The Wonder Stuff Biography

The Wonder Stuff are a band originally based in Stourbridge West Midlands, in the Black Country near Wolverhampton UK. The original line-up was Miles Hunt, Malcolm Treece, Rob The Bass Thing Jones (d. 1993) and Martin Gilks. The group originated from an earlier collaboration with group members of Pop Will Eat Itself (aka PWEI), called From Eden, which had Miles Hunt on the drums. In 1990, Martin Bell, an accomplished fiddle and banjo instrumentalist, joined the band and Paul Clifford replaced Rob Jones on the bass. Martin had contributed the fiddle and banjo on the earlier Hup album (1989), notably on tracks Golden Green, Unfaithful and Cartoon Boyfriend.

The group scored a rare, but predictable, commercial success when covered Tommy Roe's Dizzy with Vic Reeves in late 1991, reaching the top of the charts for two weeks. The band initially split on July 14, 1994 at the Phoenix Festival near Stratford-on-Avon but have reformed for a few live tours from 2000 onwards. Their first new album for over a decade, Escape From Rubbish Island, was released in September 2004. The line-up for this album was Hunt and Treece plus Andres Karu and Mark McCarthy.

This lineup continues into 2006 with the release of their new album Suspended By Stars and the single Blah Blah La Di Dah which is only available either on the album or through most music download services including iTunes or Napster.

Famous songs include The Size Of A Cow, Dizzy (with Vic Reeves), Don't Let Me Down, Gently and It's Yer Money I'm After Baby, and latterly, Better Get Ready For A Fistfight. (edit)

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