NEW YORK, NY. (Top40 Charts/ Rykodisc) - Was (Not Was), the seminal, indestructible art-funk collective from Detroit, is back from hibernation and ready to ensnare the innocent with its snaky beats and brain-virus lyrics. The new album and Rykodisc debut, "Boo!," is set for release on April 8, 2008 in the U.S./April 7, 2008 worldwide.
Semi-dormant since 1992, when they opened a four-month tour for Dire Straits across Europe, Don and David Was are again ready to rumble and are planning an endless series of live dates accompanied by special guests and friends the boys have bonded with over the years. And to kick things off, Was (Not Was) will perform a special sneak-peak engagement on Valentine's Day at the Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles, with special guests Kris Kristofferson and Brian Wilson. Stay tuned for additional dates to be announced soon. (Note: Kris Kristofferson makes a guest appearance on the closing track of "Boo!" - a swirling, psychedelic spoken word number titled "Green Pills in the Dresser.")
With "Boo!" David Was (flute, harmonica, keys and vox), Don Was (bass, keyboards, percussion, programming, vox), Sweet Pea Atkinson (lead vocals) and Sir Henry Bowen (lead vocals) have created an album brewing with the unconventional lyrics and funk-driven R&B beats that the band is known for. And as is the Was (Not Was) way, a host of additional players join in on the party: Donald Ray Mitchell (lead vox), David McMurray (sax and horn arrangements), Randy Jacobs (guitar), Jamie Muhoberac (keyboards) and Luis Resto (keyboards), among several others. The album was produced by Don and David Was, engineered and mixed by Rik Pekkonen, Krish Sharma and Don Was.
Was (Not Was) hit the musical minefield in 1981 with the release of their eponymous debut, earning the band international notice for their heady brew of funk beats, jazz soloing and E. E. Cummings-meets-William Burroughs wordsmithery. Their second album, 1983's "Born To Laugh at Tornadoes," landed the boys with a deal on Geffen Records. It would be the release of their third album in 1988, "What Up Dog?," that would propel Was (Not Was) into commercial success, achieving two Top 10 singles, "Walk the Dinosaur" and "Spy in the House of Love." A fourth studio album, "Are You Okay?" followed in 1990 spawning an international Top 5 hit with the rap-inflected cover "Papa Was A Rolling Stone." Their last album - a greatest hits package, "Hello Dad I'm in Jail" was released in 1992 and included a remix of their earlier Ozzy Osbourne collaboration, "Shake Your Head," featuring Kim Basinger (yes, Kim Basinger) sharing co-lead vocals, leading to another smash on the dance floor and pop charts overseas.
Of course, that's not all the lads were up to all those years. Don Was stepped to the fore as a producer after working with Bonnie Raitt on the Grammy-winning "Nick of Time," staying in constant demand for the next decade and working with everyone from Iggy to Kristofferson to the B52's to Elton John and Brian Wilson, to drop just a few names. David Was went Hollywood and produced two soundtrack collections for the "X-Files" and wound up scoring two network TV dramas. And together, Don and David produced the Grammy-winning Roy Orbison/kd lang duet of "Crying" as well as Bob Dylan's "Under the Red Sky" album. They also started a badminton club for ex-cons called the "Birdie Men from Alcatraz," or so it was rumored.
The band reformed to play the Sundance Film Festival in the winter of 2004 and made a triumphal return to London's Jazz Cafe the following fall.
Was (Not Was) may have been napping, but they never stopped having nightmares! The results will soon storm the barricades of radio, concert halls and festivals 'til they are sent to their rooms to do more audio homework. Stay tuned. Don't drop out, not just yet!
Rykodisc, home of Was (Not Was), is currently celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2008. As a way of saying thanks for supporting our music, Rykodisc is offering five free downloads on the 25th day of each month in 2008. The downloads are available at www.rykodisc.com. Keep listening!
