Get Better,” “Life In One Day,” “No One Is To Blame,” and “Like To Get To Know You Well.” 

Howard Jones has sold upwards of 10 million albums worldwide and continues to make new music and tour the world.  Jones has performed on NBC’s top-rated morning and nighttime shows respectively, Today and The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.  His ubiquitous hits can be heard in such high-profile television series and films such as “Stranger Things,” “Breaking Bad,” “Watchmen,” “The Carrie Diaries”, “Superstore” and “Bumblebee”.  Howard Jones’ most recent album is DIALOGUE, which was released in September, 2022.  DIALOGUE is the third album in a trilogy of electronic releases from Jones with multi-media project ENGAGE coming out in 2015 and studio album TRANSFORM out in 2019.  DIALOGUE garnered serious coverage in outlets such as Spin, Stereogum and more. 

Wang Chung

Jack and Nick first met in the late 70s when Jack answered a classified musicians wanted ad Nick had placed in the Melody Maker. After working together in various configurations, Wang Chung (or Huang Chung as it was spelt then) was formed in 1980 post punk London.

Wang Chung took its name from the Mandarin word for “yellow bell.”

“The yellow bell rings at the center of the universe, sending out billions of vibrations, of which our reality is but one, and the goal of music is to harmonize with that vibration to ensure the success of society.” said lead vocalist/lyricist Jack Hues aka Jeremy Ryder. Jack adopted his stage alias from the writer Emile Zola’s famous “J’accuse” letter targeting the French government cover-up in the Dreyfus army antisemitism case. Recalls Nick “One day, Jack came in with a cool new song called ‘I’m Jack Hues’, so I decided ok that’s your new name! And Jack embraced it’’.

Nick continues…. ”But the real meaning of Huang Chung wasn’t the main reason we chose the name. What appealed was its eccentricity and enigma. It was also like an onomatopoeic sound effect, which we much later lightheartedly suggested could be also interpreted as the sound of the guitar.

Wang Chung went on to became part of the contemporary culture of North America with their huge smash ‘Everybody Have Fun Tonight’, with its now famous line ”Everybody Wang Chung Tonight’’. It saw the invention of a new US verb: ”to Wang Chung”, the band being name-checked by everyone from Homer Simpson, Austin Powers, Two and a Half Men’s Charlie and Alan Harper, Bill Murray on SNL, Top Gear’s James May and Richard Hammond, to Frasier Crane to name just a few. It was a pre internet viral meme that resonates to this day….

Can you tell me what a Wang Chung is? Part 1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4kS_RdjLpZM

Can you tell me what a Wang Chung is? Part 2

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7DgboI7eXk0

Nick added…’’The use of our name in the choruses was more of a compositionally conceptual thing rather than a self referential ego thing. The mystery of the lyric really captured people’s imaginations and still does.’’

Nick jokes ”the self referencing clearly was a crucial influence on all hiphop that followed. I guess we are the godfathers of rap!”

“Wang Chung doesn’t have a fixed meaning. That was a part of why we chose it,” explained Hues. “To feature it in the song was a sort of a placeholder in the song, a bit of a joke really, as it had come from a spontaneous ad lib I had made on the demo. At the time, name checking yourself on your own record was considered a bit desperate, but I always thought it heavily ironic for a full-on party record.”

The original lineup was first signed to Arista in the U.K., releasing the self-titled album ‘Huang Chung’ worldwide in 1982. It was recorded at Roxy Music’s Phil Manzanera’s home studio with Roxy’s producer Rhett Davies.

“We were pleased with the album but the UK label, Arista, didn’t really know what to do with us because we were this strange hybrid of punk and new romantic, as well as all the prog-rock we grew up listening to in the ‘70s, like Frank Zappa, Genesis and Yes,” said Hues.

But after future legendary record executive David Massey became their manager, they joined Geffen Records, where David Geffen himself urged them to re-spell their name to the anglicized Wang Chung.

Their 1984 sophomore follow-up, ‘Points on the Curve’, recorded at the legendary Abbey Road, in the famous Studio 2,  produced the dance-floor breakthrough “Don’t Be My Enemy,” and the Top 40 hits “Don’t Let Go” and the international smash  “Dance Hall Days,” the latter nominated for Best New Artist at the very first MTV Video Music Awards. As big Beatles fans, it had been an incredibly inspiring place for Jack and Nick to record.

They then followed this success with ‘Fire in the Twilight’ their contribution to the soundtrack of what was to be become the culturally iconic John Hughes directed movie, ‘The Breakfast Club’.

The RIAA gold-certified ‘Mosaic’, which was released in 1986, spun off the #2 U.S. hit, “Everybody Have Fun Tonight” (also a Top 5 dance record), the Top 10 “Let’s Go” and the Top 40 “Hypnotize Me.”

