Tag Archives: David Was

Was (Not Was): Boo!

On April 8, 2008, “Rykodisc” label released “Boo!”, the fifth Was (Not Was) studio album. It was recorded in 2007, at “Henson Recording Studios”, “Cello Studios” and “Ocean Way Recording” in Hollywood, “Record Plant” and “Chomsky Ranch” in Los Angeles, “Karma Farm” in Manhattan Beach, California, and was produced by David Was and Don Was.

Personnel:

  • David Was – vocals, keyboards, flute, harmonica, illustration
  • Don Was – vocals, keyboards, bass, percussion, programming, engineer, mixing, graphic design
  • Sweet Pea Atkinson – lead vocals
  • Sir Harry Bowens – lead vocals
  • Donald Ray Mitchell – lead vocals
  • Kris Kristofferson – special guest vocals
  • Jamie Muhoberac – keyboards
  • Luis Resto – keyboards
  • Booker T. Jones – Hammond B3 organ
  • Randy Jacobs – guitars
  • Wayne Kramer – guitars
  • Val McCallum – guitars
  • Greg Leisz – pedal steel guitar
  • Tim Drummond – bass
  • Marcus Miller – bass
  • Curt Bisquera – drums
  • James Gadson – drums
  • Lenny Castro – percussion
  • Stephen Kupka – baritone saxophone
  • Dave McMurray – saxophones, horn arrangements
  • Rayse Biggs – trumpet
  • Lee Thornton – trumpet
  • David Campbell – string arrangements
  • Sally Dworsky – backing vocals
  • Portia Griffin – backing vocals
  • Arnold McCuller – backing vocals
  • Myrna Smith – backing vocals
  • Rik Pekkonen – engineer, mixing
  • Krish Sharma – engineer, mixing
  • Dan Bosworth – engineer assistant
  • Kevin Mills – engineer assistant
  • Louie Teran – mastering
  • Jamie Hoyt-Vitale – package design
  • Ron Meckler – graphic design
  • Ellen Stone – band photography
  • Jamie Muhoberac – club photography
  • Ruby Marchand – A&R

Track listing:

All tracks by David Was and Don Was, except where noted.

  1. Semi-Interesting Week
  2. It’s a Miracle
  3. Your Luck Won’t Last
  4. From the Head to the Heart
  5. Big Black Hole
  6. Needletooth
  7. Forget Everything
  8. Crazy Water
  9. Mr. Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore – Bob Dylan, David Was, Don Was
  10. Green Pills in the Dresser

Rickie Lee Jones: Pop Pop

On September 24, 1991, “Geffen” label released “Pop Pop”, the sixth Rickie Lee Jones album. It was recorded in 1989, at “Skyline Recording” in Topanga, California, and was produced by Rickie Lee Jones and David Was.

Personnel:

  • Rickie Lee Jones – vocals; acoustic guitar
  • Robben Ford- acoustic guitar
  • Charlie Haden – acoustic bass
  • Michael O’Neill – acoustic guitar
  • John Leftwich – acoustic bass
  • Walfredo Reyes, Jr.- bongos, shakers
  • Michael Greiner – hurdy-gurdy
  • Bob Sheppard- clarinet, tenor saxophone
  • Joe Henderson- tenor saxophone
  • Dino Saluzzi– bandoneon
  • Charlie Shoemake– vibraphone
  • Steven Kindler – violin
  • April Gay, Arnold McCuller, David Was, Donny Gerrard, Terry Bradford – backing vocals
  • Greg Penny, John Eden, Jon Ingoldsby – engineer
  • Kevin Reagan – art direction, design
  • Pascal Nabet Meyer – executive producer

Track listing:

  1. My One and Only Love – Guy Wood, Robert Mellin
  2. Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most – Fran Landesman, Tommy Wolf
  3. Hi-Lili, Hi-Lo – Bronisław Kaper, Helen Deutsch
  4. Up from the Skies – Jimi Hendrix
  5. The Second Time Around – Jimmy Van Heusen, Sammy Cahn
  6. Dat Dere – Bobby Timmons, Oscar Brown, Jr.
  7. I’ll Be Seeing You – Irving Kahal, Sammy Fain
  8. Bye Bye Blackbird – Mort Dixon, Ray Henderson
  9. The Ballad of the Sad Young Men – Fran Landesman, Tommy Wolf
  10. I Won’t Grow Up – Carolyn Leigh, Mark Charlap
  11. Love Junkyard – David Weiss, John Keller
  12. Comin’ Back to Me – Marty Balin

Was Not Was: Same

In July 1981, “ZE” label released the self-titled, debut “Was Not Was album. It was recorded January-March 1981;at “Sound Suite” in Detroit, Michigan, and was produced by David Was, Don Was, Jack Tann and Michael Zilkha.

Personnel:

  • David Was- vocals, alto saxophone, piano
  • Don Was- vocals, bass, vibraphone, Moog synthesizer, clavinet,
  • Sir Harry Bowens – vocals
  • Sweet Pea Atkinson – vocals
  • Bruce Nazarian, Ricardo Rouse, Wayne Kramer- guitar
  • Jervonny Collier, Lamont Johnson, Bruce Nazarian – bass
  • Franklin K. Funklyn McCullers, Jerry Jones – drums
  • Larry Fratangelo, Kevin Tschirhart, Carl “Butch” Small – percussion
  • Gary Stuck, Jim Matthews, Les Chambers – additional percussion
  • Irwin Krinsky – piano
  • Luis Resto, Raymond Johnson, Mark Johnson – keyboards
  • David McMurray, Armand Angeloni – saxophone
  • Marcus Belgrave- trumpet, flugelhorn
  • Mack Pitt – mandolin
  • Carol Hall, Carolyn Crawford, Kathy Kosins, Michelle Goulet, Sheila Horne – backging vocals
  • Anthony Was, Kim Heron, Lamont Zodiac, Mark J. Norton, Mitchell Jacobs, Mrs. Martinez’s Fifth Hour Vocal Music Class, Birney Middle School, Pam Schlom, Richard Pinkston, Rick Cushingberry, Rubin Weiss, Ruth Seymore, Tom Brzezina – additional vocals
  • Johnny Allen- string arrangement
  • Michael Zilkha- executive producer

Track listing:

All tracks by David Was and Don Was; except where noted.

  1. Out Come the Freaks
  2. Where Did Your Heart Go?
  3. Tell Me That I’m Dreaming
  4. Oh, Mr. Friction
  5. Carry Me Back to Old Morocco – David Was, Don Was, Doug Fieger
  6. It’s an Attack! – David Was, Don Was, Goss
  7. The Sky’s Ablaze
  8. ..Now! – David Was, Don Was, Ron Banks