Wah! Heat

Peter Wylie began his musical career in 1977 as a guitarist for the Crucial Three (with Julian Cope and Ian McCulloch), served a couple of month (Sept-Nov 1977) in the Mystery Girls (with Cope, Peter Burns and Phil Hurts), then Nova Mob (Dec. 1977 - May 1978, with Cope, Budgie and Pete Griffiths). When Cope joined McCulloch in Shallow Madness, Wylie formed the Opium Eaters with Budgie, Ian Broudie, Paul Rutherford (Sept. 1978), then the Crash Course (Dec. 1978 - Jan 1979, with Mick Reid, Andy Eastwood Paul Cunningham and Rob Jones). Wah Heat! eventually formed in February 1979, with Wylie on vocals and guitars, Rob Jones on drums and Colin Williams on bass, soon to be replaced by Pete ‘Kid’ Younger (ex Those Naughty Lumps). The three-piece act recorded their first single, then released in February 1980:

Better Scream (1979/1980)
a. Better Scream
b. Hey! Disco Joe

After the single the band went through a series of line-up adjustments: Younger left to be replaced by Carl Washington (a.k.a. Washing-Ton, Oddball Washington, who became Wylie's right-hand man), Colm Redmond (ex Psychamesh) joined on guitars, and King (Ken) Bluff (a.k.a. J.J. Tyler, K.J. Tyrer) assisted on occasions on keyboards. In May 1980 the five-piece line-up recorded their first Peel session, performing their upcoming single plus b-side, and, curiously enough, the first version of future single, to appear in 1981 (Somesay):

Peel Session (Recorded: 19/05/1980 - Broadcast: 10/06/1960)
- Other Boys
- Don't Step On The Cracks
- Somesay
- Seven Minutes To Midnight

The band started gigging in the Liverpool-Manchester area, often supporting arch-rivals Pink Military (too experimental and artsy in contrast to the band’s aggressive and basic rock approach). During the recording session for their next single, it became clear what was to be the guitar player’s role in the band: to play live, but not on records. On this basis Redmond quit the band and, after a short period with Faction, became a full-time member of the Pink Military by the time Wah! Heat’s second single was released in September 1980 – credited to Wylie, Washington, Jonie (plus King Bluff):

Seven Minutes To Midnight (Sept. 1980)
a. Seven Minutes To Midnight … to be Continued
b. Don't Step On The Cracks

Wah! Heat

(pictures copyright of the author)
(see also www.minimal-wave.org/site/modules.php?name=topMusic&op=artist&idartist=158 )