The Wow! Scenario - Stand in the Star. A Verse and a Chorus The Wow! Scenario
Pickup available at Record Plant Farsley
Usually ready in 24 hours
The Wow! Scenario is the project from comedian, actor and musician James Acaster and his lifelong friend Graeme Wicks.
The project formed in 2004 in Kettering, Northamptonshire. The sessions for their debut album began in 2007. Stand in the Star. A Verse and a Chorus, the debut album by The Wow! Scenario will now be released in 2026.
Graeme Wicks and James Acaster had already decided to call it a day when they recorded all of their songs in December 2007 with producer Chris Hamilton - one of the few people who actually liked their music. Indeed, the band name itself came from a drunk audience member trying to tell them they didn't have 'the X factor' but repeatedly getting the term wrong, "you don't have the wow scenario, guys. You need to get the wow scenario."
After three years of believing they were going to be one of the most important bands of all time, the duo had lost faith. They were playing poorly attended gigs every week and the response from the small audiences ranged from throwing shoes at the band to chasing them out of the car park and trying to punch their car. They were working extremely hard but making no progress. They'd both attended singing lessons every week since the band's inception but still hadn't reached the standard they'd hoped for when it came to harmonies or (in Acaster's case) basic pitch. In the end, they had to accept The Wow! Scenario was an acquired taste - or at least it would be if they could fully execute the ideas they had in their heads. Which they could not.
Even though they'd decided to give up, they approached the recording sessions with a new found enthusiasm. Other people's opinions no longer mattered to them, they were recording this for themselves, with Chris - someone who liked them so much he'd contacted them on MySpace and practically begged to record their songs. They spent a month sleeping in the studio, recording jazzy guitars and freewheeling drums, singing flatly, and periodically visiting the airport to make field recordings. In January 2008, Hamilton mixed all the songs, delivered the album, then the band split up and kept all of it to themselves.
Ten years later, in January 2018, The Wow! Scenario returned to the studio. They'd independently revisited the album and loved all of it except for the vocals. The plan was to delete the vocals, re- record the vocal melodies on saxophone, clarinet and fiddle, then possibly release the project as an instrumental album. Mark Brown and Guy Fletcher recorded their parts beautifully, Hamilton mixed the entire album for the second time in ten years, then Wicks and Acaster listened back to everything and agreed that while the instrumentals had been elevated, the songs still sounded incomplete. They needed vocals after all, apparently. Ha. Ha. Ha.
The third and final studio session took place in March 2023 when singers Emma Daman and BC Camplight performed the vocal parts the way they were always meant to be performed. Finally the songwriters heard what had been in their heads all those years ago. They'd finally graduated from 'impenetrable' to 'an acquired taste'. This was huge.
Just over a year later, Hamilton sat down to mix the album for the third time in his goddamn life, and by March 2025, 'Stand in the Star. A Verse and a Chorus' was actually, properly, hilariously, complete.
Obviously, the decision to go back on their original plan and share this music with other people could result in more shoes being thrown at them and open their car up to multiple punches but it's a risk they're willing to take. It took them over 20 years, but James Acaster and Graeme Wicks finally 'got the wow scenario'.
Whether anyone else will get The Wow! Scenario remains to be seen.
Product information
UNITED KINGDOM
Singles/7” £3.50 + £1 per each additional record.
LPs and 10”: £5.00 for up to 2kg and between £51 and £150 – Tracked 48
LPS and 10”: £12.00 for up to 2kg and over £150 – Royal Mail Special Delivery
For Packages above 2kg (6 plus records) – £10.95 up to 5kg and 15.95 from 5k to 10k
Delivery is by Parcel Force
EUROPE
Singles/7” : £10 Royal Mail Signed and Tracked
LPs and 10”: £13 for up to 2kg and less than £500 – Royal Mail Signed and Tracked
For Packages above 2kg (6 plus records) – £18.75 up to 10kg.
WORLD ZONE 1
United States, Canada, Argentina, Brazil, South Africa, India, China, Japan, Hong Kong, Israel, Oman, United Arab Emirates, Thailand, Vietnam.
Singles/LPs/10”: £15.00 up to 1.5kg and less than £500 – Royal Mail Signed and Tracked
Singles/LPs/10”: £20 over 1.5kg and less than 2kg and less than £500 – Royal Mail Signed and Tracked
For Packages above 2kg (6 plus records) – £35 up to 10kg.
WORLD ZONE 2
Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Fiji.
Singles/LPs/10”: £18.00 up to 1.5kg and less than £500 – Royal Mail Signed and Tracked
Singles/LPs/10”: £24.00 over 1.5kg and less than 2kg and less than £500 – Royal Mail Signed and Tracked
For Packages above 2kg (6 plus records) – £43 up to 10kg.
All customers are responsible for paying the necessary customs1 fees charged. We will not be able to under declare the value of any order for customs as it is unlawful to do so.
RETURNS AND CANCELLATION POLICY
At Record Plant, we are committed to ensuring your satisfaction with every purchase you make. We understand that circumstances may change, and you might need to cancel an order or return a product. Our Returns and Cancellation Policy is designed to provide you with clear guidelines and information on your rights and responsibilities when it comes to cancelling orders and returning goods under the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation & Additional Charges) Regulations. Please take a moment to familiarize yourself with the key points outlined below.
RIGHT TO CANCEL
Under the Consumer Contracts Regulations, you have the right to cancel your order for goods. This right begins the moment you place your order and lasts for 14 days from the day you receive the goods.
CANCELLATION DEADLINE
To meet the cancellation deadline, kindly notify us of your decision to cancel your order before the 14-day cancellation period expires. You can contact us via email or phone to initiate the cancellation process.
RETURNING GOODS
If you decide to cancel your order, you are responsible for taking reasonable care of the goods while they are in your possession. To complete the return process, send the goods back to our contact address at your own expense. Exceptions apply if we delivered the item in error, or if the item is damaged or defective.
COST OF RECOVERY
In case the returned goods are not received within the specified conditions, we reserve the right to charge you for the direct costs incurred in recovering the goods.
REFUNDS
Once you have notified us of your decision to cancel the order, any payments made will be promptly refunded to you. You can expect the refund to be processed within 14 days of your cancellation.
ITEMS NOT ELIGIBLE FOR CANCELLATION OR RETURN
Certain goods and services are exempt from the right to cancel, including prescription medicines, personalized goods, rapidly perishable items, and more. Please refer to our policy for a comprehensive list of non-cancelable and non-returnable items.
FORFEITURE OF CANCELLATION RIGHT
Your right to cancel may be forfeited if you unseal goods that are not suitable for return due to hygiene or health reasons, unseal sealed audio/video recordings or software, or combine goods with other items to make them inseparable.
At Record Plant, we value your satisfaction and aim to make your shopping experience as smooth as possible. Our Returns and Cancellation Policy ensures transparency and fairness in all interactions. If you have any questions or concerns about cancelling an order or returning goods, our dedicated customer service team is here to assist you.
Please note that specific regulations and details may vary based on your location and the applicable laws. For a detailed understanding of our policy and your rights, we recommend reviewing our complete Returns and Cancellation Policy or contacting our customer service representatives.
