How long did this group last? Did they have any big hits? And, why was the name chosen?
Everybody Have Fun Tonight; Everybody Wang Chung Tonight!
I think they had one other top 40 hit, but it’s escaping me. Ah … Dance Hall Days.
They were together for a while, before and after their hits (in 1986) … Wiki tells me '79 to '91, but that one album with their two hits was the only ripple of any national charts anywhere, as far as I can tell.
There was a philosopher named Wang Ch’ung, however, this is also from Wikipedia:
“The name Huang Chung (simplified Chinese: 黄钟; traditional Chinese: 黃鐘; pinyin: huáng zhōng) literally translates from Chinese as “yellow bell”, but refers to the standardized bass pitch of ancient China. Early on the band summarized the definition as “perfect pitch” and later, on American Bandstand, they claimed it was the sound a guitar made.” – and they simplified it from ‘Huang’ to ‘Wang’.
They also had a minor hit with the theme song to the movie, “To Live and Die in L.A.”
If memory serves, they claimed to have named the band after the sound of guitar strings being played.
They always squicked me out - you ever listen to the lyrics of Dance Hall Days?
Second verse:
Boy - sounds like fun! :rolleyes:
Actually, the name “Wang Chung” was chosen because it’s the sound made by plucking an electric guitar chord (pluck - “Wang” release - “Chung”!)
Here is a quick bio courtesy of Allmusic.com (kind of the IMDB of music).
I still remember Frasier walking into Cheers one time and bellowing, “Everybody have fun tonight! Everybody wang chung tonight!”
I worked in a record store when their first album came out. Alphabetized under “H.” When their second album came out, I put it in the same bin as the first. But people looked for it under “W.” I was at a loss; major cognitive dissonance.
I will always hate them for putting me through that.
I took my baby by the hair once.
She sorta liked it. 
The hair on her head…?
:D:D:D:D:p
I had no idea until reading the band’s Wikipedia entry that the singer, Jack Hues, was using a pseudonym. What really surprised me is that his real name, Jeremy Ryder, sounds way more like the name of someone in a rock band. It seems like a name that a person born Jack Hues would make up.
One of my favorite TV series had a character named “Jack Hughes” (an investigative journalist, I think). I always assumed it was a play on “J’accuse”.
How that would tie in with the singer from Wang Chung I have no idea.
Also, they did the entire soundtrack for that movie, I believe. I still play it (on tape, even!) quite a bit.
David Letterman asked Maury Povich “What are you gonna do tonight?”
Cant remember if Maury gave the right answer,but either he or Dave said “Wang Chung”