Are You Okay?

Are You Okay?
Are You Okay?
	Original album artwork by Mark Ryden
Studio album by Was (Not Was)
Released	1990
Studio	The Institute of Social Disruption, Microplant and Record Plant (Los Angeles, California); Hollywood Sound Recorders and Studio 56 (Hollywood, California); Larrabee Sound Studios (North Hollywood, California); JHL Sound (Pacific Palisades, California); Smoketree Ranch (Chatsworth, California); Matrix Studios (London, UK);
Genre	Funk, soul, pop, rock
Length	49:56
Label	Fontana (UK) - Licensed from Phonogram; Chrysalis (USA)
Producer	David Was, Don Was
Was (Not Was) chronology

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	^[2]
Chicago Sun-Times	^[3]
Chicago Tribune	^[4]
Entertainment Weekly	C+^[5]
Los Angeles Times	^[6]
NME	9/10^[7]
Q	^[8]
Rolling Stone	^[9]
Select	5/5^[10]
The Village Voice	A−^[11]

Are You Okay? is the fourth album by art-funk ensemble Was (Not Was). It was released in 1990. It was their last album for 18 years until 2008's Boo!

In UK and Europe, the album cover is replaced into a picture of the band.^[12]

Track listing

All tracks composed by David Was and Don Was; except where indicated.

"Are You Okay?" – 4:28
"Papa Was a Rollin' Stone" (Barrett Strong, Norman Whitfield) – 6:41
"I Feel Better Than James Brown" – 4:45
"How the Heart Behaves" – 5:35
"Maria Novarro" – 3:27
"I Blew Up the United States" – 3:51
"In K Mart Wardrobe" – 4:16
"Elvis' Rolls Royce" – 3:29
"Dressed to Be Killed" (Was, Was, G Love E)– 4:13
"Just Another Couple Broken Hearts" – 4:55
"You! You! You!" (Was, Was, Luis Resto) – 3:28
"Look What's Back" – 0:43

Personnel

Was (Not Was)

David Was – keyboards, flute, vocals
Don Was – keyboards, bass
Sweet Pea Atkinson – vocals
Sir Harry Bowens – vocals
Donald Ray Mitchell – vocals
Jamie Muhoberac – keyboards
Randy Jacobs – guitars
Ron Pangborn – drums
Debra Dobkin – percussion, vocals
Dave McMurray – saxophones
Rayse Biggs – trumpet

Guest vocalists

G Love E – rap (1, 2, 9)
The Roches – vocals (5)
Doug Fieger – backing vocals (6, 9)
Leonard Cohen – lead vocals (8)
Iggy Pop, Downtown Julie Brown and Ewreck Benson – backing vocals (8)
Andy Gill – backing vocals (9)
Syd Straw – lead vocals (11)

Guest musicians

Jeff Lorber – keyboards, keyboard programming and keyboard arrangements (1, 3, 4, 7, 10)
Brad Buxer – additional keyboards (4)
Luis Resto – keyboards (11)
Paul Riser – horn and string arrangements (4, 8, 10)
Jon Jaz-Was – saxophonic reticulation

Production

David Bates – executive producer
David Was – producer
Don Was – producer, engineer
Keith Cohen – mixing (1, 2, 4-7, 9), additional production (4)
Ed Cherney – engineer, mixing (3, 8, 10, 11)
Steve Deutsch – engineer
Kenny Jones – engineer
Jeff Lorber – engineer
Elaine Anderson – assistant engineer
Andy Batwinas – assistant engineer
Kimm James – assistant engineer
Brian Jones – assistant engineer
Jim Mitchell – assistant engineer
Linda Morse – assistant engineer
Jeff Park – assistant engineer
Neal Pogue – assistant engineer
Martin Schmelzle – assistant engineer
Phonogram Art – art direction
Green Ink – artwork
Tim Whiteley – paintbox operator
Kushnick Passett Management – management

^[13]

Charts

Charts (1990)	Peak position
Australian Albums (ARIA)^[14]	107
USA (Billboard 200)^[15]	99

