We Want Fun Demo

1. “It’s Time To Party” – 1:20
2. “Free Jumps” – 3:10
3. “Girls Own Juice” – 3:36
4. “Your Rules” – 2:24
5. “She Is Beautiful” – 3:11
6. “Tear It Up All Night” – 4:29
7. “I Love Music” – 2:05
8. “Kill Yourself” – 3:15
9. “Don’t Stop Living In The Red” – 1:33
10. “Party Music” – :10
11. “I’m Totally Stupid” – 4:25
12. “Party Hard” – 3:05

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Since I pretty much wrote the entire wiki article I’m just going to copy and paste it here:

We Want Fun is the name of an unreleased album by American rock musician Andrew W.K., recorded in 2000 and intended for release in 2001. It is primarily an unreleased full length LP that was scheduled to be released January 2001 on Bulb Records. It was also the “Band press kit” (demo) that eventually landed in the hands of Island Records and led to Andrew W.K.’s record deal. All but the exception of one track (Party Music) eventually appeared re-recorded or altered on the albums “I Get Wet”, “The Wolf” and most recently the track “Kill Yourself” appeared on “Mother of Mankind”. Due to the ambiguity of an unreleased album this recording can be viewed in three different contexts; as a canceled Bulb Records release, as a Press Kit, and as a “demo” handed out to band members and selective fans. To this day it has never been officially released.

As A Bulb Records Release

This context is more of a concept than a physical good since it never actually materialized. Though it was never officially released it was officially announced by Bulb to be released January of 2001. All evidence points towards the fact that it was to be released under Andrew Wilkes-Krier’s alias “Steev Mike” and not his then and now current “Andrew W.K.” stage name. This is in contrast to his two previous Bulb releases as “Andrew W.K.”. Sometime before the end of 2000 and the beginning of 2001, Andrew signed a contract with Island/Def Jam. During this time, it was still planned that Bulb release the first Andrew W.K. full length. However, it is speculated that Andrew’s contract with Island/Def Jam eventually stopped Bulb from releasing the first full length, and instead Island Records released “I Get Wet” (with songs, though variant versions, taken from We Want Fun) on November 13, 2001 in the UK and later March 23, 2002 in the US.

As A Press Kit

Along the same time-line as above, this recording was also being passed out as a “Band press kit”. Brand press kits are common in the music industry to promote an upcoming album release. These kits vary in their contents but this particular one has been described as; “[the cover is] a painting of a pretty girl with sunglasses and a band-aid on her face on the front, the back is a handwritten track list… it came with a handwritten note from Andrew’s friend Matt Sweeney”. Matt Sweeney was Andrew’s temporary manager while on Bulb Records, he and Andrew distributed this CD-R to friends and peers within the music industry. The timing and reasoning of these events is what helps determine that it was by these means that this CD-R/Kit is how Andrew became known to Island Def Jam Records (perhaps also along with the two previous Bulb EP’s) and the catalyst for his record deal. It can be assumed that the artwork described is the same painting that hangs on the wall behind Andrew on the back cover of the AWKGOJ CD.

As A “Demo”

Press kits and demos are often synonymous with each other in the music industry. They differ though in the fact that a demo is the actual recording within the press kit and the press kit itself is the entire packaged material (photos, business cards, etc.). The “band press kit” was sent to one of Andrew’s all time favorite drummers, Donald Tardy of the band Obituary. This occurred after Andrew had already been signed by Island and it was in hopes to recruit him as Andrew’s live drummer. Donald Tardy accepted and played a large role in filling the needed spots in Andrew’s backing band. This press kit’s demo was dubbed and copied by Tardy and given to members of the backing band. The now available audio is rumored to be sourced from a band member or Andrew himself by handing it out to out to exclusive “hard-core” fans at shows. This audio was circulated by an exclusive “hard-core” fan base for a number of years. The now common term “We Want Fun Demo” known by fans was either applied by those fans or when this audio became widely available for the first time (and for a limited time) in 2006 via a member of the official Andrew W.K. message board.

