The Waitresses

Infobox musical artist
Name = The Waitresses


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Origin = Kent, Ohio, United States
Genre = New Wave
Years_active = 1981 – 1983
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Past_members = Chris Butler
Patty Donahue (deceased)
Billy Ficca
Dan Klayman
Mars Williams
Dave Hofstra
Ariel Warner
Tracy Wormworth
Ralph Carney

The Waitresses were an experimental New Wave band in the early 1980s from Kent, Ohio, [http://www.hardcafe.co.uk/waitresses/linernotes.htm] United States. The group was led by Chris Butler, although lead vocals were performed by Patty Donahue.

Career

They were best known for their song "I Know What Boys Like", featured on countless new wave compilation albums, an episode of "The Simpsons", as well as an episode of "Family Guy", and frequently used on The Stephanie Miller Show. It was covered in 1995 by British girl band Shampoo, reaching number 42 in the UK charts. They also recorded the theme song to the cult TV show "Square Pegs" starring a young Sarah Jessica Parker, and their new wave Christmas standard "Christmas Wrapping." The latter was originally available on the Ze Records original collection "A Christmas Record", and has been covered by Save Ferris, The Donnas, Kate Nash, A Minute Away From Snowing, and the Spice Girls.

Butler's diverse musical interests are apparent from the use of prepared piano on "No Guilt", microtonal background vocals on the chorus of "Wise Up", tape loops and short wave receiver on "Jimmy Tomorrow", and the title of "Make the Weather", taken from Hugo Ball's autobiography "Flight out of Time". Saxophonist and reed player Mars Williams had also worked as Anthony Braxton's copyist.

They released two albums: "Wasn't Tomorrow Wonderful" and "Bruiseology". Both titles have been out of print for many years and neither has ever been available on CD; but their music is now available on compilations. "The Best of the Waitresses" (Polydor 1990) is available on CD.

Discography

Official albums

ingles

2007- Ringtone of "Princess"2008- Drop Dead Gorgeous2008- Shimmy a go go

Principal band members

* Patty Donahue (lead vocals)
* Chris Butler (guitars)
* Mars Williams (saxophone, reed instruments)
* Billy Ficca (drums)
* Dan Klayman (keyboards/organ)
* Tracy Wormworth (bass, background vocals) (mid-1982-83)
* David Hofstra (bass) (1981-82)
* Ariel Warner (background vocals) (1981-82)
* Ralph Carney (keyboards)
* Holly Beth Vincent (briefly replaced Donahue as lead vocalist)

Trivia

* In 2001, Colleen Fitzpatrick, better known as Vitamin C, re-recorded the song, "I Know What Boys Like" for her second album entitled, "More". The song is not only from The Waitresses' second album, but it was also their sixth track, just like it is for Vitamin C.

* Now defunct DC synth-pop band Barcelona referenced The Waitresses' singer, Patty Donahue, in "Haunted By The Ghost Of Patty" (found on Barcelona's 2000 release, Zero One Infinity). Lyrics made references to "square pegs" (The Waitresses wrote the theme to the TV show Square Pegs) and "singing about Christmas" (an obvious reference to The Waitresses' "Christmas Wrapping").

* It was reported by [http://www.mtv.com/movies/news/articles/1589913/story.jhtml# MTV on June 24th 2008] that "I Know What Boys Like" would be featured in the summer movie "The House Bunny" featuring Katharine McPhee singing lead and the rest of the female cast backing her up with the film's star Anna Farris contributing a rap vocal.

External links

* [http://www.hardcafe.co.uk/waitresses/index.htm Unofficial Biography of The Waitresses]
* [http://www.trouserpress.com/entry.php?a=waitresses The Waitresses at Trouser Press]
* [http://www.hardcafe.co.uk/waitresses/ Hard Rock Cafe]
* [http://www.star-ecentral.com/news/story.asp?file=/2005/12/22/music/20051222113008&sec=music How They Made Their Mark in History]