Bonus disc

Bonus disc: No

Catalogue number

CH176lp-C1

Colour

White

Colour details

White-in-Red Colour-in-Colour

Discogs ID

Format multiplier

Download code

Download code: No

Rough Trade Exclusive

Rough Trade Exclusive: No

Extended format

Extended format: Yes

Format detail

Format Music US

Limited edition

Release date

2023-04-14

Signed copies

Signed copies: No

Supplier US

Secre­tly

Tax rate US

Sales:8.875

UPC / Barcode

747742112867

Total Cap

White LP

Artist

Whadya Want?

Genre US

Label US

Chapter Music

New Wave / Post Punk

For fans of Talking Heads, New Order and Arthur Russell. In 1985, Australian musical iconoclast David Chesworth joined forces with
friends Philip Jackson and Warwick Bone to form Whadya Want? Their sole
album <i>Skippy Knows</i> is a quintessential mid 80s artefact, melding elements
of post-punk, art pop and club-facing dance music. Now a coveted
collectors item, at first it seemed to disappear almost without trace.


David’s background in celebrated Melbourne group Essendon Airport had
already seen him explore funk and hypnotic rhythm on their 1981 album
<i>Palimpsest</i> (since reissued by Chapter alongside David’s early solo albums).
Philip also created compelling electronic post-punk in bands Equal Local
and Whirlywirld, while Warwick was a mysterious studio maverick.


The songs came from a performance David gave in 1983 at the Paris
Autumn Festival, whose Australian focus that year saw a host of
antipodean artists invited to perform internationally for the first time.
David wrote a suite of songs commenting on the archetypes and
stereotypes of Australian culture, then going through a brief vogue with
the success of Men At Work, Bowie’s Let’s Dance video and Crocodile
Dundee. David performed to backing tapes and slide projections showing
clichéd images of Australia – kangaroos, platypuses, pristine beaches –
with cryptic messages superimposed.


Back in Melbourne, David decided to document this project with help from
Philip and Warwick, who had access to a high-tech studio featuring a
Fairlight CMI and the then-new Yamaha DX7. They recorded late at night
and roped in friends such as ex-Essendon Airport pals Robert Goodge and
Ian Cox (both playing in I’m Talking by this point), Mick Hauser (Equal
Local), Michael Sheridan (Max Q), Paul Schütze (Laughing Hands) and Bill
McDonald (Paul Kelly).


The result is a kinetic, oddly moving collection of eccentric dance pop, at
times propulsive, at times introspective, captured with a high-sheen studio
gloss that few art-minded Australian musicians could afford at the time.


This first ever reissue comes with three digital-only bonus tracks (including
irresistible single B-side Involved With You) plus liner notes from David and
original slides from his 1983 performance. The album is pressed in striking
white-in-red “colour-in-colour” vinyl.


Skippy Knows

Music US