K SPECIAL Pete Wylie and The Mighty Wah! The Story of... 45th Anniversary 1979-2024 (Super Deluxe Edition) (11CD Box Set) (2024)

K SPECIAL

Pete Wylie and The Mighty Wah! The Story of... 45th Anniversary 1979-2024 (Super Deluxe Edition) (11CD Box Set) (2024)

Peter James Wylie (born 22 March 1958) is an English singer-songwriter and guitarist, best known as the leader of the band variously known as Wah!, Wah! Heat, Shambeko! Say Wah!, JF Wah!, The Mighty Wah! and Wah! The Mongrel.

Early bands

Wylie was born on 22 March 1958 in Liverpool. He began his career in 1977 with lead vocalist Ian McCulloch and bassist Julian Cope, with whom he formed the band Crucial Three, which lasted from May to June the same year. Later that year, he performed as a member of the short-lived punk band Mystery Girls, who gave only one performance, supporting Sham 69 at Eric's Club in November 1977, and was composed of Pete Burns and Julian Cope. In December 1977, he joined The Spitfire Boys, who dissolved the same month.

Wylie and two of the band, Pete Griffiths and Peter Clarke, formed the same month The Nova Mob, alongside Julian Cope. The band lasted until May 1978. In August, he joined established local band Crash Course (December 1977 - January 1979), on rhythm guitar and backing vocals, after seeing them supporting Big in Japan at the matinee of their farewell show at Eric's Club on 26 August. The revised Crash Course made their first live appearance at Manchester University on 13 October.

On 22 December 1978, a professional recording of the band performing at Eric's (a gig which included Echo & the Bunnymen) was made for a live EP, to be released on the club's own label, and to follow the Pink Military EP which had also been recorded there. Crash Course disbanded in late January 1979 and the record wasn't pressed (the tape subsequently lost).

Also in January 1979, the band had recorded three tracks at Liverpool's MVCU demo studios: "Someone Different" (with which The Glass Torpedoes had a minor hit in mid-1979), "The Tears of a Clown" (the Smokey Robinson song), and "Look Now". Shortly after the band's demise, the three MVCU demo tracks were broadcast, in their unmixed form, on BBC radio's Phil Ross programme. One of the last compositions to be rehearsed by Crash Course was the semi instrumental "Heart Surgery". A version of this later appeared on the Glass Torpedoes EP.

Wah!

Active from 1979, Wylie and company garnered critical acclaim throughout 1980 for the singles"Better Scream" and "Seven Minutes to Midnight" (both as Wah! Heat), the latter being single of the week in the NME, Sounds and Melody Maker during spring 1980, as well as the 1981 Warner Bros. album Nah = Poo! - The Art of Bluff (as Wah!). Their biggest hit single was "The Story of the Blues", which was released in late 1982; it reached number 3 in the UK Singles Chart.

A follow-up single, "Hope (I Wish You'd Believe Me)" was released in 1983, but found limited success. Next, Wylie released an officially sanctioned "official bootleg" of new and old songs entitled The Maverick Years 1980-81 on his own label.

Clad in a cover that alluded to the early 1970s "Trade Mark of Quality" bootlegs, the record appeared as a white label with a blank outer cover and a sheet attached with sleeve notes by music journalist Adam Sweeting. This release did not shore up Wylie's dwindling fortunes and Wah! were subsequently dropped by WEA. In 1984, the Mighty Wah! had a Top 20 hit with the song "Come Back" (as with "The Story of the Blues", the song was chosen by the BBC Radio 1 DJ John Peel, as his "single of the year").

The accompanying double album, recorded for Beggars' Banquet, was entitled A Word to the Wise Guy. It was critically acclaimed but sold poorly and the band were again dropped.

By 1986, having ditched his backing ensemble, Wylie had a solo hit with "Sinful!", which peaked at number 13 in the UK, ostensibly produced by Ian Ritchie, but with major input from Zeus B. Held. "Sinful!" became the title track of his 1987 solo album, which included the enigmatically titled "FourElevenFortyFour".

