Marti Pellow
Encyclopedia
Marti Pellow has been the lead singer of the Scottish pop
group
Wet Wet Wet
since their formation in 1982. He has also recorded solo
material.
. The friends were Tommy Cunningham
, Graeme Clark
and Neil Mitchell
, and the band's name was Vortex Motion. This was subsequently changed to Wet Wet Wet, a title taken from the Scritti Politti
song, "Gettin, Havin' and Holdin'". McLachlan also changed his birth name in favour of the stage name
, Marti Pellow.
Tommy Cunningham
left the band and its success waned immediately. Pellow was by this time suffering from an addiction to heroin. On finally beating the drug, he stated: "It was textbook. I couldn't function without it. But there's no romantic side to heroin – it's no good."
Pellow left Wet Wet Wet in May 1999, effectively disbanding the group. They reformed, however, in March 2004.
of Squeeze. In November 1999, Pellow began his first solo tour. On 4 June 2001, he released "Close to You" from his debut solo album, Smile
. A further single, "I've Been Around the World", was released that November; towards the end of the year he embarked on a seven-date tour (the Smile Tour) around Britain
. In 2002, he hosted and sang in Girls' Night Out, one of a week of shows in aid of the Teenage Cancer
Trust, at the Royal Albert Hall
. This led to him, in 2002, being offered the part of Billy Flynn, the lawyer in the musical Chicago
in London's West End
and, in 2004, on Broadway. Also in 2002, Pellow released Marti Pellow Sings the Hits of Wet Wet Wet & Smile
, an 18-track compilation comprising three songs from the latter album.
In November 2003, he issued an album of cover version
s, Between the Covers
, the single from which was Neil Young
's "A Lot of Love".
At the end of June 2004, the reformed band went to a secret location to record tracks for a new album and to prepare for a UK tour. At the tour's conclusion, Pellow recorded Moonlight Over Memphis
, with the record producer
Willie Mitchell
(Al Green
, Otis Clay
, Ann Peebles
, etc.), demonstrating a deep affinity with southern soul
. The album was released in October 2006 on DMG TV
, a label which has had some success previously with albums by such artists as Jane McDonald
and Daniel O'Donnell
. Pellow went on tour during October and November to support the album, with a helping hand from regular Wets contributor Graeme Duffin
.
Pellow won the second series of the prime-time BBC1 show Just the Two of Us, which began on 2 January 2007, partnering actress Hannah Waterman
.
Between February and July 2007, Pellow performed at several jazz club
s and at jazz festivals (Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club and The Pigalle Club
in London being two examples), the Cheltenham
Jazz Festival and "Ronnie Scott’s in the Park" in Woburn. These gigs were followed in April 2008 by the release of his jazz album, Sentimental Me, on Rhino Records (UK), containing well-known jazz songs he sang at the above-mentioned gigs and a self-penned song, as well as an accompanying tour throughout the UK.
In May 2008, Pellow appeared in Sir Tim Rice
's concert revival of his hit musical Chess
, playing the "Arbiter". The concert took place at the Royal Albert Hall
on 12 May and 13 May 2008. In June 2009 it aired on British and American television and was released on DVD.
From late August 2008 until early May 2009 he was playing the leading role in a revival of the musical The Witches of Eastwick
.
In May 2010, Pellow released his fourth studio album, entitled Devil and the Monkey to coincide with a seven date arena tour with George Benson, performing songs from his new album as well as hits from his solo and Wet Wet Wet career.
2011 has seen the release of his "Love To Love" album, a fully orchestrated and romantic tribute to his favourite love songs which saw Marti Pellow back in the UK charts - as well as starring in a touring production of Broadway musical Jekyll and Hyde, beginning in January at The Churchill Theatre, Bromley and running through to the end of July 2011.
Marti is currently appearing in the west end production of Blood Brothers
as the Narrator.
for tests. He was released the same night.
In October 2003, Pellow's 66-year-old mother, Margaret McLachlan, died after a long battle with kidney disease. Pellow's then-ex-bandmates attended her funeral, a show of support that touched the grieving frontman. "I thought it was a powerful gesture," Pellow said. "Moments like that put things into perspective - it wasn't all about music, it was more about a kinship between us. I remember my mother once saying, 'Maybe Wet Wet Wet will get back together again one day'. She must have had a wee vision. I'd never closed the chapter on the band; I'd always left the door open."
Pellow has been in a long-term relationship with his now-fiancée, former "Miss Scotland" Eileen Catterson.
