''Whammy!'' is the third
studio album
An album is a collection of audio recordings (e.g., music) issued on a medium such as compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl (record), audio tape (like 8-track cartridge, 8-track or Cassette tape, cassette), or digital distribution, dig ...
by American
new wave band
the B-52's
The B-52s, originally presented as the B-52's (with an errant apostrophe; used until 2008), are an American band formed in Athens, Georgia, in 1976. The original lineup consisted of Fred Schneider (vocals, percussion), Kate Pierson (vocals, k ...
, released on April 27, 1983, by
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (WBEI), commonly known as Warner Bros. (WB), is an American filmed entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California and the main namesake subsidiary of Warner Bro ...
(US) and
Island Records
Island Records is a multinational record label owned by Universal Music Group. It was founded in Jamaica by Chris Blackwell, Graeme Goodall, and Leslie Kong in 1959, and was eventually sold to PolyGram in 1989. Island and A&M Records, another ...
(Europe, Japan). It was recorded at
Compass Point Studios
Compass Point Studios was a music recording studio in the Bahamas, founded in 1977 by Chris Blackwell, the owner of Island Records. The concept of the studio was of a recording facility supported by in-house sets of artists, musicians, producers ...
in
Nassau, Bahamas
Nassau ( ) is the capital and largest city of The Bahamas. It is on the island of New Providence, which had a population of 246,329 in 2010, or just over 70% of the entire population of The Bahamas. As of April 2023, the preliminary results of ...
, in December 1982 and produced by
Steven Stanley
Steven J. C. Stanley (born July 11, 1958), is a Jamaican audio engineer, record producer and keyboardist who has worked in the reggae, dub and rock music genres since 1975, most notably with Talking Heads, Tom Tom Club and Black Uhuru.
Sta ...
. The album spawned three singles: "
Legal Tender
Legal tender is a form of money that Standard of deferred payment, courts of law are required to recognize as satisfactory payment in court for any monetary debt. Each jurisdiction determines what is legal tender, but essentially it is anything ...
", "
Whammy Kiss
"Whammy Kiss" is the second single released by the B-52's from their third studio album ''Whammy!'' (1983).
The song reached number nine on the U.S. Hot Dance Club Play chart, along with the album tracks "Legal Tender
Legal tender is a form ...
", and "
Song for a Future Generation".
The album entered the
''Billboard'' 200 twice in 1983, reaching both number 29 and 171 throughout the year, while "Legal Tender" reached the
''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart, as well as the
''Billboard'' Hot Dance Club Play Singles chart alongside its two respective singles.
The band's goal with ''Whammy!'' was to update their signature sound with
drum machine
A drum machine is an electronic musical instrument that creates percussion sounds, drum beats, and patterns. Drum machines may imitate drum kits or other percussion instruments, or produce unique sounds, such as synthesized electronic tones. A d ...
s and
synthesizer
A synthesizer (also synthesiser or synth) is an electronic musical instrument that generates audio signals. Synthesizers typically create sounds by generating waveforms through methods including subtractive synthesis, additive synthesis a ...
s. The album was also the first to feature vocal performances by all five members of the band, as exemplified in "Song for a Future Generation". This was the final album the B-52s released before guitarist and founding member
Ricky Wilson died of
AIDS
The HIV, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a retrovirus that attacks the immune system. Without treatment, it can lead to a spectrum of conditions including acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). It is a Preventive healthcare, pr ...
in 1985, although he appears posthumously on their next studio album, ''
Bouncing Off the Satellites
''Bouncing off the Satellites'' is the fourth studio album by American new wave band the B-52's, released on September 8, 1986, by Warner Bros. (US) and Island Records (Europe, Japan). It was recorded in July 1985 and was produced by Tony Mansfi ...
'' (1986).
Recording
The B-52's initially conceived ''Whammy!'' in early 1982, during a visit to
Compass Point Studios
Compass Point Studios was a music recording studio in the Bahamas, founded in 1977 by Chris Blackwell, the owner of Island Records. The concept of the studio was of a recording facility supported by in-house sets of artists, musicians, producers ...
, where the band commenced re-recordings of three unreleased songs: "Butterbean", "Big Bird", and "Queen of Las Vegas". All three tracks were originally intended to be included on their previous release, ''
Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia is a historical region of West Asia situated within the Tigris–Euphrates river system, in the northern part of the Fertile Crescent. Today, Mesopotamia is known as present-day Iraq and forms the eastern geographic boundary of ...
'' (1982), but none were completed, due to pressure and time constraints from
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (WBEI), commonly known as Warner Bros. (WB), is an American filmed entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California and the main namesake subsidiary of Warner Bro ...
and their manager
Gary Kurfirst
Gary Kurfirst (8 July 1947 – 13 January 2009) was an American music promoter, producer, manager, publisher, and record label executive. Kurfirst founded Radioactive Records, whose acts included Live, Black Grape, Ramones, Big Audio Dynami ...
