This week, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Graeme Clark, founding bassist of Wet Wet Wet, and the band’s newest frontman, Kevin Simm.
Together, they take us on a journey through the band’s humble beginnings, meteoric rise to fame, their unforgettable hit Love Is All Around, and how they’ve kept the magic alive four decades later.
Wet Wet Wet formed back in 1982 in Glasgow, Scotland. For Graeme and his school friends, music wasn’t just a hobby—it was an escape from the bleak job prospects that faced so many young people at the time. With shipyards closed and unemployment sky-high, the boys turned their energy towards music.
None of them were formally trained. What they lacked in technical skills, they made up for in passion and persistence.
Graeme picked up the bass because of his love for reggae, Tommy was already playing drums, Neil joined in on keyboards, and Marty Pellow took the mic as lead vocalist. It wasn’t long before they realised they had something special.
In 87, Wet Wet Wet released their debut single. To their amazement, the track shot up the charts.
Following their early success, the band toured relentlessly, even opening for Elton John in America. Although they never quite cracked the U.S., their popularity soared across the UK, Europe, and Australia.
A major turning point came in 88 when their version of With a Little Help from My Friends went to number one in the UK.
The song that defined Wet Wet Wet’s career was their 94 cover of The Troggs’ classic Love Is All Around. Chosen for the soundtrack of Four Weddings and a Funeral, the band thought it might make a decent B-side.
But once it was released, it exploded worldwide. Spending 15 consecutive weeks at number one in the UK, the single became the country’s best-selling love ballad of the decade.
The success was so overwhelming that the band eventually pulled the record from sale—otherwise, it might have stayed at the top indefinitely!
Like many hugely successful bands, Wet Wet Wet eventually hit a wall. After years of constant touring and chart domination, tensions and different ambitions led to a split.
Graeme reflects on this period as both exhilarating and challenging. Eventually, the band regrouped in the 2000s, realising that their chemistry was too strong to leave behind.
In 2018, following Marty Pellow’s departure, Wet Wet Wet welcomed Kevin Simm as their new lead singer. Kevin had already won The Voice UK in 2016.
Kevin brought fresh energy to the band, not just as a performer but also as a songwriter. Together, he and Graeme started writing new material, determined to keep Wet Wet Wet moving forward.
Their 2021 album, The Journey, proved that the band could still create relevant, heartfelt music.
Nearly 40 years after their formation, Wet Wet Wet continue to perform and record, delighting audiences with classics like Sweet Little Mystery, Goodnight Girl, and of course, Love Is All Around. At the same time, they’re carving out a new chapter with Kevin at the helm.
For Graeme, success today isn’t about topping charts or selling millions of records—it’s about contentment, creativity, and connection.
What makes Wet Wet Wet so timeless?
Maybe it’s their working-class roots, which make their story relatable. Maybe it’s their knack for writing songs that speak to life’s ups and downs. Or maybe it’s the fact that their music has been woven into the soundtrack of so many of our lives.
From Glasgow’s back rooms to global arenas, from B-sides to record-breaking hits, Wet Wet Wet have weathered every storm and come out stronger. With Kevin Simm breathing new life into the group, their journey is far from over.
#wetwetwet #80sbritishbands #90spopmusic
