Jump to content

Wall of Voodoo

From Alfawiki
Wall of Voodoo
Company typeRock group
IndustryMusic
Founded1977 in Los Angeles, California, United States
FounderStan Ridgway, Marc Moreland, Bruce Moreland, Chas T. Gray, Joe Nanini
Defunct1989
Headquarters
Los Angeles
,
United States
ProductsMusic albums, singles, live recordings

Wall of Voodoo was a rock group hailing from Los Angeles, California, active between 1977 and 1989. While they mainly operated within the underground music scene, they achieved wider recognition with their 1982 track "Mexican Radio", which gained popularity on MTV and alternative radio stations. The band was distinguished by their surrealistic lyrics influenced by the American Southwest.

Formation

The origins of Wall of Voodoo trace back to Acme Soundtracks, a film scoring enterprise established by Stan Ridgway, who later took on the roles of lead vocalist and harmonica player for the band. Situated close to the Hollywood punk venue The Masque, Ridgway became immersed in the punk and new wave movement. Guitarist Marc Moreland, formerly of the Skulls, began collaborating with Ridgway at Acme Soundtracks, which gradually transformed into a new wave ensemble. In 1977, with Bruce Moreland (Marc’s brother) joining on bass, alongside keyboardist Chas T. Gray and drummer Joe Nanini (previously with the Bags, the Eyes, and Black Randy and the Metrosquad), Wall of Voodoo was officially formed.

The band's name originated from a remark by Joe Berardi, a friend of Ridgway’s and member of the Fibonaccis. Ridgway explained that their style was inspired by Phil Spector’s "wall-of-sound" production technique, dubbing their sound a "Wall of Voodoo."

1977–1983

In 1980, Wall of Voodoo released a self-titled EP that featured a synthesizer-heavy rendition of "Ring of Fire." Their debut full-length album, Dark Continent, arrived in 1981 and included songs such as "Red Light," "Animal Day," and "Back in Flesh," which became regular fixtures in their live performances. Shortly thereafter, Bruce Moreland departed from the group, prompting Chas Gray to assume bass duties in addition to keyboards.

The band’s most commercially successful album, Call of the West, was recorded in 1982 and featured the international hit single "Mexican Radio." This song reached No. 18 in Canada, No. 21 in New Zealand, No. 33 in Australia, and No. 64 in the UK charts, representing their sole appearance on the U.S. Top 100. Its accompanying music video received extensive airplay on MTV.

Following this release, keyboardist Bill Noland joined the lineup. That same year, Wall of Voodoo supported the Residents on their first "Mole Show" tour and served as an opening act for Devo during their televised 3-DEVO Concert.

In March 1983, Wall of Voodoo opened for Oingo Boingo during the Nothing to Fear tour at Santa Barbara’s Arlington Theater. However, tensions arose within the band due to escalating substance abuse and management difficulties. The group’s largest performance occurred at the second US Festival on May 28, 1983; shortly after this event, Ridgway, Nanini, and Noland exited the band.

Stan Ridgway embarked on a successful solo path, lending his vocals to the soundtrack of Rumble Fish and releasing the well-received album The Big Heat, which included the European top ten hit "Camouflage" in 1986. Meanwhile, Joe Nanini went on to join the country rock group Lonesome Strangers.

1983–1989

Following Stan Ridgway's exit, Wall of Voodoo continued with Marc Moreland, Chas T. Gray, and the return of Bruce Moreland. Andy Prieboy, who had previously been with Eye Protection, joined as the lead vocalist, accompanied by Ned Leukhardt on drums. In 1984, they issued the single "Big City," which was released exclusively in the UK, and in 1985 contributed to the soundtrack of Weird Science. Later that year saw the release of Seven Days in Sammystown, featuring the single "Far Side of Crazy," which climbed to number 23 on Australia’s ARIA charts and remains a frequent selection on Triple M radio stations.

Their fourth studio album and second with Prieboy, Happy Planet, was released in 1987 with production by Richard Mazda. This album included a cover of The Beach Boys' "Do It Again," which reached No. 40 on Australian charts and featured Brian Wilson in its music video. Prior to the tour supporting this album, Bruce Moreland departed from the band. Wall of Voodoo disbanded in 1989, with both Prieboy and Moreland embarking on solo endeavors.