. The album's remaining six songs ("
Legal Tender
Legal tender is a form of money that Standard of deferred payment, courts of law are required to recognize as satisfactory payment in court for any monetary debt. Each jurisdiction determines what is legal tender, but essentially it is anything ...
", "
Whammy Kiss
"Whammy Kiss" is the second single released by the B-52's from their third studio album ''Whammy!'' (1983).
The song reached number nine on the U.S. Hot Dance Club Play chart, along with the album tracks "Legal Tender
Legal tender is a form ...
", "
Song for a Future Generation", "Trism", "Don't Worry", and "Work That Skirt") were recorded in December 1982, again at Compass Point Studios.
Unlike their previous studio albums, all instruments on ''Whammy!'' were played exclusively by
Keith Strickland
Julian Keith Strickland (born October 26, 1953) is an American singer-songwriter, composer, musician, multi-instrumentalist, and one of the founding members of the B-52s. He was born in Athens, Georgia.
Originally the band's drummer, Strickland ...
and
Ricky Wilson. Both played the guitar and keyboards, while Strickland played the drums and Wilson played the bass. Remarking on the band's new focus on electronic instrumentation, singer/instrumentalist
Kate Pierson
Catherine Elizabeth Pierson (born April 27, 1948) is an American singer, lyricist, and founding member of the B-52s. She plays guitar, bass and various keyboard instruments. In the early years, as well as being a vocalist, Pierson was the main ...
later called the recording "a transitional album."
Additionally, Pierson stated that drummer Strickland "didn't want to play drums anymore, so ''Whammy!'' featured drum machines and some synthesizers. It was kind of a big change in sound, which I wasn't really for very much. I didn't really like the drum machine. It was a different sound, but ''Whammy!'' was very much based around that".
However, she added that, during the subsequent concert tour, the band would alternate between using drum machines and live drums played by Strickland.
Producer
Steven Stanley
Steven J. C. Stanley (born July 11, 1958), is a Jamaican audio engineer, record producer and keyboardist who has worked in the reggae, dub and rock music genres since 1975, most notably with Talking Heads, Tom Tom Club and Black Uhuru.
Sta ...
supported Wilson and Strickland's initial concept of mixing the album into one continuous track, in a manner similar to the band's remix album, ''
Party Mix!'' (1981). However, both Kurfirst and Warner Brothers vetoed this decision in favor of a more traditional method of track sequencing.
Release
The album was released on April 27, 1983.
On initial pressings of the LP, the seventh track was "Don't Worry", a
cover version
In popular music, a cover version, cover song, remake, revival, or simply cover is a new performance or recording by a musician other than the original performer or composer of the song. Originally, it referred to a version of a song release ...
of the
Yoko Ono
Yoko Ono (, usually spelled in katakana as ; born February 18, 1933) is a Japanese multimedia artist, singer, songwriter, and peace activist. Her work also encompasses performance art and filmmaking.
Ono grew up in Tokyo and moved to New York ...
song "
Don't Worry, Kyoko (Mummy's Only Looking for Her Hand in the Snow)". However, the song was removed on later pressings due to legal issues and replaced with "Moon 83".
The song is a remake of their earlier track "There's a Moon in the Sky (Called the Moon)" from the band's 1979
eponymous debut studio album, released as the
B-side
The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph record, vinyl records and Compact cassette, cassettes, and the terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side of a Single (music), single usually ...
of the "Legal Tender" single.
Reception
Commercial
''Whammy!'' was a commercial success, spawning the hit singles "Legal Tender", "Whammy Kiss", and "Song for a Future Generation". The album entered the
''Billboard'' 200 twice in 1983, reaching both number 29 and 171 throughout the year,
while "Legal Tender" reached the
''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart, as well as the
''Billboard'' Hot Dance Club Play Singles chart alongside "Whammy Kiss" and "Song for a Future Generation".
Critical
Critical reception for ''Whammy!'' was positive at the time of its release. Most critics regarded the album as a return to form after the band's previous release, ''Mesopotamia'', which they felt strayed too far from the band's signature sound. Praise was given to the drum machines and synthesizers, which created upbeat and highly danceable songs, as well as the tight lyrics and over the top vocals.
''
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason.
The magazine was first known fo ...
''s
Christopher Connelly
Christopher Connelly (September 8, 1941 – December 7, 1988) was an American actor, best known for his role as Norman Harrington in the successful prime time ABC soap opera '' Peyton Place''. He stayed with the series during its entire f ...
, while referring to ''Mesopotamia'' as "underrated", was pleased with the band's return to their trademark style, and felt that even with the addition of
Devo
Devo is an American new wave band from Akron, Ohio, formed in 1973. Their classic line-up consisted of two sets of brothers, the Mothersbaughs ( Mark and Bob) and the Casales (Gerald and Bob), along with Alan Myers. The band had a No. 14 ...
