Wet Wet Wet star 'banned' from speaking to Marti Pellow amid cash legal wrangle

Wet Wet Wet are locked in a battle over the band’s legacy, with its original members now talking through legal representatives.

Graeme Clark, who crafted chart-topping songs such as Goodnight Girl, is the only one of the four still involved and wants to take a new line-up out on tour.

But a row has erupted about an early ­agreement made by bass player Clark, singer Marti Pellow, keyboard player Neil Mitchell and drummer Tommy Cunningham that all income be split four ways and there should be consensus over the Wets’ ­direction.

Clark, 58, said: “It’s all in the lap of lawyers at the moment, which is pretty difficult, but I’ve made my case in terms of what I’m doing. I want to take the band out on the road, I want to keep these songs up and sailing.

“There was a simplistic ­shareholders agreement we signed in the 90s, which is the only thing that keeps everybody safe.

“When one guy controls it there could be the worry I might run away with the crown jewels and sell them for myself. That’s what the ­agreement is about.

“Everything went four ways and it is etched in stone, but people are beginning to question the clauses.

“This is why there is no communication and it is going through lawyers. It’s an expensive way of doing it.”

The working class lads grew up on the streets of Clydebank before forming Wet Wet Wet in 1982.

They went on to sell more than 15million singles and albums, spending 500 weeks in the UK charts.

At the height of their success only the removal of Love Is All Around from shops prevented it becoming Britain’s longest-running No1 single, after 15 weeks at the top spot.

Clark has lined up a UK tour next year with long-term Wets guitarist Graeme Duffin and Kevin Simm, who replaced Pellow. Shows include P&J Live in Aberdeen and Dundee Caird Hall in February, and ­Glasgow’s Royal Concert Hall and Usher Hall, Edinburgh, in November.

He said: “We’re on the road in 2025 and there are ­difficulties we face with navigating that.

“There was a decision for me to make when people were stepping out. It was like, ‘Right, what do I do?’

“But I love this band so when everybody fell by the wayside I decided to keep Wet Wet Wet going with Graeme and an amazing singer in Kevin.”

Pellow left the band two weeks after the Wets played a 30th anniversary show at Edinburgh Castle in 2017.

He agreed to continue on a ­part-time basis while forging a career in musical theatre, panto and as a solo artist. Clark said: “At the Edinburgh Castle gig, Marti hugged Graeme on stage which I thought a bit strange. Later, I realised that was goodbye.

“We became stuck between The Krankies panto and Blood Brothers and he would slot us in for three weeks to do an album.

“The creative process is not about putting in 15 minutes here and there.You needed to keep him involved and couldn’t p*** him off by asking him, ‘Why the f*** are you doing Blood Brothers? Be a singer in a band.’

“That wasn’t a conversation we could have. When he left we had a decision to make. His were big shoes to fill and we didn’t want to turn into a parody of ourselves. Kevin came along and could clearly sing.”

More recently, drummer Cunningham and keyboard player Mitchell also quit. Clark said: “I think it wasn’t ­something they wanted to do reaching their 60s.

“I don’t know because there’s no communication. I’m doing my thing and they’re doing their thing.

“We’re clearly not a parody of ourselves but we have to balance that with the fact that we’re going to be playing some of the old songs that were made successful with a bunch of other guys that aren’t there.

“But we’re not quite The Drifters yet. Sure, we have a new keyboard player and a new drummer but at least these people want to be in the band.”

Clark added: “I sent Neil a couple of texts that I didn’t get a reply to.

“Then came the email from Neil saying that since Tommy had left it seemed like a natural point for him to leave too, so I’ve had absolutely no communication with Neil, who doesn’t say much at the best of times.”

Clark believes illness could have been the catalyst for his legal issues.

He said: “Reading between the lines, I think when I got ill last year that played a part. I wasn’t very well. I got ­pneumonia complicated with Covid. I was intubated.

“I’ve had emphysema for years but it only got ­diagnosed last year. Smoking and all.

“So I had Covid and I got ­pneumonia and I was in hospital and I couldn’t move or breathe.

“The doctors said, ‘Graeme, if it doesn’t change the best place for you is in intensive care in a coma.’

“I was like, ‘No way, man.’ They said they had a couple of drugs to try that might not work.

“I was thinking, ‘What will happen if I die?’ I had to get better. Luckily, the drugs kicked in and I was out of there.

“So I’m last man standing and I like to think I am the brains behind Wet Wet Wet, certainly musically, but you’ll need to ask the others what they think about the fact I’ve taken the band on.

“Sometimes I think they believe I’m gathering all this money, but the music business isn’t what it was.

“The holy grail now is concert ticket sales and they didn’t like being away from home or leaving their families. They left the band and I didn’t.”

He added: “I’m not surprised we’re dealing through lawyers but I’m p***ed off because the expense is terrifying.

“I wish they would lift the phone. I don’t want to be in the High Court fighting the people I grew up with.”

A spokesperson for Pellow, Cunningham and Mitchell said: “Whilst it is the case that specialist entertainment lawyers have been working on dotting the ‘i’s & crossing the ‘t’s on arrangements to manage the various copyrights and income streams connected with the band’s catalogue, there is no animosity involved at all.”

Don't miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond - Sign up to our daily newsletter here.