“I’m a fan of a wide and varied range of music, as is Jack” added Feldman. “When we met both Jack and I had been galvanised by the new can do, do-it-yourself spirit of punk, but we both quickly recognised in each other a desire and ambition to take that spirit and move it musically further forwards. Jack and I always turned each other on to new things and still do. It keeps us inspired. I have learned a lot from Jack over the years and hopefully he from me”

Wang Chung became associated with the likes of Tears for Fears, Frankie Goes to Hollywood, ABC and Depeche Mode in the first wave of ‘80s MTV-featured, post-punk groups coming from the U.K., using synths, guitars and drum machines together. In fact Wang Chung were more popular in the States than they were in their homeland, thanks to nonstop airplay at alternative stations like KROQ in Los Angeles, and major tours opening for the Cars and Tina Turner. This all enhanced by them being signed directly in the US by Geffen Records.

According to Feldman “We have always been a bit hard to pin down, a bit quirky musically and visually, much like our name. From early on, we combined musicianship, guitars,  good melodies, varied styles, with cutting edge music technology like samplers, drum machines, sequencers and synths. Plus we had an openness to making creative videos that MTV could really embrace’’.

The MTV inspired British invasion was a wave they were able to surf right into the heart of 80s cultural consciousness, which has endured for Wang Chung for more than 45 years now.

Jack and Nick brought a music sensibility from around the world to their music, with a dark-laced edge that belies their danceable beats, blending diverse styles such as funk, pop, rock, prog and even classical, sometimes within a single track, creating a rich, multilayered soundscape with hidden depths. “Dance Hall Days” blends an African Burundi shuffle with electronic and rock instrumentation, while “Everybody Have Fun Tonight” intertwines a Motown-inspired chord structure with a dance and rock hybrid production. “These are things that pop songs don’t usually do,” insisted Hues. “There’s also a cinematic element to them which is why they’re often used in movies.”

More recently their music has featured in TV shows The Walking Dead, Breaking Bad, South Park, Glee, This is Us, SNL, The Goldbergs, Righteous Gemstones, Slow Horses, Everybody’s in LA, amongst many others…as well as in movies like The Idea of You, Bumblebee, Deadpool and The Fighter. They have also featured in various huge video game titles like Grand Theft Auto:Vice City (they are also slated to be in the upcoming Grand Theft Auto VI) and in many big commercials.

In 1985, Hues and Feldman wrote the score and the title theme song to legendary Exorcist and French Connection director William Friedkin’s gritty 1985 film noir, To Live and Die in L.A., which has become a much-revered cult classic after being underappreciated upon its release in 1985. The two were told the title and shown a rough cut of the movie only after they’d first finished the score, written before seeing any footage.

“Billy was a very interesting man and became a good friend,” said Hues about Friedkin. “The film really captured L.A. at a particular point in time. He really didn’t want any songs from us, and definitely not one named after the film, but when we spontaneously came up with this, he loved it…so much so he even shot a sequence to accomodate the song in the film. And, as producer as well as director, he could make all the artistic decisions himself’’

“Over time, people have come to really appreciate that project more and more,” explained Feldman. “And the soundtrack turned into one of our most successful albums as well as a sort of an amazing palette-cleanser for what was to follow on our ‘Mosaic’ album. Having got such a positive response from Friedkin for the song ‘To Live and Die in La’, we made a conscious decision to develop the project into our next album proper and write some other songs for it to go alongside the instrumental scoring,”

The song “To Live and Die in L.A.” has also received a second life as the theme to the evocative opening montage in Netflix’s live talk show John Mulaney Presents Everybody’s in L.A.

Wang Chung marked the 40th anniversary of ‘To Live and Die in L.A’. last year at the vintage Belasco Theater in LA, playing the soundtrack to accompany a specially made visual background made up of parts of the movie as well as interviews with Friedkin and many of the principals.

The band released ‘Orchesography’, featuring symphonic versions of their hits, in 2019, being actively involved in the orchestral arrangements, and last year, ‘Clear Light/Dark Matter’, a retrospective of greatest hits, previously unreleased outtakes and hidden B-side gems.

Added Feldman, who still makes his home in southwest London: “Like the band name, our songs boast two distinct layers, with an accessible front end, and a deeper side beneath the surface, whether it’s lyrically or musically, that balances the light and the dark, the yin and yang, or as we like to say, the Wang and the Chung of what we do.”

When not playing, recording or touring as Wang Chang, Hues and Feldman continue to work on their own solo projects.

“It’s important for us to create our own separate music, so that we can come back together to work on Wang Chung refreshed and motivated,” said Hues.

“We are both interested in music of all different genres and from various time periods,” added Feldman. “Jack and I are constantly coming up with new stuff, some of which we include in our sets whenever we can. I love touring more now than even back in the day. We know who we are, so we can just go out and be ourselves. It’s a blessing to still be able to do this, and in fact, I’d go as far as to say we’re getting even better. We’re not a band that phones it in, and are always ready to take Wang Chung that bit further.”

The English Beat

The English Beat is a band with an energetic mix of musical styles and a sound like no other. The band’s

unique sound has allowed it to endure for nearly four decades and appeal to fans, young and old, all

over the world.