-style keyboards, producer Steven Stanley had "kept the band's basic strengths intact: breakneck tempos, deliciously uninhibited singing and an earnest enthusiasm for some of the universe's less-celebrated pleasures". He particularly praised Pierson,
Cindy Wilson
Cynthia Leigh Wilson (born February 28, 1957) is an American musician and one of the vocalists, songwriters and founding members of New wave music, new wave rock band the B-52s. She is noted for her distinctive contralto voice and also plays per ...
, and
Fred Schneider
Frederick William Schneider III (born July 1, 1951) is an American singer-songwriter and frontman of the rock band the B-52s, of which he is a founding member. Schneider is well known for his '' sprechgesang'', which he developed from reciting ...
's vocals. While remarking that the entirety of side two is "a waste", he concluded, "What is important is that this band is having fun again - and in this age of dopey
novelty song
A novelty song is a type of song built upon some form of novel concept, such as a gimmick, a piece of humor, or a sample of popular culture. Novelty songs partially overlap with comedy songs, which are more explicitly based on humor, and w ...
s and cheesy dance tracks, nobody does it better."
Robert Christgau
Robert Thomas Christgau ( ; born April 18, 1942) is an American music journalist and essayist. Among the most influential music critics, he began his career in the late 1960s as one of the earliest professional rock critics and later became a ...
of ''
The Village Voice
''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture publication based in Greenwich Village, New York City, known for being the country's first Alternative newspaper, alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf (publisher), Dan Wolf, ...
'' continued his support, making it a "Pick Hit" and stating that while the band "still pick up some great ideas at interplanetary garage sales, their celebration of the pop mess-around is getting earthier."
Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Stephen Thomas Erlewine (; born June 18, 1973) is an American music critic and former senior editor for the online music database AllMusic. He is the author of multiple artist biographies and record reviews for AllMusic, as well as a freelance ...
of
AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...
later said the album was "certainly entertaining, even with its faults," praising the songs "Legal Tender", "Whammy Kiss", "Butterbean", and "Song for a Future Generation", and overall regarding the album as a strong follow-up to ''Mesopotamia'', though he criticized the album's overuse of drum machines and synthesizers.
Ben Wener of ''
The Spectator
''The Spectator'' is a weekly British political and cultural news magazine. It was first published in July 1828, making it the oldest surviving magazine in the world. ''The Spectator'' is politically conservative, and its principal subject a ...
'' commented favorably on ''Whammy!'', describing it as an "overlooked gem".
Track listing
On later pressings of the album, "Don't Worry" was replaced with "Moon 83" (length: 3:58).
Personnel
The B-52's
*
Cindy Wilson
Cynthia Leigh Wilson (born February 28, 1957) is an American musician and one of the vocalists, songwriters and founding members of New wave music, new wave rock band the B-52s. She is noted for her distinctive contralto voice and also plays per ...
– vocals
*
Kate Pierson
Catherine Elizabeth Pierson (born April 27, 1948) is an American singer, lyricist, and founding member of the B-52s. She plays guitar, bass and various keyboard instruments. In the early years, as well as being a vocalist, Pierson was the main ...
– vocals
*
Fred Schneider
Frederick William Schneider III (born July 1, 1951) is an American singer-songwriter and frontman of the rock band the B-52s, of which he is a founding member. Schneider is well known for his '' sprechgesang'', which he developed from reciting ...
– vocals
*
Ricky Wilson – keyboards, guitars, bass, vocals on "Song for a Future Generation"
*
Keith Strickland
Julian Keith Strickland (born October 26, 1953) is an American singer-songwriter, composer, musician, multi-instrumentalist, and one of the founding members of the B-52s. He was born in Athens, Georgia.
Originally the band's drummer, Strickland ...
– keyboards, guitars, drums, vocals on "Song for a Future Generation"
Additional musicians
*
Ralph Carney
Ralph Carney (January 23, 1956 – December 17, 2017) was an American multi-instrumentalist, singer and composer. While his primary instruments were various saxophones and clarinets, Carney also collected and played many instruments, often un ...
– saxophone on "Big Bird"
* David Buck – trumpet on "Big Bird"
Technical
*
Steven Stanley
Steven J. C. Stanley (born July 11, 1958), is a Jamaican audio engineer, record producer and keyboardist who has worked in the reggae, dub and rock music genres since 1975, most notably with Talking Heads, Tom Tom Club and Black Uhuru.
Sta ...
– producer, engineer
* Benjamin Armbrister – assistant engineer
* Dennis Halliburton – assistant engineer
*
Ted Jensen
Ted Jensen (born September 19, 1954) is an American mastering engineer, known for having mastered many recordings, including the Eagles' '' Hotel California'', Green Day's '' American Idiot'' and Norah Jones' ''Come Away with Me''.
Early life ...
– mastering
* Gene Greif – art direction
* Phyllis of Tiffany Wigs – "wig-do's"
* Vikki Warren – dresses
*
William Wegman – cover photography
Charts
Certifications
Notes
References
*
External links
*
{{Authority control
1983 albums
Albums recorded at Compass Point Studios
The B-52's albums
Island Records albums
Warner Records albums