Was (Not Was)’s “Walk the Dinosaur,” a boombastic bop and Top 10 single in 1987, captivated a generation of kids with its funky hook, wacky MTV video, and infectious reptilian dance.
But the earworm was far less frivolous than “The Twist” and far less archaic than its prehistoric title may have suggested. The track’s gravity and urgency come from its underlying theme of nuclear Armageddon, already an imminent threat in the ‘80s.
“It had a hook that people latched onto, and I’m glad the kids dug it,” says the tune’s co-writer and producer Don Was. “It was definitely not a kids’ song, but I’m glad it worked on many levels.”
Four decades on, amid the ever-present threat of nuclear war, Was—a seminal producer who’s gone on to produce The Rolling Stones, Iggy Pop, and The B-52s—still believes in the power of music and dance to address major conflicts in a lighthearted way and unite listeners.
These days he’s fossilizing his creative visions with a groovy new band, The Pan-Detroit Ensemble, an eight-piece R&B/jazz collective from his hometown of Detroit, led by Was, a six-time GRAMMY-winning musician, composer, producer, and president of the venerated Blue Note Records jazz label.
Inspired by the music of John Lee Hooker, George Clinton, and The Stooges, The Pan-Detroit Ensemble, set to perform at SFJAZZ this week (Thu/26-Fri/27), hopes to bring attendees together via a mix of new originals, covers, and updated cuts from Was (Not Was) and Orquestra Was.
“An important role of the artist is to help people feel better and get along,” Was says. “My goal is to bring a little joy into people’s lives. These are crazy fucking times, man, and everybody on all sides of the spectrum are traumatized. But if you can bring comfort to people and accentuate the positive aspects of being a human being, that’s a nice service.”
I spoke to Was about his new project, playing San Francisco, and the power of music to change hearts and minds.
48 HILLS What inspired you to form The Pan-Detroit Ensemble?
DON WAS [Oscar-nominated trumpet player] Terence Blanchard called me a couple of years ago about appearing as part of a jazz series he was doing in cooperation with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra and asked me to do a night. At the time, I didn’t have a band together, and it was a daunting prospect because I’ve worked with all of my heroes so it’s difficult to think about competing with them. It gave me writer’s block for a decade.
Finally, I realized that these may be the best people. But none had The Stooges play at their high school, dropped acid and went to see the MC5 at the Grande Ballroom, or had Parliament with George Clinton. I firmly believe that the thing that makes you different is your superpower.
So I decided to go back to Detroit and play with a bunch of musicians who came up listening to the same stuff I did and felt music the same way—and we sounded like Detroit. Everybody in my band reflects the milieu I grew up in.
48 HILLS You’ve described The Pan-Detroit Ensemble as representative of the Detroit sound. How would you characterize this sound?
DON WAS It’s a very good question. I grew up in the ‘50s and ‘60s, in the middle of a rich cultural tapestry because the auto industry, after World War II, drew people from all over. You heard all kinds of music.
Eventually, people started playing music together and fusing into a unique jambalaya of sound.
Also, Detroit was a one-industry town so everybody was in the same boat. When you’re all together like that, there’s no point in putting on any airs. As a result, you get a raw honesty and lack of pretension—and that’s reflected in the music. John Lee Hooker epitomizes Detroit music. He’s so raw that the music almost feels like it will fall apart, but it doesn’t. It’s just raw but super soulful with such a deep groove.
48 HILLS As your San Francisco dates approach, I’m curious about your history in San Francisco. I know that in 1995, you produced and directed a documentary about the life of Brian Wilson, I Just Wasn’t Made For These Times, which won the San Francisco Film Festival’s Golden Gate Award.
DON WAS Going back to the ‘80s, San Francisco was probably—outside of Detroit—the strongest city for Was (Not Was). We used to play at Slim’s regularly and pack the place. I think it’s my favorite city in the US. That’s because it’s such an open-minded city. The fact that you couldn’t define Was (Not Was) was appreciated in San Francisco.
Then, once I started playing with Bob Weir, synonymous with the Bay Area, I began spending a lot of time there. There’s no place like it. I like being around open-minded people, and San Francisco is the embodiment of that. So it’s always a big deal to play there.
48 HILLS One of the things that’s been said about San Francisco in recent times is something that’s been said about Detroit for decades—that it might never come back. As an insider, what can you say about Detroit today?
DON WAS I see a 180-degree turnaround, and it no longer feels like a city in decline. It’s jumping there—from incredible restaurants opening up to great music—and there’s a lot of opportunity. There’s still a long way to go, and you’ve still got to look over your shoulder a little. But in terms of personal safety, there are areas where you can walk around at midnight, where you absolutely would have died 30 years ago.
I hate the notion of cities being over because I would measure it not so much on temporary economics or crime statistics but on the soul of the population. The soul of Detroit was never in decline. There are hard times, but you get through that.
I feel the same way about San Francisco. There are some rough economic times for folks who aren’t wealthy. The divisions are becoming more pronounced and that does have limitations. But it never altered the spirit of the Bay Area, man.
I’ve spent a lot of time there in the last five years because I drive up there and jam with other artists. It always felt good to be in San Francisco, and that’s never stopped for me.
48 HILLS How can music unite people during these challenging times?
DON WAS We know people are traumatized and we’re aware of the anxiety out there and think it’s worthwhile to take people’s minds off all this stress, tension, and fear. When music’s doing its job, it helps you remember who you are and what you’re supposed to be doing, not what fear is forcing you into doing. It puts you in touch with your feelings, and being in touch with your feelings helps you contextualize all the negativity going on. All my band does and all Blue Note Records does is making music that soothes and makes people strong.
48 HILLS There is no replacement for the joy that comes from music. It is life-affirming stuff.
DON WAS I agree with you 100 percent. When I heard my first Blue Note album, I was 14. I was running errands with my mom, when I wanted to hang out with my friends. I was being a real jerk, so she left me in the car and said, ‘Just play the radio. I’m going into the library for a while.’
So I started turning the dial and landed on a Detroit jazz station, which I didn’t know existed until then. I came in on a song by saxophone player Joe Henderson. Turns out it was a Blue Note single called “Mode for Joe.” Forty-six seconds in, he’s making these anguished cries with the saxophone, and the angst matched my mood. Then the drummer kicked in and he started grooving, and the music had a message for me. It was like Joe Henderson said, ‘Don, you gotta groove in the face of adversity,’ and it changed my mood.
When my mom returned 10 minutes later, I was a nice kid again. Music had changed my mindset 180 degrees in about three minutes. Since then, I’ve been aware that that’s a virtue of great music.
DON WAS & THE PAN-DETROIT ENSEMBLE Sep. 26-27, SFJAZZ Center, SF. Tickets and more info here.
