Was (Not Was): Difference between revisions

Was (Not Was) discography
Was (Not Was) discography
Studio albums	5
Compilation albums	4
Singles	19

Was (Not Was)
Was (Not Was)
Origin	Detroit, Michigan, United States
Genres	Dance-pop; funk; post-disco; dance-rock; college rock;
Years active	1979–1992; 2004–present;
Labels	ZE; Geffen; Chrysalis; Fontana;
Members	David Weiss; Don Fagenson; Harry Bowens; Carol Hall; Donald Ray Mitchell; Randy Jacobs; James Gadson; Rayse Biggs; David McMurray; Jamie Muhoberac;
Past members	Marcus Belgrave; Bruce Nazarian; Sweet Pea Atkinson; Debra Dobkin; Wayne Kramer;
Website	World Wide Was

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Was (Not Was) is an American band founded in 1979 in Detroit, Michigan, by David Weiss and Don Fagenson, who adopted the stage names David Was and Don Was.^[3] Their song catalog features an eclectic mix of pop and rock styles, often featuring guest musicians from across the musical spectrum. The band's most popular period was during the 1980s and early 1990s, with their highest-charting hit, the song "Walk the Dinosaur", released in 1987 as the lead single from their 1988 album What Up, Dog?, becoming a worldwide top-40 hit and peaking at No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. The band went on indefinite hiatus in the mid-1990s, but has returned sporadically since the turn of the millennium. Their most recent release was the 2008 album Boo!.

Career

Beginnings

Weiss and Fagenson were childhood friends who grew up together in suburban Detroit, Michigan, United States.^[3] Partly due to Fagenson's poverty they decided to form Was (Not Was) in 1979.^[4] The name of the band was derived from Fagenson's then-infant son Tony, who was just beginning to talk and enjoyed contradicting words such as "Blue" with "Not Blue". Their first recording was "Wheel Me Out", a 12-inch dance record for the avant-garde ZE Records. David's mother Elizabeth Elkin Weiss, an actress and radio pioneer in their native Detroit, provided the outré vocals. The track was later included on the 2000 compilation album Disco Not Disco.

Their first album Was (Not Was) (1981) was an amalgam of rock, disco, Weiss's beat poetry, Reagan-era political-social commentary, and jazz.^[3] On vocals they recruited Harry Bowens and "Sweet Pea" Atkinson, who frequently found themselves singing absurdist and satirical songs alongside tender ballads.^[3] Wayne Kramer of MC5, The Knack's Doug Fieger, and trumpeter Marcus Belgrave were among the guest players.^[5]^[6]

In 1982, the group played on Don't Walk Away, a solo album for lead singer "Sweet Pea" Atkinson.^[7]

Development

Born to Laugh at Tornadoes (1983)^[3] had even more guest musicians, including Ozzy Osbourne rapping over electro, Mitch Ryder singing a techno-rockabilly number, Mel Tormé performing a ballad about asphyxiation, and an abstract funk piece called "Man vs. the Empire Brain Building". Singer Donald Ray Mitchell joined the group as third lead vocalist.^[8]

In 1988, they found their biggest hit with the album What Up, Dog?, which featured the singles "Walk the Dinosaur"^[9] and "Spy in the House of Love".^[3] Special guests included Stevie Salas, John Patitucci, Frank Sinatra Jr., and a writing credit from Elvis Costello.^[10]

Film and animation work

Artist/animator Christoph Simon^[11] created videos to accompany some of their stranger album tracks, such as "What Up, Dog?",^[12] "Dad I'm in Jail,"^[13] and the Tom Waits-style "Earth to Doris."^[14] The videos appeared on MTV's Liquid Television and in various film festivals, including the Spike & Mike festival. Around this time, the Was Brothers developed separate careers as producers, film scorers, and music supervisors.

