Go West (band)
Encyclopedia
Go West is an English
pop
duo
, formed in 1982 by lead vocalist and drummer Peter Cox
(born 17 November 1955, Kingston, Surrey
, England); and guitarist and vocalist Richard Drummie (born 20 March 1959, Twickenham, Middlesex, England). While they have had many successful singles in their native United Kingdom
, they are generally best known in the United States
for their hits
"King of Wishful Thinking
" and "Faithful".
On 16 October 2009, Cox was announced as the new lead singer with Manfred Mann's Earth Band
.
, but lacked a band or recording company. Cox and Drummie decided, with support from John Glover, their manager
, to find a musical producer
, and record
just two of their song
s. The tracks "We Close Our Eyes
" and "Call Me
" found Go West landing a recording contract
with Chrysalis Records
. Upon confirmation of the Chrysalis deal, they recruited British guitarist Alan Murphy
, whose contributions became a key ingredient in shaping the band's musical identity.
The band's debut single
, "We Close Our Eyes", was released in 1985 and reached #5 on the UK Singles Chart
, #5 on the US Dance Club Play Chart
and #41 on the Billboard Hot 100
. The video
for the song, directed by Godley & Creme
, became an early favourite on MTV
. They were voted the "Best Newcomers" at the 1986 Brit Awards
. The song was part of the soundtrack
for the Italian
low-budget horror film
Dèmoni
, also known as Demons. The single would prove to be their highest placed UK
single, and only appearance in the UK Top Ten.
The band's eponymous debut album was released in 1985. It included "We Close Our Eyes" and "Call Me" as well as "Don't Look Down
", which served as the prequel to what would be the band's first Top 40 hit in the US
. The album itself was not only successful in the UK
but also moderately so in the US. Bangs and Crashes, an album of remix
es, b-sides
and live tracks, was released in 1986, and included the track "One Way Street" which was part of the Rocky IV
soundtrack.
In 1987, the band released the proper follow-up to their debut, Dancing on the Couch
, which made the UK Top 20. Although several singles were released from the album, its success paled in comparison to the first album, particularly in the US. Ironically, it did yield the band's first American Top 40 hit with the single "Don't Look Down - The Sequel", a continuation of the track "Don't Look Down" from the debut album. However, "Don't Look Down (The Sequel)" was not included on UK versions of the CD, which instead included the track "Let's Build A Boat".
In 1990, Go West scored a Top 10 US hit with "King of Wishful Thinking
" from the movie
, Pretty Woman
. The track was written by Cox and Drummie in collaboration with Martin Page
. In 1991, the song received an ASCAP award for being one of the most played songs in America the previous year.
In 1992, the band released the Indian Summer
album, which included "Faithful", another hit in the US, peaking at #14, and also a UK hit, peaking at #13. This track later received airplay recognition awards in the US in both 1992 and 1993.
In 1997, Cox took a break from Go West to release his self-titled debut solo album. He has gone on to release several more solo albums into the 2000s. His most recent album, Motor City Music was released in 2006.
Cox and Drummie appeared on Jim'll Fix It: Strikes Again
in 2007, to re-create a popular 'fix-it' from 1986; in the original show, a fifteen-year girl had sung "We Close Our Eyes" with the band as a back-up singer.
Their new album 3D
will be a three part album of EPs
, the first of which was released on 29 March 2010.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
pop
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...
duo
Duet (music)
A duet is a musical composition for two performers. In classical music, the term is most often used for a composition for two singers or pianists; with other instruments, the word duo is also often used. A piece performed by two pianists performing together on the same piano is referred to as...
, formed in 1982 by lead vocalist and drummer Peter Cox
Peter Cox (musician)
Peter John Cox is an English singer-songwriter, currently the lead singer in Manfred Mann's Earth Band, but is best known as one half of the 1980s blue-eyed soul duo Go West.-Early career and Go West:...
(born 17 November 1955, Kingston, Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
, England); and guitarist and vocalist Richard Drummie (born 20 March 1959, Twickenham, Middlesex, England). While they have had many successful singles in their native United Kingdom
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...
, they are generally best known in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
for their hits
Hit record
A hit record is a sound recording, usually in the form of a single or album, that sells a large number of copies or otherwise becomes broadly popular or well-known, through airplay, club play, inclusion in a film or stage play soundtrack, causing it to have "hit" one of the popular chart listings...
"King of Wishful Thinking
King of Wishful Thinking
"King of Wishful Thinking" is a 1990 hit song by the British pop band Go West. It was featured in the film Pretty Woman and appeared on its soundtrack...
