The original line-up of Miles Hunt (whose uncle Bill Hunt was keyboard player with ELO and Wizzard) on vocals and guitar; Malcolm Treece on guitar and vocals; bassist Rob "The Bass Thing" Jones (died July 1993); and Martin Gilks (died April 2006) on drums grew from an earlier collaboration with members of Pop Will Eat Itself called From Eden that had featured Hunt on drums. The Wonder Stuff were formed on 19 March 1986. They entered the studio in September that year to record a self-financed first EP A Wonderful Day. After signing with Polydor Records for £80,000 in 1987, the group released a series of singles including "Unbearable", "Give Give Give, Me More More More", "A Wish Away" and "It's Yer Money I'm After Baby" (their first Top 40 entry) which were featured on their debut album The Eight Legged Groove Machine in August 1988 (UK No. 18).[1] The group then embarked on their first headlining nineteen date 'Groovers On Manoeuvres' UK tour. They released "Who Wants to Be the Disco King?" in March 1989, and appeared at Reading and Glastonbury festivals, and tours of Europe and the United States. The Melody Maker made it one of their albums of the year and said, "A rollicking debut from the only band with enough wit, energy, charisma and acumen to cross over from loutish grebo into raffish pop.