Wire (band)

Wire are an English rock band, formed in London in October 1976 by Colin Newman (vocals, guitar), Graham Lewis (bass, vocals), Bruce Gilbert (guitar) and Robert Grey (drums). They were originally associated with the punk rock scene, appearing on '' The Roxy London WC2'' album, and were later central to the development of post-punk, while their debut album '' Pink Flag'' was influential for hardcore punk.

Wire are considered a definitive art punk and post-punk band, due to their richly detailed and atmospheric sound and obscure lyrical themes.They steadily developed from an early noise rock style to a more complex, structured sound involving increased use of guitar effects and synthesizers (1978's '' Chairs Missing'' and 1979's ''154''). The band gained a reputation for experimenting with song arrangements throughout their career.

History

1976 to 1980

Wire's debut album '' Pink Flag'' (1977) – "perhaps the most original debut album to come out of the first wave of British punk", according to AllMusic – contains songs that are diverse in mood and style, but most use a minimalist punk approach combined with unorthodox structures. "Field Day for the Sundays", for example, is only 28 seconds long.

Their second album, '' Chairs Missing'' (1978) marked a retreat from the stark minimalism of ''Pink Flag'', with longer, more atmospheric songs and synthesizer parts added by producer Mike Thorne. " Outdoor Miner" was a minor hit, peaking at number 51 in the UK singles chart. The experimentation was even more prominent on ''154'' (1979).

Wire's unorthodox ideas to promote ''154'' led to a falling out with their label. According to Newman, "We'd worked out a sales strategy for ''154'' that EMI couldn't see at all...They couldn't understand a rock band that wanted to do a week in a theater as an event, and wanted to promote ''154'' with videos or left-field TV adverts. We wanted to help them sell records; they thought we were simply being intransigent." According to Jim Green in an interview with Newman, "personnel changes at EMI had left Wire without any support." Colin Newman's solo album, "'' A-Z'' was planned as the fourth Wire album, but EMI cancelled studio time in the wake of failed negotiations with the band, and then dropped Wire's option."

Lacking a recording deal and money, creative differences split the band in 1979, leading to the '' Document and Eyewitness'' LP (1981), a recording of a live performance that featured, almost exclusively, new material. The album was described as "disjointed", "unrecognizable as rock music" and "almost unlistenable". The LP came packaged with an EP of a different performance of more new material. Some of these songs, along with others performed but not included on the album, were included on Newman's post-Wire solo albums (''5/10'', ''We Meet Under Tables''), while others were released by Gilbert's and Lewis' primary post-Wire outlet Dome (''And Then...'', ''Ritual View'').

Between 1981 and 1985, Wire ceased recording and performing in favour of solo and collaborative projects such as Dome, Cupol, Duet Emmo and several Colin Newman solo efforts.

1985 to 1992

In 1985, the group re-formed as a "beat combo" (a joking reference to early 1960s beat music), with greater use of electronic musical instruments. Wire announced that they would perform none of their older material, hiring The Ex-Lion Tamers (a Wire cover band named after a song title from ''Pink Flag'') as their opening act. The Ex-Lion Tamers played Wire's older songs, and Wire played their new material.

In June 1988, Wire were part of a lineup that included Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark and Thomas Dolby supporting Depeche Mode at the Pasadena Rose Bowl where they played to over 60,000 people. In 1989, Wire released ''IBTABA'', a "live" album of mostly reworked versions of songs from ''The Ideal Copy'' and ''A Bell Is a Cup'', heavily rearranged, edited, and remixed. A new song from the album, "Eardrum Buzz", was released as a single and peaked at number 68 in the UK singles chart.

Gotobed left the band in 1990, after the release of the album '' Manscape''. After his departure, the band dropped one letter from its name, becoming "Wir" (still pronounced "wire"), and released ''The First Letter'' in 1991. There followed a further period of solo recordings, during which Newman founded the swim ~ label, and later Githead with his wife (ex- Minimal Compact bassist Malka Spigel), while Wire remained an occasional collaboration. It was not until 1999 that Wire again became a full-time entity.

