The Wendys

For the fast food restaurant chain, see Wendy's.
The Wendys
Background information
Origin Edinburgh, Scotland
Genres Indie pop, baggy
Years active 1990–1999
Labels Factory Records, East West Records, Starshaped Records

The Wendys are a Scottish alternative indie rock band, that were part of the Madchester music scene, and were signed to the Factory Records music label by Tony Wilson. They were formed in Edinburgh by Jonathan Renton (vocals), Ian White (guitar), Johnny MacArthur (drums), and Arthur Renton (bass).

History

Formed in 1987, the Wendys were the second Scottish band to be signed to Factory Records, after The Wake. Their name came about after a nights drinking the evening before they were due to sign for Factory. They decided upon The Marys, but when the time came to sign for Factory, none of them could remember what they had decided upon. Believing they had chosen the Wendys, that's the name they registered. After the group opened for the Happy Mondays, Shaun Ryder's father suggested that they send in a demo tape.[1] After they were signed to the label, Phil Saxe acted as their manager. Having felt at odds with the contemporary Scottish music scene, the Wendys found a common spirit among the Factory Records roster, saying they shared similar influences as their labelmates but still wanted to be known as their own distinct band.[2] Although they enjoyed critical acclaim with the release of their debut album Gobbledygook in 1991 (produced by Ian Broudie), they did not achieve the widespread popularity of labelmates such as New Order or the Happy Mondays. The timing of their album's release directly preceded the demise of the label, also hurting their chances at success. Following a long hiatus, the group released their second album Sixfootwingspan (originally intended to be called Sixfootwingspan Yoga Birds) in 1999. The band have reformed for an initial one-off gig at the Berkeley Suite, Glasgow on Saturday 4 February to promote the rerelease of their Factory album Gobbledygook and other singles tracks.

Discography

Albums

Year Albums
1991 Gobbledygook (FAC 285)
1991 I Instruct (EP) (FAC 337)
1999 Sixfootwingspan

Singles

Year Singles
1990 "More Than Enough" (FAC 280)
1991 "The Sun's Going to Shine for Me Soon" (FAC 289)
1991 "Pulling My Fingers Off" (FAC 297)

References

  1. ↑ Anderson, Penny (1990-10-27). "Kilt Your Idols". NME. Retrieved 2007-09-29.
  2. ↑ Dalton, Stephen (1991-05-04). "Where Gleneagles Dare". NME. Retrieved 2007-09-29.
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