" and "Faithful".
On 16 October 2009, Cox was announced as the new lead singer with Manfred Mann's Earth Band
Manfred Mann's Earth Band
Manfred Mann's Earth Band is a British progressive rock group formed in 1971 by Manfred Mann.-Formation:Having started in the 1960s with a British band that had such hits as "Do Wah Diddy Diddy" and "The Mighty Quinn", then moving on to Jazz Fusion with Manfred Mann's Chapter Three, Manfred's third...
.
Career
Go West had a publishing deal and possessed a portastudioPortastudio
The TASCAM Portastudio was the world's first four track recorder based on a standard compact audio cassette tape.When the original Portastudio 144 made its debut in 1979 it was a revolutionary creative tool...
, but lacked a band or recording company. Cox and Drummie decided, with support from John Glover, their manager
Management
Management in all business and organizational activities is the act of getting people together to accomplish desired goals and objectives using available resources efficiently and effectively...
, to find a musical 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...
, and record
Sound recording and reproduction
Sound recording and reproduction is an electrical or mechanical inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording technology are analog recording and digital recording...
just two of their song
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
s. The tracks "We Close Our Eyes
We Close Our Eyes
"We Close Our Eyes" is a song by British pop band Go West, composed by both members Peter Cox and Richard Drummie. It was the first single from their debut album Go West...
" and "Call Me
Call Me (Go West song)
"Call Me" was a 1985 hit single for the band Go West which reached #12 in the UK Charts and #54 in the US. It also peaked at #1 in Sweden. The song was included on the soundtrack for the popular video game, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, on Flash FM in 2002....
" found Go West landing a recording contract
Recording contract
A recording contract is a legal agreement between a record label and a recording artist , where the artist makes a record for the label to sell and promote...
with Chrysalis Records
Chrysalis Records
Chrysalis Records was a British record label that was created in 1969. The name was both a reference to the pupal stage of a butterfly and a combination of its founders names, Chris Wright and Terry Ellis...
. Upon confirmation of the Chrysalis deal, they recruited British guitarist Alan Murphy
Alan Murphy
Alan Murphy was an English rock session guitarist, best remembered for his collaborations with Kate Bush and Go West. In 1988 he joined the group Level 42 as a full time band member, and played with them until his death in 1989...
, whose contributions became a key ingredient in shaping the band's musical identity.
The band's debut single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
, "We Close Our Eyes", was released in 1985 and reached #5 on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
, #5 on the US Dance Club Play Chart
Hot Dance Club Play
The Hot Dance Club Songs chart is a weekly national survey of the songs that are most popular in U.S. dance clubs...
and #41 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
. The video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
for the song, directed by Godley & Creme
Godley & Creme
Godley & Creme were an English pop music duo composed of Kevin Godley and Lol Creme. The pair began releasing albums as a duo after splitting from the pop band 10cc. In 1979 they directed their first music video for their own single "An Englishman in New York"...
, became an early favourite on MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
. They were voted the "Best Newcomers" at the 1986 Brit Awards
Brit Awards
The Brit Awards are the British Phonographic Industry's annual pop music awards. The name was originally a shortened form of "British", "Britain" or "Britannia", but subsequently became a backronym for British Record Industry Trust...
. The song was part of the soundtrack
Soundtrack
A soundtrack can be recorded music accompanying and synchronized to the images of a motion picture, book, television program or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack of a film or TV show; or the physical area of a film that contains the...
for the Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
low-budget horror film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
Dèmoni
Demoni
Dèmoni is a 1985 Italian horror film directed by Lamberto Bava and produced by Dario Argento. The screenplay was written by Bava, Argento, Franco Ferrini, and Dardano Sacchetti, from a story by Sacchetti...
, also known as Demons. The single would prove to be their highest placed UK
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...
single, and only appearance in the UK Top Ten.
The band's eponymous debut album was released in 1985. It included "We Close Our Eyes" and "Call Me" as well as "Don't Look Down
Don't Look Down (Go West song)
Don't Look Down was a 1985 hit for the successful 1980's English Pop Duo Go West. It was released in the UK where it reached #13 and New Zealand where it reached #10...
", which served as the prequel to what would be the band's first Top 40 hit in the US
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The album itself was not only successful in the UK
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...
but also moderately so in the US. Bangs and Crashes, an album of remix
Remix
A remix is an alternative version of a recorded song, made from an original version. This term is also used for any alterations of media other than song ....
es, b-sides
A-side and B-side
A-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of gramophone records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s. The terms have come to refer to the types of song conventionally placed on each side of the record, with the A-side being the featured song , while the B-side, or...
and live tracks, was released in 1986, and included the track "One Way Street" which was part of the Rocky IV
Rocky IV
Rocky IV is a 1985 American film written by, directed by, and starring Sylvester Stallone. It is the fourth and most financially successful entry in the Rocky franchise...
soundtrack.