1990-present

In 1990, a single called "Imperfect List" was released under the project name of Big Hard Excellent Fish. The spoken-word track is a list of 64 least favourite people and things read by Wylie's then girlfriend and collaborator Josie Jones. The list was compiled by Wylie and the track was recorded by Robin Guthrie of the Cocteau Twins, although Wylie is not credited on the record. The list ranges from "Adolf Hitler" to "Lost Keys".

In 1990, the Justified Ancients of Mu Mu released a limited edition (between 350 and 500 copies) white label version of "It's Grim Up North" featuring Wylie on vocals. This version was a club-only release. The main version was released in October 1991 with Bill Drummond on vocals, making the charts. Creative cracks had begun to appear by 1991, when the collaboration with the Farm on "Sinful! (Scary Jiggin' with Dr Love)" did little for either of the rival camps. In 1991, Wylie toured the UK in support of the Infamy! album with a band featuring Joe McKechnie on drums, Tony Jones on bass and Peter Baker on keyboards. On 11 November of that year, Wylie suffered a near fatal fall when a railing gave way in Upper Parliament Street, Liverpool. He fractured both his spine and his sternum. A long period of rehabilitation ensued.

Wylie began to write songs again and sent demos to David Balfe, formerly of the Teardrop Explodes, founder of Food Records and by that time general manager and Head of A&R of Sony's Columbia label. There were reports that Balfe was so impressed he quickly gave Wylie £750,000 to record the songs, which Wylie did in London and Memphis, delivering Songs of Strength and Heartbreak to a delighted Balfe in 1998.

Wylie quickly formed a new band line up recruiting drummer Mike Joyce (from The Smiths) and a referral by band The Farm brought bass player Danny Lunt. The band relocated to London to record the new album Songs of Strength and Heartbreak at Abbey Road Studios with producers Mike Hedges and Peter Collins. The truth appears somewhat different as the album - despite being finished up to the point where artwork was finalised and discs had been sent out for review - was rejected by Sony, who chose not to release it. Subsequently, Wylie found himself in artistic limbo as Sony owned the rights to the music he had recorded as Songs of Strength and Heartbreak. He found it difficult to acquire the master tapes, and was without a recording contract. Eventually he was handed the master tapes, and Castle Records released the album.

Wylie's "Heart as Big as Liverpool" (1998) is popular within the city and especially with Liverpool Football Club supporters. It is used in the official Hillsborough tribute video, on a 2001 CD of Merseyside artists (compiled in collaboration with Liverpool Football Club) Mersey Boys and Liverpool Girls and features on Songs of Strength & Heartbreak, a 2000 album credited to The Mighty Wah! The song is also regularly played at Liverpool's home ground, Anfield.

It was later re-released in 2024 as a heart shaped red vinyl single limited to 1,000 copies for Record Store Day.

2000 also heralded a compilation album entitled The Handy Wah! Whole. Wylie joined Dead Men Walking, featuring Mike Peters of the Alarm, Kirk Brandon of Spear of Destiny and Glen Matlock of the Sex Pistols. They toured extensively, performing old songs as well as new, including Wylie's "Your Mother Must Be Very Proud".

In 2003, Wylie's voice was featured on the Apollo 440 track "1234" from their album Dude Descending a Staircase. Following an invitation from Alejandro Escovedo, Wylie performed at the 2006 South by Southwest festival in the United States at Austin, Texas. His next project was a twin album release with the working titles Pete Sounds and SLiME, both puns on mid 1960s Beach Boys projects.

Wylie collaborated with Josie Jones, a singer from Merseyside.

She was the vocalist on Wah's hit single "Come Back", and on some of Wylie's solo efforts, including "Sinful!", "Diamond Girl", and the spoken word vocals on the Big Hard Excellent Fish release "Imperfect List". Jones died in 2015.

For several years, Wylie expressed interest in releasing another record, as he had not made any "this century". In the autumn of 2017, Wylie released his first album of the 2010s, entitled Pete Sounds. It was made with donations via PledgeMusic and then released on his own label.

