Bow Wow Wow

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

Bow Wow Wow was an English new wave band put together by the manager Malcolm McLaren in 1980. McLaren, the former manager of the Sex Pistols, lured guitarist Matthew Ashman, bassist Leigh Gorman and drummer David Barbarossa away from Adam and the Ants. After a search of six months, a talent scout found the thirteen-year-old Annabella Lwin, who was singing along to the radio in a dry cleaner's in West Hampstead. For a short time George Alan O'Dowd was also a second singer; he soon afterwards founded Culture Club and became famous as Boy George.

Music and breakthrough

In July 1980 the band signed to EMI. Its first single, C30 C60 C90 Go!, was released at first on cassette only and was the world's first cassette single. The lyrics encouraged home taping from the radio, at a time when music piracy was a sensitive subject, and EMI therefore did not promote the record. It nevertheless reached number 34 in the British chart. In November came the cassette mini-album Your Cassette Pet. Both were counted by NME among the best tracks of 1980. When the second single did not chart, EMI dropped the group. After that came See Jungle! See Jungle! Go Join Your Gang Yeah! City All Over, Go Ape Crazy in 1981 and When the Going Gets Tough the Tough Get Going in 1983. In 1982 the band had its first British top ten hit with Go Wild in the Country.

Influence

The sound was danceable new wave on a Burundi beat, played by Barbarossa on drums, with exuberant, provocative lyrics that the teenage singer sang and shouted. Bow Wow Wow showed that African rhythms and punk style could come together in a pop band, led by a manager who used provocation as advertising.

Listening

Discography

Studio albums

• 1981See Jungle! See Jungle! Go Join Your Gang Yeah! City All Over, Go Ape Crazy
• 1983When the Going Gets Tough the Tough Get Going