The Pop Thyng

Rip It Up, Issue 171, 1 October 1991, Page 10

The Pop Thyng

, World Gone Wild's first album is a mixture of pop melodies, ; dreamy atmospherics and dark haunting tones. Stanley Manthyng and Michael Caulfield aren't afraid to say they are a pop band. "We're trying to reach everyone with our music. It could be a ... thirteen year old kid and it could be a 35 year old man," says Stanley. . "New Zealand's too small a place to be underground. I know — I've been that," says Michael. World Gone Wild started when Stanley and Michael were playing in a band called Big Explosion at the 1989 Battle of the Bands. Mike Chunn of Sony Records asked Stanley who had written two of the songs? Stanley and Michael. Immediately Big Explosion broke up

and went their separate ways. Stan was in a fusion band called Cactus and Michael was in a semi-alternative band called Dark Ages. At the beginning of last year Michael and Stanley got back together writing songs. When Mike Chunn got wind of this he asked for a demo of a song he'd heard called 'Shy Shy Jenny'. The next thing a recording contract was signed. 'Shy Shy Jenny' was World Gone Wild's first single released a year ago, although the song was written four years previously. "Lyrically," says Stanley, "the song is about a dream I had about my friend's life. In the dream I was at her funeral in a big gothic church. It's really strange because the song ended up sounding like the dream." Michael creates the music and Stanley writes the lyrics. "It's strange how I write. I really like imagery and if someone hears a lyric I like them to be able to picture something." World Gone Wild's follow up single, 'Stand Back', went Top Ten in New Zealand two months ago and has just been released in Australia. "On all the stuff we've recorded so far we've programmed the drums myself or the producer has. We've put in some live cymbols and stuff like that," says Michael. "That's been one of the real down sides of it. Right from day one we've been looking for people. Now

we've got a lineup that looks like it's

gonna work and we're gonna get * out there and play live." . Stanley: "The performance on . stage will be really professional, fun and groovy." It was Tim Finn's suggestion to fly in Mike den Elzen, a producer from Australia, for the album. Michael: "We like to have total input in recording. We are happy with the quality but having said that there are two or three songs that were changed by the producer which we weren't very happy about. We are actually re-recording 'Touch' as a new single." The new version will be recorded with live bass instead of synthesised bass. Stanley says, "It will be a happening single, and it will be much more powerful." ■. . When asked what makes World Gone Wild different to other local bands, Stanley says: "We write good ■ songs. A lot of local bands just haven't got the songs." Michael says "We do a certain kind of music and some of it might happen to be poppy and melodic. But you could imagine it being a single on the radio and that's why we got our record deal." V . ; Stanley says, "Local bands shouldn't be afraid to be labelled pop. I've heard comments that Push Push used to be a heavy band but. because they have a number one single jealous people say 'Oh bubble gum metal'. That really sucks, because good on them, I reckon." '

RICHARD NEVITT