Wet Wet Wet

The Clydebank group brought Pellow together with Graeme Clark, Tommy Cunningham and Neil Mitchell. Popped In Souled Out appeared in 1987, with Wishing I Was Lucky, Sweet Little Mystery and Angel Eyes making the original sound particularly clear. The vocal could stretch a phrase while the instrumental parts maintained a supple, organised pulse beneath it.

The first record's title made its musical interests explicit, but the performances did more than reproduce an older soul arrangement. The songs were written and recorded for a contemporary pop audience, with a clear chorus and a distinctive singer at the centre. The contrast between Pellow's broad melodic line and the more active band details gave the material much of its character.

Holding Back the River followed in 1989, with High on the Happy Side arriving in 1992. Goodnight Girl became one of the defining songs of that period, giving the voice a comparatively restrained melodic setting. The band's later version of the Troggs' Love Is All Around reached a new audience through Four Weddings and a Funeral in 1994.

Picture This appeared in 1995, gathering that famous performance with further original material. The record is useful to hear beyond the single's enormous public life: the same musicians could make a quieter instrumental response or a small change of rhythmic emphasis matter within the polished frame. The early albums preserve the sound of a working soul-pop band, with the singing and the arrangement continually adjusting to one another.