When The English Beat (known as The Beat in their native England) rushed on to the music scene in

1979, it was a time of massive social and political unrest and economic and musical upheaval. This set

the stage for a period of unbridled musical creativity, and thanks in large part to the Punk movement

and it’s DIY approach to making music, artists like The Beat were able to speak out and speak their mind

on the news of the day, as in “Stand Down Margaret”, things that mattered to them and the youth

culture, as in “Get A Job”, and universal matters of the heart and soul, as in their classic hits “I Confess”

and “Save It For Later”.

The Beat first came to prominence as founding members of the British Two Tone Ska movement, with

their classic first album “Just Can’t Stop It” fitting squarely in that genre. Along with their

contemporaries The Specials, The Selecter, and Madness, the band became an overnight sensation and

one of the most popular and influential bands of that movement.

However, band leader Dave Wakeling never felt constrained by the movement. The band crossed over

fluidly between soul, reggae, pop and punk, and from these disparate pieces they created an infectious

dance rhythm. The band’s sound continued to evolve over their three studio albums, through the

General Public era (a band formed by Dave with The Beat’s toaster, Ranking Roger), and it has continued

its evolution with the forthcoming English Beat album “Here We Go Love”, a PledgeMusic crowd-funded

album set for a 2016 release, the band’s first new album since 1982’s “Special Beat Service”.

Consummate showman that he is, Dave Wakeling continues to keep The Beat alive and strong, touring

the world as The English Beat with an amazing all-star ska backing band playing all the hits of The Beat,

General Public, and songs from his new album “Here We Go Love”.

You just can’t stop The English Beat!

Modern English

Modern English, formed in Colchester, England, remain one of the defining bands of the post-punk era, with their original core lineup of Robbie Grey ( vocals) and Michael Conroy (bass) , intact since 1977. Widely regarded as innovators of the genre, the band is best known for their iconic hit “I Melt With You” which became a defining song of the ’80s and continues to resonate with new generations of listeners. MTV era songs like “Hands Across The Sea”  and “Someone’s Calling” still thrill audiences,  as the band enters its 6th decade performing together.  Their latest album, 1 2 3 4, finds Modern English returning to a raw, immediate sound while maintaining the melodic and atmospheric qualities that have long defined their work. As they head into Summer 2026, Modern English continue to bring both their enduring catalog and renewed creative energy to audiences worldwide.

Richard Blade

Richard Blade is one of the most popular and best-known DJs in America, and hosts a daily

radio show on both SiriusXM 1st Wave Ch. 33 and middays on KCBS, Jack FM.

Richard was born in England, educated at Oxford, and after touring Europe for two years as a

DJ, moved to the United States. In the 1980s he was the top-rated morning drive DJ on KROQ,

Los Angeles, and hosted and directed numerous TV shows and series including Video One, MV3

and VideoBeat. Other notable radio stations Richard worked at included KMGN, Bakersfield

(morning drive & program director), KZOZ, San Luis Obispo (morning drive and program

director), KNAC, Long Beach (evenings), and KYSR, Los Angeles (evenings). In 1991 he

created, with Andy Schuon and Lewis Largent, Richard Blade’s Flashback Lunch which aired

daily at noon and was copied by many stations across North America. It also spawned a series of

six CDs on Sony Music, Richard Blade’s Flashback Favorites.

He has won numerous awards including the Golden Microphone, California’s Best DJ, Brit of

the Year, and the American DJ Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award. He was awarded

his own day in Los Angeles – June 9th – by the L.A. City Council, for his contributions to music

and entertainment. He is nominated this year for the Radio Hall of Fame. On June 6th 2024, he

received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, on Vine Street across from Capitol Records.

Jimmy Kimmel and Billy Idol – both Walk of Famers – did the induction ceremony.

Richard is the best-selling author of World In My Eyes, his autobiography, published in 2017,

and four novels, SPQR, Birthright, Imposters, and Ghosts of the Congo, all of which made #1 on

Amazon’s best-seller lists. He also has two non-fiction music books, The Lockdown Interviews

and The Unlocked Interviews; both debuted at #1 on Amazon’s music publications list, and

feature conversations with music’s biggest stars, done during the pandemic. His latest novel,

Slapton Sands, was released on June 6th – the 80th anniversary of D-Day – and is inspired by the

true story of a disaster that befell the American soldiers training for the Normandy invasion.

Within 24 hours of its release, it debuted as Amazon’s #1 New Release.

Throughout the 80s Richard wrote and hosted multiple music video shows, including MV3,

Video One, VideoBeat and The Rock’n’Roll Evening News. Richard appeared in many Network

TV series and starred or co-starred in multiple feature films including Spellcaster, Girls Just

Want To Have Fun, and Long Lost Son, which he wrote. He produced both seasons of VH1’s

Bands Reunited.

Richard lives in L.A. with his wife, Krista, and their two dogs, and travels extensively as he

continues to DJ live and on the radio, and is in high demand as a speaker and host at events

around the world.