We Want Fun (album)

We Want Fun is an unreleased album by American rock musician Andrew W.K. A library of tracks were recorded throughout 1999, and a full-length LP was scheduled to be released January 2001 on Bulb Records. These recordings eventually landed in the hands of Island/Def Jam Records, which led to Andrew W.K.'s record deal. Subsequently the release on Bulb was canceled. Many of these songs were eventually re-recorded or altered and released on other albums. An unreleased album could be considered ambiguous by its very nature. This is especially true for this album due to the fact of it taking form in various shapes over time. It is best understood when considering all of its contexts.

1999 Recording Sessions

Throughout 1999 and perhaps into early 2000 Andrew W.K. recorded an unknown number of tracks. These particular recording sessions all used the same setup to create a distinct catalog of material. An easy comparison of one recording session from another is by looking at the first two EPs released. The tracks used for the Girls Own Juice EP were all taken from the 1999 recording sessions, while the tracks from Party Til You Puke EP have an entirely different sound/styling. Eventually he built off this groundwork of material and used it on later released albums. Upon signing with Island/Def Jam Records, rather than starting from scratch, some of the existing material was used as a basis for his debut album "I Get Wet" and its follow up "The Wolf". However, the tracks as they appear on those albums have many additional layers that have been added on top of the original recordings. Or they have been either completely re-recorded or altered in some way. In short, the tracks from the 1999 recording sessions sound very different when compared to their altered and/or re-recorded release. Although there could be many more, here are the known tracks and where they originally appear (a "(?)" indicates an unconfirmed 1999 recording session track).^[1]

We Want Fun (Unreleased Bulb Records LP)

After Andrew W.K. released two EPs on Bulb Records, Bulb officially announced the release of a full-length LP. In this announcement the album was given a name, "We Want Fun", and was scheduled to be released January 2001.^[2] Because the album never materialized, this is perhaps the most ambiguous context to view these recordings in. The album should be considered in terms of a concept rather than an actual physical good. For example, there was never any set track listing or album artwork. This conceptual album is often confused with a promo CD that was included in a Press Kit used to promote the upcoming album. That said, the promo CD and the album probably would have been very similar in their contents. For example, some of the artwork for one of the promo CDs was intended to be used for the album cover. The track listing on the promo CD and the We Want Fun LP could have also been fairly similar. However, an example of how they could have been different is the fact that the promo CD did not have the track "We Want Fun" on it. One could make a strong argument that the album "We Want Fun" would have contained the song "We Want Fun" (probably as it appears on the Girls Own Juice EP).

Andrew Wilkes-Krier released Girls Own Juice and Party Til You Puke under his alias "Andrew W.K.". Even after releasing those EPs and having gained traction under that stage name, Andrew Wilkes-Krier considered releasing the Bulb album under a new alias by which he called himself "Steev Mike".^[2] In fact, officially it was never going to be released under the "Andrew W.K." title. So its proper title should be "Steev Mike, We Want Fun".

Sometime between the end of 2000 and the beginning of 2001, Island/Def Jam Records bought out Andrew W.K.'s contract with Bulb Records. And subsequently Andrew W.K. signed onto Island/Def Jam.^[3] Island/Def Jam canceled the release of Bulb Record's LP and instead fleshed out the existing material; further worked on by Andrew W.K., studio musicians, and sound engineers. Island/Def Jam Records released "I Get Wet" on November 13, 2001 in the UK and March 23, 2002 in the US.

S/T Full Length Album Promo (Press Kit)

In 1999 the Girls Own Juice EP was manufactured (even though its copyright is printed (C)2000). At the same time a limited amount of semi-professional copies of the 1999 Recording Sessions (12 of the tracks) were manufactured and duplicated. This promo CD donned the title "S/T Full Length Album Promo" and was included in an Andrew W.K. Press Kit.