Within that community it was mostly understood to simply be a demo for I Get Wet and The Wolf, since it was distributed in such a way that is typical for a demo. Only until later did it become more widely known that it was actually meant to be a completed full length LP with a scheduled release date on Bulb Records. Again, the aliases used for Andrew Wilkes-Krier of “Andrew W.K.” and “Steev Mike” are interchangeable with this release. Although technically it was always a “Steev Mike” release. Despite that, the “We Want Fun Demo” is more often attributed to the alias “Andrew W.K.” within the Andrew W.K. community.

The Recordings

The recording sessions of this album are the exact same sessions used to compile the EP “AWKGOJ”. The similar sound between the two becomes most apparent on the title track of AWKGOJ, Girls Own Juice. The versions of the songs are identical on both releases. Upon signing with Island Def-Jam Andrew re-recorded and re-worked all of the songs that appear on this album, with the exception of “Party Music” and “Kill Yourself”. However, rather than scrapping the We Want Fun recording sessions completely, the mixes were used and built on top of to the point of how we hear them on their released LPs. In short, the tracks as they appear here are very different then what you hear on I Get Wet and The Wolf. However some of the same elements are used.

The song “Kill Yourself” was not re-recorded for “Mother of Mankind” but instead seems to be only altered slightly, containing some more layered vocals after the spoken word piece. “Party Music” is still the only exclusive track to this album.

Similar Titles

This full length album entitled “We Want Fun” should not be confused with the song “We Want Fun” as it appears on the Andrew W.K. releases of: “AWKGOJ” EP, the re-recorded “Single” version that also appears on Jackass: The Movie: The Official Soundtrack, the promo sampler CD of “We Want Fun” and the music video “We Want Fun”. The album ironically has no relations to the song except its shared title.

In 2006 a widespread leak of the MP3s appeared at the official forums and made the tracks easily available for the first time. That “release” was of a low quality, quiet and had skipping throughout some of the tracks. Those tracks are ARCHIVED HERE. Sometime afterwards, four tracks (of higher quality-128kbps) appeared in place of other tracks at the official website, in the music section. Those four tracks ripped from the site are ARCHIVED HERE. Finally, AndrewWKMusic.com came across another source in January of 2010. They were at the highest quality yet of 160kbps, were loud,  and had no skipping. They were posted 1/18/10.

The artwork above was created by me as a filler for not having the actual artwork 

In 2000 Andrew Wilkes-Krier almost took on thetaking on an alias (definition: “noun: a false name used to conceal one’s identity; an assumed name”) of “Steev Mike”. While he was on “Bulb Records” he released the EP “AWKGOJ” on Oct 12, 2000 – Wiki. Some time in between October 12, 2000 and December 31, 2000 his second EP was released tittled “Party Till You Puke”. For some reason he eventually released both of the EP’s under “Andrew W.K.” and not “Steev Mike”. During the gap between Oct 12, and Dec 31, 2000 the official Steev Mike/Andrew W.K. Bulb Records website Here, was written. It claimed that even though AWKGOJ was already released under “Andrew W.K.” (picture at the bottom of the page), the EP “Party Till You Puke” was to be released as Steev Mike the same month (Oct). We don’t know if it was released that month but obviously it was never released under Steev Mike. Which brings us to the album at hand. The page advertises a full length album to be released January 2001 titled “We Want Fun” by Steev Mike. So that is two EP’s and one full length album in just four months! Perhaps this was an attempt for a big promotional push by Bulb/Andrew? Whatever it was, it worked. For whatever reason the “Steev Mike – We Want Fun” album was never released that January. Andrew W.K. did catch the eyes of Island Def Jam though, he signed with them and released I Get Wet Nov 13, 2001 as “Andrew W.K.”.
- The reason I don’t believe that web page to be completely factual is that the fact that AWKGOJ had already been released under Andrew W.K. but the site still presumes “Party Till You Puke” AND “We Want Fun” was to be released by “Steev Mike”. That doesn’t make sense.