Hiatus

The group followed up with Are You Okay? in 1990,^[3] spearheaded by a cover of "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone". Guest musicians included Iggy Pop, Leonard Cohen, The Roches, and Syd Straw. After a tour with Dire Straits in 1992 and a UK Top 5 single with "Shake Your Head", which included vocals from Ozzy Osbourne and actress Kim Basinger, Weiss and Fagenson drifted apart, subsequently releasing only a compilation album Hello Dad... I'm in Jail.^[3] Some members, however, did appear on Don's Orquestra Was project Forever Is a Long Long Time (1997), which re-interpreted Hank Williams in a jazz/R&B vein.

Reunion

In late 2004, Was (Not Was) reformed for a two-month club tour through the US, including stops at the House of Blues in Cleveland and Chicago and the Trocadero in Philadelphia. In October 2005, they played four gigs at the Jazz Café in London.

In 2008, they released their fifth studio album, Boo!, featuring guest appearances from Kris Kristofferson, Wayne Kramer, Marcus Miller and Booker T. Jones, plus a song originally co-written with Bob Dylan nearly 20 years earlier. On April 22, they performed on the British show Later... with Jools Holland, and on May 2, they were the musical guest on Late Night with Conan O'Brien. The band toured the US that year, beginning on April 30.

Commentary

Writing in Detroit's Metro Times, Brian J. Bowe described the band as "an endearing mess....a sausage factory of funk, rock, jazz and electronic dance music, all providing a boogie-down backdrop for a radical (and witty) political message of unbridled personal freedom and skepticism of authority."^[15]

Discography

Studio albums

Year	Information	Chart positions
Year	Information	US ^[2]	AUS ^[16]	NL ^[17]	NZ ^[18]	UK ^[19]
1981	Was (Not Was) Released: 1981 (Expanded and reissued 2004 as Out Come the Freaks) Labels: ZE/Island	–	–	–	–	–
1983	Born to Laugh at Tornadoes Released: September 1983 Labels: ZE/Geffen	134	–	–	–	–
1988	What Up, Dog? Released: April 1988 Labels: Chrysalis Records (US), Phonogram (Europe)	43	–	57	41	47
1990	Are You Okay? Released: July 1990 Labels: Chrysalis Records (US), Fontana (Europe)	99	107	82	34	35
2008	Boo! Released: April 8, 2008 (Expanded and reissued 2023) Labels: Ryko	–	–	–	–	–
"–" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory.

Compilation albums

Year	Information
1984	The Woodwork Squeaks Remixes and B-sides Released: 1984 (Reissued and expanded in 2004) Labels: ZE/Island
1989	New Steak Trend Remixes and B-sides Released: 1989 Label: Fontana (Japan only)
1992	Hello Dad... I'm in Jail Greatest hits album Released: June 1992 Labels: Polygram, Fontana (Europe) Chart Position: #61 (UK)^[19] Chart Position: #132 (AUS)^[16]
2004	The Collection LP tracks and B-sides Released: May 2004 Labels: Spectrum Music
2010	Hey, King Kong!!!: Pick of the Litter 1980-2010 Career retrospective Released: February 23, 2010 Labels: Micro Werks

