The Waitresses: Patty Donahue (vocals); Chris Butler (guitar); Mars Williams (reeds); Dan Kalyman (organ); David Hofstra, Tracy Wormworth (bass); Billy Ficca (drums).
Additional personnel: Ralph Carney (harmonica, saxophone); Rick Daily (piano); Don Christensen, Stuart Austin (drums); Mark Kramer (loops); Ariel Warner (background vocals).
Producers: Kurt Munkacsi, Mike Frondelli, Hugh Padgham, Chris Butler.
Compilation producers: Bill Levenson, Chris Butler.
Includes liner notes by Chris Butler.
Personnel: Patty Donahue (vocals); Chris Butler (guitar); Ralph Carney (harmonica, saxophone); Mars Williams (reeds); Dan Klayman (organ); Stuart Austin, Don Christensen , Billy Ficca (drums); Mark Kramer (loops); Ariel Warner (background vocals).
Liner Note Author: Chris Butler.
Unknown Contributor Role: Mark Kramer.
Patty Donahue sang like she was chewing gum, painting her toenails and talking to her best girlfriend on the phone, all at the same time. Chris Butler--formerly of Akron art-rocker Tin Huey, later in the Guinness Book of World Records for writing the world's longest pop song, "The Devil Glitch"--wrote the sharpest, funniest, most surprisingly thoughtful pop songs of the American new wave.
The Waitresses, featuring bassist Tracy Wormworth, Television drummer Billy Ficca, and art-prankster saxophonist Mars Williams, were the tightest band on their scene. 1982's WASN'T TOMORROW WONDERFUL? was a near-perfect debut album. Only half of it appears on BEST OF THE WAITRESSES, which is a shame considering how many more songs could have fit on this 15-track CD. The other nine tracks hit the high points from the EP I COULD RULE THE WORLD and the uneven followup BRUISEOLOGY, a pieced-together album from the wake of the band's breakup.
