This is from Richard Mazda (produced Dark Continent) about people complaining about Stan using the WOV moniker.
Look....all of you, this is getting stupid. I am going to bullet point to make myself very clear
1. Check out Stan's Talking Wall of Voodoo Blues...in this song he clearly credits Marc for writing Mexican Radio.
However let's not forget that the clever and memorable verses including the iconic iguana line were all Stan's. Joe and Chas were credited as co-writers in the spirit of fairness because they contributed musically to the arrangement. The has never been a moment in 25 years where Stan has denied that he and Marc wrote this song together. There have been moments when dumb broadcasters and journalists credited Stan as the sole writer because they didn't check their facts. Guess what, journalists still get it wrong on all levels and not just about Marc Moreland. Stan is not accountable for others sloppiness. He misses Marc just like the rest of us. [Oh and by the way this songs also credits Bruce and myself]
2. Stan like many main songwriters in a band was the de facto leader. Most of the main musical ideas on the first three records including the extensive use of 'fourths' [a musical term], 'odd' time signatures and forms and harmonic concepts came from Stan. However, he is far from being a meglomaniacal egoist. He recognised Marc's talent very early on and knew that whatever ideas he was on a mission to expand he would need a musical partner in crime, that person was Marc. Bruce, Chas and Joe came onboard later after the initial songs and concepts were fleshed out.
3. Stan could have left the band after the US festival and sued [probably successfully] to prevent the rest of the band from continuing on with the Wall Of Voodoo name. He did not do this however because contrary to the way that some friends of Bruce would have it he is a good friend and a generous individual. He didn't want to take away Chas and Marc's means to make music and a living. Some might say that he made a business mistake in that but those of us who know him know that his soul is lyrical and poetic and he is too prolific to be bitter and twisted. Don't you all think that it hurt when Stan had to leave the band he created because of tensions? These tensions were mostly created by a gruelling schedule set by the label and were exacerbated by Joe's frequently volatile and out of control behaviour. I personally made a phone call to the vice president of IRS records to beg them to stop adding shows to the tour and to give the guys a break because I could tell it was not going well [at least on a personal level if not musically].
4. Bruce: I do not wish to open old wounds but some of what is being said is so far from the truth that I must speak out. Bruce was fired on a number of occasions. His own brother, Marc sanctioned these firings. I can't speak for the period after Dark Continent but I can say that when rehearsing and preparing Call of The West that the guys didn't seem to miss musically. His name never came up. When I returned to work on Happy Planet he was frequently absent from rehearsals and the session. On one occasion I knocked on the restroom door for over an hour to try and wake him up because he had nodded off. I was trying to get him to check his bass part out on his own song. His behaviour was outrageous and out of control. IT WAS NOT GLAMOROUS. After Miles Copeland and Jay Boberg heard some of the rough mixes they insisted he was fired because of his playing. I couldn't protect him any longer. Even after that the band let him back in but yet again had to let him go. Just check the bass credits on the records and ask yourselves why he is not involved in so many of them.
Tomorrow is the show so I guess someone here (at least I hope) will see the show to tell us who was in WOV.
This is what Stan has to say about the show:
Hi Folks -
We could all use a little more excitement in our lives huh?
We welcome you to
http://www.wallofvoodoo.net
The new Official Website for Wall of Voodoo. Run by the band. A place where all WOV history, past, present and future will be stored, sorted out, archived and discussed. Up to date. A clearing house of facts. And no one will be left out. We'll get up to speed.
Right now, phone calls are being made. Old friends are talking and playing music together. New friendships are being forged. Food and beverage is being consumed. gee.
We'll be posting something here soon about the upcoming WOV show at the Pacific Amphitheater as soon as we know the final line - up. Its been pretty exciting. Back here before the show Tuesday July 18th with more info.
Thanks to all
Stan Ridgway
Max
The music you listen to is the soundtrack of your life.