Singles

Year	Title	Chart positions										Album
Year	Title	US Hot 100 ^[2]	US Club Play ^[2]	US R&B ^[2]	AUS ^[16]	IRL ^[20]	NL ^[17]	NZ ^[18]	UK ^[19]	SA ^[21]	FR ^[22]	Album
1980	"Wheel Me Out"	–	34	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	Mutant Disco: A Subtle Discolation of the Norm
1981	"Out Come the Freaks"	–	16	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	Was (Not Was)
1981	"Where Did Your Heart Go?"	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	-	–
1982	"Tell Me That I'm Dreaming"	–	3	68	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
1983	"Smile"	106	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	Born to Laugh at Tornadoes
1983	"Knocked Down, Made Small (Treated Like a Rubber Ball)"	109	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
1984	"(Return to the Valley of) Out Come the Freaks"	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	41	–	–
1986	"Robot Girl"	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	95	–	–	What Up, Dog?
1987	"Spy in the House of Love"	16	1	77	79	–	16	41	51	–	–
	"Walk the Dinosaur"	7	11	–	9	11	10	16	10	10	49
	"Boy's Gone Crazy"	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	84	–	–
1988	"Spy in the House of Love" (re-issue)	–	–	–	90	13	–	–	21	26	–
	"Out Come the Freaks (Again)"	–	–	–	–	–	86	–	44	–	–
	"Anything Can Happen"	75	19	–	–	–	–	–	67	–	–
1990	"Papa Was a Rollin' Stone"	–	10	60	75	11	14	22	12	–	–	Are You Okay?
	"How the Heart Behaves"	–	35	–	–	–	–	–	53	–	–
	"I Feel Better Than James Brown"	–	–	–	163	–	–	–	91	–	–
1992	"Listen Like Thieves"	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	58	–	–	Hello Dad...I'm in Jail
	"Shake Your Head"	–	–	–	47	8	–	–	4	–	–
	"Somewhere in America (There's a Street Named after My Dad)"	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	57	–	–
"–" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory.

Contributions

A Christmas Record (1981, ZE Records) - "Christmas Time in the Motor City"
That's the Way I Feel Now: A Tribute to Thelonious Monk (1984, A&M Records) - "Ba-Lue-Bolivar-Ba-Lues-Are"
Stay Awake: Various Interpretations of Music from Vintage Disney Films (1988, A&M Records) - "Baby Mine"

References

^ Sherburne, Philip (May 7, 2012). "20 Years Later: Was (Not Was) Still Boggle the Mind". Spin. Retrieved August 9, 2023. Was (Not Was) were a quirky funk-pop act armed with a sardonic wit and irreverent songwriting approach.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e "AllMusic - Billboard Awards – Was (Not Was)". Billboard. Archived from the original on August 15, 2013. Retrieved December 4, 2008.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h Colin Larkin, ed. (2003). The Virgin Encyclopedia of Eighties Music (Third ed.). Virgin Books. p. 491. ISBN 1-85227-969-9.
^ "Was Not Was". Randy Jacobs. Retrieved September 19, 2023.
^ "Was (Not Was) - Was (Not Was) | Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved November 10, 2019.
^ "Was and Its Madness". The New York Times. July 15, 1981.
^ "Don't Walk Away - Sweet Pea Atkinson | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved November 10, 2019.
^ "Born to Laugh at Tornadoes - Was (Not Was) | Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved November 10, 2019.
^ "Was Not Was Walk The Dinosaur". YouTube. June 2, 2013. Retrieved November 10, 2019.
^ "What Up, Dog? - Was (Not Was) | Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved November 10, 2019.
^ "Christoph Simon". Scad.edu. Retrieved November 10, 2019.
^ "What Up Dog?". YouTube. March 24, 2008.
^ "Hello Dad, I'm In Jail". YouTube. March 24, 2008. Retrieved November 10, 2019.
^ "Earth To Doris". YouTube. March 24, 2008. Retrieved November 10, 2019.
^ Bowe, Brian J. (December 29, 2004). "Out Come the Freaks". Metro Times.
^ ^a ^b ^c
Peaks in Australia:
- 1970 to 1988: David Kent (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970-1992. Australian Chart Book, St Ives, N.S.W. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
- ARIA 1988 to 2024: "Was (Not Was) ARIA peaks (1988 to 2024), received from ARIA in October 2024". ARIA. Retrieved November 2, 2024 – via Imgur.com. N.B. The High Point number in the NAT column represents the release's peak on the national chart.
- "Papa Was a Rolling Stone": Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt Martha, Victoria, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 297.
- "Shake Your Head": "Discography Was (Not Was)". 2003-2012 Hung Medien. Retrieved December 28, 2012.
^ ^a ^b "Discografie Was (Not Was)". 2003-2012 Hung Medien. Retrieved December 28, 2012.
^ ^a ^b "Discography Was (Not Was)". 2003-2012 Hung Medien. Retrieved December 28, 2012.
^ ^a ^b ^c "The Official Charts Company - Was (Not Was)". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 9, 2008.
^ "The Irish Charts". IRMA. Retrieved October 2, 2008. Searchable database
^ "South African Rock Lists Website - SA Charts 1965 - 1989 Acts (W)". Rock.co.za. Retrieved November 10, 2019.
^ "French TOP 50, May 16, 1988".