Press kits are common in the music industry to promote an upcoming album release (the Bulb release). They are defined by the entire packaged material sent out (photos, business cards, recordings, etc.). A "demo" is the actual recording within the Press Kit.^[4] In this case, the manufactured "promo" CD as described above. Not much is known about the contents of this Press Kit but the demo was described by one person as; "[the cover is] a painting of a pretty girl with sunglasses and a band-aid on her face on the front, the back is a handwritten track list... it came with a handwritten note from Andrew's friend Matt Sweeney".^[5][6] The artwork described is the same painting that hangs on the wall on the back cover of the Girls Own Juice EP.

This Press Kit and Promo CD became the catalyst for Andrew W.K.'s career. Prior to being signed to Island/Def Jam records Andrew W.K. and temporary manager Matt Sweeney passed out the Press Kit (and perhaps Girls Own Juice) to friends and peers within the music industry. He states;

I (Andrew W.K.) was fortunate enough to meet several people in New York who were willing to help pass my music out and one of these guys was a man named Spencer Sweeney. He helped me get my first few shows in New York and was extremely friendly and outgoing and through him I met his cousin Matt Sweeney who became my first manager that had real connections, vision and experience. It was exciting because just starting out there was nowhere to go but up. Matt got the music to Gary Hellsinger at Universal Publishing, who I am still working with, and Gary signed me. Matt also passed the music to Lewis Largent A&R who had just left MTV for Island / Def Jam and Lewis signed me there. Through Matt Sweeney, and in the course of about two months it all got going.

Also, this Press Kit was used to recruit drummer Donald Tardy, from Obituary, thus assembling the original lineup of Andrew W.K.'s backing band.^[7] The demo inside the press kit was copied by Donald Tardy and given to members of the backing band.^[8]

There were different versions of the "S/T Full Length Album Promo" passed out. They contained alternate track listings and artwork. For example, Andrew W.K. mentioned in an interview a track called "The Ruined Our Lives", and a "whole bunch of other songs" while discussing this promo. The most widely known version of the "S/T Full Length Album Promo" contains the following track listing.

Tracks

1. "It's Time To Party"
2. "Free Jumps"
3. "Girls Own Juice"
4. "Your Rules"
5. "She Is Beautiful"
6. "Tear It Up All Night"
7. "I Love Music"
8. "Kill Yourself"
9. "Don't Stop Living In The Red"
10. "Party Music"
11. "I'm Totally Stupid"
12. "Party Hard"

Misconceptions

"We Want Fun Demo"

The "We Want Fun Demo" refers to a specific set of audio tracks (above) that are commonly circulated by fans. These audio tracks are often mistaken for the actual We Want Fun LP. It is impossible for the source of these tracks to be the We Want Fun LP because the album only ever existed as a concept (rather than a physical good).

It is assumed that the actual source of the audio came from the "S/T Full Length Album Promo". How the promo was obtained and who initially "leaked" the audio tracks to fans is still unknown. It's rumored to either be from an eBay listing or from Andrew W.K. and/or a band member handing it out to a hard-core fan(s) after a show. These audio tracks were circulated by an exclusive fan base for a number of years. In 2006 a member of the official Andrew W.K. Message Board "leaked" the tracks and they became much more widely available. ^[9] The quality of audio left much to be desired. A new source of better quality audio presented itself in 2010 and was released via the fansite AndrewWKMusic.com.

When the audio was "leaked" fans had very limited information to go off of. If the source of audio is in fact the "S/T Full Length Album Promo", that is the proper name that should be attached to the audio. Fan's narrow view reasoned that because the We Want Fun LP was canceled, this was the exact audio that would have appeared on the album, hence the inaccurately title "We Want Fun Demo".

Similar Titles

The unreleased album entitled "We Want Fun" should not be confused with the song "We Want Fun". The song appears on various Andrew W.K. releases such as "AWKGOJ" EP, Jackass: The Movie: The Official Soundtrack, a "We Want Fun" promo sampler, and the "We Want Fun" music video.

References