1999 to present

With Gotobed back in the line-up (now using his birth name, Robert Grey), the group initially reworked much of their back catalogue for a performance at Royal Festival Hall in 2000. Wire's reception during a short tour in early May of the US, and a number of UK gigs, convinced the band to continue. Two EPs and an album, '' Send'' (2003), followed, as well as collaborations with stage designer Es Devlin and artists Jake and Dinos Chapman.
In 2006, Wire's 1970s albums were remastered and re-released with the original vinyl track listings. A third ''Read & Burn'' EP was released in November 2007.

A full-length album of new material entitled '' Object 47'' was released in July 2008. Bruce Gilbert was not involved in this recording, although, according to Newman, he did feature in a minimal capacity on the third ''Read and Burn'' EP.

In January 2011, Wire released ''Red Barked Tree'', which according to the band's press release "rekindles a lyricism sometimes absent from Wire's previous work and reconnects with the live energy of performance, harnessed and channelled from extensive touring over the past few years". The album was written and recorded by Newman, Lewis and Grey, but speaking to Marc Riley on the day of the release, Newman introduced as "a new boy" guitarist Matt Simms (from It Hugs Back), who had been a touring member with the band since April 2010.

In March 2013 the band released ''Change Becomes Us'', their 13th studio album, which was very well received. Their fourteenth album, eponymously titled ''Wire'', was released in April 2015. The following year, in April 2016, the band's 15th studio album, entitled '' Nocturnal Koreans,'' was released on their label Pinkflag. It consisted of eight songs recorded during the sessions for their previous album, but were cut from the track listing. Stereogum named ''Nocturnal Koreans'' the Album of the Week. Reviews for the album were mostly positive. In 2017 Wire celebrated 40 years since their debut gig on 1 April 1977 by releasing their 16th studio album '' Silver/Lead'' and headlining the Los Angeles edition of their DRILL : FESTIVAL.

In January 2020, Wire released '' Mind Hive'' on their own Pinkflag label. The band appeared on the front cover of ''Wire'' magazine (issue 432) published in January 2020; it featured an interview with the band about the new album and discussed the enduring nature of the group.

In March 2020, the band announced an eight-song album entitled ''10:20'' that would be released on Record Store Day. Side one of the vinyl LP consists of four tracks that were originally released as the limited edition ''Strays'' EP, which was given away with mail ordered copies of ''Red Barked Trees''. Side two contains four tracks that were recorded during the ''Mind Hive'' sessions but not released until their appearance on ''10:20''.

In June 2021, in conjunction with Record Store Day, Wire released ''PF456 Deluxe'' an 18-song vinyl-only compilation of the first two Read and Burn EPs, the "Twelve Times You" single, and the four unreleased tracks from ''Send''. Concurrently, Wire released a CD version of ''PF456 Redux'', a 16-song vinyl-only compilation, originally released in 2003, of edited versions of all the songs from the first two Read and Burn EPs along with the unreleased songs on ''Send''. In April 2022, in conjunction with Record Store Day, Wire released ''Not About to Die'' which was originally released as a bootleg in the early 1980s. The album consists of recordings made for EMI as demos for the 1978 and 1979 albums, ''Chairs Missing'' and ''154''. The songs on ''Not About to Die'' were also previously released by Wire on the special editions of the two EMI albums.

Influence

Wire's influence has outshone their comparatively modest record sales. In the 1980s and 1990s, Big Black, Minutemen, and Sonic Youth all expressed a fondness for the group. Minutemen bassist Mike Watt described their influence as key saying of ''Pink Flag'' "I don't know what we would have sounded like if we didn't hear it."