External links

World Wide Was
Was (Not Was) collection at the Internet Archive's live music archive
Was discography at Discogs
Was at IMDb

[1] Sherburne, Philip (May 7, 2012). "20 Years Later: Was (Not Was) Still Boggle the Mind". Spin. Retrieved August 9, 2023. Was (Not Was) were a quirky funk-pop act armed with a sardonic wit and irreverent songwriting approach.

[AMG-2] "AllMusic - Billboard Awards – Was (Not Was)". Billboard. Archived from the original on August 15, 2013. Retrieved December 4, 2008.

[Larkin80-3] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h Colin Larkin, ed. (2003). The Virgin Encyclopedia of Eighties Music (Third ed.). Virgin Books. p. 491. ISBN 1-85227-969-9.

[4] "Was Not Was". Randy Jacobs. Retrieved September 19, 2023.

[5] "Was (Not Was) - Was (Not Was) | Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved November 10, 2019.

[6] "Was and Its Madness". The New York Times. July 15, 1981.

[7] "Don't Walk Away - Sweet Pea Atkinson | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved November 10, 2019.

[8] "Born to Laugh at Tornadoes - Was (Not Was) | Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved November 10, 2019.

[9] "Was Not Was Walk The Dinosaur". YouTube. June 2, 2013. Retrieved November 10, 2019.

[10] "What Up, Dog? - Was (Not Was) | Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved November 10, 2019.

[11] "Christoph Simon". Scad.edu. Retrieved November 10, 2019.

[12] "What Up Dog?". YouTube. March 24, 2008.

[13] "Hello Dad, I'm In Jail". YouTube. March 24, 2008. Retrieved November 10, 2019.

[14] "Earth To Doris". YouTube. March 24, 2008. Retrieved November 10, 2019.

[15] Bowe, Brian J. (December 29, 2004). "Out Come the Freaks". Metro Times.

[AUS-16] Peaks in Australia:
1970 to 1988: David Kent (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970-1992. Australian Chart Book, St Ives, N.S.W. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.

ARIA 1988 to 2024: "Was (Not Was) ARIA peaks (1988 to 2024), received from ARIA in October 2024". ARIA. Retrieved November 2, 2024 – via Imgur.com. N.B. The High Point number in the NAT column represents the release's peak on the national chart.

"Papa Was a Rolling Stone": Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt Martha, Victoria, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 297.

"Shake Your Head": "Discography Was (Not Was)". 2003-2012 Hung Medien. Retrieved December 28, 2012.

[17] 1970 to 1988: David Kent (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970-1992. Australian Chart Book, St Ives, N.S.W. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.

[18] ARIA 1988 to 2024: "Was (Not Was) ARIA peaks (1988 to 2024), received from ARIA in October 2024". ARIA. Retrieved November 2, 2024 – via Imgur.com. N.B. The High Point number in the NAT column represents the release's peak on the national chart.

[19] "Papa Was a Rolling Stone": Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt Martha, Victoria, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 297.

[20] "Shake Your Head": "Discography Was (Not Was)". 2003-2012 Hung Medien. Retrieved December 28, 2012.

[Dutch-17] "Discografie Was (Not Was)". 2003-2012 Hung Medien. Retrieved December 28, 2012.

[NZ-18] "Discography Was (Not Was)". 2003-2012 Hung Medien. Retrieved December 28, 2012.