Post-breakup

The live album The Ugly Americans in Australia, released in 1989, captured performances from their 1987 tour in Melbourne as well as shows in Bullhead City, Arizona. Throughout the 1990s and into the 2000s, Ridgway, Prieboy, and Moreland concentrated on individual projects; notably, Joe Nanini released an EP under the name Sienna Nanini in 1996.

Joe Nanini passed away in 2000 due to a brain hemorrhage, while Marc Moreland died in 2002 from kidney and liver failure.

In 2006, Ridgway fronted a version of Wall of Voodoo opening for Cyndi Lauper at the Pacific Amphitheatre; this lineup featured only Ridgway from the original members and included Joe Berardi alongside producer Richard Mazda. Ridgway’s 2005 release Snakebite: Blacktop Ballads and Fugitive Songs contains the track "Talkin' Wall of Voodoo Blues Pt. 1," which recounts the band's history.

Raven Records remastered and reissued both Dark Continent and Call of the West together as a two-album CD set in 2009. In 2012, Raven also issued a remastered trilogy from the Andy Prieboy period—comprising Seven Days in Sammystown, Happy Planet, and Ugly Americans in Australia—each supplemented with additional bonus tracks.

Andy Prieboy declared in 2015 that any reunion would be impossible without Marc Moreland’s involvement.

Towards the end of 2023, Andy Prieboy and Chas T. Gray introduced "Wall of Voodoo 2," unveiling previously unreleased material including live recordings, master tracks, and demos dating back to 1983 when only Gray and Moreland comprised the band. Released on November 25, 2023, The Lost Tapes Vol. 1 presents eleven live recordings from the Happy Planet tour (1987). Following that, Museums: The Lost Tapes Vol. 2, issued on March 15, 2024, features twelve demos recorded by Gray and Moreland under the name "International Voodoo," incorporating unreleased songs alongside alternative versions from earlier albums.

Musical style

Wall of Voodoo’s musical identity blended Stan Ridgway’s inspirations drawn from bebop and country music with Marc Moreland’s interest in electronic trailblazers such as Kraftwerk. Their lyrics often conveyed cinematic stories influenced by Western films and film noir genres. Ridgway’s vocal style was notably deadpan and somewhat lethargic atop unconventional electronic soundscapes.

NPR emphasized their fusion of noir elements with Spaghetti Western imagery combined with sound reminiscent of Ennio Morricone’s cinematic compositions. Trouser Press characterized their work as a balance between mechanical music and rock’n’roll, yielding sophisticated yet approachable "Halloween-themed" tunes. Record Collector highlighted their integration of Western Americana with sharp-edged art-rock comparable to acts like Sparks, Devo, and Talking Heads.

Ridgway acknowledged Phil Spector’s wall-of-sound technique as an inspiration behind both their name and musical approach. Rolling Stone categorized them within post-punk circles, while AllMusic placed them under new wave genres.

Last configuration

  • Marc Moreland – guitar (1977–1989; deceased 2002)
  • Chas T. Gray – keyboards (1977–1989), backing vocals (1982–1989), bass guitar (1982–1985, 1987–1989)
  • Andy Prieboy – lead vocals, keyboards, guitar (1984–1989)
  • Ned Leukhardt – drums and percussion (1984–1989)

Previous members

  • Stan Ridgway – lead vocals, harmonica, keyboards, guitar (1977–1983)
  • Joe Nanini – drums and percussion (1977–1984; deceased 2000)
  • Bruce Moreland – bass guitar, keyboards (1977–1982, 1985–1987)
  • Bill Noland – keyboards (1982–1983)

Timeline

<timeline> ImageSize = width:1000 height:auto barincrement:20 PlotArea = left:100 bottom:80 top:10 right:20 Alignbars = justify DateFormat = mm/dd/yyyy Period = from:01/01/1977 till:06/20/1988 TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal format:yyyy Legend = orientation:vertical position:bottom columns:3 ScaleMajor = increment:2 start:1977 ScaleMinor = increment:1 start:1978

