If you were around in 1982, you couldn't escape the thumping, tribal drums and that neon-drenched video for I Want Candy. It was everywhere. But behind the mohawks and the sun-soaked beach scenes, the Bow Wow Wow members were living through a bizarre, often uncomfortable experiment orchestrated by one of the most notorious manipulators in music history.
Malcolm McLaren, the man who basically "invented" the Sex Pistols, was the puppet master here. He didn't just find a band; he stole one. He convinced the backing musicians of Adam and the Ants to jump ship, leaving Adam Ant stranded while he built a new vehicle for his latest obsession: a 13-year-old girl he found singing in a London laundromat.
The Original Four: A Lineup Born from Sabotage
The core of the band was a powerhouse of talent, even if they started as "mercenaries" for McLaren's whims.
Annabella Lwin was the face and the voice. Born Myant Myant Aye in Burma, she was just a kid when she was thrust into the center of a media firestorm. Honestly, it’s wild to think about now. She had zero professional experience. One day she’s working at a dry cleaner in Kilburn, and the next, she’s being told she’s the new icon of New Wave. Her vocals were strange—sorta like a mix of playground chants and operatic screams.
Then you had the "Ants" who crossed over. Matthew Ashman was the guitarist, and he was a absolute wizard. He didn't play typical punk chords. Instead, he used a Gretsch White Falcon to create this reverb-heavy, spaghetti-western-meets-surf-rock sound.
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Leigh Gorman handled the bass, bringing a funky, driving energy that kept the songs from falling apart. And then there was David Barbarossa. If Bow Wow Wow had a "secret sauce," it was his drumming. He pioneered the "Burundi Beat," a style heavily inspired by African tribal rhythms that made their music feel primal and danceable at the same time.
Why the Bow Wow Wow Members Still Matter
Most people think of them as a one-hit wonder because of "I Want Candy." That’s a mistake. They were actually pioneers of the "cassette single" and were constantly pushing boundaries, even when those boundaries were highly questionable.
Remember the cover of their first album, See Jungle! See Jungle! Go Join Your Gang Yeah, City All Over! Go Ape Crazy!? It was a recreation of Manet’s Le Déjeuner sur l'herbe. The problem? Annabella was 14 and she was naked. Her mother was furious. Scotland Yard actually got involved.
McLaren loved the chaos. The band? Not so much.
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The Bow Wow Wow members were technically brilliant musicians being forced to play the role of "noble savages" or "pirates" depending on which way the fashion wind was blowing that week. Vivienne Westwood was designing their clothes, and the whole thing was as much a fashion statement as it was a musical group.
The Messy Breakup and Life After the Candy
By 1983, the wheels were coming off. The band was exhausted from touring the US, and the internal tension was through the roof.
Here is the cold, hard truth: the guys—Ashman, Gorman, and Barbarossa—decided they wanted to move in a more "mature" direction. They wanted a singer who wasn't a teenager. So, they fired Annabella.
But they didn't do it in person.
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Annabella famously found out she was out of the band by reading it in a music magazine. Talk about a brutal way to go. The three men formed a new group called Chiefs of Relief, with Matthew Ashman taking over lead vocals. It didn't quite capture the same magic, though they did have a minor cult following.
Where Are They Now?
The story of the Bow Wow Wow members is a mix of tragedy and survival.
- Matthew Ashman: Sadly, the world lost Matthew in 1995. He died at just 35 due to complications from diabetes. He’s still cited as a massive influence by guitarists like John Frusciante of the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
- Annabella Lwin: She never stopped. She’s had a solo career, practiced Buddhism, and still performs today. For a long time, she and Leigh Gorman were at odds over who actually "owned" the band name.
- Leigh Gorman: He’s stayed active in the industry as a producer and composer. He’s the one who eventually revived the Bow Wow Wow name for tours, sometimes with Annabella and sometimes with new singers like Chloe Demetria.
- David Barbarossa: He’s arguably one of the most respected drummers of his era. Post-Bow Wow Wow, he played with Beats International and Republica (remember "Ready to Go"? That's him). He also became an author, writing a novel called Mud Sharks about the London music scene.
Key Insights for Fans and Collectors
If you're looking to dive into their discography, don't just stick to the hits.
- Check out "C·30 C·60 C·90 Go!"—it’s a masterpiece of early 80s rebellion, literally encouraging fans to pirate music by recording it onto blank tapes.
- Look for the "Your Cassette Pet" release. It was one of the first cassette-only EPs and has a much rawer sound than their later RCA stuff.
- Listen to the drum patterns on "Go Wild in the Country." Barbarossa’s work there is a masterclass in syncopation.
The legacy of the Bow Wow Wow members is complicated. They were a product of a specific moment in London's post-punk history where art, fashion, and music collided in a way that was often exploitative but undeniably creative. They weren't just a "manager's project"—they were four distinct, highly talented individuals who managed to leave a permanent mark on the 80s landscape before the industry chewed them up.
To truly appreciate their sound, seek out the original vinyl pressings of See Jungle!. The production value, handled by Brian Tarney and others, captures the depth of those tribal drums in a way that modern streaming often flattens out. Digging into the B-sides like "Uomo-Sex-Al Apache" reveals a band that was far more experimental than their bubblegum-pop reputation suggests.