[chartstats-UK-19] "The Official Charts Company - Was (Not Was)". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 9, 2008.

[20] "The Irish Charts". IRMA. Retrieved October 2, 2008. Searchable database

[21] "South African Rock Lists Website - SA Charts 1965 - 1989 Acts (W)". Rock.co.za. Retrieved November 10, 2019.

[22] "French TOP 50, May 16, 1988".

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@@ Line 14: / Line 14: @@
 | associated_acts   = [[Orquestra Was]]
 | current_members   = {{ubl|[[David Was|David Weiss]]|[[Don Was|Don Fagenson]]|Harry Bowens|Carol Hall|Donald Ray Mitchell|Randy Jacobs|[[James Gadson]]|Rayse Biggs|David McMurray|[[Jamie Muhoberac]]}}
-| past_members      = {{ubl|[[Marcus Belgrave]]|[[Bruce Nazarian]]|[[Sweet Pea Atkinson]]|[[Debra Dobkin]]|[[Wayne Kramer|Wayne Kramer]]}}
+| past_members      = {{ubl|[[Marcus Belgrave]]|[[Bruce Nazarian]]|[[Sweet Pea Atkinson]]|[[Debra Dobkin]]|[[Wayne Kramer]]}}
 | website           = [http://worldwidewas.com/ World Wide Was]
 }}
@@ Line 24: / Line 24: @@
 Weiss and Fagenson were childhood friends who grew up together in suburban [[Detroit]], [[Michigan]], United States.<ref name="Larkin80"/> Partly due to Fagenson's poverty they decided to form Was (Not Was) in 1979.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Was Not Was |url=https://randyjacobs.com/randy-jacobs-bio/was-not-was/ |access-date=2023-09-19 |website=Randy Jacobs |language=en-US}}</ref> The name of the band was derived from Fagenson's then-infant son [[Tony Fagenson|Tony]], who was just beginning to talk and enjoyed contradicting words such as "Blue" with "Not Blue". Their first recording was "Wheel Me Out", a 12-inch [[dance music|dance]] record for the avant-garde [[ZE Records]]. David's mother Elizabeth Elkin Weiss, an actress and radio pioneer in their native Detroit, provided the outré vocals. The track was later included on the 2000 compilation album ''[[Disco Not Disco]]''.
-Their first album ''[[Was (Not Was) (album)|Was (Not Was)]]'' (1981) was an amalgam of [[rock music|rock]], [[disco]], Weiss's [[beat poetry]], Reagan-era [[politics|political]]-[[society|social]] commentary, and [[jazz]].<ref name="Larkin80"/> On vocals they recruited Harry Bowens and [["Sweet Pea" Atkinson]], who frequently found themselves singing absurdist and satirical songs alongside tender ballads.<ref name="Larkin80"/> [[Wayne Kramer|Wayne Kramer]] of [[MC5]], [[The Knack]]'s [[Doug Fieger]], and trumpeter [[Marcus Belgrave]] were among the guest players.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/was-not-was-mw0000697833/credits|title=Was (Not Was) - Was (Not Was) &#124; Credits|website=[[AllMusic]]|access-date=November 10, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Was and Its Madness|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|date=July 15, 1981|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1981/07/15/arts/was-and-its-madness.html}}</ref>
+Their first album ''[[Was (Not Was) (album)|Was (Not Was)]]'' (1981) was an amalgam of [[rock music|rock]], [[disco]], Weiss's [[beat poetry]], Reagan-era [[politics|political]]-[[society|social]] commentary, and [[jazz]].<ref name="Larkin80"/> On vocals they recruited Harry Bowens and [["Sweet Pea" Atkinson]], who frequently found themselves singing absurdist and satirical songs alongside tender ballads.<ref name="Larkin80"/> [[Wayne Kramer]] of [[MC5]], [[The Knack]]'s [[Doug Fieger]], and trumpeter [[Marcus Belgrave]] were among the guest players.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/was-not-was-mw0000697833/credits|title=Was (Not Was) - Was (Not Was) &#124; Credits|website=[[AllMusic]]|access-date=November 10, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Was and Its Madness|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|date=July 15, 1981|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1981/07/15/arts/was-and-its-madness.html}}</ref>