‘We had a seance to channel John Lennon’: how Wah! made The Story of the Blues | Music | The Guardian

https://amp.theguardian.com/culture/2023/jan/02/seance-channel-john-lennon-wah-story-of-the-blues

Albums featured in this box set include:

01 Wah! - Nah=Poo - The Art of Bluff (2001 Expanded Edition) (1981)

02 Wah! - The Maverick Years 80-81... And Then Some! (2001 Expanded Edition) (1982)

03 The Mighty Wah! - A Word to the Wise Guy (2001 Expanded Edition) (1984)

04 Pete Wylie - Sinful (1987)

05 Wah! ‎– The Handy Wah! Whole - Songs from the Repertwah! - The Maverick Years (2CD) (2000)

06 The Mighty Wah! - Songs of Strength and Heartbreak (2025, 25th Anniversary Remastered Deluxe Edition) (2CD) (2000)

07 Pete Wylie - Pete Sounds! (2017)

08 Pete Wylie and The Mighty Wah! - Teach Yself Wah! (2024)

09 Pete Wylie and The Mighty Wah! The Story of... The Greatest Hits - 45th Anniversary 1979-2024 (2024)

Pete Wylie and The Mighty Wah! The Story of... The Greatest Hits - 45th Anniversary 1979-2024 is my own compilation featuring all the original hit single versions in chronological order, compiled as always using the very latest and highest quality digital remasters, with a considerable number of tracks sourced from the original master tapes for superior sound quality and enjoyment.

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Track lists

Wah! - Nah=Poo - The Art of Bluff (2001 Expanded Edition) (1981)

01 Wah! - The Wind-Up 4:57

02 Wah! - Other Boys 3:53

03 Wah! - Why D'You Imitate the Cutout 3:09

04 Wah! - Mission Impossible 2:40

05 Wah! - Somesay 5:18

06 Wah! - The Seven Thousand Names of Wah! 3:55

07 Wah! - Sleeeppp 4:10

08 Wah! - Seven Minutes to Midnight 4:37

09 Wah! - The Death of Wah! 5:49

10 Wah! - Forget the Down (This Time) (B' S 4:06

11 Wah! - The Checkmate Syndrome 3:06

12 Wah! - Other Boys (Wah! Heat Version) 4:24

13 Wah! - The Seven Thousand Names of Wah! 3:58

14 Wah! - Seven Minutes to Midnight (1980 S 3:28

15 Wah! - Forget the Down (Ian Broudie Mix) 4:22

16 Wah! - Somesay (Ian Broudie Mix) 3:55

Wah! - The Maverick Years 80-81... And Then Some! (2001 Expanded Edition) (1982)

01 Wah! - Radio Wah! 1 (Bonus) 1:57

02 Wah! - Remember 3:05

03 Wah! - Somesay 5:14

04 Wah! - The Truth About Eddie 3:34

05 Wah! - The Checkmate Syndrome 3:23

06 Wah! - I Know There Was Something 7:54

07 Wah! - Radio Wah! 3 (Bonus) 1:31

08 Wah! - Shambeko 3:57

09 Wah! - Sleeep 4:12

10 Wah! - Otherboys 4:02

11 Wah! - What's Happening Here 3:51

12 Wah! - Seven Minutes to Midnight 5:11

13 Wah! - The Bible or Maths 3:42

14 Wah! - Wah! vs Nah (Bonus) 3:25

15 Wah! - Silver and Gold (Bonus) 5:04

16 Wah! - They Cannot Touch Her (Bonus) 5:07

17 Wah! - Year of Decision (Bonus) 2:26

18 Wah! - Story of the Blues Pts. 1 & 2 (Bonus) 9:10

19 Wah! - Radio Wah! 2 (Bonus) 0:22

20 Wah! - 1234 (Bonus) 0:12

The Mighty Wah! - A Word to the Wise Guy (2001 Expanded Edition) (1984)