Wire were influential on American hardcore punk. Fans included Ian MacKaye of Minor Threat and Henry Rollins, formerly of Black Flag. Minor Threat covered "12XU" for the '' Flex Your Head'' compilation, as did Boss Hog on their ''I Dig You'' EP. Rollins, as Henrietta Collins & The Wife-Beating Childhaters, covered "Ex Lion Tamer" on the EP '' Drive by Shooting''. Michael Azerrad reported, in the book '' Our Band Could Be Your Life'', that at Minor Threat's second gig, each of the seven bands on the roster performed a version of a Wire song. Big Black covered Wire's "Heartbeat" twice, once as a studio version that was released as a single (also included on ''The Rich Man's Eight Track Tape'' compilation) and also as a live version, featuring Bruce Gilbert and Graham Lewis, included on the VHS version of the live album '' Pigpile''.

R.E.M. covered "Strange" on their album ''Document.'' Robert Smith has described how, after seeing the group live, Wire influenced The Cure's sound after their first album. The shoegaze band Lush covered "Outdoor Miner" in the 90s.

A plagiarism case between Wire's music publisher and Elastica over the similarity between Wire's 1977 song "Three Girl Rhumba" and Elastica's 1995 hit " Connection" resulted in an out-of-court settlement.

Alternative Press included Wire in their 1996 list of 100 underground inspirations of the past 20 years, stating that "as long as there are listeners equally lured by tough, intelligent riffs and fearless experimentalism, Wire will remain a crucial benchmark."

Guided By Voices' Robert Pollard is a self-proclaimed fan of Wire, stating that the existence of a large number of songs on GBV's albums is a direct Wire influence. One of My Bloody Valentine's last releases prior to reconvening in 2007 was a cover of "Map Ref 41°N 93°W" for a Wire tribute entitled ''Whore''. The song was selected as a favourite cover by Flak Magazine.

Fischerspooner (who covered " The 15th" on their album '' #1''), Britpop bands like Elastica and Menswe@r and post-punk revival bands like Bloc Party, Futureheads, Blacklist and Franz Ferdinand have cited Wire as an influence. The Smiths' Johnny Marr has confirmed that he is a fan of the band and has acknowledged that seeing Wire live helped give him the confidence to release his first solo album in 2013.

The British electronic band Ladytron included Wire's "The 15th" on the mix compilation ''Softcore Jukebox''. Ladytron member Reuben Wu claimed Wire as a musical influence.

The Feelies, since their 2008 reunion, have covered the "Outdoor Miner".

The slowcore band Low included an early, previously unreleased cover of "Heartbeat" on their career-spanning box set in 2007. Ampere recorded a cover of "Mr. Suit" for their 2006 split with Das Oath. New Bomb Turks also recorded a cover of "Mr. Suit" on the 1993 album ''!!Destroy-Oh-Boy!!''. The chorus of Ministry's "Thieves" was influenced by "Mr. Suit" as well. Helmet guitarist Page Hamilton cites Wire as one of his "top five bands" and as an influence on his music.

Discography

; Studio albums
* '' Pink Flag'' (1977)
* '' Chairs Missing'' (1978)
* ''154'' (1979)
* ''The Ideal Copy'' (1987)
* ''A Bell Is a Cup'' (1988)
* ''IBTABA'' (1989)
* '' Manscape'' (1990)
* '' The Drill'' (1991)
* ''The First Letter'' (1991)
* '' Send'' (2003)
* '' Object 47'' (2008)
* ''Red Barked Tree'' (2010)
* ''Change Becomes Us'' (2013)
* ''Wire'' (2015)
* '' Nocturnal Koreans'' (2016)
* '' Silver/Lead'' (2017)
* '' Mind Hive'' (2020)
* '' 10:20'' (2020)

Band members

* Robert Grey – drums (1976–1980, 1985–1990, 1999–present)
* Graham Lewis – bass guitar, vocals (1976–1980, 1985–1992, 1999–present)
* Colin Newman – vocals, guitar (1976–1980, 1985–1992, 1999–present)
* Matthew Simms – guitar (2010–present)