 In 1982, the group played on ''Don't Walk Away'', a solo album for lead singer "Sweet Pea" Atkinson.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/dont-walk-away-mw0000849080|title=Don't Walk Away - Sweet Pea Atkinson &#124; Songs, Reviews, Credits|website=[[AllMusic]]|access-date=November 10, 2019}}</ref>
@@ Line 31: / Line 31: @@
 ''[[Born to Laugh at Tornadoes]]'' (1983)<ref name="Larkin80"/> had even more guest musicians, including [[Ozzy Osbourne]] rapping over [[electro (music)|electro]], [[Mitch Ryder]] singing a techno-rockabilly number, [[Mel Tormé]] performing a ballad about asphyxiation, and an abstract [[funk]] piece called "Man vs. the Empire Brain Building". Singer Donald Ray Mitchell joined the group as third lead vocalist.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/born-to-laugh-at-tornadoes-mw0000204931/credits|title=Born to Laugh at Tornadoes - Was (Not Was) &#124; Credits|website=[[AllMusic]]|access-date=November 10, 2019}}</ref>
-In 1988, they found their biggest hit with the album ''[[What Up, Dog?]]'', which featured the singles "[[Walk the Dinosaur]]"<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQdCDcehCf8|title=Was Not Was Walk The Dinosaur|publisher=[[YouTube]]|access-date=November 10, 2019}}</ref> and "Spy in the House of Love".<ref name="Larkin80"/> Special guests included [[Stevie Salas]], [[John Patitucci]], [[Frank Sinatra Jr.]], and a writing credit from [[Elvis Costello]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/what-up-dog-mw0000201834/credits|title=What Up, Dog? - Was (Not Was) &#124; Credits|website=[[AllMusic]]|access-date=November 10, 2019}}</ref>
+In 1988, they found their biggest hit with the album ''[[What Up, Dog?]]'', which featured the singles "[[Walk the Dinosaur]]"<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQdCDcehCf8|title=Was Not Was Walk The Dinosaur|date=June 2, 2013 |publisher=[[YouTube]]|access-date=November 10, 2019}}</ref> and "Spy in the House of Love".<ref name="Larkin80"/> Special guests included [[Stevie Salas]], [[John Patitucci]], [[Frank Sinatra Jr.]], and a writing credit from [[Elvis Costello]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/what-up-dog-mw0000201834/credits|title=What Up, Dog? - Was (Not Was) &#124; Credits|website=[[AllMusic]]|access-date=November 10, 2019}}</ref>
 ===Film and animation work===
-Artist/animator Christoph Simon<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.scad.edu/academics/faculty/christoph-simon|title=Christoph Simon|website=Scad.edu|access-date=November 10, 2019}}</ref> created videos to accompany some of their stranger album tracks, such as "What Up, Dog?",<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4QF-TK3W4lI|title=What Up Dog?|publisher=[[YouTube]]}}</ref> "Dad I'm in Jail,"<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJEwo_gwO9M|title=Hello Dad, I'm In Jail|publisher=[[YouTube]]|access-date=November 10, 2019}}</ref> and the [[Tom Waits]]-style "Earth to Doris."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3tDw6Q0UL8|title=Earth To Doris|publisher=[[YouTube]]|access-date=November 10, 2019}}</ref> The videos appeared on MTV's ''[[Liquid Television]]'' and in various film festivals, including the [[Spike and Mike's Sick and Twisted Festival of Animation|Spike & Mike festival]]. Around this time, the Was Brothers developed separate careers as producers, film scorers, and music supervisors.
