W.A.S.P. β W.A.S.P.
- intothewellsabyss
- Aug 17, 2023
- 3 min read
π πππ πππ ππππππ - πππππππππππ ππππ πππππ ππππππππ π’π§ ππ‘π πππππππ π¨πΒ ππππ ππππ & πππππ πππππβ¦
The album has been known under three different names; the spine of the original European vinyl release and French cassette release had Winged Assassins printed on it...
...while early cassette releases of the album had the name of the album's first track, I Wanna Be Somebody, printed in bold letters on the cover.
(πΈπππππππππ ππππππππ πππππππ)
The album is officially entitled simply W.A.S.P., which it is typically referred to as.
Prior to its original release, the controversial track Animal (Fuck Like a Beast) was deleted from the album.
(ππππππ πΆπππ, ππ-πππππππ ππ πππ πΏππππππ πΌππππ ππππππππ π²πππππ ππ π·πΏπΎπ»)
The Parents Music Resource Center had labeled the song as one of its "Filthy 15", songs that the group (not the public) determined to be morally objectionable. Capitol Records subsequently bowed to pressure and pulled the song.
The band released it as a single in the UK in 1984 on the indie label Music for Nations, and the single subsequently became a highly sought after item in North America as an import.
The song was reinstated on the album with the 1998 reissue.
The song I Wanna Be Somebody was released as the album's first single with an accompanying music video (Watch video).
It was so popular that VH1 later placed it in their list of the Top 100 Hard Rock Songs of all time.
The album (single) was recorded at the Record PlantΒ and was produced by Blackie LawlessΒ and Mike VarneyΒ (Shrapnel RecordsΒ fame).
The single was released on 12β vinyl, 7β vinyl, and 12β picture disc. It features the song Tormentor as the singles B-side. Tormentor on this pressing is an alternate version taken from the 1984 movie Ragewar: The Challenges of Excalibrate and Digital Knights (retitled "The Dungeonmaster").
The origin of the W.A.S.P. classic I Wanna Be Somebody is from watching a Barney Miller episode. Blackie Lawless explains;
"πΈπ πππ ππππ πππ πππππππ ππ πππ ππππ , πππ πΆππππ, π ππ ππππ’ππ π³ππππππππ πππ π·πππππ, π ππ π ππππππ π πππππ ππππππ βπ±ππππ ππ πππ π±ππππβ, πππ πππ πππππππππ πππ ππππππππ πππ π ππππ πππππππ ππ ππ πππ ππππ ππ πΌπππππ πππ πππ πππ ππππ’ πππ ππππ ππππ πππ. ππππππππ’, ππ ππ ππ πππππ ππ πππππ πππ ππππππ, π πππππππ ππππππ πππππ πππ π²ππππππ πΌπππππ π’ππππ, βπ·πππππ, π’ππ πππ π³πππππππ ππ πππππ ππ πππ!β βπ±ππ π πππ πππππ ππ’ ππππ πππππππ?β πΌπππππ π’ππππ πππππ. βπ½ππ !β π·πππππ πππππ πππ πππππ πππ π πππ π’ππππ, βπΆππ πΈ πππππ π±π ππππππππ’!!!β βπ·π πππ ππ π πππ ππππ ππππ ππ πππ’ ππ πππ πππππ πππ ππ π ππ ππππππ’ πππππ’ π πππ ππ πππ ππ πππ ππππ πΈ πππππππ πππππ ππ πππ πππππππ π πππ ππ ππππππ ππππππππ’ ππππ ππππ ππππ πππ ππππ π ππ πππ ππππππ ππ ππππ ππππ.β
I Wanna Be Somebody was ranked at No. 84 in VH1's 100 Greatest Hard Rock Songs.
The single for I Wanna Be Somebody peaked at No. 77 on the UK singles chart.
The song was included in Loudwireβs 11 HEAVIEST HAIR METAL SONGS by Eduardo Rivadavia, who stated;
βπΌπππ ππ ππππ πππ’ πππππ ππππ, π±ππππππ π»ππ ππππβ π.π°.π.πΏ. πππππππ βπ½πΆπ πππππ ππππ ππππ βπΎπΆπ π·πππ πΌππππ, ππππ πππππ πππππ πππππππππ ππ πππππ, πππ ππππ, πππ ππ-πππππ π&πΌ, π ππππ π πππππππ πππππππππππππ πππππ ππππ π°πππππ (π΅**π π»πππ π π±ππππ), πππ πππππππ π½ππππ πππππ πππ π±ππππππππππ. π±ππ, ππππ ππππππππ ππ πππ ππππππππππππ πππππ’, π.π°.π.πΏ. π πππ ππππ πππππ πππ ππππππππ πππππ ππ πππππ ππππππππππ, πππ πππππ ππππ ππ ππππ ππ πππππ πππππ πππππβπ πππππππππ, πππππππππ ππππππ, πΈ πππππ π±π ππππππππ’.β
The song School Daze was released as a single.
It features a cover of the Rolling Stone's song Paint It Black as the b-side.
L.O.V.E. Machine was also released as a 12" super single in Japan.
This song based on a song of the same name played by Blackie in his previous band Sister (with Nikki Sixx).
This single also includes the cover of The Rolling Stones' Paint It Black.
A promotional version of Sleeping (In the Fire) was released on 12" vinyl.
Several of the album's songs have been covered by other bands.
Sleeping (In the Fire) has been covered by Tiamat and Anders Manga, Hellion by Children Of Bodom and In Aeturnum, L.O.V.E. Machine by Fallen Man, Lullacry, Fozzy and Alghazanth, I Wanna Be Somebody by Sentenced, Catamenia, Witchery, Avulsed and Gates of Ishtar, and The Torture Never Stops by the Death Metal group Torture Division.
The song "Tormentor" was also heard in the film TerrorVision (1986).
Notice: Any reviews shared here are for historical reference. The views and opinions expressed within are not always supported (in full or in part) by Into the Wells. β E.N. Wells
Follow Us:
#WaspNationOfficial #WaspBand #IWannaBeSomebody #LOVEMachine #OnYourKnees #SleepingIntheFire #WingedAssassins #animalfucklikeabeast #metalmusic #metalhead #metalmusiclovers #metalcommunity #intothewells #metaldoesntsuck #metal #metalmusic #historyofheavymetal #historyofrockandroll #todayinhardrockhistory
Comments