In 1987, the band released the proper follow-up to their debut, Dancing on the Couch
Dancing on the Couch
Dancing on the Couch is the third album by the band Go West, released in 1987. It reached 19 on the UK charts.The American version of the album featured a slightly different cover and included the track "Don't Look Down- The Sequel" in place of "Let's...
, which made the UK Top 20. Although several singles were released from the album, its success paled in comparison to the first album, particularly in the US. Ironically, it did yield the band's first American Top 40 hit with the single "Don't Look Down - The Sequel", a continuation of the track "Don't Look Down" from the debut album. However, "Don't Look Down (The Sequel)" was not included on UK versions of the CD, which instead included the track "Let's Build A Boat".
In 1990, Go West scored a Top 10 US hit with "King of Wishful Thinking
King of Wishful Thinking
"King of Wishful Thinking" is a 1990 hit song by the British pop band Go West. It was featured in the film Pretty Woman and appeared on its soundtrack...
" from the movie
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
, Pretty Woman
Pretty Woman
Pretty Woman is a 1990 romantic comedy film set in Los Angeles, California. Written by J.F. Lawton and directed by Garry Marshall, this motion picture features Richard Gere and Julia Roberts, and also Hector Elizondo, Ralph Bellamy, and Jason Alexander in supporting roles. Roberts played the only...
. The track was written by Cox and Drummie in collaboration with Martin Page
Martin Page
Martin Page is a musician, singer, bass player, session musician, and noted pop songwriter.Martin George Page was born at Southampton, Hampshire, England, September 23, 1959 to Alan Richard Page and Ruth Pamela Page...
. In 1991, the song received an ASCAP award for being one of the most played songs in America the previous year.
In 1992, the band released the Indian Summer
Indian Summer (Go West album)
Indian Summer is the fourth album by the band Go West, released in 1992. It is their most successful album to date selling over 4 million copies worldwide.-Track listing:All songs by Peter Cox and Richard Drummie unless noted....
album, which included "Faithful", another hit in the US, peaking at #14, and also a UK hit, peaking at #13. This track later received airplay recognition awards in the US in both 1992 and 1993.
In 1997, Cox took a break from Go West to release his self-titled debut solo album. He has gone on to release several more solo albums into the 2000s. His most recent album, Motor City Music was released in 2006.
Cox and Drummie appeared on Jim'll Fix It: Strikes Again
Jim'll Fix It
Jim'll Fix It was a long-running British television show, broadcast by the BBC between 1975 and 1994. It was presented by Jimmy Savile. It was produced by Roger Ordish, who also worked on other BBC shows, including A Bit of Fry & Laurie...
in 2007, to re-create a popular 'fix-it' from 1986; in the original show, a fifteen-year girl had sung "We Close Our Eyes" with the band as a back-up singer.
Their new album 3D
3D (Go West album)
3D is a studio album by the band Go West. The album will be released as 3 EP's over the course of 2010 with the first being released on 7 April and the second released on 28th March 2011.-EP #1:# Drive# Skin Deep# The Fastest Man Alive# Sideways...
will be a three part album of EPs
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
, the first of which was released on 29 March 2010.
