Promoting new release

By Rob Nagy


It is hard to believe that it has been more then twenty-five years since the L.A. based band “Wall of Voo Doo” emerged onto the new wave pop scene with their smash alternative hit “Mexican Radio”. Anchored by front man Stan Ridgway, Wall of Voo Doo quickly became a phenomenon on the newly launched MTV as well as main stream FM and college radio through-out the U.S. and abroad. Wall of Voo Doo went on to enjoy a six year career before Ridgway departed to pursue a solo career. Having now surpassed more then three decades as a songwriter and recording artist Ridgway, who has been referred to as, “The David Lynch of pop music”, is at it again fronting “Stan Ridgway’s Wall of Voo Doo with his latest release “Desert of Dreams” waiting in the wings with an anticipated summer 2009 release.

Ridgway’s climb to fame started in 1977 when he and his fellow band mates embarked on a musical journey under the name of “Acme Soundtracks”, focusing on music soundtrack work for low budget

Sci-fi horror films. Their efforts soon evolved into what became Wall of Voo Doo. They released their self-titled debut in 1980 followed by their first full length album. Exhausting the L.A. club scene and beyond, Wall of Voo Doo struck gold with their 1982 album release “Call of the West”, which included Mexican Radio. “We wanted it to happen”, recalls Ridgeway. “But in some ways it was kind of accidental. It’s was always the design of the band to have a top forty avant garde single, but we wanted to kind of do something different or original. That was really the whole idea.” In no time Wall of Voo Doo was an MTV sensation receiving heavy exposure on the all music video channel. “Radio in America was pretty closed down playing the established thing”, recalls Ridgeway. “It was very hard for anybody new to get in there. When MTV started up they didn’t really have any videos so we made one and they played it a lot. People saw our video and they would call radio stations and want to hear it on the radio. It was almost like MTV was telling radio what to do.” One year later Ridgway left the band following their appearance at the US Festival. Ridgway achieved some commercial success with the release of his 1985 debut “The Big Heat” yielding the hits “Drive She Said” and “Salesman”. His efforts yielded rave critical reviews noting, “That he had managed to maintain the distinctive vocal and musical style of Wall of Voo Doo while maintaining his individuality.” From 1989 to 1992 Ridgeway continued to enjoy charting success, particularly in Europe, with the single “Calling Out to Carol”, “Roadblock” and “I Wanna Be a Boss”. Ridgway’s songwriting talents caught the attention of the film industry with his songs used in the soundtrack of the films “Pump up the Volume” and “Slamdance”. “I tend to see a song as being images mixed with feelings or declarations of things”, says Ridgeway. “More like a movie or a story or a play other then a diary of emotional events that don’t have a picture to them.” Frequently teaming up with legendary Police drummer Stewart Copeland, Ridgeway furthered his career landing his songs in the films “Rumblefish”, “Sympatico” and “Pecker”. With a decade of radio and film scoring success under his belt, Ridgeway released a greatest hits compilation, “Songs That Made This Country Great”, featuring his best songs, Wall of Voo Doo material and some obscure lesser known compositions.

Still based in L.A., Ridgway continues to enjoy the rewards of his success while attempting to break new ground. “My wife, Pietra and I run our own little empire of ants”, says Ridgway. “We enjoy music. That’s what we do and we do things to keep playing music and touring. This current tour has been a preview of the new record ‘Desert of Dreams’. We are also taking a lot of the older material and working it down to an acoustic level.” Having gone full circle Ridgway has become quite content with his place in music. “I get a lot more out of it now because there’s less problems, less things in the way”, says Ridgway. “With a record company or people like that, they’re not evil, they’re not bad. It’s just that there are so many opinions coming at you that you have to satisfy, a musician can feel they’re last in line. Without that the quickest way to do anything is just don’t ask anybody’s opinion, you just do it and put it out.”

Most recently Ridgway and Wall of Voo Doo played to an enthusiastic crowd of fans at Philadelphia’s World Café Live. Gracing the stage for more than two hours, Ridgway fronted a three piece band, which included his wife Pietra Wexstun on keyboards. He looked every bit the seasoned troubadour dressed in black and sporting a Stetson hat. Much of the performance included songs from his soon to be released “Desert of Dreams” as well as Wall of Voo Doo classics “Mexican Radio”, “Call of the West”, and a remake of “Ring of Fire”. Look for Ridgway to play Europe and the U.S. this summer in support of the new album “Desert of Dreams”, which is scheduled for a July 2009 release.

For more info on Stan Ridgway and Wall of Voo Doo go to www.stanridgway.com www.myspace.com/officialstanridgway For future shows at World Café Live go to www.worldcafelive.com

Photo by Rob Nagy