01 The Mighty Wah! - The Story Of The Blues Pt.1 3:40

02 The Mighty Wah! - Yuh Learn 2:10

03 The Mighty Wah! - Weekends 3:40

04 The Mighty Wah! - Everwanna 3:40

05 The Mighty Wah! - The Lost Generation 3:16

06 The Mighty Wah! - Yuh Learn 2 1:39

07 The Mighty Wah! - I Know There Was Something 7:56

08 The Mighty Wah! - Hope (Faded) 4:59

09 The Mighty Wah! - Yuh Learn 3 1:08

10 The Mighty Wah! - In The Bleak - Body And Soul - Midwinter 3:36

11 The Mighty Wah! - Papa Crack - God's Lonely Man 6:47

12 The Mighty Wah! - What's Happening Here 3:10

13 The Mighty Wah! - Yuh Learn 4 1:16

14 The Mighty Wah! - Come Back (Story Of The Reds) 4:21

15 The Mighty Wah! - Talkin' Blues (The Story Of The Blues Pt.2) 2:49

16 The Mighty Wah! - Don't Step On The Cracks 4:41

17 The Mighty Wah! - Yuh Learn (Version) 5:53

18 The Mighty Wah! - Come Back (The Holiday Romance Version) 5:15

19 The Mighty Wah! - The Devil In Miss Jones 4:33

20 The Mighty Wah! - Remember 3:22

Pete Wylie - Sinful (1987)

01 Pete Wylie - Sinful 4:05

02 Pete Wylie - Shoulder to Shoulder 4:19

03 Pete Wylie - Break Out the Banners 3:10

04 Pete Wylie - FourElevenFourtyFour 5:20

05 Pete Wylie - If I Love You 4:17

06 Pete Wylie - Train to Piranhaville 4:16

07 Pete Wylie - We Can Rule the World 5:46

08 Pete Wylie - All the Love 4:22

Wah! ‎– The Handy Wah! Whole - Songs from the Repertwah! - The Maverick Years CD1

01 Wah! - Better Scream 3:22

02 Wah! - Hey (Disco) Joe 4:57

03 Wah! - 7 Minutes To Midnight [To Be Contd] 3:43

04 Wah! - Don't Step On The Cracks 3:07

05 Wah! - Forget The Down 4:11

06 Wah! - Otherboys 3:59

07 Wah! - Some Day 5:20

08 Wah! - The 7000 Names Of Wah! 3:58

09 Wah! - The Death Of Wah! 5:51

10 Wah! - Remember 3:05

11 Wah! - The Story Of The Blues (Pt 1) 4:00

12 Wah! - Can't Put Your Arms Around A Memory 1:18

13 Wah! - Hope (I Wish You'd Believe Me) 6:36

14 Wah! - Sleep (A Lullaby For Josie) 4:30

15 Wah! - Come Back 4:24

16 Wah! - Weekends 3:43

17 Wah! - In The Bleak / Body And Soul / Midwinter 3:37

18 Wah! - I Know There Was Something 7:56

Wah! ‎– The Handy Wah! Whole - Songs from the Repertwah! - The Maverick Years CD2

01 Wah! - Sinful 4:09

02 Wah! - Diamond Girl 4:52

03 Wah! - If I Love You 4:20

04 Wah! - Never Fall For A Whore 6:19

05 Wah! - Fourelevenfortyfour 5:22

06 Wah! - Don't Lose Your Dreams (Excerpt From A Teenage Opera Pt 154) 5:19

07 Wah! - Circle Of Salt 5:21

08 Wah! - The Kerry Baby 8:22

09 Wah! - Long Tall Scally (The Ballad Thereof) 4:24

10 Wah! - Getting Out Of It 9:29

11 Wah! - Heart As Big As Liverpool 7:52

12 Wah! - Talkin' Blues (Story Of The Blues Pt 2) 4:01

13 Wah! - Sinful (Tribal Mix) 8:00

The Mighty Wah! - Songs of Strength and Heartbreak (2025, 25th Anniversary Remastered Deluxe Edition) CD1

