Mesopotamia (album)

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Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia cover
EP by The B-52's
Released January 27, 1982
Recorded September 1981
Genre New Wave
Label Warner Bros. Records
Producer David Byrne
Professional reviews
The B-52's chronology
Party Mix!
(1982)		 Mesopotamia
(1982)		 Whammy!
(1983)

Mesopotamia is the result of what was intended as the third full length album from The B-52's. Produced by David Byrne of Talking Heads, the recording sessions were aborted prematurely and six songs were released as an EP. Due to a record company error the initial copies of the Island Records version of the EP released in the UK and other non-US territories contained some extended versions and different takes of the songs.

In 1991, Mesopotamia was remixed and, combined with the Party Mix! album, was released on CD. Confusingly, the original Warner Bros. Records version of the album is the version available on Island Records CD re-release.

Contents

[edit] Track listing

  1. "Loveland" (Keith Strickland/Ricky Wilson/Fred Schneider/Cindy Wilson)
  2. "Deep Sleep" (Keith Strickland/Kate Pierson/Robert Waldrop)
  3. "Mesopotamia" (Keith Strickland/Ricky Wilson/Kate Pierson/Fred Schneider)
  4. "Cake" (Kate Pierson/Cindy Wilson/Keith Strickland/Ricky Wilson)
  5. "Throw That Beat In the Garbage Can" (Keith Strickland/Ricky Wilson/Fred Schneider)
  6. "Nip It In the Bud" (Ricky Wilson/Keith Strickland/Cindy Wilson)

[edit] Outtakes

Originally, Mesopotamia was conceived as a full album; however for an unknown reason the sessions were aborted prematurely and the bulk of the album was released as an EP. This is speculated to be David Byrne falling out with the band, and the album could only be produced by him for the style the band wanted. There are three known outtakes:

  1. "Queen of Las Vegas"- re-recorded for Whammy!, this original was released on Nude on the Moon.
  2. "Big Bird" - re-recorded for Whammy!, this original has not been released.
  3. "Adios Desconocida" - A Mexican folk song, little is known about this as it was not remade by the band.

[edit] Miscellanea

Allegedly David Byrne recorded The Catherine Wheel soundtrack at night and produced Mesopotamia during the day, with little sleep in between.[1]

[edit] Chart performance

Chart (1982) Peak
position
U.S. Billboard 200 35
UK Albums Chart 18


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The B-52's
Kate Pierson · Fred Schneider · Keith Strickland · Cindy Wilson
Ricky Wilson
Studio albums
Compilation albums
Singles
DVDs
Related articles

[edit] References

  1. ^ Sexton, M - The B-52's Universe, The Essential Guide to the World's Greatest Party Band.