Wang Chung

Originally formed in London, the new wave outfit Wang Chung scored several mid-'80s successes and found their strongest audience across the Atlantic. First known as Huang Chung, the lineup featured vocalist and guitarist Jack Hues alongside bassist Nick Feldman and drummer Darren Costin. In the late '70s they cut four songs for 101 Records that later surfaced across two separate compilations. Under the Huang Chung name they issued their debut single, "Isn't It About Time We Were on Television?," in 1980, which secured a deal with Arista Records. Their self-titled debut album followed in 1982. By the sessions for 1984's Points on a Curve the group had adopted the name Wang Chung. While "Dance Hall Days" achieved only modest success in Britain, the band reached the American Top 40 on two occasions, with "Don't Let Go" peaking at number 36 and "Dance Hall Days" climbing to number 16. Thereafter Wang Chung turned away from the U.K. market to focus exclusively on the United States. In 1985 the theme "To Live and Die in L.A." from William Friedken's thriller fell just short of the Top 40. That year the band also moved from Geffen Records to A&M, after which Costin departed. Hues and Feldman carried on as a duo, issuing Mosaic in 1986. The album became their commercial peak, yielding the number-two single "Everybody Have Fun Tonight" and the Top Ten follow-up "Let's Go!" Wang Chung resurfaced in 1989 with The Warmer Side of Cool, which lingered on the charts for only six weeks and produced the modest hit "Praying to a New God." Following that album's underwhelming reception, the group gradually ceased both touring and recording.