WANG CHUNG

TO LIVE AND DIE IN L.A.
(ORIGINAL EXTENDED 12" VERSION)

The To Live and Die in L.A. soundtrack is Wang Chung's third album and second on Geffen Records. Instead of following up on the success that their previous album Points on the Curve landed them, Wang Chung switched gears to produce an original motion picture soundtrack. The switch allowed for them to experiment with different styles of music from the conventional pop music on their previous album.

According to William Friedkin, director of the film To Live and Die in L.A., the main reason he chose Wang Chung to compose the soundtrack was because the band "stands out from the rest of contemporary music... What they finally recorded has not only enhanced the film, it has given it a deeper, more powerful dimension."Every song on the soundtrack, excluding the title song and "Wait", was written and recorded within a two-week period. Only after Wang Chung saw a rough draft of the film did they produce the title song.

The soundtrack's title song, To Live and Die in L.A. was the only single from the album and was released in September 1985. The track rose quickly up the Billboard Hot 100, until it hit its climax at #41.

On the To Live and Die in L.A. DVD audio commentary, director William Friedkin stated to Wang Chung that he “didn’t want a theme song for To Live and Die in L.A.” One day, though, Jack Hues & Nick Feldman gave Friedkin a copy of "To Live and Die in L.A." (to his dismay). Surprisingly, Friedkin was impressed and decided to keep the song as part of the movie and the soundtrack.

A big thank you to mojowkn for this ultra rare 12" gem!

TO LIVE AND DIE IN L.A.
(ORIGINAL EXTENDED 12" VERSION)

WANG CHUNG

DANCE HALL DAYS

(ORIGINAL EXTENDED 12" REMIX)

(REVISITED EXTENDED 12" VERSION)

Wang Chung were a British new wave group who formed in 1978 whose original name was Huang Chung. The name literally translates from Chinese as "yellow bell", but refers to the standardized base pitch of ancient China. Early on the band summarized the definition as "perfect pitch". After their debut album, the self titled Hueng Chung, they were dropped by their first label, Arista, and then signed to Geffen Records, who suggested they changed their name to Wang Chung to make easier to pronounce for English-speakers and subsequently released the 1984 album Points On The Curve.

Dance Hall Days was the bands first single from the album Points On The Curve and is one of their most well known hits. Despite that Wang Chung is from the UK, this was their only hit single there where it reached #21. The track fared better in the US where it went to #16 and also where Wang Chung would have a far more successful musical career.

DANCE HALL DAYS (ORIGINAL EXTENDED 12" REMIX).mp3

DANCE HALL DAYS (REVISITED EXTENDED 12" VERSION).mp3