Was (Not Was)
An unlikely recording and production duo, childhood friends David Weiss(saxophone, flute, keyboards, vocals) and Don Fagenson (bass,keyboards, guitar) have used a variety of singers to front their records, includingSweat Pea Atkinson, Leonard Cohen, Harry Bowens and Donny Ray Mitchell. Their debut album sought to imbue dance music with an intellectual credibilitywhich it had previously lacked. While musicians were plucked from sources as varied as P-Funk and MC5, Tell Me That I'm Dreaming incorporated a mutilated sample of aRonald Reagan speech. 1983's BORN TO LAUGH AT TORNADOES included, bizarrely,Ozzy Osbourne rapping, and a snatch of Frank Sinatra. Geffen rewarded theireclecticism by dropping them. They moved on to Phonogram, managing to focus much moreclearly on their prospective dance market in the process. Their biggest hit was the anthemicWalk The Dinosaur, which topped the US singles chart for six weeks, while Spy In TheHouse Of Love had similar crossover appeal. However, the music industry knows thembetter for their numerous production credits. These include the B-52's, Iggy Pop,Bonnie Raitt and Bob Dylan. The latter fulfilled an ambition for Weiss,who had long held Dylan as his personal idol. 1990's ARE YOU OKAY?was critically lauded, and they remain an enigmatic attraction on the periphery of the dancescene.