Backtracking 1984: Points On The Curve - Wang Chung

You'll never guess what album I just spent three days listening to...

Fresh off a brief promotional tour for their self-titled first album, Huang Chung (often mispronounced as "Hung Chung") returned to the studio in 1982 to begin work on their sophomore album on Arista. The group quickly recorded and released "Dance Hall Days" in both 7" and 12" formats without impacting their homeland charts in the UK.

After a failed launch in the US as part of Arista's 1982 series of promo twelve-inch singles/EPs featuring their UK labelmates Heaven 17, Thompson Twins, and Haircut 100, Huang Chung's contract with Arista ended though they continued to hone their act with a few live shows in the hopes of landing a new deal. Within a short time, they were signed to Geffen Records and changed the spelling of Huang Chung to make English pronunciation easier. The newly christened Wang Chung entered the EMI Studios at Abbey Road with producers Ross Cullum and Chris Hughes, spending the majority of 1983 recording Points On The Curve.

The album yielded three US chart singles in 1984 with "Don't Let Go" (#38 on Billboard's Hot 100), a complete musical makeover of 1982 single "Dance Hall Days" (#16), and "Don't Be My Enemy" (#86). A fourth single "Wait" peaked on the UK chart at #87 but failed to make the Hot 100.

I picked up a great twelve-inch single with extended versions of "Dance Hall Days"  and "Don't Let Go" near the end of my Senior Year in June 1984 and a few months later we were somewhat surprised to see and hear Wang Chung opening for The Cars on the latter's Heartbeat City Tour in September 1984. I still recall no special sparks from their performance other than seeing the two songs from that wonderful single. Still, they made enough of an impression on my girl that she bought Points On The Curve the following day "for both of us" which meant I was to dub the vinyl album to cassette so we could enjoy it in her Alpine-infused Camaro and my newly acquired Blankput-equipped Bug. So I did and we did.

Now, just in time for the album's 40th Anniversary, here's Wang Chung's Points On The Curve in a special non-existent double-disc expanded edition. I'd like to hear this content rather than demos or multiple live shows with the same or very similar setlists often used to fill out an anniversary or super deluxe edition. Nothing beats well-mastered, previously released material including single edits and extended remixes. Would love this one to be a Rubellan Remaster!

**THIS IS NOT VINNY VERO'S LONG-AWAITED VERSION**

Disc One
Points On The Curve
	Geffen Records – GHS 4004
1	Dance Hall Days	3:58
2	Wait	4:22
3	True Love	3:51
4	The Waves	4:26
5	Look At Me Now	4:36
6	Don't Let Go	4:21
7	Even If You Dream	4:08
8	Don't Be My Enemy	4:24
9	Devoted Friends	4:07
10	Talk It Out	4:48
Dance Hall Days/Don't Let Go
	Geffen Records – 0-20194
11	Dance Hall Days (Remix) – edited by Victor Flores	7:22
12	Don't Let Go (Remix) – remixed by John Luongo	7:12
Don't Be My Enemy/Wait
	Geffen Records – 0-20252
13	Don't Be My Enemy (Extended Dance Remix)	8:58
14	Wait (Extended Dance Remix)	8:18
	– remixed by Stephen Lipson
Disc Two
Don't Let Go
	Geffen Records – 7-29377
1	Don't Let Go – 45 edit	3:24
2	There Is A Nation*	3:37
	*also appears on First Born ST-17144
Dance Hall Days
	Geffen Records – 7-29310
3	Ornamental Elephant – non-LP b-side	3:57
Don't Be My Enemy
	Geffen Records – 7-29193
4	Don't Be My Enemy (edit/remix)	3:38
5	The Waves – instrumental	4:24
Wait [UK]
	Geffen Records – A 4550
6	Wait (Special U.K. Remix)	3:49
7	Dance Hall Days (Part 2)	4:21
	Geffen Records – DA 4550
8	Hard Times – non-LP b-side	4:20
Dance Hall Days [1982 UK]
	Arista – ARIST 493
9	Dance Hall Days	3:53
	Arista – ARIST 12 493
10	Dance Halls Days (Dance Mix)	5:25
In Concert**
	Westwood One – IC-84-12
11	True Love
12	Don't Let Go
13	Waves
14	China
15	Don't Be My Enemy
16	Look At Me Now
17	Wait
18	Dance Hall Days
**The Palace, Hollywood, CA - April 28, 1984
	Initial radio broadcast June 1984

******

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