The artists — joined by John Waite and Paul Young — bring their “I Want My ’80s Tour” to Meijer Gardens and Interlochen. The Local Spins preview and interview with Wang Chung and Paul Young.
’80s Stars Together on Tour: Rick Springfield and Wang Chung (Courtesy Photos)
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“When you perform it, don’t let it look like you’re having fun.”
That was the edict given Jack Hues and Nick Feldman when the English new wave band Wang Chung made the video for their iconic 1986 anthem, “Everybody Have Fun Tonight,” by directors Kevin Godley and Lol Creme.
So the duo played and mimed to the song, never breaking into a smile, even when exhorting watchers and listeners to “Wang Chung tonight.”
“It’s the juxtaposition” of the lyrics and the band’s expressionless approach that made it a hit, says Feldman by phone while prepping for the band’s upcoming tour.
The video (watch it below) helped propel the song to the top of the charts and status as a standout track from the decade, as did its chorus exhorting listeners to have fun and wang chung, creating a new verb at the same time.
Wang Chung: A band and a verb. (Courtesy Photo)
The instantly recognizable tune will be part of a soundtrack tribute to the decade during the “I Want My 80s” tour. Wang Chung will perform alongside headliner Rick Springfield and Springfield’s fellow ’80s heartthrobs Paul Young and John Waite on Sunday (June 15) at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park and June 25 at Interlochen Center for the Arts.
Some tickets are still available for the Meijer Gardens show ($91-$93)here; and for the Interlochen show ($57-$197) online here.
Springfield — who last played Meijer Gardens in 2022 — hit the charts in the 1980s with “Jessie’s Girl” “Human Touch,” “Affair of the Heart” and “Don’t Talk to Strangers,” among others.
Waite’s hits include “Missing You” and “When I See You Smile” from the Journey spin-off band Bad English. Young catapulted to fame with the Daryl Hall song “Every Time You Go Away,” as well as “I’m Gonna Tear Your Playhouse Down” and “Bite The Hand That Feeds.”
SPRINGFIELD’S CADRE OF HITS — AND A BEVY OF ACTING CREDITS
Springfield headlines the tour based not only on his cadre of hits, but a Grammy Award nod as well. His bona fides also include a parallel career as an actor. He starred opposite Meryl Streep in the feature film “Ricki and the Flash,” portrayed Dr. Pitlor in HBO’s “True Detective,” starred in “Human Target,” and earned plaudits for his portrayals of Lucifer on the CW hit “Supernatural” and Pastor Charles on “American Horror Story.”
The Star ‘Human Touch’: Rick Springfield (Photo/Jay Gilbert)
Young is more than happy to tour with him – not only are they friends, but Springfield’s band backs up Young on the show. “I toured with Rick two years ago. He let me use his band. That kept costs down,” says Young.
It’s is not an easy lift. A quick visit to YouTube shows Young in his heyday backed up by a seven-piece band, including two keyboardists, three backup singers, drums, guitar and the slippery bass of Pino Palladino.
“There’s only four of them,” Young says of Springfield’s band. “There’s a lot of stuff on my record. The keyboard player has built up a lot (of sounds and effects) to get everything in.”
Young says Palladino left big shoes to fill. The two worked together on several of Young’s albums, Palladino’s trademark fretless bass was an integral part of the sound. “He (Springfield bassist Siggy Sjursen) said he hadn’t picked up a fretless in years. He’s really looking forward to it.”
Young is also looking forward to joining Wang Chung on the road. “I know Nick very well. I did dates with him. I never met John Waite but I have seen him.”
For all the success enjoyed by all the artists on the tour, it’s probably safe to say none of the others remained in the popular zeitgeist as did Wang Chung.
“I guess it’s name-checking your own band in your song,” says Feldman with a laugh. As the story goes, the two were running through the as-yet unfinished song and needed some vocal filler, so Hues simply added the band’s name to sort-of rhyme with have fun. Obviously it stuck.
John Waite: Part of the Michigan tour stops. (Courtesy Photo)
The song has been used in the soundtracks of numerous films, including “Bachelor Party” and “The Breakfast Club,” and has appeared in the TV series “The Walking Dead,” “Breaking Bad,” “That ’70s Show,” “Sex and the City” and “Glee.” It’s been name-checked or referenced in various contexts, including by characters Homer Simpson and Frasier Crane, and was part of the soundtrack to the game Grand Theft Auto VI. Wang Chung even released a slightly rewritten version with Nu Shooz singer Valerie Day during the COVID pandemic, changing the chorus to “Everybody stay safe tonight.”
It’s also included in “Clear Light/Dark Matter,” the band’s latest recording. The album was released last month and contains other hits, such as “Dance Hall Days,” “To Live and Die in LA” and “Let’s Go,” alongside live tracks and remixes.
So, finally, what is it to ‘wang chung’?
“ ‘What does Wang Chung mean?’ is the most-asked question we get,” says Feldman. “In the urban dictionary, there are a lot of entries for what it means. We like to leave it a little mysterious.”
VIDEO: Wang Chung, “Everybody Have Fun Tonight”
VIDEO: Rick Springfield, “Jessie’s Girl”
VIDEO: John Waite, “Missing You”
VIDEO: Paul Young, “Every Time You Go Away”
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