"They're Back..."

A few days back I mentioned 60s rock madman Mitch Ryder. In the early 1980s, Mitch participated in a weird recording project concocted by soon-to-be crack studio whiz/producer Don Was and his sibling David.

The band they created was called Was (Not Was) and their second album, called "Born to Laugh at Tornadoes" featured Mitch belting his way thru a tune called "Bow Wow Wow Wow". There was also a song done by Ozzy Osbourne, but perhaps the "highlight" of the project was a bizarre tune about teenage strangulation due to a choke hold. That song was called "Zaz Turned Blue", and was sung by the Velvet Fog, Mel Torme.

After a 16 year hiatus, the boys are back in action with a new album called "Boo!". Original vocalist Sweet Pea Atkinson from Detroit (who is also a member of Lyle Lovett's Large Band) is back, and a guest vocalist is Kris Kristofferson.

More details here:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/release/z4mq/

official label PR piece:

http://www.rykodisc.com/wasnotwas/bio/

The story of Mel Torme and "Zaz Turned Blue", with a link so you can hear it:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5062814

And a youtube video of the Was people live, which includes "Bow Wow Wow Wow"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_FDXZ3frJjw&feature=related