Pellow placed sixth in a 2003 Glasgow Herald
poll to determine "The Most Scottish Person in the World".
He resides in Ascot
, Berkshire
.
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
group
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
Wet Wet Wet
Wet Wet Wet
Wet Wet Wet are a Scottish pop rock band that formed in the 1980s. They scored a number of hits in the British charts and around the world. The band is composed of Marti Pellow , Tommy Cunningham , Graeme Clark and Neil Mitchell...
since their formation in 1982. He has also recorded solo
Solo (music)
In music, a solo is a piece or a section of a piece played or sung by a single performer...
material.
Early life
In 1982, at the age of seventeen, McLachlan formed a band with three friends from Clydebank High School in his hometownClydebank
Clydebank is a town in West Dunbartonshire, in the Central Lowlands of Scotland. Situated on the north bank of the River Clyde, Clydebank borders Dumbarton, the town with which it was combined to form West Dunbartonshire, as well as the town of Milngavie in East Dunbartonshire, and the Yoker and...
. The friends were Tommy Cunningham
Tommy Cunningham
Thomas "Tommy" Cunningham is a Scottish musician, best known as the drummer for Wet Wet Wet.Cunningham's father, Tom Sr., bought his son his first drum kit in 1977, "down the Social Club for £15"...
, Graeme Clark
Graeme Clark (musician)
Graeme Clark is a Scottish musician, best known as the bass guitarist for Wet Wet Wet.In 1977, at the age of 12, Clark, a pupil at Clydebank High School, bought his first guitar for £10. Shortly thereafter, a chance meeting with Tommy Cunningham on the school bus brought the two together.-External...
and Neil Mitchell
Neil Mitchell (musician)
Neil Mitchell is a Scottish musician, best known as the keyboard player for Wet Wet Wet.In June 2010, Mitchell was ordered to take part in a domestic violence programme after he admitted assaulting his girlfriend, Olivia Warren, in July 2009.-External links:*...
, and the band's name was Vortex Motion. This was subsequently changed to Wet Wet Wet, a title taken from the Scritti Politti
Scritti Politti
Scritti Politti are a British band, originally formed in 1977 in Leeds, Yorkshire, England. Although there have been various changes to the line-up, Cardiff-born singer-songwriter Green Gartside was the founding member of the band and the only member to have remained throughout the group's...
song, "Gettin, Havin' and Holdin'". McLachlan also changed his birth name in favour of the stage name
Stage name
A stage name, also called a showbiz name or screen name, is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers such as actors, wrestlers, comedians, and musicians.-Motivation to use a stage name:...
, Marti Pellow.
Wet Wet Wet
Pellow enjoyed success with Wet Wet Wet throughout the late 1980s and 1990s. However, in 1997 drummerDrummer
A drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...
Tommy Cunningham
Tommy Cunningham
Thomas "Tommy" Cunningham is a Scottish musician, best known as the drummer for Wet Wet Wet.Cunningham's father, Tom Sr., bought his son his first drum kit in 1977, "down the Social Club for £15"...
left the band and its success waned immediately. Pellow was by this time suffering from an addiction to heroin. On finally beating the drug, he stated: "It was textbook. I couldn't function without it. But there's no romantic side to heroin – it's no good."
Pellow left Wet Wet Wet in May 1999, effectively disbanding the group. They reformed, however, in March 2004.
Solo career
Pellow began his career as a solo artist in association with Chris DiffordChris Difford
Chris Difford is a singer, musician, songwriter, and record producer....
of Squeeze. In November 1999, Pellow began his first solo tour. On 4 June 2001, he released "Close to You" from his debut solo album, Smile
Smile (Marti Pellow album)
Smile is the debut solo album by Wet Wet Wet frontman Marti Pellow. It was released on 4 June 2001. The album's offspring singles were "Close to You" and "I've Been Around the World"....
. A further single, "I've Been Around the World", was released that November; towards the end of the year he embarked on a seven-date tour (the Smile Tour) around Britain
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. In 2002, he hosted and sang in Girls' Night Out, one of a week of shows in aid of the Teenage Cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
Trust, at the Royal Albert Hall
Royal Albert Hall
The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall situated on the northern edge of the South Kensington area, in the City of Westminster, London, England, best known for holding the annual summer Proms concerts since 1941....
