Happy Planet (Wall of Voodoo)
Happy Planet is the fourth and final studio album by the American new wave band Wall of Voodoo, released in 1987. It marked a return of Call of the West producer Richard Mazda.
Happy Planet | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | 1987 | |||
Genre | New wave | |||
Length | 41:00 | |||
Label | IRS | |||
Producer | Richard Mazda | |||
Wall of Voodoo chronology | ||||
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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 #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 front sleeve of the single to "Do It Again" included photos of the band with Wilson. He is also referenced in the lyrics to "Chains of Luck". The lines "Brian Wilson chants his mantra, 'Da doo ron ron, da doo ron ron'," is a reference to Wilson's obsession with Phil Spector's work.[2]
Track listing
- "Do It Again"– 3:18 (Brian Wilson, Mike Love)
- "Hollywood The Second Time" (Andy Prieboy) – 4:06
- "Empty Room" (Bruce Moreland) – 3:53
- "Chains Of Luck" (Charles Gray, Ned Leukhardt, Prieboy) – 3:55
- "Back In The Laundromat" (Prieboy) – 3:20
- "When The Lights Go Out" (Marc Moreland, Prieboy) – 3:19
- "Country Of Man" (M. Moreland) – 3:29
- "Joanne" (Prieboy) – 3:40
- "Elvis Bought Dora A Cadillac" (M. Moreland, Prieboy) – 3:42
- "The Grass Is Greener" (Gray. Leukhardt, B. and M. Moreland, Prieboy) – 3:40
- "Ain't My Day" (M. Moreland) – 4:38
The album was remastered and re-released as part of a double CD set with Seven Days in Sammystown and The Ugly Americans in Australia, by Australian reissue label Raven Records in 2012.[3]
Personnel
- Wall of Voodoo
- Andy Prieboy – vocals
- Marc Moreland – guitar
- Bruce Moreland – bass guitar
- Chas T. Gray – synthesizer
- Ned Leukhardt – drums
- with
- Jeff Rymes – additional vocals
- Lyn Todd – additional vocals
- Randy Weeks – additional vocals
- Yolanda Pittman – additional vocals
Charts
Chart (1985) | Peak position |
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Australia (Kent Music Report)[4] | 83 |
References
- Wall of Voodoo video clip featuring Brian Wilson
- Wilson, Brian (with Todd Gold), Wouldn't It Be Nice: My Own Story
- "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2013-04-19. Retrieved 2012-11-06.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
- 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.