ABOUT THEM
From The Beginning
The Let Loose story began in London in1987 when Richie Wermerling decided to put his own band together. Like all the members of the band, music was already a passion for him, Richie had sung backing vocals and played keyboards in a band called 'October 9'. Luckily, Richie found himself a manager and put an advert into 'Melody Maker', saying "singer and management require musicians for a large band. Have you got something to say?" One person with something to say was a certain Lee Murray who was working in a record shop at the time but had been drumming for a few years, ever since his famous antics of tapping chopsticks in Chinese restaurant! When Lee spotted Richie's advert he remembers being intrigue by what it said, "it was a challenge," he recalls, and it led to Lee's audition and a place in the band.
However, it wasn't a pair of flash denims that brought Rob into Let Loose. Rob was playing in a soul and blues bans called 'Mr. Fabulous' and at the time had black spikey hair and wore "outrageous clothes", Richie saw one of their gigs and asked Rob to audition for his new band. Rob passed and found himself in a band which would become The Loose we know today. But "Let Loose" only appeared after Richie, Lee and Rob had tried playing under the titles of 'Rip It Up' and 'Lyx'
These early sounds got them a publishing contract but no records were released until Lee, Rich and Rob signed to Mercury Records in 1997. They were working as song writers for Warner Chappell (their publishers) at that time but not releasing their own music, it was frustrating. However, the band were by this time called 'Let Loose' because everyone told them they were crazy, and when they looked it up in the thesaurus it said "let loose"! A name appropriate for three guys that jumped on the desks of record companies and played air guitar!
Under Mercury a song called
'Crazy For You' (sound familiar?) was released in 1993 and then
'The Way I Wanna Be' at the end of the year, both of which
unfortunately stopped just outside the Top 40. O.K. so they
weren't chart toppers (yet) but anyone who saw the schools tour
that year will remember these original songs.
The tour tool ~ the guys around England and Scotland and began to
get them public recognition and a fan club. Let loose mania was
starting! The guys loved the tour and it was good experience of
'life on the road'.
1993 then was the year in which the Let Loose ball began rolling, there were magazine interviews, club appearances and even TV coverage - the guys onto Jim'll Fix It. With their new found support Let Loose had another go at the charts in March 1994 with 'Seventeen' but once again it didn't give them the big break they needed. Let Loose will admit they were hugely disappointed when these songs missed the charts, especially as they were getting so close.
However, Let Loose, and their fans, believed enough to wait for the summer of 1994 and the re-released of 'Crazy' and while we all kept our fingers crossed the single climbed ... and climbed.... and climbed up the British charts reaching the number two spot. It sold in excess of 700,000 copies and gave them their first gold disc.
To conclude then, the success of 'Crazy' has taken the band to the big time they dreamed of: an album, loads of sell-out live gigs and some great hit singles. The guys who started out as milkman, an electrician and a shop assistant have worked incredibly hard to get where they are now and thank the people who helped them realize their dreams and achieve them.
But, this is just the beginning, as a critic once said, "they're a band to built to last", tipped for international success the world is their oyster. The story of Let Loose is about more than just a dream come true, it's about determination and ambition, amongst ~ all of which Let Loose have kept their feet firmly on the ground and enjoyed making their music.
The text was taken from The Let Loose Official Magazine, written by Vicky Pilcher