. This led to him, in 2002, being offered the part of Billy Flynn, the lawyer in the musical Chicago
Chicago (musical)
Chicago is a musical set in Prohibition-era Chicago. The music is by John Kander with lyrics by Fred Ebb and a book by Ebb and Bob Fosse. The story is a satire on corruption in the administration of criminal justice and the concept of the "celebrity criminal"...
in London's West End
West End theatre
West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London's 'Theatreland', the West End. Along with New York's Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English speaking...
and, in 2004, on Broadway. Also in 2002, Pellow released Marti Pellow Sings the Hits of Wet Wet Wet & Smile
Marti Pellow Sings the Hits of Wet Wet Wet & Smile
Marti Pellow Sings the Hits of Wet Wet Wet & Smile is a compilation/cover album by Wet Wet Wet frontman Marti Pellow. The album contains re-recordings of Wet Wet Wet hits. It was released on 18 November 2002....
, an 18-track compilation comprising three songs from the latter album.
In November 2003, he issued an album of cover version
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
s, Between the Covers
Between the Covers (Marti Pellow album)
Between the Covers is a cover album by Wet Wet Wet frontman Marti Pellow. It was released on 17 November 2003.The album's sole offspring single was Neil Young's "A Lot of Love".-Track listing:#"A Lot of Love"...
, the single from which was Neil Young
Neil Young
Neil Percival Young, OC, OM is a Canadian singer-songwriter who is widely regarded as one of the most influential musicians of his generation...
's "A Lot of Love".
At the end of June 2004, the reformed band went to a secret location to record tracks for a new album and to prepare for a UK tour. At the tour's conclusion, Pellow recorded Moonlight Over Memphis
Moonlight Over Memphis
Moonlight Over Memphis is the second studio album by Wet Wet Wet frontman Marti Pellow. It was released on October 2, 2006.Pellow recorded the album at his own expense and brought in legendary soul producer Willie Mitchell for guidance....
, with the record producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
Willie Mitchell
Willie Mitchell (music)
Willie Mitchell was an American soul, R&B, rock and roll, pop and funk record producer and arranger, who ran Royal Studios in Memphis, Tennessee...
(Al Green
Al Green
Albert Greene , better known as Al Green, is an American gospel and soul music singer. He reached the peak of his popularity in the 1970s, with hit singles such as "You Oughta Be With Me", "I'm Still In Love With You", "Love and Happiness", and "Let's Stay Together"...
, Otis Clay
Otis Clay
Otis Clay is an American R&B and soul singer, who started in gospel music.-Life and career:...
, Ann Peebles
Ann Peebles
Ann Peebles is an African American singer-songwriter who gained celebrity for her Memphis soul albums of the 1970s on the Hi Records label...
, etc.), demonstrating a deep affinity with southern soul
Southern soul
Southern soul is a type of soul music that emerged from the Southern United States. The music originated from a combination of styles, including blues , country, early rock and roll, and a strong gospel influence that emanated from the sounds of Southern African-American churches. The focus of the...
. The album was released in October 2006 on DMG TV
Demon Music Group
Demon Records is a United Kingdom record label founded in 1980 by former United Artists A&R executive Andrew Lauder and Jake Riviera who had previously started Stiff Records...
, a label which has had some success previously with albums by such artists as Jane McDonald
Jane McDonald
Jane McDonald is a British singer, actress and media personality and broadcaster, who first became famous following her appearance on the BBC docusoap The Cruise...
and Daniel O'Donnell
Daniel O'Donnell (Irish singer)
Daniel Francis Noel O'Donnell is an Irish singer, television presenter and philanthropist. O'Donnell came to public attention in 1983 and has since become a household name in Ireland and the UK. He has also had considerable success in the US. He is known for his close relationship with his...
. Pellow went on tour during October and November to support the album, with a helping hand from regular Wets contributor Graeme Duffin
Graeme Duffin
Graeme Duffin has been the lead guitarist for the Scottish pop band Wet Wet Wet since 1983. However he did not appear in band photographs or interviews. The band were suspected of keeping him hidden for image purposes but it may have been Duffin's own choice due to his stammer...
.
Pellow won the second series of the prime-time BBC1 show Just the Two of Us, which began on 2 January 2007, partnering actress Hannah Waterman
Hannah Waterman
Hannah Waterman-Groves is an English actress, daughter of Minder star Dennis Waterman and his second wife, actress Patricia Maynard.-Career:...
.