+Artist/animator Christoph Simon<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.scad.edu/academics/faculty/christoph-simon|title=Christoph Simon|website=Scad.edu|access-date=November 10, 2019}}</ref> created videos to accompany some of their stranger album tracks, such as "What Up, Dog?",<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4QF-TK3W4lI|title=What Up Dog?|date=March 24, 2008 |publisher=[[YouTube]]}}</ref> "Dad I'm in Jail,"<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJEwo_gwO9M|title=Hello Dad, I'm In Jail|date=March 24, 2008 |publisher=[[YouTube]]|access-date=November 10, 2019}}</ref> and the [[Tom Waits]]-style "Earth to Doris."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3tDw6Q0UL8|title=Earth To Doris|date=March 24, 2008 |publisher=[[YouTube]]|access-date=November 10, 2019}}</ref> The videos appeared on MTV's ''[[Liquid Television]]'' and in various film festivals, including the [[Spike and Mike's Sick and Twisted Festival of Animation|Spike & Mike festival]]. Around this time, the Was Brothers developed separate careers as producers, film scorers, and music supervisors.
 ===Hiatus===
@@ Line 42: / Line 42: @@
 In late 2004, Was (Not Was) reformed for a two-month club tour through the US, including stops at the [[House of Blues]] in [[Cleveland, Ohio|Cleveland]] and [[Chicago]] and the [[Trocadero Theatre|Trocadero]] in [[Philadelphia]]. In October 2005, they played four gigs at the Jazz Café in [[London]].
-In 2008, they released their fifth studio album, ''Boo!'', featuring guest appearances from [[Kris Kristofferson]], [[Wayne Kramer|Wayne Kramer]], [[Marcus Miller]] and [[Booker T. Jones]], plus a song originally co-written with [[Bob Dylan]] nearly 20 years earlier. On April 22, they performed on the British show ''[[Later... with Jools Holland]]'', and on May 2, they were the musical guest on ''[[Late Night with Conan O'Brien]]''. The band toured the US that year, beginning on April 30.
+In 2008, they released their fifth studio album, ''Boo!'', featuring guest appearances from [[Kris Kristofferson]], [[Wayne Kramer]], [[Marcus Miller]] and [[Booker T. Jones]], plus a song originally co-written with [[Bob Dylan]] nearly 20 years earlier. On April 22, they performed on the British show ''[[Later... with Jools Holland]]'', and on May 2, they were the musical guest on ''[[Late Night with Conan O'Brien]]''. The band toured the US that year, beginning on April 30.
 ==Commentary==
@@ Line 66: / Line 66: @@
 !rowspan="2"| Year
 !rowspan="2" width="275"| Information
-!colspan="4"| Chart positions
+!colspan="5"| Chart positions
 |-style="font-size:smaller;"
 !width="30"| [[Billboard 200|US]]<br /><ref name=AMG>{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/was-not-was-mn0000817011/awards|title=AllMusic - Billboard Awards – Was (Not Was)|publisher=Billboard|access-date=2008-12-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130815220446/https://www.allmusic.com/artist/was-not-was-mn0000817011/awards|archive-date=August 15, 2013}}</ref>
+!width="30"| [[ARIA Charts|AUS]]<br /><ref name="AUS"/>
