Whammy!

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This article is about the 1983 album by The B-52's. For other uses of the word, see Whammy.
Whammy!
The B-52's - Whammy!.jpg
Studio album by
the B-52's
ReleasedApril 27, 1983 (1983-04-27)
RecordedDecember 1982
StudioCompass Point Studios, Nassau, Bahamas
Genre
Length37:17 (first pressing)
37:29 (second pressing)
LabelWarner Bros.
ProducerSteven Stanley
The B-52's chronology
Mesopotamia
(1982) 		Whammy!
(1983) 		Bouncing Off the Satellites
(1986)
Singles from Whammy!
  1. "Legal Tender"
    Released: 1983
  2. "Whammy Kiss"
    Released: 1983
  3. "Song for a Future Generation"
    Released: 1983

Whammy! is the third studio album by American new wave band the B-52's. It was recorded at Compass Point Studios in Nassau, Bahamas, in December 1982 and was produced by Steven Stanley. The record was refined and mastered at Sterling Sound, New York City. It was released on April 27, 1983 in the United States, with Warner Bros. Records as the primary label. Sales for Whammy! were generally weaker than their previous album, but overall successful, spawning the popular 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 its two respective singles.

The band's goal with Whammy! was to update their signature sound with drum machines and synthesizers. 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." Reviewers generally treated Whammy! as weaker than their first two albums The B-52's and Wild Planet, but overall stronger than their preceding EP Mesopotamia. This is also the last album the B-52's released before guitarist and founding member Ricky Wilson died of AIDS in 1985, though he appears posthumously on the next album Bouncing Off the Satellites.

Background and recording[]

The B-52's initially conceived Whammy! in early 1982, during a visit to Compass Point Studios, where the band commenced re-recordings of three songs ("Butterbean", "Big Bird", and "Queen of Las Vegas");[1] all three tracks were originally intended to be included on their previous album Mesopotamia; however, none of them were completed due to pressure and time constraints from Warner Bros. and their manager Gary Kurfirst.[2] The album's remaining six songs ("Legal Tender", "Whammy Kiss", "Song for a Future Generation", "Trism", "Don't Worry", and "Work That Skirt") were recorded in December 1982, again at Compass Point Studios.[1] Unlike their previous albums, all instruments on Whammy! were played exclusively by Keith Strickland and Ricky Wilson;[1] both played the guitar and keyboards, while Strickland played the drums and Wilson played the bass.[3]

Producer Steven Stanley supported Wilson and Strickland's concept of mixing the album into one continuous track in a manner similar to the band's previous album Party Mix!;[4] however, both Kurfirst and Warner Bros. vetoed this decision in favor of the more traditional track order.[3]

Release[]

On initial pressings of the album, the seventh track was "Don't Worry", a cover version of the Yoko Ono song "Don't Worry, Kyoko (Mummy's Only Looking for Her Hand in the Snow)". However, the song was removed during later pressings due to legal issues. On subsequent pressings, the song was replaced with "Legal Tender"'s B-side, "Moon 83", a remake of their earlier track "There's a Moon in the Sky (Called the Moon)" from self-titled debut album.

Critical reception[]

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic3.5/5 stars[5]
Rolling Stone3/5 stars[6]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide2/5 stars[7]
Spin Alternative Record Guide7/10[8]
The Village VoiceA−[9]

Critical reception for Whammy! was positive at the time of its release.[3] Most critics regarded the album as a return to form after their previous album 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,[10] as well as the tight lyrics and over the top vocals.[3] Rolling Stone's Christopher Connelly, 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-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, Wilson, and Schneider'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 songs and cheesy dance tracks, nobody does it better."[6]

Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic 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.[5] Robert Christgau continued his support making it a "Pick Hit" and stating "[t]hough [the B-52's] still pick up some great ideas at interplanetary garage sales, their celebration of the pop mess-around is getting earthier."[9] Ben Wener of The Spectator commented favorably on Whammy!, describing as an "overlooked gem".[11]

Commercial performance[]

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,[12] 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".[13]

Track listing[]

All vocals by Fred Schneider, Kate Pierson and Cindy Wilson, except where noted.

Original vinyl[]

All tracks are written by The B-52's, except where noted.

Side one
No.TitleVocalsLength
1."Legal Tender" (Lyrics: Robert Waldrop)Pierson, C. Wilson3:40
2."Whammy Kiss"Schneider, Pierson, C. Wilson5:20
3."Song for a Future Generation"Pierson, Schneider, Strickland, C. Wilson, R. Wilson4:00
4."Butterbean"Schneider, Pierson, C. Wilson4:14
Side two
No.TitleLead vocalsLength
1."Trism"Pierson, Schneider, C. Wilson3:23
2."Queen of Las Vegas"Pierson, C. Wilson4:40
3."Don't Worry" (Lyrics: Yoko Ono)Pierson, Schneider, C. Wilson3:50
4."Big Bird"Schneider, Pierson, C. Wilson4:14
5."Work That Skirt"Instrumental3:48
Total length:37:17

Alternative track on the original Island version and on later pressings and CD[]

No.TitleLead vocalsLength
7."Moon 83"Pierson, Schneider, C. Wilson3:58

Personnel[]

Charts[]

Chart (1983) Peak
position
U.S. Billboard 200[12] 29
UK Albums Chart 33

Certifications[]

Region Certification
United States (RIAA)[14] Gold

Notes[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b c Sexton 2002, p. 61.
  2. ^ Sexton 2002, p. 59.
  3. ^ Jump up to: a b c d Sexton 2002, p. 67.
  4. ^ Sexton 2002, p. 64.
  5. ^ Jump up to: a b Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Whammy! – The B-52's". AllMusic. Retrieved October 17, 2004.
  6. ^ Jump up to: a b Connelly, Christopher (June 9, 1983). "Whammy!". Rolling Stone (397): 55, 57. Archived from the original on October 1, 2007.
  7. ^ Considine, J. D. (2004). "The B-52's". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. pp. 67–68. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8. Retrieved November 2, 2011.
  8. ^ Weisbard, Eric; Marks, Craig, eds. (1995). Spin Alternative Record Guide. Vintage Books. ISBN 0-679-75574-8.
  9. ^ Jump up to: a b Christgau, Robert (June 28, 1983). "Christgau's Consumer Guide". The Village Voice. Retrieved November 22, 2011. Relevant portion also posted at "B-52's: Whammy! > Consumer Guide Review". RobertChristgau.com. Retrieved June 20, 2007.
  10. ^ Sexton 2002, p. 271.
  11. ^ Wener, Ben (1998-08-11). "The B-52s party on!: Nearly 20 years after turning the pop world on its ear, the group is gaining in popularity". The Spectator. p. D-10.
  12. ^ Jump up to: a b Whammy! - B-52's > Charts & Awards > Billboard Albums at AllMusic
  13. ^ Whammy! - The B-52's > Charts & Awards > Billboard Singles at AllMusic. Retrieved 10 May 2010.
  14. ^ "American album certifications – B-52 – Whammy!". Recording Industry Association of America.

References[]

  • Sexton, Mats (2002). The B-52's Universe: The Essential Guide to the World's Greatest Party Band. Minneapolis: Plan-B Books. ISBN 978-0-9652745-9-3.
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