Between February and July 2007, Pellow performed at several jazz club
Jazz club
A jazz club is a venue where the primary entertainment is the performance of live jazz music. Jazz clubs have been in large rooms in the eras of Orchestral jazz and big band jazz and when its popularity as a dance music was common...
s and at jazz festivals (Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club and The Pigalle Club
Pigalle Club
The Pigalle Club is a supper club and live music venue in Piccadilly, London, owned by Vince Power .Dave West also owns shares in The Pigalle Club...
in London being two examples), the Cheltenham
Cheltenham
Cheltenham , also known as Cheltenham Spa, is a large spa town and borough in Gloucestershire, on the edge of the Cotswolds in the South-West region of England. It is the home of the flagship race of British steeplechase horse racing, the Gold Cup, the main event of the Cheltenham Festival held...
Jazz Festival and "Ronnie Scott’s in the Park" in Woburn. These gigs were followed in April 2008 by the release of his jazz album, Sentimental Me, on Rhino Records (UK), containing well-known jazz songs he sang at the above-mentioned gigs and a self-penned song, as well as an accompanying tour throughout the UK.
In May 2008, Pellow appeared in Sir Tim Rice
Tim Rice
Sir Timothy Miles Bindon "Tim" Rice is an British lyricist and author.An Academy Award, Golden Globe Award, Tony Award and Grammy Award-winning lyricist, Rice is best known for his collaborations with Andrew Lloyd Webber, with whom he wrote Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Jesus...
's concert revival of his hit musical Chess
Chess (musical)
Chess is a musical with music by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus, formerly of ABBA, and with lyrics by Tim Rice. The story involves a romantic triangle between two top players, an American and a Russian, in a world chess championship, and a woman who manages one and falls in love with the other;...
, playing the "Arbiter". The concert took place at the Royal Albert Hall
Royal Albert Hall
The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall situated on the northern edge of the South Kensington area, in the City of Westminster, London, England, best known for holding the annual summer Proms concerts since 1941....
on 12 May and 13 May 2008. In June 2009 it aired on British and American television and was released on DVD.
From late August 2008 until early May 2009 he was playing the leading role in a revival of the musical The Witches of Eastwick
The Witches of Eastwick (musical)
The Witches of Eastwick is a 2000 musical based on the novel of the same name by John Updike. It was adapted by John Dempsey and Dana P. Rowe , directed by Eric Schaeffer, and produced by Cameron Mackintosh....
.
In May 2010, Pellow released his fourth studio album, entitled Devil and the Monkey to coincide with a seven date arena tour with George Benson, performing songs from his new album as well as hits from his solo and Wet Wet Wet career.
2011 has seen the release of his "Love To Love" album, a fully orchestrated and romantic tribute to his favourite love songs which saw Marti Pellow back in the UK charts - as well as starring in a touring production of Broadway musical Jekyll and Hyde, beginning in January at The Churchill Theatre, Bromley and running through to the end of July 2011.
Marti is currently appearing in the west end production of Blood Brothers
Blood Brothers
Blood Brothers is a musical written by Willy Russell, based loosely on the 1844 novella The Corsican Brothers by Alexandre Dumas, père. The story is a contemporary nature vs. nurture plot, revolving around fraternal twins who were separated at birth...
as the Narrator.
Personal life
On 27 February 1999, Pellow collapsed at the Conrad Hotel in London and was taken to Chelsea and Westminster HospitalChelsea and Westminster Hospital
Chelsea and Westminster Hospital is a public hospital located on Fulham Road, in the Chelsea area of London, England. It is managed by the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, and opened in May 1993.-History:...
for tests. He was released the same night.
In October 2003, Pellow's 66-year-old mother, Margaret McLachlan, died after a long battle with kidney disease. Pellow's then-ex-bandmates attended her funeral, a show of support that touched the grieving frontman. "I thought it was a powerful gesture," Pellow said. "Moments like that put things into perspective - it wasn't all about music, it was more about a kinship between us. I remember my mother once saying, 'Maybe Wet Wet Wet will get back together again one day'. She must have had a wee vision. I'd never closed the chapter on the band; I'd always left the door open."
Pellow has been in a long-term relationship with his now-fiancée, former "Miss Scotland" Eileen Catterson.
Pellow placed sixth in a 2003 Glasgow Herald
The Herald (Glasgow)
The Herald is a broadsheet newspaper published Monday to Saturday in Glasgow, and available throughout Scotland. As of August 2011 it had an audited circulation of 47,226, giving it a lead over Scotland's other 'quality' national daily, The Scotsman, published in Edinburgh.The 1889 to 1906 editions...
poll to determine "The Most Scottish Person in the World".