Former members
* George Gil – lead guitar (1976–1977)
* Bruce Gilbert – guitar (1976–1980, 1985–1992, 1999–2004)
* Margaret Fiedler McGinnis – guitar (2008–2009 – touring musician)

Timeline

ImageSize = width:800 height:auto barincrement:20
PlotArea = left:130 bottom:80 top:0 right:10
Alignbars = justify
DateFormat = mm/dd/yyyy
Period = from:01/01/1976 till:01/01/2023
TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal format:yyyy
Legend = orientation:vertical position:bottom columns:3

ScaleMajor = increment:5 start:01/01/1980
ScaleMinor = increment:1 start:01/01/1977

Colors =
id:vocals value:red legend:Vocals
id:guitar value:green legend:Guitar
id:bass value:blue legend:Bass
id:drums value:orange legend:Drums
id:album value:black legend:Studio_release
id:bars value:gray(0.95)

BackgroundColors = bars:bars

LineData =
layer:back
color:album
at: 10/01/1977
at: 08/01/1978
at: 09/01/1979
at: 04/01/1987
at: 05/01/1988
at: 05/01/1989
at: 05/01/1990
at: 04/01/1991
at: 10/01/1991
at: 05/01/2003
at: 07/07/2008
at: 12/20/2010
at: 03/25/2013
at: 04/13/2015
at: 04/22/2016
at: 03/31/2017
at: 01/24/2020
at: 06/19/2020

BarData =
bar:Colin text:"Colin Newman"
bar:George text:"George Gil"
bar:Bruce text:"Bruce Gilbert"
bar:Margaret text:"Margaret Fiedler McGinnis"
bar:Matthew text:"Matthew Simms"
bar:Graham text:"Graham Lewis"
bar:Robert text:"Robert Grey"

PlotData=
width:11 textcolor:black align:left anchor:from shift:(10,-4)
bar:Colin from:01/01/1976 till:12/31/1980 color:vocals
bar:Graham from:01/01/1976 till:12/31/1980 color:bass
bar:Bruce from:01/01/1976 till:12/31/1980 color:guitar
bar:Robert from:01/01/1976 till:12/31/1980 color:drums

bar:Colin from:01/01/1985 till:12/31/1992 color:vocals
bar:Graham from:01/01/1985 till:12/31/1992 color:bass
bar:Bruce from:01/01/1985 till:12/31/1992 color:guitar
bar:Robert from:01/01/1985 till:12/31/1990 color:drums

bar:Colin from:01/01/1999 till:end color:vocals
bar:Graham from:01/01/1999 till:end color:bass
bar:Bruce from:01/01/1999 till:12/31/2006 color:guitar
bar:Robert from:01/01/1999 till:end color:drums

bar:Margaret from:01/01/2008 till:12/31/2009
bar:Matthew from:04/01/2010 till:end color:guitar
bar:George from:01/01/1976 till:03/10/1977 color:guitar

width:3 textcolor:black align:left anchor:from shift:(10,-4)

bar:Colin from:01/01/1976 till:12/31/1980 color:guitar
bar:Graham from:01/01/1976 till:12/31/1980 color:vocals

bar:Colin from:01/01/1985 till:12/31/1992 color:guitar
bar:Graham from:01/01/1985 till:12/31/1992 color:vocals

bar:Colin from:01/01/1999 till:end color:guitar
bar:Graham from:01/01/1999 till:end color:vocals

References

External links

*
*

{{Authority control

English art rock groups
English punk rock groups
English post-punk music groups
English alternative rock groups
Harvest Records artists
Musical groups established in 1976
Mute Records artists
Musical groups disestablished in 1980
Musical groups reestablished in 1985
Musical groups disestablished in 1992
Musical groups reestablished in 1999
Rough Trade Records artists
Warner Records artists
1976 establishments in England
Restless Records artists