"Shake Your Head (Let's Go to Bed)"
Song by Was (Not Was)
from the album Born to Laugh at Tornadoes
Released1983
Length3:52
LabelGeffen
Songwriter(s)David Was, Don Was
Producer(s)Jack Tann, David Was, Don Was
"Shake Your Head"
Single by Was (Not Was)
from the album Hello Dad... I'm in Jail
B-side"I Blew Up the United States"
ReleasedJune 29, 1992 (1992-06-29)[1]
Length3:42
LabelFontana
Songwriter(s)David Was, Don Was
Producer(s)David Was, Don Was, Steve "Silk" Hurley
Was (Not Was) singles chronology
"Listen Like Thieves"
(1992)		 "Shake Your Head"
(1992)		 "Somewhere in America (There's a Street Named after My Dad)"
(1992)

"Shake Your Head" is a song by American pop rock group Was (Not Was). It was originally released in 1983 on the album Born to Laugh at Tornadoes. In 1992, it was re-recorded and remixed by house music producer Steve "Silk" Hurley, and features actress Kim Basinger alongside a re-recorded Ozzy Osbourne on vocals. It appears on the group's compilation album, Hello Dad... I'm in Jail.

Background

The original version features Black Sabbath singer Ozzy Osbourne on lead vocals. A pre-fame Madonna had auditioned for the vocal but was not used on the final release. In 1992, it was re-recorded and remixed by house music producer Steve "Silk" Hurley, and features actress Kim Basinger alongside a re-recorded Ozzy Osbourne on vocals. It appeared on the group's compilation album Hello Dad... I'm in Jail. The original plan was to restore Madonna's vocals to the track for the re-release, but she refused to grant permission, hence Basinger was approached instead. However, Madonna's restored vocals were accidentally released on two occasions. A full Madonna vocal appears on the two-LP and double-cassette formats of compilation release Now Dance 92, entitled the 12-inch mix. The CD format of this compilation includes the regular 7-inch mix, however. Secondly, on the 12-inch and CD single formats of Was (Not Was)'s follow-up single, "Somewhere in America (There's a Street Named after My Dad)", there is a Dub Mix of "Shake Your Head" which uses several of Madonna's vocals. Although the song did not chart in the US, it was the band's biggest commercial success across the Atlantic, reaching number four on the UK Singles Chart.

There are several versions of the 1992 remake:

  • The 3:48 single version starts with Osbourne singing "You can't feed the hungry, you can't talk Shakespeare to a monkey..."
  • The 4:00 album version starts with female vocals (presumably Basinger) singing "You can't argue with death. You can't break a burly sailor's neck. You can't drink lava from plastic glasses...". There is also a Steve "Silk" Hurley 12-inch mix and a 12-inch dub.

The song's lyrics deal with things that cannot be done (some are outlandish, some can be done, but have a high amount of difficulty). After Basinger and Osbourne detail these things, the chorus comes in with the title hook.

Track listings

7-inch and cassette single[2][3]

  1. "Shake Your Head" – 3:42
  2. "I Blew Up the United States" – 3:51

12-inch single[4]

A1. "Shake Your Head" – 6:49
A2. "I Blew Up the United States" – 3:51
B1. "Listen Like Thieves" (Giant club mix)
B2. "Listen Like Thieves" (Vandal dub)

CD single[5]

  1. "Shake Your Head"
  2. "Spy in the House of Love"
  3. "I Blew Up the United States"
  4. "Robot Girl"

Charts

Other versions

In 2003, Dutch-German pop singer C. C. Catch released a version of the song that reached number 12 on the Spanish Singles Chart.[15]

References

  1. ↑ "New Releases: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. June 27, 1992. p. 21. Retrieved June 20, 2021.
  2. ↑ Shake Your Head (UK 7-inch single vinyl disc). Was (Not Was). Fontana Records. 1992. WAS 11, 864 100-7.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  3. ↑ Shake Your Head (UK cassette single sleeve). Was (Not Was). Fontana Records. 1992. WASMC 11, 864 100-4.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  4. ↑ Shake Your Head (UK 12-inch single vinyl disc). Was (Not Was). Fontana Records. 1992. WASX 11, 864 101-1.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  5. ↑ Shake Your Head (UK CD single liner notes). Was (Not Was). Fontana Records. 1992. WASCD 11, 864 101-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  6. ↑ "Was (Not Was) – Shake Your Head". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved August 30, 2020.
  7. ↑ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 9, no. 33. August 15, 1992. p. 17. Retrieved August 30, 2020.
  8. ↑ "European Dance Radio" (PDF). Music & Media. September 19, 1992. p. 24. Retrieved October 24, 2021.
  9. ↑ "Was (Not Was) – Shake Your Head" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved August 30, 2020.
  10. ↑ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Shake Your Head". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved August 30, 2020.
  11. ↑ "Top 10 Sales in Europe" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 9, no. 42. October 17, 1992. p. 28. Retrieved August 30, 2020.
  12. ↑ "Was (Not Was) – Shake Your Head". Singles Top 100. Retrieved August 30, 2020.
  13. ↑ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 30, 2020.
  14. ↑ "Year End Charts: Top Singles". Music Week. January 16, 1993. p. 8.
  15. ↑ "C.C. Catch – Shake Your Head 2003". spanishcharts.com. Retrieved March 12, 2023.
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