He resides in Ascot
Ascot
Ascot is Anglo Saxon in origin, and means 'eastern cottage'.-Places:Ascot is the name of several places:In Australia:* Ascot, Queensland, suburb of Brisbane* Ascot Park, South Australia, suburb of Adelaide...
, Berkshire
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
.
Albums
| Year | Album details | Peak chart positions | Certification Certification Certification refers to the confirmation of certain characteristics of an object, person, or organization. This confirmation is often, but not always, provided by some form of external review, education, assessment, or audit... |
||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
GER Media Control Charts The official music charts in Germany are gathered and published by the company Media Control GfK International on behalf of Bundesverband Musikindustrie... |
IRE Irish Albums Chart The Irish Albums Chart is the Irish music industry standard albums popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on its behalf by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured electronically... |
NL MegaCharts MegaCharts is responsible for the composition and exploitation of a broad collection of official charts in the Netherlands, of which the Mega Top 50 and the Mega Album Top 100 are the most known ones. Mega Charts also provides information to the Stichting Nederlandse Top 40, of which the Dutch Top... |
||||||
| 2001 | Smile Smile (Marti Pellow album) Smile is the debut solo album by Wet Wet Wet frontman Marti Pellow. It was released on 4 June 2001. The album's offspring singles were "Close to You" and "I've Been Around the World"....
|
7 | 71 | 41 | 44 | *UK British Phonographic Industry The British Phonographic Industry is the British record industry's trade association.-Structure:Its membership comprises hundreds of music companies including all four "major" record companies , associate members such as manufacturers and distributors, and hundreds of independent music companies... : Gold |
|||
| 2002 | Marti Pellow Sings the Hits of Wet Wet Wet & Smile Marti Pellow Sings the Hits of Wet Wet Wet & Smile Marti Pellow Sings the Hits of Wet Wet Wet & Smile is a compilation/cover album by Wet Wet Wet frontman Marti Pellow. The album contains re-recordings of Wet Wet Wet hits. It was released on 18 November 2002.... |
34 | — | — | — | *UK British Phonographic Industry The British Phonographic Industry is the British record industry's trade association.-Structure:Its membership comprises hundreds of music companies including all four "major" record companies , associate members such as manufacturers and distributors, and hundreds of independent music companies... : Gold |
|||
| 2003 | Between the Covers Between the Covers (Marti Pellow album) Between the Covers is a cover album by Wet Wet Wet frontman Marti Pellow. It was released on 17 November 2003.The album's sole offspring single was Neil Young's "A Lot of Love".-Track listing:#"A Lot of Love"... |
66 | — | — | — | ||||
| 2006 | Moonlight Over Memphis Moonlight Over Memphis Moonlight Over Memphis is the second studio album by Wet Wet Wet frontman Marti Pellow. It was released on October 2, 2006.Pellow recorded the album at his own expense and brought in legendary soul producer Willie Mitchell for guidance.... Demon Music Group Demon Records is a United Kingdom record label founded in 1980 by former United Artists A&R executive Andrew Lauder and Jake Riviera who had previously started Stiff Records... |
27 | — | — | — | ||||
| 2008 | Sentimental Me
Warner Music Group Warner Music Group is the third largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry, making it one of the big four record companies... / Rhino Rhino Entertainment Rhino Entertainment Company is an American specialty record label and production company. It is owned by Warner Music Group.-History:Rhino was originally a novelty song and reissue company during the 1970s and 1980s, releasing compilation albums of pop, rock & roll, and rhythm & blues successes... |
161 | — | — | — | ||||
| 2010 | Devil and the Monkey
|
— | — | — | — | ||||
| 2011 | Love to Love
|
27 | — | 83 | — | ||||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released. | |||||||||
Singles
| Year | Single | Peak chart positions | Album | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
IRE Irish Singles Chart The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured... |
NL |
|||||
| 2001 | "Close to You" | 9 | 25 | 66 | Smile | ||
| "I've Been Around the World" | 28 | — | — | ||||
| 2003 | "A Lot of Love" | 59 | — | — | Between the Covers | ||
| 2006 | "Come Back Home" | — | — | — | Moonlight Over Memphis | ||
| "It's All About" | — | — | — | ||||
| 2008 | "Take A Letter Miss Jones" | — | — | — | Sentimental Me | ||
| 2010 | "Devil and the Monkey" | — | — | — | Devil and the Monkey | ||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or was not released. | |||||||