How a Scottish band turned a Troggs cover into a record-breaking pop phenomenon
In short: In 1994, Wet Wet Wet dominated the airwaves with their rendition of Love Is All Around. The track spent fifteen weeks at the top of the British charts, becoming a cultural staple. Yet, the band intentionally deleted the single while it was still selling, hoping to pivot toward their next project.
Formed in 1982 at Clydebank High School, the quartet initially called themselves Vortex Motion. The group, consisting of Marti Pellow, Graeme Clark, Tommy Cunningham, and Neil Mitchell, spent years refining their craft in a kitchen before finding success. Their debut album, 1987's Popped In Souled Out, achieved 5x Platinum status in the UK, signaling the start of a prolific career that blended pop sensibilities with soul and folk influences.
The band's most iconic moment arrived with their 1994 cover of the Troggs' Love Is All Around, featured on the Four Weddings and a Funeral soundtrack. The song's massive success created a unique tension within the group. Pellow insisted on removing the track from circulation to focus on their upcoming album, Picture This. Despite this, the song remained a commercial force, staying in the Top 40 for the rest of the year and eventually ranking as the 12th best-selling single in UK chart history as of 2002.
Internal dynamics shifted significantly over the decades. A royalty dispute in 1997 led to Cunningham's departure, followed by Pellow leaving in 1999 to address personal health struggles. The band has since navigated various reunions and lineup changes, including the 2018 arrival of lead vocalist Kevin Simm. By 2022, both Cunningham and Mitchell had exited, leaving founding member Graeme Clark to continue the band's legacy alongside Simm and long-time guitarist Graeme Duffin.
Throughout their history, the band has balanced self-penned hits like Goodnight Girl with high-profile covers. Their resilience is marked by constant adaptation, from their early days playing Clash covers to their 2024 co-headline tour. The group remains a notable example of how a band can sustain a multi-decade presence through evolving lineups and changing industry landscapes, even after the massive, sometimes overshadowing, success of a single chart-topping anthem.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: Wet Wet Wet
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