Was (Not Was) is an American group formed in 1979 in Detroit by David Weiss and Don Fagenson, who were quickly joined by Harry Bowens and Hillard Atkinson.
Group which released a first Single “Wheel me out” the following year in 1980, a Single which brought them their first initial success.
The first album was released the following year in 1981, an album which only bears the name of the group. Album with relative success but which will still produce 2 high caliber Singles : “Out come the freaks” the same year and “Tell me that I’m dreaming” a year later in 1982.
The first success on the album side arrived in 1983 with the release of “Born to laugh at Tornadoes”, an album which produced 2 new major Singles with “Smile” and “Knocked down, made small (Treated like a rubber ball)”.
We will lose sight of them for almost 4 years but it is only to come back in force in 1987 with the production of 2 huge Singles starting with “Spy in the house of love” but also, and above all, “Walk the dinosaur", flagship title which will remain as the highest ranked in their entire discography.
Two titles that we will find a year later in 1988 on the album “What up, dog”, an album of global recognition and which will remain as the highest ranked of all.
New successful album “Are you okay” in 1990, an album with less success than its predecessor but which still came out with flying colors. Particularly thanks to the flagship Single “Papa was a rollin’ stone”.
Major successes which will be the last because everything that comes out subsequently will only experience a limited level of success.
To discover or rediscover...
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Discography (among others...) :
80s Decade :
Wheel me out 1980
Out come the freaks 1981
Where did your heart go ? 1981
Tell me that I’m dreaming 1982
Smile 1983
Knocked down, made small 1983
(Return to the valley of) Out come the freaks 1984
Robot girl 1986
Spy in the house of love 1987
Walk the dinosaur 1987
Boy's gone crazy 1987
Anything can happen 1988
90s Decade :
Papa was a rollin’ stone 1990
How the heart behaves 1990
I feel better than James Brown 1990
Listen like thieves 1992
Shake your head 1992
Somewhere in America 1992
2000s Decade :
Semi-interesting week 2008
It's a miracle 2008
From the head to the heart 2008
Tracks :
1980...first title and already first success. Certainly limited success in the Dance Charts but it is still promising for the rest of the events...
1981...success confirmed and slightly amplified the following year with this new title. Everything is now there so that the group can compete with the best...
1981...of course we are not going to rejoice too quickly because this title will paradoxically go under the radar. Title which will be taken up by Wham! a few years later in 1986 and which made it a huge success. Like what...
1982...only one title on the clock for this year 1982 but at least he will be popular with the public and in a very good way...
1983...first title ranked in the official Charts. Certainly in the depths but the level is now passed in any case...
1983...same for this one. It now remains for the group to produce THE title that will allow them to stand out from ordinary mortals once and for all...
1984...it won't be for this title in any case. A title that will only work in England but that's it at least...
1986...this one will experience exactly the same journey as its predecessor. We will therefore still have to wait for the big takeoff...
1987...it took them half a decade to find the right formula but this time will be the right one. For the big takeoff, it's now !
1987...they will have started with a global top hit on the previous title but now we are moving on to a mega hit. The title of the consecration, the real one. HU-GE !
1987...this one will go much more unnoticed paradoxically. This means that the group must not give up and above all not get too carried away in the moment...
1988...a year 1988 which will not really resemble the previous one, that's clear. With the result of a success in free fall in the Charts which means that nothing is ever definitively acquired...
1990...daring to compete with the cult version of the Temptations dating from 1972 is a dare to say the least, even crazy. And yet they will pull off the perfect hold up on this title, who would have thought it possible...?!
1990...huge success that this title will not be able to match, far from it. The adventure will certainly continue but it is clear that the best is now behind them...
1990...there will still be success but at levels which no longer have anything to do with what they experienced before. Hard law of the trade...
1992...they will hang on at all costs and this will allow them to stay in the race somewhat. But it could be that this year 1992 will be the last at the high level...
1992...the group will release his last major single here. A little over 12 years after their debut, the circle seems almost complete now...
1992...everything that comes out afterward will only interest basic fans. Well on the other hand there are still a few left...
2008...when we thought we would never see them again, here they are back almost 16 years later in an unexpected way to say the least. Like nothing is ever finished...
2008...a return which will unfortunately go somewhat unnoticed. The public has gone to look elsewhere if they were there and they will never come back...
2008...so last title or not ? As with them everything is always possible, who knows if they don't plan to come back later...
Wiki :
Fan site :
Greatest Hits :
Discography :