Wet Wet Wet were told that they needed a producer but they felt that they were the only ones who knew exactly how they wanted to sound. They had been looking through their own record collections and decided that they wanted to work with the legendary record producer, Willie Mitchell in Memphis, Tennessee.. The record company brought in a producer for them but that didn't work out. In the summer they all took a break. For the first time in their lives they had some money in their pockets and could afford their well earned holidays.
They returned to the studios to work with, and reject, many more music
producers. In the summer of '86 the record company finally let them have what
they wanted when they arranged for them to go to Memphis to meet Willie
Mitchell. Willie heard each of the boys but he wasn't really too sure if they
could work together. That was until he heard Marti sing! Then he knew that they
could pull it off!
This was the guys first trip to America and they were working with the legendary
Willie Mitchell who had apparently taught Elvis to play the guitar. He also
helped to build the careers of Al Green, Ann Peebles and Ike And Tina Turner.
The Wets recorded their own songs such as Sweet Little Mystery, Temptation and
East Of The River and This Time which was co-written by Willie.
As their time in Memphis came to an end and their album was completed, Willie
took Marti aside and told him that although they had produced a great album, he
didn't think that it was what the record company were looking for. He was right!
Phonogram actually said that it was "unfit for release" and the band went back
to their original demos.
In '86 the band played a one off concert for
Rock On Scotland.
Phonogram told the Wets that Wishing I Was Lucky
wasn't "hit record"
material. The demo for this sat around the companies office for 6 months until
they finally decided to release it in March '87. The boys had hoped for the
single to go into the Top 40. It went to number 6 and Wet Wet Wet became a
household name!! They were even asked to support Lionel Ritchie on the UK leg of
his Dancing on the Ceiling Tour. This they did in March being the first ever all
male band to support Lionel Ritchie.
