Born to Laugh at Tornadoes
Encyclopedia
Born To Laugh At Tornadoes is a 1983 album
by the progressive pop band Was (Not Was)
. Rolling Stone
declared it "conceptually, the best album of the year" shortly after its release. The advance publicity did not endear itself to the listening public at the time, and the album made little fanfare in a year dominated by the power pop of Michael Jackson
's Thriller
, or Prince
's 1999
.
This album boasted an impressive array of guest vocalists, ranging from hard rocker Mitch Ryder
(on "Bow Wow Wow Wow"), heavy metal shock rocker Ozzy Osbourne
("Shake Your Head
"), pop band The Knack
's lead vocalist Doug Fieger
(on "Betrayal" and "Smile"), Marshall Crenshaw
("The Party Broke Up"), and torch song
vocalist/songwriter Mel Tormé
(lead vocal on the closing song "Zaz Turned Blue").
The album also displayed a wide variety of musical styles, ranging from pop love ballads ("Betrayal") to heavy metal ("Bow Wow Wow Wow"), psychedelic synthesized mod music ("Man Vs. The Empire Brain Building"), to soft, easy listening cocktail jazz ("Zaz Turned Blue"), a ballad about a man who nearly chokes to death in a park ("Zaz turned blue/What were we supposed to do?/When Zaz turned blue?").
Also noteworthy is a credit to Robert Kinkel
as Assistant Engineer, who went on to be the co-creator of the Trans-Siberian Orchestra
.
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
by the progressive pop band Was (Not Was)
Was (Not Was)
-Studio albums:-Compilation albums:-Singles:-Contributions:* A Christmas Record - "Christmas Time In The Motor City"* That's The Way I Feel Now: A Tribute to Thelonious Monk - "Ba-Lue-Bolivar-Ba-Lues-Are"...
. Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
declared it "conceptually, the best album of the year" shortly after its release. The advance publicity did not endear itself to the listening public at the time, and the album made little fanfare in a year dominated by the power pop of Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
's Thriller
Thriller (album)
Thriller is the sixth studio album by American recording artist Michael Jackson. It was released on November 30, 1982, by Epic Records as the follow-up to Jackson's critically and commercially successful 1979 album Off the Wall...
, or Prince
Prince (musician)
Prince Rogers Nelson , often known simply as Prince, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Prince has produced ten platinum albums and thirty Top 40 singles during his career. Prince founded his own recording studio and label; writing, self-producing and playing most, or all, of...
's 1999
1999 (album)
1999 is the fifth studio album by Prince, released on October 27, 1982. It was his first top ten album on the Billboard 200 chart in the United States and became the fifth best-selling album of 1983. 1999 was Prince's breakthrough album, but his next album Purple Rain would become his most...
.
This album boasted an impressive array of guest vocalists, ranging from hard rocker Mitch Ryder
Mitch Ryder
William S. Levise, Jr , better known by his stage name Mitch Ryder, is an American musician who has recorded over two dozen albums in more than four decades.-Career:...
(on "Bow Wow Wow Wow"), heavy metal shock rocker Ozzy Osbourne
Ozzy Osbourne
John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne is an English vocalist, whose musical career has spanned over 40 years. Osbourne rose to prominence as lead singer of the pioneering English heavy metal band Black Sabbath, whose radically different, intentionally dark, harder sound helped spawn the heavy metal...
("Shake Your Head
Shake Your Head
"Shake Your Head" is a song by the band Was . It was originally released in 1983 on the album Born to Laugh at Tornadoes.The original version features legendary Black Sabbath singer Ozzy Osbourne on lead vocals...
"), pop band The Knack
The Knack
The Knack was an American New Wave rock quartet based in Los Angeles that rose to fame with their first single, "My Sharona", an international number one hit in 1979.-Founding :...
's lead vocalist Doug Fieger
Doug Fieger
Douglas Lars "Doug" Fieger was an American singer-songwriter-musician. He was the lead singer of the power pop band The Knack, and co-wrote "My Sharona", the biggest hit song of 1979 in the USA, with lead guitarist, Berton Averre.-Life and career:Fieger's father was Jewish, and his mother of...
(on "Betrayal" and "Smile"), Marshall Crenshaw
Marshall Crenshaw
Marshall Crenshaw is an American singer, songwriter and guitarist best known for his song "Someday, Someway".-Biography:...
("The Party Broke Up"), and torch song
Torch song
A torch song is a sentimental love song, typically one in which the singer laments an unrequited or lost love, either where one party is oblivious to the existence of the other, where one party has moved on, or where a romantic affair has affected the relationship...
vocalist/songwriter Mel Tormé
Mel Tormé
Melvin Howard Tormé , nicknamed The Velvet Fog, was an American musician, known for his jazz singing. He was also a jazz composer and arranger, a drummer, an actor in radio, film, and television, and the author of five books...
(lead vocal on the closing song "Zaz Turned Blue").
The album also displayed a wide variety of musical styles, ranging from pop love ballads ("Betrayal") to heavy metal ("Bow Wow Wow Wow"), psychedelic synthesized mod music ("Man Vs. The Empire Brain Building"), to soft, easy listening cocktail jazz ("Zaz Turned Blue"), a ballad about a man who nearly chokes to death in a park ("Zaz turned blue/What were we supposed to do?/When Zaz turned blue?").
