Happy Planet (Wall of Voodoo)

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For the juice and smoothie company, see Happy Planet.
Happy Planet
Happy Planet cover.jpg
Studio album by
Wall of Voodoo
Released1987
GenreNew wave
Length41:00
LabelIRS
ProducerRichard Mazda
Wall of Voodoo chronology
Seven Days in Sammystown
(1985) 		Happy Planet
(1987) 		The Ugly Americans in Australia
(1989)

Happy Planet is the fourth and final studio album by the American new wave band Wall of Voodoo, released in 1987. It marked the return of producer Richard Mazda, who had produced their 1982 album Call of the West.

Although not as successful as Call of the West, Happy Planet did produce a minor hit with a cover of The Beach Boys' "Do It Again". The album, recorded at Hit City West, reached No. 83 on the Australian charts.

Brian Wilson connections[]

"Do It Again" is a cover of the Beach Boys' 1968 song, and its music video featured a guest appearance from Beach Boys leader and co-founder Brian Wilson. In the video, he plays an orderly in a psychiatric hospital who falls asleep and wakes up to the members of Wall of Voodoo dressed as members of the Mafia.[1] Wilson, in real life, was admitted to psychiatric hospitals at least three times.[2] The cover of the "Do It Again" single included photos of the band with Wilson. He is also referenced in the lyrics to "Chains of Luck" in the line, "Brian Wilson chants his mantra, 'Da doo ron ron, da doo ron ron'," a reference to Wilson's obsession with the work of music producer Phil Spector.[2]

Track listing[]

  1. "Do It Again"– 3:18 (Brian Wilson, Mike Love)
  2. "Hollywood The Second Time" (Andy Prieboy) – 4:06
  3. "Empty Room" (Bruce Moreland) – 3:53
  4. "Chains Of Luck" (Charles Gray, Ned Leukhardt, Prieboy) – 3:55
  5. "Back In The Laundromat" (Prieboy) – 3:20
  6. "When The Lights Go Out" (Marc Moreland, Prieboy) – 3:19
  7. "Country Of Man" (M. Moreland) – 3:29
  8. "Joanne" (Prieboy) – 3:40
  9. "" (M. Moreland, Prieboy) – 3:42
  10. "The Grass Is Greener" (Gray. Leukhardt, B. and M. Moreland, Prieboy) – 3:40
  11. "Ain't My Day" (M. Moreland) – 4:38

In 2012, the album was remastered and re-released by Australian reissue label Raven Records as part of a double CD set with previous album Seven Days in Sammystown, live album The Ugly Americans in Australia and three non album bonus tracks.[3]

Personnel[]

Wall of Voodoo
with
  • Jeff Rymes – additional vocals
  • Lyn Todd – additional vocals
  • Randy Weeks – additional vocals
  • Yolanda Pittman – additional vocals

Charts[]

Chart (1985) Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[4] 83

References[]

  1. ^ Wall of Voodoo video clip featuring Brian Wilson
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b Wilson, Brian (with Todd Gold), Wouldn't It Be Nice: My Own Story
  3. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2013-04-19. Retrieved 2012-11-06.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  4. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 311. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
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