LOVE THE 80’s: ‘Popped In Souled Out’ – Wet Wet Wet

Wet Wet Wet – “Popped In Souled Out” (1987)

Scottish band Wet Wet Wet formed in 1982 as a quintet under the name of Vortex Motion, but it was as a quartet with Neil Mitchell, Tommy Cunningham, Graeme Clark and Mark McLachlan – better known as Marti Pellow – that the band recorded its debut album, “Popped In Souled Out” and became chart stars in 1987. Recording for the album began in early 1986 and spanned fourteen months before the release of the group’s first single, “Wishing I Was Lucky”, in March 1987. The track gave Wet Wet Wet their first chart hit, going top ten in the UK and breaking the US singles chart. The song kick started a chain of hit singles and albums that would last till the end of the 1990’s and take in three UK number one’s.

Wet Wet Wet cemented this new found success with the second single, “Sweet Little Mystery” in July, the song went top five in the UK and was a chart hit across Europe. The album itself followed in September and proved an instant smash, topping the UK chart at the beginning of 1988 and eventually selling more than 1.5 million copies. It mid-charted across mainland Europe and despite initial success with “Wishing I Was Lucky” in The States, the album stopped short of the top 100 there. Two further singles were lifted from the album and were also big hits at home. “Angel Eyes (Home and Away)” at the end of 1987, followed “Sweet Little Mystery” into the top five in early 1988. The song was also the band’s biggest hit from the album outside the UK, going top ten in many countries around the world.

“Temptation” was the final release in March 1988. The song peaked at No.12 in the UK and was followed by the release of “With A Little Help From My Friends”, which Wet Wet Wet recorded for the Childline charity and took to number one for four weeks. Tracks from “Popped In Souled Out” turned up later in 1988 on the band’s “The Memphis Sessions” album which featured alternative versions of “Sweet Little Mystery” and “Temptation”. For its 30th anniversary in 2017, “Popped In Souled Out” saw release in expanded form while in 2023, Marti Pellow announced that he will be taking the album on tour in early 2024 together with a full orchestra! Reimagined and with angel eyes, 37 years after the band he lead took the album and themselves into the record shops en masse. An event not to be missed!

“Wishing I Was Lucky” UK No.6, US No.58