Let Loose

One of a gamut of ‘boy bands’ to dominate the UK charts in the mid-90s, Let Loose formed in 1987 when Richie Wermerling (vocals/keyboards) recruited Rob Jeffery (guitar) and Lee Murray (drums) via an advertisement in Melody Maker. However, their early efforts were rather different to the clean-cut incarnation of Let Loose that would grace the charts of the mid-90s. As Jeffrey told the press ‘In the early days of Let Loose we always used to wear black, and the music was a lot more bikery, more metally. We didn’t dance on stage - it wasn’t dance music - we’d stand there and perform real music with guitars.’ They toured widely, and, gradually changing style, signed a Virgin Records recording contract at the end of the 80s. However, they were one of several artists displaced when the company sold out to EMI Records. Mercury Records were keen to offer them a new contract and enjoyed minor chart returns in 1993 and 1994 when both ‘Crazy For You’ and ‘Seventeen’ peaked at number 44 in the UK charts. When ‘Crazy For You’ was re-released and re-promoted it spent 10 weeks in the UK Top 10, peaking at number 2 and earning a gold disc. When ‘Seventeen’ was also reissued and became another major hit it gave the band total sales of 700, 000 singles in 1994, though their debut album’s chart placing was a more modest number 20. The band started 1995 with ‘One Night Stand’, another accessible slice of boy band pop without offering anything too distinctive. They enjoyed further UK Top 10 hits with ‘Best In Me’ (1995) and ‘Make It With You’ (1996), but subsequently faded from view.