Club Wow
| Club Wow | |
|---|---|
 - | |
| Origin | Cleveland, Ohio, U.S. |
| Genres | Rock; Power pop |
| Years active | 1982–1985 |
| Labels | Zero Hour Records |
| Members | Jimmy Zero; Frank Secich; Billy Sullivan; Jeff West |
| Associated acts | Dead Boys; Blue Ash; Herman’s Hermits |
| Website | |
Club Wow was an American rock and power pop band from Cleveland, Ohio, active from 1982 to 1985. The group featured guitarist Jimmy Zero of the Dead Boys, bassist Frank Secich of Blue Ash, guitarist Billy Sullivan, and drummer Jeff West. Although the band played select shows around Cleveland and Youngstown, much of their time was spent writing and recording songs that remained unreleased until decades later.
History
Club Wow was formed on January 1, 1982, when guitarist Jimmy Zero recruited Frank Secich to join a new project alongside Billy Sullivan and Jeff West.<ref> Blue Ash – Interview with Frank Secich, Psychedelic Baby Magazine, 2023. Retrieved 2025-02-15.
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The band performed intermittently throughout the early 1980s, averaging about one performance per month. One of their earliest known appearances was at the Cleveland Agora in 1982.<ref> Club Wow opening for Meat Loaf – Cleveland Agora (1982), Facebook. Retrieved 2025-02-15.
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Between 1982 and 1985, Club Wow recorded an estimated 20–28 songs in various studio sessions. Only one single was released during the group’s original run, while the remaining recordings remained unavailable until 2015 when Zero Hour Records issued a retrospective collection assembled from surviving tapes.<ref> Club Wow – Nowhere Fast Review, Hear A Single, 2017. Retrieved 2025-02-15.
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Club Wow dissolved around 1985.
Discography
Singles
- Prettiest Girl / The Nights Are So Long (1982) – 7″ single.<ref>
Club Wow – Prettiest Girl / The Nights Are So Long, Discogs. Retrieved 2025-02-15.
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Compilations
- Nowhere Fast: A Retrospective 1982–1985 (2015, Zero Hour Records) – CD/DVD retrospective of studio recordings and live material.<ref>
Club Wow – Nowhere Fast: A Retrospective 1982–1985, Discogs. Retrieved 2025-02-15.
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Members
- Jimmy Zero – guitar, vocals<ref>
Club Wow – Credits, Discogs. Retrieved 2025-02-15.
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- Frank Secich – bass, vocals<ref>
Frank Secich, Wikipedia. Retrieved 2025-02-15.
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- Billy Sullivan – guitar, vocals<ref>
Billy Sullivan Biography, BillySullivan.com. Retrieved 2025-02-15.
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- Jeff West – drums<ref>
Club Wow – Nowhere Fast Review, Hear A Single, 2017. Retrieved 2025-02-15.
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Legacy
Though short-lived, Club Wow occupies a unique place in Ohio’s underground rock history through the combined lineage of its members: the Dead Boys, Blue Ash, and numerous later projects in Cleveland’s rock and power pop scenes. The 2015 retrospective release revived attention to the band’s catalog and preserved their studio work for collectors of Midwest rock history.
References
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