 !width="30"| [[MegaCharts|NL]]<br /><ref name="Dutch">{{cite web|url=http://dutchcharts.nl/showinterpret.asp?interpret=Was+%28Not+Was%29|title= Discografie Was (Not Was)|publisher=2003-2012 Hung Medien|access-date=2012-12-28}}</ref>
 !width="30"| [[Recording Industry Association of New Zealand|NZ]]<br /><ref name="NZ">{{cite web|url=https://charts.nz/showinterpret.asp?interpret=Was+%28Not+Was%29|title= Discography Was (Not Was)|publisher=2003-2012 Hung Medien|access-date=2012-12-28}}</ref>
@@ Line 77: / Line 78: @@
 * Released: 1981 <small>(Expanded and reissued 2004 as ''Out Come the Freaks'')</small>
 * Labels: ZE/Island
+| –
 | –
 | –
@@ Line 87: / Line 89: @@
 * Labels: ZE/Geffen
 | 134
+| –
 | –
 | –
@@ Line 96: / Line 99: @@
 * Labels: Chrysalis Records <small>(US)</small>, Phonogram <small>(Europe)</small>
 | 43
+| –
 | 57
 | 41
@@ Line 105: / Line 109: @@
 * Labels: Chrysalis Records <small>(US)</small>, Fontana <small>(Europe)</small>
 | 99
+| 107
 | 82
 | 34
@@ Line 113: / Line 118: @@
 * Released: April 8, 2008 <small>(Expanded and reissued 2023)</small>
 * Labels: Ryko
+| –
 | –
 | –
@@ Line 144: / Line 150: @@
 * Labels: Polygram, Fontana <small>(Europe)</small>
 * Chart Position: #61 (UK)<ref name="chartstats-UK"/>
+* Chart Position: #132 (AUS)<ref name="AUS"/>
 |-
 | 2004
@@ Line 170: / Line 177: @@
 !width="30"| [[Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs|US R&B]]<br /><ref name=AMG/>
 !width="30"| [[ARIA Charts|AUS]]<br /><ref name="AUS">Peaks in Australia:
-* All except noted: {{cite book|title=Australian Chart Book 1970-1992|author=David Kent|isbn=0-646-11917-6|year=1993|publisher=Australian Chart Book, St Ives, N.S.W.|author-link=David Kent (historian)}}
+* 1970 to 1988: {{cite book|title=Australian Chart Book 1970-1992|author=David Kent|isbn=0-646-11917-6|year=1993|publisher=Australian Chart Book, St Ives, N.S.W.|author-link=David Kent (historian)}}
+* ARIA 1988 to 2024: {{cite web|url=https://imgur.com/a/rkxyIYX|title=Was (Not Was) ARIA peaks (1988 to 2024), received from ARIA in October 2024|publisher=ARIA|via=Imgur.com|access-date=2 November 2024}}  N.B. The High Point number in the NAT column represents the release's peak on the national chart.
 * "Papa Was a Rolling Stone": {{cite Ryan|page=297}}
 * "Shake Your Head": {{cite web|url=http://australian-charts.com/showinterpret.asp?interpret=Was+%28Not+Was%29|title= Discography Was (Not Was)|publisher=2003-2012 Hung Medien|access-date=2012-12-28}}</ref>
@@ Line 328: / Line 336: @@
 | –
 | –
-| –
+| 90
 | 13
 | –
@@ Line 390: / Line 398: @@
 | –
 | –
-| –
+| 163
 | –
 | –
@@ Line 453: / Line 461: @@
 ==External links==
 * [http://worldwidewas.com/ World Wide Was]
-* {{curlie|Arts/Music/Bands_and_Artists/enwiki/w/Was_Not_Was/|Was (Not Was)}}
 * [https://archive.org/details/WasNotWas Was (Not Was) collection] at the [[Internet Archive]]'s live music archive
 * {{discogs artist|Was (Not Was)}}
-* {{imdb name|3041141}}
+* {{IMDb name|3041141}}
 {{Was (Not Was)}}

v t e Was (Not Was)
David Was Don Was Sweet Pea Atkinson Harry Bowens
Studio albums	Was (Not Was) Born to Laugh at Tornadoes What Up, Dog? Are You Okay? Boo!
Singles	"Out Come the Freaks" "Where Did Your Heart Go?" "(Return to the Valley of) Out Come the Freaks" "Spy in the House of Love" "Walk the Dinosaur" "Out Come the Freaks (Again)" "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone" "Listen Like Thieves" "Shake Your Head"

Authority control databases
International	ISNI VIAF
National	Germany United States France BnF data Czech Republic Norway
Artists	MusicBrainz