HELLO YOU ARE LOOKING TO BUY A THE WONDER STUFF CD ON THE ROPES EP RELEASED ON POLYDOR RECORDS IN 1993 CDP1017. CD WAS A RARE PROMOTIONAL ONLY ITEM SENT BY THE RECORD LABEL & WAS NEVER AVAILABLE IN STORES. CD COMES IN COLLECTABLE PICTURE DIGIPAK PICTURE SLEEVE. CD IS SEALED, BRAND NEW & IN MINT CONDITION. CD COMES STORED IN A POLY BAG. INTERNATIONAL BUYERS PLEASE INQUIRE FOR SHIPPING RATES . THANK YOU FOR LOOKING AND HAPPY BUYING!
WONDERSTUFF On The Ropes EP (1993 US 4-track promotional CD single includes Professional Disturber Of The Peace, Hank & John and Whites. Pale green and purple printed disc issued in a custom green tinted card picture sleeve CDP1017). ON THE ROPES EPGONE 15 / 859525September 1993 Tracklisting:On The RopesProfessional Disturber Of The PeaceHank And JohnWhites The Wonder Stuff was formed in 1986 in an area of the British Midlands known as The Black Country. Their first EP, ‘A Wonderful Day’, was released on the band’s own Far Out Recording Company and financed by Rob Jones, aka The Bass Thing, the band’s original bassist, after a fortuitous win on the Football Pools. Although this release had only a small impact on a loyal following it did however bring the band to the attention of Polygram Publishing who helped finance the band’s second release ‘Unbearable’, a UK Indie Chart Number One. Whether it was this early commercial success, or the incalculable number of live shows the band were apt to perform during 1987, they were quickly signed to Polydor Records at the end of that year.Touring being the band’s main activity they managed to record their debut album, “The Eight Legged Groove Machineâ€, over a period of twenty eight days in 1988, taking time off from support tours with Big Country, Zodiac Mindwarp & The Love Reaction and Pop Will Eat Itself, among others.Although it took a further three single releases to reach the Official British Top 40 The Wonder Stuff were regular faces to grace the covers of the NME, Melody Maker & Sounds – the three essential music weeklies of the day. It was here that the arrogant, self-confident manner of vocalist/guitarist, Miles Hunt, began to make something of himself beyond the sneering lyrical content of the band’s songs, a personality known well to thousands of fans that had seen them live.During 1989 the band added both North America & Europe to their touring schedule, picking up an international fan base before returning to the UK to record their second album ‘HUP’. This album showed a genuine development from their previous twin guitar buzz signature sound, aided & abetted by multi-instrumentalist Martin Bell, best known for introducing the violin, which would become a mainstay in The Wonder Stuff’s future sound, to the band.All three single releases in 1989 were Top 20 Hits in the UK and each successive tour saw the band playing larger venues to capacity audiences, but commercial success couldn’t save the band from internal difficulties and in December ’89 Rob Jones left the band for good. He was replaced in the Spring of 1990 by an old friend, Paul Clifford, who was quickly thrown into a busy touring schedule as the band played support to The Mission in both Europe and North America.The Wonder Stuff released but one single in 1990, a song recorded prior to Rob Jones departure from the band, ‘Circlesquare’, once again achieving Top 20 status in the UK.Despite the line up changes 1991 saw the band go from strength to strength. Their third album, ‘Never Loved Elvis’, produced four hit singles, including a collaboration with Kirsty MacColl on the song ‘Welcome To The Cheap Seats’ and the band’s first Top 5 hit with ‘The Size Of A Cow’.Having already appeared at both Reading & Glastonbury festivals in previous years The Wonder Stuff staged their very own open-air event around the album’s release at Walsall’s twenty two thousand capacity Bescott Stadium, “The Big Day Outâ€. The name given to the event was inspired by hit television show ‘Vic Reeves’ Big Night Out’ and Vic Reeves himself compared the day’s events. One year later Vic would ask the band to return the favour by being his backing band on the Number One hit single ‘Dizzy’.Touring took up most of 1992’s calendar for The Wonder Stuff, including a headlining spot at The Reading Festival, their only visits to Australia & Japan and several North American tours, both headlining and in support of Siouxsie & The Banshees.1993 saw the release of the band’s fourth album, ‘Construction For The Modern Idiot’, and although the critics were not entirely convinced by this record the fans did not waver. More hit singles and longer tours in larger venues carried them through right into 1994 when they were booked to headline The Phoenix Festival. It came as some surprise then that only weeks before that appearance they announced their split.