References

^ Givens, Ron (November 1990). "Was (Not Was): Are You Okay?" (PDF). Stereo Review. Vol. 55, no. 11. p. 152. Retrieved May 17, 2020 – via World Radio History.
^ Ruhlmann, William. "Are You Okay? – Was (Not Was)". AllMusic. Retrieved July 29, 2023.
^ McLeese, Don (August 6, 1990). "Darker vision powers stellar 'Are You Okay?'". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved July 29, 2023.
^ Kot, Greg (August 9, 1990). "Was (Not Was): Are You Okay? (Chrysalis)". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved July 29, 2023.
^ Sandow, Greg (July 27, 1990). "Are You Okay?". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved July 29, 2023.
^ Willman, Chris (July 29, 1990). "Was (Not Was), 'Are You Okay?,' Chrysalis". Los Angeles Times.
^ Martin, Gavin (July 14, 1990). "Yes, Thanks". NME. p. 35.
^ Roberts, David (August 1990). "Was (Not Was): Are You Okay?". Q. No. 47.
^ Tannenbaum, Rob (September 6, 1990). "Was (Not Was): Are You Okay?". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on November 16, 2002. Retrieved July 29, 2023.
^ Brown, Russell (August 1990). "The Okay Chorale". Select. No. 2. p. 112.
^ Christgau, Robert (September 25, 1990). "Consumer Guide". The Village Voice. Retrieved July 29, 2023.
^ Was (Not Was) - Are You Okay?, 1990, retrieved 2023-06-13
^ liner notes
^ "Was (Not Was) ARIA peaks (1988 to 2024), received from ARIA in October 2024". ARIA. Retrieved 2 November 2024 – via Imgur.com. N.B. The High Point number in the NAT column represents the release's peak on the national chart.
^ Billboard, 1990, Retrieved July 18, 2023

[1] Givens, Ron (November 1990). "Was (Not Was): Are You Okay?" (PDF). Stereo Review. Vol. 55, no. 11. p. 152. Retrieved May 17, 2020 – via World Radio History.

[2] Ruhlmann, William. "Are You Okay? – Was (Not Was)". AllMusic. Retrieved July 29, 2023.

[3] McLeese, Don (August 6, 1990). "Darker vision powers stellar 'Are You Okay?'". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved July 29, 2023.

[4] Kot, Greg (August 9, 1990). "Was (Not Was): Are You Okay? (Chrysalis)". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved July 29, 2023.

[5] Sandow, Greg (July 27, 1990). "Are You Okay?". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved July 29, 2023.

[6] Willman, Chris (July 29, 1990). "Was (Not Was), 'Are You Okay?,' Chrysalis". Los Angeles Times.

[7] Martin, Gavin (July 14, 1990). "Yes, Thanks". NME. p. 35.

[8] Roberts, David (August 1990). "Was (Not Was): Are You Okay?". Q. No. 47.

[9] Tannenbaum, Rob (September 6, 1990). "Was (Not Was): Are You Okay?". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on November 16, 2002. Retrieved July 29, 2023.

[10] Brown, Russell (August 1990). "The Okay Chorale". Select. No. 2. p. 112.

[11] Christgau, Robert (September 25, 1990). "Consumer Guide". The Village Voice. Retrieved July 29, 2023.

[12] Was (Not Was) - Are You Okay?, 1990, retrieved 2023-06-13

[13] r notes

[14] "Was (Not Was) ARIA peaks (1988 to 2024), received from ARIA in October 2024". ARIA. Retrieved 2 November 2024 – via Imgur.com. N.B. The High Point number in the NAT column represents the release's peak on the national chart.

[15] Billboard, 1990, Retrieved July 18, 2023

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v t e Was (Not Was)
David Was Don Was Sweet Pea Atkinson Harry Bowens
Studio albums	Was (Not Was) Born to Laugh at Tornadoes What Up, Dog? Are You Okay? Boo!
Singles	"Out Come the Freaks" "Where Did Your Heart Go?" "(Return to the Valley of) Out Come the Freaks" "Spy in the House of Love" "Walk the Dinosaur" "Out Come the Freaks (Again)" "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone" "Listen Like Thieves" "Shake Your Head"