01 Pete Wylie & The Mighty WAH! - Never Loved As A Child (Demo) 3:05

02 Pete Wylie & The Mighty WAH! - Sing All The Saddest Songs (Demo) 5:14

03 Pete Wylie & The Mighty WAH! - Disneyland Forever (Demo) 5:58

04 Pete Wylie & The Mighty WAH! - I Still Love You (Demo) 3:40

05 Pete Wylie & The Mighty WAH! - Hope You Fall (In Love) (Demo) 4:07

06 Pete Wylie & The Mighty WAH! - Loverboy (Demo) 4:36

07 Pete Wylie & The Mighty WAH! - Je T’Aime, Je T’Aime (Demo) 4:09

08 Pete Wylie & The Mighty WAH! - Hey! Mona Lisa (Demo) 6:25

09 Pete Wylie & The Mighty WAH! - Alone (Demo) 6:23

10 Pete Wylie & The Mighty WAH! - ?Alone Again [Naturally] (Demo) 4:01

11 Pete Wylie & The Mighty WAH! - Stop The World (Demo) 3:45

12 Pete Wylie & The Mighty WAH! - Cesspool (Demo) 3:48

13 Pete Wylie & The Mighty WAH! - Cancer Or A Car Crash (Demo) 6:25

14 Pete Wylie & The Mighty WAH! - Your Mother Must Be Very Proud (Demo) 6:58

The Mighty Wah! - Songs of Strength and Heartbreak (2025, 25th Anniversary Remastered Deluxe Edition) CD2

01 Pete Wylie & The Mighty WAH! - Never Loved As A Child (2025 Remaster) 3:19

02 Pete Wylie & The Mighty WAH! - Sing All The Saddest Songs (2025 Remaster) 4:19

03 Pete Wylie & The Mighty WAH! - Disneyland Forever (2025 Remaster) 5:38

04 Pete Wylie & The Mighty WAH! - I Still Love You (2025 Remaster) 3:47

05 Pete Wylie & The Mighty WAH! - Hope You Fall (In Love) (2025 Remaster) 4:29

06 Pete Wylie - Hey! Mona Lisa (Album Version) 5:17

07 Pete Wylie & The Mighty WAH! - Loverboy (2025 Remaster) 4:05

08 Pete Wylie & The Mighty WAH! - Alone (2025 Remaster) 6:00

09 Pete Wylie & The Mighty WAH! - Heart As Big As Liverpool (2025 Remaster) 7:35

10 Pete Wylie & The Mighty WAH! - Je T'Aime, Je T'Aime (2025 Remaster) 3:28

11 Pete Wylie & The Mighty WAH! - The Return Of Rock And Roll (2025 Remaster) 5:29

12 Pete Wylie & The Mighty WAH! - The Country Epic (Can't Stop Cryin') (2025 Remaster) 10:51

Pete Wylie - Pete Sounds! (2017)

01 Pete Wylie & The Mighty WAH! - Make Your Mind Up (Time for Love Today) 6:22

02 Pete Wylie & The Mighty WAH! - People! (The Rise of Dunning-Kruger) 4:39

03 Pete Wylie & The Mighty WAH! - Is That What Love is All About? 4:15

04 Pete Wylie & The Mighty WAH! - Hey Hey (It's a Beautiful Day) 6:18

05 Pete Wylie & The Mighty WAH! - You + Me (And the Power of Love) 5:20

06 Pete Wylie & The Mighty WAH! - Free; Falling (In Love With You) 5:51

07 Pete Wylie & The Mighty WAH! - Can't Stop Loving You 3:39

08 Pete Wylie & The Mighty WAH! - The Whole of My Heart 7:09

09 Pete Wylie & The Mighty WAH! - "Your Mother Must Be Very Proud" 6:44

10 Pete Wylie & The Mighty WAH! - The Spell is Broken 8:33

11 Pete Wylie & The Mighty WAH! - I Still Believe (Love and Soul and Rock and Roll) 6:10

Pete Wylie and The Mighty Wah! - Teach Yself Wah! (2024)

