Whenever We Wanted
1991 studio album by John Mellencamp
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Whenever We Wanted is the eleventh studio album by American singer-songwriter and musician John Mellencamp, and the first of his to be credited simply to Mellencamp's given name (i.e., without "Cougar" in the name).
| Whenever We Wanted | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | October 8, 1991 | |||
| Recorded | April–June 1991 | |||
| Genre | Rock | |||
| Length | 38:45 | |||
| Label | Mercury | |||
| Producer | John Mellencamp | |||
| John Mellencamp chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Whenever We Wanted | ||||
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| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   link |
| Entertainment Weekly | B[1] |
| Robert Christgau |  [2] |
| Rolling Stone | link |
The album reached the top 20 and went platinum.[3] It includes the hits "Get A Leg Up" (#1 for three weeks on the Album Rock Tracks chart), "Now More Than Ever" (#3 on the Album Rock Tracks chart), "Last Chance" (#12 on the Album Rock Tracks chart), and "Again Tonight" (#1 for two weeks on the Album Rock Tracks chart). "Get A Leg Up" (#14) and "Again Tonight" (#36) also cracked the Billboard Hot 100.
Entertainment Weekly gave the album a positive review, stating: "To Mellencamp's credit, even though 'Whenever We Wanted' delivers his signature rock & roll punch, he doesn't try to. That Mellencamp still has the courage to make depressing assessments in a pop context is a victory that outweighs the record's other shortcomings."
Mellencamp later said the album was an attempt to "write American Fool with better lyrics" after a fan mentioned the previous two albums "had nothing about sex on them." This inspired him to write less about problems in the heartland and "get back to the basics."[3]
Album notes
The woman featured on the cover with Mellencamp is Elaine Irwin. The cover photo was taken during the shoot for the video for the hit single "Get a Leg Up." The video was shot in July 1991; Mellencamp and Irwin did not see each other again until January 1992 when the Whenever We Wanted Tour pulled into New York City. They become a couple a short time later and were married in September 1992. They separated in September 2010 and were divorced in 2011.[4]
After his previous two albums, The Lonesome Jubilee and Big Daddy, featured such non-traditional rock instruments as the accordion and violin, Mellencamp said that on Whenever We Wanted he wanted to put those instruments "back in their cases" and return to a harder-edged sound. Mellencamp further elaborated on the album, saying: "It's very rock 'n' roll. I just wanted to get back to the basics."[3]
Track listing
All songs written by John Mellencamp, except where noted.
- "Love and Happiness" – 3:53
- "Now More Than Ever" – 3:43
- "I Ain't Ever Satisfied" – 3:36
- "Get a Leg Up" – 3:47
- "Crazy Ones" (Mellencamp, Randy Handley) – 4:01
- "Last Chance" – 3:39
- "They're So Tough" – 4:17
- "Melting Pot" – 4:47
- "Whenever We Wanted" – 3:42
- "Again Tonight" – 3:17
2005 re-issue bonus track
- "Love and Happiness" (London Club Mix) – 6:33[5]
Personnel
- John Mellencamp – vocals, guitar, hand percussion
- Kenny Aronoff – drums, percussion, vibes
- Mike Wanchic – guitar, background vocals
- Toby Myers – bass guitar, background vocals
- David Grissom – guitars
- John Cascella – Hammond B-3, accordion, penny whistle, Farfisa Organ
- Pharez Whitted – trumpet on "Love And Happiness" and "Whenever We Wanted"
- Jay Healy – engineer, mixing
Charts
Weekly charts
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Year-end charts
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Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[17] | Platinum | 70,000^ |
| United States (RIAA)[18] | Platinum | 1,000,000^ |
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^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||