 | | Tony Ogden (pic: Ian Tilton) |
Despite only releasing one album, the band were and are held up as a shining light of Manchester’s musical past. World Of Twist may never become as big as many of their contemporaries, but their influence has been massive. Oasis’ Noel Gallagher was one of many fans of the band, considering taking the name of the Twist’s song ‘Sons Of the Stage’ for his band. They may have been Mancunians but the band's roots were in Sheffield, where Ogden formed Twist in 1985 with Martin Fry's brother Jamie, to sit alongside fellow strugglers and kitchen-sink glamour merchants Pulp. Moving back across the Pennines, Tony switched to vocals and, alongside long term Gorden King on guitar, emerged in 1989 with a sleek combination of Roxy Music, northern soul, English eccentricity and Joe Meek soundscapes.  | | Tony Ogden (pic: Ian Tilton) |
They were swiftly signed and the label got a band that had an amazing idea plus a collection of artists and misfits who should have been huge. Yet, the debut single, The Storm, stalled at 42 in the charts and their brilliant updating of She's A Rainbow also missed the top 40. Despite strong sales, their debut album, Quality Street, never made the top ten, but the accompanying tour was a sell out and many Mancunians can still get misty-eyed over their homecoming at a packed Ritz. Tony went on stage completely wrapped in tin foil and spent the first song getting unravelled. It was a moment that summed up Twist and Ogden. Getting the right balance between pop art and humour was the mark of the man. The work on the follow-up stopped when the typically maverick Ogden decided he didn't want to be the singer anymore. Auditions were held for new singer, but the band imploded after a dozen demos were recorded. | "Tony went on stage completely wrapped in tin foil and spent the first song getting unravelled. It was a moment that summed up Twist and Ogden." | | John Robb on the legendary homecoming at the Ritz by World Of Twist |
Whilst former sparring partners Pulp realised their potential and became one of the biggest bands of the decade, Tony Ogden disappeared. Burned out by the music world, he retreated home to Stockport, and while there was talk of occasional projects, it was mostly the sound of long silences. Ironically, he was working on demos for a new band, The Bubblegum Secret Pop Explosion, when he died. Yet again, they are great songs and yet again it’s a case of potential dashed at the last moment but it does prove that that unique pop vision never left him. Tony Ogden was a special talent lost to a pop world that is simply too mean and too stupid to keep up with his sheer brilliance. He was surely the great lost pop star of Madchester and Britpop. | 
