Was (Not Was)

Even amid the many left-field acts that scored pop hits in the ‘80s, few were quite as unique as Was (Not Was). Founded in Detroit in 1979 by David Weiss and Don Fagenson—childhood friends and multi-instrumentalist musicians who adopted the stage names of David and Don Was—the duo established themselves as one of the era’s most original acts with the wild mix of jazz, rock and disco on their self-titled 1981 debut. They trumped themselves with 1983’s Born To Laugh At Tornadoes, the first and no doubt only album to include guest appearances by Ozzy Osbourne, Mitch Ryder and Mel Tormé. The greatest curveball came when they scored an unexpected worldwide smash with 1987’s “Walk the Dinosaur”, a funk-pop hit featuring their regular singers Sweet Pea Atkinson and Sir Harry Bowens. Though Weiss and Fagenson originally retired the project in 1992—after which Fagenson became even more famous as producers for The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan and Bonnie Raitt— they resumed their activities as Was (Not Was) with a 2004 tour and 2008's Boo!, an album that was as eclectic and energetic as its predecessors.