Born to Laugh at Tornadoes

Track listing

Personnel

Musicians

• David Was – flute (3, 5, 6), trumpet (5), Korg organ (6), vibraphone (8), harmonica (8)
• Don Was – Oberheim OB-SX (1–3, 7, 9), clavinet (1), LinnDrum (2–6, 8), E-mu Emulator (3, 5, 8), bass (3), Oberheim OB-Xa (4), Simmons drums (4), synthesizers (5), timpani (5, 6), cello (5, 8), Moog bass (8), sea bells (8), rhythm guitar (9), bass drums (9), Oberheim bells (10)
• Luis Resto – Moog synthesizer (1, 2, 4), Oberheim OB-Xa (1, 2, 4, 5, 7), acoustic piano (2, 3, 5, 9), organ (2), vocoder (4), Moog bass (5, 7), synthetic trumpet (6), E-mu Emulator (10)
• John Robie – Moog synthesizer (1), Prophet-5 (1)
• Analisa Trajano – Oberheim bells (3)
• Fred Zarr – acoustic piano (6), synthesizers (6)
• Marshall Crenshaw – organ (8), vocal percussion (8), lead guitar (9)
• Mike Renzi – acoustic piano (10), arrangements and conductor (10)
• Bruce Nazarian – guitars (1–3)
• Roscoe Paradise – guitars (2)
• Joseph LoDuca – guitars (3)
• Randy Jacobs – guitars (4, 5, 7), bass (5)
• Wayne Kramer – guitars (8)
• Vinnie Vincent – second lead guitar (9)
• Bob Kulick – "power chord" guitar (9)
• Jervonny Collier – bass (1)
• Red Banner – bass (2)
• Felix Morris – Moog bass (4), bass (7)
• Jay Leonhart – bass (10)
• Yogi Horton – drums (1, 3, 7)
• Reggie Mocambo – Simmons drums (2)
• Tom Swift – cymbals (2)
• Mike "Smitt E. Smitty" Smith – Simmons toms (7)
• Anthony Was – rhythm matrix (8)
• Nicholas Was – rhythm matrix (8)
• Larry Fratangelo – percussion (4, 6)
• Dave McMurray – saxophones (2, 4), sax solo (3), soprano saxophone (6), tenor saxophone (6)
• Branford Marsalis – sax solo on fade (3)
• Marvin Peterson – trumpet stylings (5)
• Paul Riser – horn and string arrangements on "Knocked Down", "Made Small (Treated Like a Rubber Ball)"

String Fever on "Zaz Turned Blue"

• Beverly Laurisden – cello
• Jill Jaffe – viola
• Carol Poole-Gross – violin
• Marin Alsop – violin

Vocals

• Sweet Pea Atkinson – lead vocals (1), backing vocals (2, 5)
• Sir Harry Bowens – backing vocals (1, 5–7), lead vocals (6, 7)
• Carol Hall – backing vocals (1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 9), vocals (4), lead vocals (5)
• Kathy Kosins – backing vocals (1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 9), vocals (4)
• Donald Ray Mitchell – backing vocals (1, 5, 7)
• David Was – backing vocals (1, 2, 6, 7, 9), lead vocals (5, 8)
• Mitch Ryder – vocals (2)
• Christopher Ewen – backing vocals (2)
• Lynn Halper – backing vocals (2, 9)
• Lamont Zodiac – backing vocals (2)
• Doug Fieger – vocals (3, 9), backing vocals (9)
• Ozzy Osbourne – vocals (4)
• Randy Jacobs – backing vocals (4)
• Luis Resto – backing vocals (4)
• "Puppet" Blum – backing vocals (4)
• "Professor" Goss – backing vocals (4)
• Chris Blackwell – lead vocals [the caller from London] (5)
• Ada Griffin – lead vocals (5)
• Felix Morris – lead vocals (5)
• Jarvis Stroud – lead vocals (5)
• Don Was – lead vocals (5), backing vocals (6)
• Pam Brown – backing vocals (5)
• Nikki Corvette – backing vocals (5)
• Peter James – backing vocals [ooh wah ooh] (5)
• Lori Jeri – backing vocals [ooh wah ooh] (5)
• Anthony Kaczynski – backing vocals (5)
• Valerie Ledbetter – backing vocals (5)
• Dave McMurray – backing vocals (5)
• Mark J. Norton – backing vocals (5)
• John Sinclair – backing vocals (5)
• Susan Borey – backing vocals (9)
• Rick Cioffi – backing vocals (9)
• Fred Todd – backing vocals (9)
• Mel Tormé – vocals (10)

The Wasquarium Foot Choir on "Man vs. The Empire Brain Building"

• Duane Bradley, Michael Edwards, Randy Jacobs, Larry Provost, Christine Reeves and Evelyn Werner

Production

• Michael Zilkha – executive producer
• Jack Tann – producer
• David Was – producer
• Don Was – producer
• Debbie Caponetta – production coordination
• Jeri McManus – album design
• Dan Chapman – cover illustration
• Larry Williams – back cover photography
• Vicki Johnson-Was – liner photography

Technical

• Greg Fulginiti – mastering at Artisan Sound Recorders (North Hollywood, California)
• David Thoener – mixing (1, 2, 4–8)
• The Detroit Wasmopolitan Mixing Squad (Duane Bradley, Ken Collier and Don Was) – mixing (3, 9, 10)
• Don Was – recording engineer
• Michael H. Brauer – drum engineer (1, 3, 7)
• Mike Brown – assistant engineer
• Warren Woods – assistant engineer

Overdub engineers

• Michael H. Brauer, Lincoln Clapp, Mike Fuller, Steven Guardigli, Gregg Mann, Jay Mark, Jon Mathias, Bruce Nazarian, Jerry Thichava, David Thoener and Gretchen Williamson
• Jim Ball, Carol Cafiero, Michael Christopher, Mark Cobrin, Robert Kinkel, Tom Swift and Melanie West – assistants

References

References

1. Christgau, Robert. (January 24, 1984). "Christgau's Consumer Guide". [[The Village Voice]].
2. (1983-10-13). "Born to Laugh at Tornadoes". [[Rolling Stone]].