Band, US
Alternative and Rock
Formed: 1977 // Los Angeles, CA, United States Disbanded: 1988 Members: Stan Ridgway (vocals, 1977-83) Andy Prieboy (vocals, 1983-88) Marc Moreland (guitar, 1977-88) Bruce Moreland (bass, 1977-82) Bill Noland (bass, 1982-88) Chas T. Gray (keyboards, 1979-88) Joe Nanini (percussion, 1979-83) Ned Leukhardt (drums, 1983-88) Wall of Voodoo had its roots in Acme Soundtracks, a film score business started by Stan Ridgway, who was later the vocalist and harmonica player for Wall of Voodoo. Acme Soundtracks' office was across the street from the Hollywood punk club The Masque and Ridgway was soon drawn into the emerging punk/new wave scene there. Marc Moreland, guitarist for local group The Skulls, began jamming with Ridgway at the Acme Soundtracks office and the soundtrack company soon morphed into a new wave band. In 1977, with the addition of Skulls members Bruce Moreland (Marc Moreland's brother) as bassist and Chas T. Gray as keyboardist, along with Joe Nanini (who had been the drummer for Black Randy and the Metrosquad) the first lineup of Wall of Voodoo was born. The band was named Wall of Voodoo before their first gig in reference to a comment made by a Ridgway's friend Joe Berardi (a member of The Fibonaccis). Berardi was listening to some of the Acme Soundtracks music Ridgway and Moreland had created in their studio. When Ridgway jokingly compared the multiple-drum-machine- and Farfisa-organ-laden recordings to Phil Spector's legendary "wall of sound" production style, Berardi commented it sounded more like a "wall of voodoo", and the name stuck.
![]() | Stan Ridgway voc, h *1954 US |
![]() | Marc Moreland g 1958-2002 US |
![]() | Bill Noland *1954 US |
![]() | Joe Nanini dr, perc, voc |
![]() | Bruce Moreland b, key |
![]() | Andy Prieboy key, voc *1955 US |
![]() | Chas T. Gray bvoc, key, b, syn |
![]() | Ned Leukhardt dr, perc |
![]() | Stanard Funsten voc US |
Track list and 30sec audio provided by
Title | Artist | Year | Type |
---|---|---|---|
Seven Days In Sammystown / Happy Planet / The Ugly Americans In Australia | Wall Of Voodoo | 2012 | Compil. |
Lost Weekend (The Best Of Wall Of Voodoo - The I.R.S. Years) | Wall Of Voodoo | 2011 | Compil. |
Dark Continent / Call Of The West | Wall Of Voodoo | 2009 | Compil. |
Dance Of Death | Wall Of Voodoo | 1992 | Album |
The Index Masters | Wall Of Voodoo | 1991 | Compil. |
The Ugly Americans In Australia | Wall Of Voodoo | 1988 | Album |
The Ugly Americans In Norway | Wall Of Voodoo | 1988 | Single |
Elvis Bought Dora A Cadillac | Wall Of Voodoo | 1987 | Single |
Happy Planet | Wall Of Voodoo | 1987 | Album |
Do It Again | Wall Of Voodoo | 1987 | Single |
Far Side Of Crazy | Wall Of Voodoo | 1986 | Single |
Shadowov | Wall Of Voodoo | 1986 | Album |
The Red Tower | Wall Of Voodoo | 1986 | Album |
Seven Days In Sammystown | Wall Of Voodoo | 1985 | Album |
(Don't Spill My) Courage | Wall Of Voodoo | 1985 | Single |
Big City | Wall Of Voodoo | 1984 | Single |
Granma's House - A Collection Of Songs By Wall Of Voodoo | Wall Of Voodoo | 1984 | Compil. |
BBC College Concert #20 | Wall Of Voodoo | 1983 | Album |
On Interstate 15 | Wall Of Voodoo | 1982 | Single |
Call Of The West | Wall Of Voodoo | 1982 | Album |
Ring Of Fire (Remix) | Wall Of Voodoo | 1982 | Album |
On Interstate 15 / Call Of The West | Wall Of Voodoo | 1982 | Single |
Mexican Radio | Wall Of Voodoo | 1982 | Single |
Two Songs By Wall Of Voodoo | Wall Of Voodoo | 1982 | Album |
Dark Continent | Wall Of Voodoo | 1981 | Album |
Call Box (1-2-3) | Wall Of Voodoo | 1981 | Single |
Wall Of Voodoo | Wall Of Voodoo | 1980 | Album |