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Watusi (album)

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Watusi
Studio album by
Released12 September 1994
GenreAlternative rock, indie rock
Length41:40
LabelIsland
ProducerSteve Fisk
The Wedding Present chronology
Hit Parade 2
(1993)
Watusi
(1994)
Saturnalia
(1996)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music[2]
MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide[3]

Watusi is a studio album by The Wedding Present.[4][5] It was released in 1994 on Island Records.[1] It peaked at No. 47 on the UK Albums chart.[6]

Watusi was re-issued by Edsel Records in 2014; the band played the album in its entirety during their autumn 2014 UK tour.[7]

Watusi was re-issued once again in 2024 by Island / Universal Music in a deluxe edition which featured the b-sides from the two singles plus the Versions 10" outtakes EP. The band played the album in its entirety during several of their 2024 concerts.

Production

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The album was produced by Steve Fisk.[8] Beat Happening's Heather Lewis guested on two tracks.[9]

Critical reception

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Trouser Press wrote: "Frequently slow and spare, letting small-scale instrumental restraint release Gedge’s most luminous melodies and performances, the album is a surprising charmer — except in the lyrics of songs that shrug off guilt while acknowledging its validity."[9] Clash deemed it "a curiously 1960s-flecked, garage-pop album."[10] Spin called Watusi "a dream-pop album that obsesses instead of dreams."[11]

Track listing

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  1. "So Long, Baby" – 2:28
  2. "Click Click" – 4:28
  3. "Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah" – 3:15
  4. "Let Him Have It" – 3:01
  5. "Gazebo" – 3:08
  6. "Shake It" – 3:03
  7. "Spangle" – 3:15
  8. "It's a Gas" – 3:31
  9. "Swimming Pools, Movie Stars" – 3:09
  10. "Big Rat" – 3:39
  11. "Catwoman" - 7:09
  12. "Hot Pants" - 2:03
  13. “Old English Spangles” – 19:84 (hidden track)

All songs written by Belk/Dorrington/Gedge/Smith, except tracks 1 and 11 written by Belk/Dorrington/Gedge/Gregory/Smith and track 4 written by Dorrington/Gedge/Gregory/Smith.

Personnel

[edit]
The Wedding Present
Additional musicians
  • Carrie Akre - extra vocals [tracks 5 & 8]
  • Heather Lewis - extra vocals [tracks 2 & 9]
  • Greg Powers - trombone
  • Steve Fisk - piano, organ, guitar

References

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  1. ^ a b John Bush. "The Wedding Present: Watusi". AllMusic. Rovi. Retrieved 4 August 2013.
  2. ^ Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 8. MUZE. p. 566.
  3. ^ MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1999. p. 1219.
  4. ^ "The Wedding Present | Biography & History". AllMusic.
  5. ^ Buckley, Peter (14 February 2003). The Rough Guide to Rock. Rough Guides. ISBN 9781843531050 – via Google Books.
  6. ^ "WEDDING PRESENT | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". www.officialcharts.com.
  7. ^ "The Wedding Present - Deluxe Reissues 2014". The Line of Best Fit.
  8. ^ "The Wedding Present: A Career Overview". 20 March 2005.
  9. ^ a b "Wedding Present". Trouser Press. Retrieved 14 February 2021.
  10. ^ "The Wedding Present - Deluxe Reissues". Clash Magazine. December 2014.
  11. ^ "Spins". SPIN. SPIN Media LLC. 14 November 1994 – via Google Books.
  • Watusi compact disc sleeves notes.