Devo - Whip It (Extended Version) from the album"Freedom of Choice" (1980) Genre: New wave/synth-pop

"Whip It" is a song by American new wave band Devo from their third studio album Freedom of Choice (1980). It is a new wave and synth-pop song that features a synthesizer, electric guitar, bass guitar, and drums in its instrumentation. The apparently nonsensical lyrics have a common theme revolving around the ability to deal with one's problems by "whipping it". Co-written by bassist Gerald Casale and lead vocalist Mark Mothersbaugh, Devo recorded "Whip It" with producer Robert Margouleff at the Record Plant in Los Angeles.

Although "Whip It" was released as the second single from Freedom of Choice, Warner Bros. Records did not expect it to be a hit, due to its nonstandard tempo and strange lyrics. The disc jockey (DJ) Kal Rudman took an interest in the song, and it was soon being played on several radio stations in the Southeastern United States. Peaking at number 14 on the Billboard Hot 100, "Whip It" became a hit single and found chart success in several countries. Mothersbaugh believes the song sold well because some people assumed the lyrics were about masturbation or sadomasochism.

"Whip It" was written between August and October 1979 by bassist Jerry Casale and lead vocalist and keyboardist Mark Mothersbaugh. Howard Siegal engineered the song while Margouleff served as the producer. It was recorded at the Record Plant in Los Angeles and mastered by Ken Perry at Capitol Studios.

The music for "Whip It" was crafted by taking elements from four different demo tapes that Casale had collected. Mothersbaugh composed what became the song's break in his bedroom; the break was originally much slower and had a classical sound. On another tape, Mothersbaugh played what became the main riff with a drum machine. One of Captain Beefheart's drummers created a beat that Mothersbaugh recorded; the last demo was a live recording between Casale and Mothersbaugh. Casale took the four demos and layered them to create a smooth, consistent time signature. Mothersbaugh created the main riff in "Whip It" by taking the riff used in Roy Orbison's song "Oh, Pretty Woman" and changing the ending slightly.

Devo

Mark Mothersbaugh – vocals, keyboards, guitar
Gerald Casale – vocals, bass guitar, keyboards
Bob Mothersbaugh – lead guitar, vocals
Bob Casale – rhythm guitar, keyboards, vocals
Alan Myers – drums
Technical

Written by Mark Mothersbaugh and Gerald Casale
Produced by Devo in association with Robert Margouleff
Engineered by Robert Margouleff & Howard Siegal
Assistant engineer: Karat Faye
Recorded and mixed at Record Plant, Los Angeles
Mastered by Ken Perry, Capitol Studios, Los Angeles


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