01 Pete Wylie & the Mighty Wah! - Remember (2024 Remaster) 3:02

02 Pete Wylie & the Mighty Wah! - The Story of the Blues (Part One) (2024 Remaster) 3:55

03 Pete Wylie & the Mighty Wah! - You Can't Put Your Arms Around a Memory (2024 Remaster) 1:14

04 Pete Wylie & the Mighty Wah! - Hope (I Wish You'd Believe Me) (2024 Remaster) 6:35

05 Pete Wylie & the Mighty Wah! - Sleep (A Lullaby for Josie) (2024 Remaster) 4:27

06 Pete Wylie & the Mighty Wah! - Talking Blues (The Story of the Blues: Part Two) (2024 Remaster) 3:53

07 Pete Wylie & the Mighty Wah! - The Day That Margaret Thatcher Dies - A Party Song (2024 Remaster) 4:12

08 Pete Wylie & the Mighty Wah! - Loverboy (2024 Remaster) 4:07

09 Pete Wylie & the Mighty Wah! - Is That What Love Is All About? (2024 Remaster) 4:15

10 Pete Wylie & the Mighty Wah! - Free; Falling (In Love with You) (2024 Remaster) 5:50

11 Pete Wylie & the Mighty Wah! - Heart As Big As Liverpool (2024 Remaster) 5:14

12 Pete Wylie & the Mighty Wah! - Better Scream 2024 (2024 Remaster) 3:26

13 Pete Wylie & the Mighty Wah! - Seven Minutes to Midnight 2024 (2024 Remaster) 3:41

14 Pete Wylie & the Mighty Wah! - Somesay (2024 Remaster) 5:16

15 Pete Wylie & the Mighty Wah! - The Seven Thousand Names of Wah! (2024 Remaster) 3:55

16 Pete Wylie & the Mighty Wah! - Otherboys (2024 Remaster) 4:01

17 Pete Wylie & the Mighty Wah! - The Death of Wah! (2024 Remaster) 5:46

18 Pete Wylie & the Mighty Wah! - Disneyland Forever (2024 Remaster) 5:38

19 Pete Wylie & the Mighty Wah! - Sing All the Saddest Songs (2024 Remaster) 4:20

20 Pete Wylie & the Mighty Wah! - Make Your Mind Up (2024 Remaster) 6:22

21 Pete Wylie & the Mighty Wah! - The Spell Is Broken (2024 Remaster) 8:31

22 Pete Wylie & the Mighty Wah! - Hey! Mona Lisa (2024 Remaster) 5:17

23 Pete Wylie & the Mighty Wah! - I Know There Was Something (2024 Remaster) 7:54

Pete Wylie and The Mighty Wah! The Story of... The Greatest Hits - 45th Anniversary 1979-2024 (2024)

01 Wah! Heat - Better Scream 3:18

02 Wah! Heat - Seven Minutes to Midnight (Original 1980 7" Single Edit) 3:28

03 Wah! - Forget the Down! (Ian Broudie Mix) 4:22

04 Wah! - Somesay (Ian Broudie Mix) 3:55

05 Shambeko! Say Wah! - Remember 3:02

06 Wah! - The Story of the Blues (Part One) 3:56

07 Wah! - Hope (I Wish You'd Believe Me) 4:56

08 The Mighty Wah! - Come Back (The Story of the Reds) 4:24

09 The Mighty Wah! - Weekends (How Come We Always End Up Here?) 3:43

10 Pete Wylie and the Oedipus Wrecks - Sinful! (Original 1986 7" Single Version) 3:54

11 Pete Wylie featuring the fabulous Josie Jones - Diamond Girl 4:52

12 Pete Wylie - If I Love You 4:20

13 Pete Wylie - FourElevenFortyFour 5:22

14 Pete Wylie and Wah! The Mongrel... - Don't Lose Your Dreams (Excerpt from a Teenage Opera Part 154) 5:19

15 The Mighty Wah! - Heart as Big as Liverpool 5:14

16 The Mighty Wah! - Loverboy 4:07

17 The Mighty Wah! - Sing All the Saddest Songs 4:20

18 Pete Wylie and the Mighty Wah! - Disneyland Forever 5:38

19 Pete Wylie and the Mighty Wah! - The Day That Margaret Thatcher Dies! 4:12

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