Wa Wa Nee

Wa Wa Nee
Company type	Musical group
Industry	Music
Founded	1982
Founder	Paul Gray, Steve Williams
Defunct	1989
Headquarters	Australia
Products	Music albums and singles

Wa Wa Nee was a funk group originating from Australia during the 1980s.

Career

The band was established in 1982 by vocalist and songwriter Paul Gray alongside guitarist Steve Williams. They were soon joined by Geoff Lundren on bass, Elizabeth Lord handling keyboards and backing vocals, and Chris Sweeney on drums. The lineup expanded with the addition of Mark Gray, Paul's brother, and Phil Witchett shortly after signing with CBS Records in 1985. Their initial single, "Stimulation", debuted in April 1986 and climbed to number 2 on the Australian charts. This success was followed by the August 1986 release of "I Could Make You Love Me", which reached number 5.

In November 1986, the band unveiled their self-titled first album, which attained a peak position of number 29 in Australia. From this album, two further singles were released: "Sugar Free" in December 1986, which entered the Top 10, and "One and One (Ain't I Good Enough)" in April 1987, landing within the Top 20. The track "Sugar Free" was launched in the United States in July 1987, reaching number 35 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and featured in the movie Cassandra. A reissue of "Stimulation" followed as a subsequent single, peaking at number 86 and included in the film Satisfaction. In 1987, Wa Wa Nee also released a remix compilation entitled Ulta Mixes.

While working on their sophomore album in 1988, keyboardist Phil Witchett passed away. The album's lead single, "Can't Control Myself", came out in November 1988 and reached number 31. Their second studio album, Blush, appeared in May 1989 featuring singles such as "So Good" and "I Want You". Despite these releases, the album did not meet commercial expectations, resulting in the group disbanding later that year.

Later works

Following Wa Wa Nee’s breakup, bassist Mark Gray worked with acts including the Tania Bowra Band, James Reyne, and Indecent Obsession.

Steve Williams accepted an invitation from Paul Christie to join The Party Boys, contributing to their single "Do Wah Diddy." He subsequently toured with James Freud and Richard Clapton before relocating to Europe to pursue music education. Upon returning to Australia, Williams collaborated with artists such as Swanee, Ray Parker Jr., Real Life, Lee Kernaghan, and Brian Cadd. He became a long-standing member of Zep Boys, an Australian Led Zeppelin tribute group, and regularly performed with The Choirboys alongside Mark Gable. In 2006 he partnered with the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra (ASO), followed by a national tour in 2008 alongside ASO and Deep Purple’s Jon Lord. Williams also took part in Australian touring productions including The Rocky Horror Picture Show, The Man from Snowy River Arena Spectacular, Singin’ In The Rain, and Elvis The Musical. Presently, he tours with Matt Finish and is involved with Absolutely 80s featuring Brian Mannix and Ally Fowler. In recognition of his contributions, Williams was inducted into the South Australian Music Hall of Fame in 2022.

Paul Gray contributed extensively as a keyboardist, musical director, songwriter, and producer for various artists such as Deni Hines, CDB, Kate Ceberano, Tina Arena, and Bardot. He appeared during the Countdown Spectacular 2 concert series in 2007 and performed with groups like 80s Enuff and Idols of the 80s. In 2010, Gray delivered performances of Wa Wa Nee songs at a fundraiser supporting a preschool in Jenin, Palestine. He also played at local venues around Melbourne alongside Scott Carne (Kids in the Kitchen) and Brian Mannix (Uncanny X-Men). Gray supported Belinda Carlisle during her Australian tour in 2011. Additionally, Wa Wa Nee opened for Rick Astley on his Australian tours in both 2012 and 2014.

Paul Gray passed away from multiple myeloma on 24 April 2018 at age 54; his death was publicly shared by his brother and fellow band member Mark.

In 2023, Steve Williams formed Steve Williams Plays Wa Wa Nee, a new ensemble dedicated to celebrating Wa Wa Nee’s musical legacy.

Studio albums

Catalogue of studio albums including key information, peak chart rankings, and sales certifications
Album Title	Details	Highest Chart Positions		Certifications
Album Title	Details	Australia	United States	Certifications
Wa Wa Nee	Release date: 3 November 1986 Record label: CBS Produced by: Jim Taig, Paul Gray, Chris Cameron	29	123	ARIA: Platinum
Blush	Release date: 8 May 1989 Record label: CBS Produced by: Jim Taig, Paul Gray, Robyn Smith	32	—
"—" indicates titles that either did not enter the charts or were not launched in that market.

Remix and compilation albums

Details of remix and compilation releases
Album Title	Information
Ulta Mixes	Year of release: 1987 Record company: CBS Producers: Jim Taig, Paul Gray Type: Remix album
The Essential Wa Wa Nee	Released on: 15 October 2010 Label: Sony Music Australia Category: Greatest hits compilation

Singles

Singles with their peak chart rankings
Single Title	Release Year	Highest Chart Positions			Associated Album
Single Title	Release Year	Australia	New Zealand	United States	Associated Album
"Stimulation"	1986	2	11	86	Wa Wa Nee
"I Could Make You Love Me"		5	—	—
"Sugar Free"		10	—	35
"One and One (Ain't I Good Enough)"	1987	19	—	—
"Can't Control Myself"	1988	31	—	—	Blush
"So Good"	1989	36	—	—
"I Want You"	1989	52	—	—
"—" signifies tracks that did not chart or were unavailable in the specified country.

ARIA Music Awards

The ARIA Music Awards have been honoring outstanding achievement and creativity in Australian music across various genres each year since 1987.

Countdown Australian Music Awards

The Australian pop music television program Countdown, broadcast on ABC-TV from 1974 until 1987, conducted music award presentations between 1979 and 1987, featuring a combination of popular votes and industry peer recognition.

External links

[ Wa Wa Nee] at AllMusic