Also noteworthy is a credit to Robert Kinkel
Robert Kinkel
Bob Kinkel is a professional session keyboardist and music engineer most known for his role as a co-creater/co-producer/co-composer and touring keyboardist with Trans-Siberian Orchestra along with extensive studio work with the prog-metal band Savatage...
as Assistant Engineer, who went on to be the co-creator of the Trans-Siberian Orchestra
Trans-Siberian Orchestra
Trans-Siberian Orchestra is an American progressive metal band founded in 1993 by producer, composer, and lyricist Paul O'Neill, who brought together Jon Oliva and Al Pitrelli and keyboardist and co-producer Robert Kinkel to form the core of the creative team. Since then, TSO sold nearly 8...
.
Track listing
All tracks composed by David Was and Don Was- "Knocked Down, Made Small (Treated Like a Rubber Ball)" – 3:07
- "Bow Wow Wow Wow" – 3:10
- "Betrayal" – 3:06
- "Shake Your Head (Let's Go to Bed)Shake Your Head"Shake Your Head" is a song by the band Was . It was originally released in 1983 on the album Born to Laugh at Tornadoes.The original version features legendary Black Sabbath singer Ozzy Osbourne on lead vocals...
" – 3:55 - "Man vs. the Empire Brain Building" – 4:02
- "(Return to The Valley of) Out Come the FreaksOut Come the Freaks"Out Come the Freaks" is the name of a trilogy of songs by art-funk ensemble Was . The trilogy consists of three songs that feature the same basic title, tune and chorus lyric: "Out Come the Freaks" , " Out Come the Freaks" , and "Out Come The Freaks" Despite the...
" – 4:22 - "Professor Night" – 4:10
- "The Party Broke Up" – 2:14
- "Smile" – 3:15
- "Zaz Turned Blue" – 4:19
Personnel
- Marshall CrenshawMarshall CrenshawMarshall Crenshaw is an American singer, songwriter and guitarist best known for his song "Someday, Someway".-Biography:...
– organ, guitar, vocals - Ozzy OsbourneOzzy OsbourneJohn Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne is an English vocalist, whose musical career has spanned over 40 years. Osbourne rose to prominence as lead singer of the pioneering English heavy metal band Black Sabbath, whose radically different, intentionally dark, harder sound helped spawn the heavy metal...
– vocals - Mitch RyderMitch RyderWilliam S. Levise, Jr , better known by his stage name Mitch Ryder, is an American musician who has recorded over two dozen albums in more than four decades.-Career:...
– vocals - Vinnie VincentVinnie VincentVincent John Cusano, better known as Vinnie Vincent, is an American guitarist from Bridgeport, Connecticut and songwriter known for his brief membership in the band Kiss.-Replacing Ace Frehley in Kiss:...
– guitar - Joseph LoDucaJoseph LoDucaJoseph LoDuca is an American television and film score composer best known for his work writing television scores for the series Spartacus: Blood and Sand, Leverage, Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, Xena: Warrior Princess, The Librarian Telefilm series, American Gothic and Jack of All Trades...
– guitar - Mel TorméMel TorméMelvin Howard Tormé , nicknamed The Velvet Fog, was an American musician, known for his jazz singing. He was also a jazz composer and arranger, a drummer, an actor in radio, film, and television, and the author of five books...
– piano, vocals - Carol Hall – vocals
- Sweet Pea Atkinson – vocals
- Wayne KramerWayne Kramer (guitarist)Wayne Kramer is an American guitarist, singer, songwriter, producer and film and television scorer....
– guitar - Marin Alsop – violin
- Chris Blackwell – vocals
- Sir Harry Bowens – vocals
- Jervonny Collier – bass
- Michael Edwards – vocals
- Doug FiegerDoug FiegerDouglas Lars "Doug" Fieger was an American singer-songwriter-musician. He was the lead singer of the power pop band The Knack, and co-wrote "My Sharona", the biggest hit song of 1979 in the USA, with lead guitarist, Berton Averre.-Life and career:Fieger's father was Jewish, and his mother of...
– vocals - Yogi Horton – drums
- Bob KulickBob KulickBob Kulick is an American guitarist and Grammy Award-winning record producer, best known for his studio work with Kiss. He was born in Brooklyn, New York, and is the older brother of former Kiss lead guitarist Bruce Kulick, whom he suggested Kiss hire....
– guitar - Jay Leonhart – bass
- David McMurray – soprano & tenor saxophone
- Bruce NazarianBruce NazarianBruce Nazarian is a funk and rock musician, recording artist and music producer from Detroit, currently residing in the Western USA. He is also an Apple Certified Trainer and Certified Pro on various professional application, including DVD Studio Pro and Logic Pro...
– guitar - Luis Resto – organ, synthesizer, vocorder
- Paul RiserPaul RiserPaul Riser is an American trombonist and Motown musical arranger who was responsible for co-writing and arranging dozens of top ten hit records. His legacy as one of the "Funk Brothers" is similar to that of most of the other "Brothers", as his career has been overlooked and overshadowed by the...
– horn & string arrangements - John Robie – synthesizer
- John SinclairJohn Sinclair (poet)John Sinclair is a Detroit poet, one-time manager of the band MC5, and leader of the White Panther Party — a militantly anti-racist countercultural group of white socialists seeking to assist the Black Panthers in the Civil Rights movement — from November 1968 to July 1969...
– background vocals - David WasDavid WasDavid Was is, with his stage-brother Don Was, the founder of the 1980s pop group, Was .Was was born in Detroit, Michigan...
– keyboards, saxophone, vocals - Don WasDon WasDon Was is an American musician, bassist and record producer.-Life and career:Was was born in Detroit, Michigan. He graduated from Oak Park High School in the Detroit suburb of Oak Park, then attended the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor but dropped out after the first year...
– synthesizer, bass, vocals - Randy Jacobs – bass, guitar, background vocals
- Lawrence Fratangelo – Percussion