Why Can't We Be Friends? | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | June 16, 1975 | |||
Recorded | 1974 | |||
Studio | Sound City Studios (Van Nuys, California) | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 44:04 | |||
Label | United Artists | |||
Producer | ||||
War chronology | ||||
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Singles from Why Can't We Be Friends? | ||||
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Why Can't We Be Friends? is the seventh studio album by American band War, released on June 16, 1975 by United Artists Records. Two singles from the album were released: the title track backed with "In Mazatlan", and "Low Rider" backed with "So". Both A-sides were nominated for the Grammy Awards of 1976.
Of the songs on this album, an interpolation of the first part of the song "Smile Happy" was used in the song "It Wasn't Me" by Shaggy featuring RikRok. Versions of the album's titular song has been used in several film productions, notably Bridge to Terabithia and Wild Things .
Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [2] |
Christgau's Record Guide | B− [3] |
All tracks composed by War (Papa Dee Allen, Harold Brown, B.B. Dickerson, Lonnie Jordan, Charles Miller, Lee Oskar, Howard E. Scott), except where indicated. Note: The CD edition does not break "Leroy's Latin Lament" into sections.
Year | Album | Chart positions [4] | ||
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US | US R&B | AUS [5] | ||
1975 | Why Can't We Be Friends? | 8 | 1 | 81 |
War is an American funk/rock/soul/Latin band from Long Beach, California, known for several hit songs . Formed in 1969, War is a musical crossover band that fuses elements of rock, funk, jazz, Latin, rhythm and blues, psychedelia, and reggae. According to music writer Colin Larkin, their "potent fusion of funk, R&B, rock and Latin styles produced a progressive soul sound", while Martin C. Strong calls them "one of the fiercest progressive soul combos of the '70s". Their album The World Is a Ghetto was Billboard's best-selling album of 1973. The band transcended racial and cultural barriers with a multi-ethnic line-up. War was subject to many line-up changes over the course of its existence, leaving member Leroy "Lonnie" Jordan as the only original member in the current line-up; four other members created a new group called the Lowrider Band.
The World Is a Ghetto is the fifth album by American band War, released in late 1972 on United Artists Records. The album attained the number one spot on Billboard, and was Billboard magazine's Album of the Year as the best-selling album of 1973. In addition to being Billboard's #1 album of 1973, the album was ranked number 444 on Rolling Stone magazine's original list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. The title track became a gold record.
All Day Music is the fourth album by American band War, released November 1971 on United Artists Records.
"Low Rider" is a song written by American funk band War and producer Jerry Goldstein, which appeared on their album Why Can't We Be Friends?, released in 1975. It reached number one on the Billboard R&B singles chart, peaked at number seven on the Hot 100 singles chart, and number six in Canada.
The Black-Man's Burdon is a double album by American band Eric Burdon and War, released in December 1970 on MGM Records. It was the last album by the group before Burdon left and the remaining band continued as War.
Eric Burdon Declares "War" is the first of two original albums by American band Eric Burdon and War, released on MGM Records in April 1970. It peaked at number 18 on record charts in the USA, number 50 in the UK, and number 7 in Australia. The back cover includes this declaration: "We the People, have declared War against the People, for the right to love each other". The album received a gold record award.
Deliver the Word is the sixth album by War, released in 1973 on United Artists Records.
Ass, Gas or Cash is the only solo studio album by the American rapper K-Dee. It was released on November 15, 1994, via Lench Mob Records. Recording sessions took place at Lench Mob Studios in Los Angeles, California, with producers Ice Cube, Madness 4 Real, Vic C., 88 X Unit, Shaquille, D Mac and Laylaw. It features guest appearances from Bootsy Collins, Morris Day, Ice Cube, Ayana Anderson and Snow. The album peaked at number 33 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and number 20 on the Heatseekers Albums chart in the United States. It spawned three singles: "Thought I Saw a Pussy Cat", "The Freshest MC in the World" and "Hittin' Corners".
Love Is All Around is a studio album by Eric Burdon and War. Released in 1976 on ABC Records, it contains tracks recorded during the band's brief existence from 1969 to 1971, but not found on their two albums from 1970. Many years later it was reissued on CD by Avenue Records; this edition restores the original group name, Eric Burdon and War.
War is the third album by American band War, and their first following the departure of singer Eric Burdon and the group's name change from the original Eric Burdon and War. It was released in March 1971 on United Artists Records, their first for the label.
War Live is the first live album by American band War, recorded during a four-night engagement at Chicago's High Chapparral club and released as a double LP on United Artists Records in 1973. The album was reissued on Rhino Records as a double disc CD on 1992 September 15 and again on 2008 March 31.
Platinum Jazz is a double album, the ninth studio album by War, released on Blue Note Records in July 1977.
The Music Band is an album by the American band War, released on MCA Records in 1979. It peaked at No. 41 on the Billboard 200.
The Music Band 2 is an album by the American band War, released on MCA Records in 1979. It peaked at No. 111 on the Billboard 200.
Outlaw is an album by the American band War, released in 1982. The band supported the album with a North American tour. "Cinco de Mayo" became a popular seasonal standard.
The Music Band – Jazz is an album by War, the fifth and final entry in their "Music Band" series, released on MCA Records in 1983. It consists of outtakes from sessions for their 1979 albums The Music Band and The Music Band 2, and features several lineups of the band which existed that year. War were no longer recording for MCA when this album was released, and no singles from the album were issued. Track one was probably recorded/written in 1979 when B. B. Dickerson was still in band and before Charles Miller was murdered. Track two could have been recorded/written anytime up to 1979.
Life (Is So Strange) is an album by War, was released on RCA Victor Records in 1983. The band's lineup is not stated on the cover, but composer credits suggest they had been reduced from eight members (on the previous album) to five.
☮ is an album by War, released on Avenue Records in 1994. Its title is a graphic of the peace symbol. It is often referred to as Peace Sign, the title of the first track, though arguably it could also be called Peace, the antonym of the group's name. It was released as a CD and also as a double LP, the latter containing an extra track titled "Africa", and a shorter version of "Peace Sign".
Mr. Bojangles is an album by saxophonist Sonny Stitt recorded in 1973 and released on the Cadet label.
Galaxy is the tenth studio album by American band War. It was their first album released on MCA Records. The album was certified gold.
..."Its 2010 record, "Music For a Kilted Generation," included covers of popular rock songs such as War's "Low Rider," The Who's "Baba O'Riley" and Snow Patrol's "Chasing Cars.""