Live Members
- Deeral: Lead Guitar
- Lyndon J Connah: Keyboards
- Richard Brook: Drums
- Vinzenz Benjamin: Bass
Albums
| Year | Title | 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... |
US Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
Label |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | Go West Go West (Go West album) Go West is the debut album by the English pop duo Go West, released in 1985. The album brought Go West into the limelight, scoring them a string of top 20 hits in the UK and New Zealand... |
8 | 60 | Chrysalis Records Chrysalis Records Chrysalis Records was a British record label that was created in 1969. The name was both a reference to the pupal stage of a butterfly and a combination of its founders names, Chris Wright and Terry Ellis... |
| 1986 | Bangs and Crashes | - | - | Chrysalis Records |
| 1987 | Dancing on the Couch Dancing on the Couch Dancing on the Couch is the third album by the band Go West, released in 1987. It reached 19 on the UK charts.The American version of the album featured a slightly different cover and included the track "Don't Look Down- The Sequel" in place of "Let's... |
19 | 172 | Chrysalis Records |
| 1992 | Indian Summer Indian Summer (Go West album) Indian Summer is the fourth album by the band Go West, released in 1992. It is their most successful album to date selling over 4 million copies worldwide.-Track listing:All songs by Peter Cox and Richard Drummie unless noted.... |
13 | 154 | Chrysalis Records |
| 2008 | futurenow Futurenow futurenow is a studio album by the band Go West. It was their first studio album in sixteen years, their last being Indian Summer in 1992.-Track listing:#"Let Love Come"#"Stars Don't Shine"#"Man On Fire"#"Lolita"#"Glow"#"Only Love"... |
- | - | Blueprint Records |
| 2010 | 3D 3D (Go West album) 3D is a studio album by the band Go West. The album will be released as 3 EP's over the course of 2010 with the first being released on 7 April and the second released on 28th March 2011.-EP #1:# Drive# Skin Deep# The Fastest Man Alive# Sideways... |
- | - | Townsend Records |
Singles
| Year | Title | UK UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
NZ Recording Industry Association of New Zealand The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand... |
US Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
US dance Hot Dance Club Play The Hot Dance Club Songs chart is a weekly national survey of the songs that are most popular in U.S. dance clubs... |
Album |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | "We Close Our Eyes We Close Our Eyes "We Close Our Eyes" is a song by British pop band Go West, composed by both members Peter Cox and Richard Drummie. It was the first single from their debut album Go West... " |
5 | 1 | 41 | 5 | Go West |
| "Call Me Call Me (Go West song) "Call Me" was a 1985 hit single for the band Go West which reached #12 in the UK Charts and #54 in the US. It also peaked at #1 in Sweden. The song was included on the soundtrack for the popular video game, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, on Flash FM in 2002.... " |
12 | 2 | 54 | 25 | ||
| 1985 | "Goodbye Girl Goodbye Girl (Go West song) "Goodbye Girl" was a 1985 hit for successful English Pop Duo Go West. It was released in both the UK and New Zealand where it sold well, reaching #25 in the UK Singles Chart and #15 in the New Zealand chart.... " |
25 | 15 | - | - | |
| "Eye to Eye Eye to Eye (Go West song) Eye to Eye was a minor 1985 hit single for the English Pop Duo Go West and was released in the U.S. only. It reached #73 on the US Hot 100. It is track number 4 on Go West's self titled debut album Go West.... " |
- | - | 73 | 32 | ||
| "Don't Look Down Don't Look Down (Go West song) Don't Look Down was a 1985 hit for the successful 1980's English Pop Duo Go West. It was released in the UK where it reached #13 and New Zealand where it reached #10... " |
13 | 10 | - | - | ||
| 1986 | "One Way Street" | - | - | - | - | Bangs and Crashes |
| "True Colours" | 48 | - | - | - | Dancing on the Couch | |
| 1987 | "I Want to Hear It from You" | 43 | - | - | - | |
| "Don't Look Down - The Sequel Don't Look Down (Go West song) Don't Look Down was a 1985 hit for the successful 1980's English Pop Duo Go West. It was released in the UK where it reached #13 and New Zealand where it reached #10... " |
- | - | 39 | - | ||
| "From Baltimore To Paris" | - | - | - | - | ||
| 1987 | "The King Is Dead" | 67 | - | - | - | |
| "Let's Build A Boat" | - | - | - | - | ||
| 1990 | "King of Wishful Thinking King of Wishful Thinking "King of Wishful Thinking" is a 1990 hit song by the British pop band Go West. It was featured in the film Pretty Woman and appeared on its soundtrack... " |
18 | 4 | 8 | - | Pretty Woman Soundtrack / Indian Summer |
| 1992 | "Faithful" | 13 | 12 | 14 | - | Indian Summer |
| "What You Won't Do for Love What You Won't Do for Love (song) "What You Won't Do for Love" is a popular quiet storm single written by Alfons Kettner along with musician and singer Bobby Caldwell which he recorded for his debut album of the same name, released in 1978 on the TK Records label.-Recording:... " |
15 | - | 55 | - | ||
| 1993 | "Still in Love" | 43 | - | - | - | |
| "Tracks of My Tears" | 16 | - | - | - | Aces and Kings - The Best of Go West | |
| "We Close Our Eyes" (remix) | 40 | - | - | - | ||
External links
- Official Peter Cox Website http://www.peter-cox.org
- Official Go West Website and Forum http://www.gowest.org.uk
- Peter Cox interviewed by Kevin Gurney from 96.5BoltonFM http://soundcloud.com/kevingurney/peter-cox-of-go-west