Colors = 

id:vocals value:red    legend:Vocals
id:guitar value:green  legend:Guitar
id:keys   value:purple legend:Keyboards
id:bass   value:blue   legend:Bass
id:bvocals value:pink  legend:Backing_Vocals
id:drums  value:orange legend:Drums,_percussion
id:lines  value:black  legend:Studio_album

LineData = 

at:08/18/1981 color:black layer:back
at:07/01/1982 color:black layer:back
at:01/01/1985 color:black layer:back
at:01/01/1987 color:black layer:back

BarData = 

bar:Ridgway         text:"Stan Ridgway"
bar:Prieboy text:"Andy Prieboy"
bar:MMoreland         text:"Marc Moreland"
bar:BMoreland text:"Bruce Moreland"
bar:Grey       text:"Chas T. Gray"
bar:Noland       text:"Bill Noland"
bar:Nanini         text:"Joe Nanini"
bar:Leukhardt       text:"Ned Leukhardt"

PlotData= 

width:11 textcolor:black align:left anchor:from shift:(11,-4)
bar:Ridgway         from:01/01/1977 till:05/28/1983 color:vocals
bar:Ridgway         from:01/01/1977 till:05/28/1983 color:keys width:7
bar:Ridgway         from:01/01/1977 till:05/28/1983 color:guitar width:3
bar:MMoreland from:01/01/1977 till:06/20/1988 color:guitar
bar:Grey from:01/01/1977 till:03/08/1982 color:keys
bar:Grey from:03/08/1982 till:06/06/1984 color:keys width:7
bar:Grey from:06/06/1984 till:06/20/1988 color:keys
bar:Grey from:03/08/1982 till:06/06/1984 color:bass
bar:Grey from:03/08/1982 till:end color:bvocals width:3
bar:BMoreland from:01/01/1977 till:03/08/1982 color:bass
bar:BMoreland from:01/01/1977 till:03/08/1982 color:keys width:3
bar:BMoreland from:06/06/1984 till:06/20/1988 color:bass
bar:BMoreland from:06/06/1984 till:06/20/1988 color:keys width:3
bar:Noland from:09/04/1982 till:05/28/1983 color:keyboards
bar:Nanini from:01/01/1977 till:05/28/1983 color=drums
bar:Prieboy from:05/29/1983 till:06/20/1988 color:vocals
bar:Prieboy from:05/29/1983 till:06/20/1988 color:keyboards width=3
bar:Leukhardt from=05-29-83 till=06-20-88 color=drums

</timeline>

Studio albums

Year Title US Chart Position AUS Chart Position
1981 Dark Continent 177 -
1982 Call of the West 45 -
1985 Seven Days in Sammystown - 50
1987 Happy Planet - 83

Live recordings

Year Album Title US Chart AUS Chart[1]
1988 The Ugly Americans in Australia - -
2023 The Lost Tapes Vol. 1 - -

Compilation albums

  • Granma's House (1984)
  • The Index Masters (1991) – features the Wall of Voodoo EP along with live performances
  • Dark And Crazy - A Retrospective (1992)
  • Lost Weekend - The Best of the I.R.S. Years (2011) – peaked at No.55 on Brazil’s iTunes charts
  • Museums - The Lost Tapes Vol. 2 (2024)

Singles

Year Song Title UK Chart CA Chart AUS Chart[1] NZ Chart US Chart US-D Chart US-R Chart
1982 "Ring of Fire" - - - - - - -
1982 "On Interstate 15" - - - - - - -
1983 "Mexican Radio" 64 18 33 21 58 - 41
1983 "Call of the West" - - - - - - -
1983 "There's Nothing on This Side" - - - - - - -
1984 "Big City" - - - - - - -
1985 "Far Side of Crazy" - - 23 - - - -
1987 "Do It Again" - - 40 - - 32 -
1987 "Elvis Bought Dora a Cadillac" - - - - - - -

Extended plays (EPs)

Year EP Title UK Chart CA Chart AU Chart NZ Chart US Chart US-D Chart US-R Chart
1980 Wall of Voodoo - - - - 204 - -

Bootleg releases

  • Take Me to Your Leader – '78-'79 Demos
  • Heaven or Anaheim Demos (demos from the Andy Prieboy period)

External links

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named aus
Retrieved from "https://www.alfawiki.org/index.php?title=Wall_of_Voodoo&oldid=80918"