Walk the Dinosaur

"Walk the Dinosaur" is a song by Was (Not Was), released in 1987, from their album What Up, Dog?

"Walk the Dinosaur"
Single by Was (Not Was)
from the album What Up, Dog?
B-side	"11 Miles An Hour (Abe Zapp Ruder Version)" (Europe) "Wedding Vows In Vegas" (US)
Released	1987 (Europe) 1989 (US)
Genre	Funk
Length	4:22 (album version) 3:40 (single edit)
Label	Chrysalis (US) Fontana/Phonogram (UK)
Songwriter(s)	David Was Don Was Randy Jacobs
Producer(s)	David Was Don Was
Was (Not Was) singles chronology
"Spy in the House of Love" (1987) "Walk the Dinosaur" (1987) "The Boy's Gone Crazy" (1987)

Song info

The tune features a tight, funky sound, punctuated by horns and a cowbell.^[1]

When released in the UK in 1987, the song reached No. 10 on the singles chart, becoming the group's first UK top 10 hit. The music video features four scantily clad 'cavewomen' dancing while a Flintstones-style TV plays clips from Daffy Duck and the Dinosaur. Towards the end of the video, a group of modern-day humans dance to the song's chorus. The video received heavy rotation on MTV. The song reached No. 7 on the US chart in 1989, two years after its UK success and became the band's biggest hit single in their home country.

According to an interview with co-writer Randy Jacobs, it "was an infectious sing-along with a Flintstonesque video that probably got played on MTV way too much. But even that seemingly good-time anthem had a dark side. [...] The song's about nuclear Armageddon. It became a dance (anthem) because of the video. They connected it with the girls in the little Pebbles and Bam-Bam outfits. All the sudden it became, like, 'do the mashed potato' or 'the twist.'"^[2]

Track listing

7" vinyl

1. "Walk the Dinosaur" – 3:38
2. "11 Miles an Hour (Abe Zapp Ruder Version)" – 4:04

7" vinyl / Cassette (US)

1. "Walk the Dinosaur" – 3:38
2. "Wedding Vows in Vegas" – 3:38

12" vinyl (1) / CD (1) (Europe)

1. "Walk the Dinosaur (The New York Dangerous Mix)" – 6:58
2. "Walk the Dinosaur (Bruce's Prehistoric Dub)" – 6:43
3. "11 Miles an Hour (Abe Zapp Ruder Version)" – 4:04

12" vinyl (2) (UK)

1. "Walk the Dinosaur (Jeffrey B. Young Hearts Run Free Remix)" – 6:08
2. "Walk the Dinosaur (A-Cappella Saurus)" – 3:46
3. "Walk the Dinosaur (Full Instrumental)" – 5:03
4. "11 Miles an Hour (Abe Zapp Ruder Version)" – 4:04

12" vinyl (US)

1. "Walk the Dinosaur (The New York Dangerous Version)" – 6:58
2. "Walk the Dinosaur (Bruce's Prehistoric Dub)" – 6:43
3. "Walk the Dinosaur (The Debunking Of Uri Geller Mix)" – 4:30
4. "Walk the Dinosaur (7" Version)" – 3:38

CDV (2) (Europe)

1. "Walk the Dinosaur (Jeffrey B. Young Hearts Run Free Remix)" – 6:08
2. "Walk the Dinosaur (A-Cappella Saurus)" – 3:46
3. "Walk the Dinosaur (Full Instrumental)" – 5:03
4. "11 Miles an Hour (Abe Zapp Ruder Version)" – 4:03
5. "Walk the Dinosaur (video)" – 3:36

Remixes

1. "7" Version" – 3:38
2. "The New York Dangerous Mix" – 6:58 – remixed by Bruce Forest.
3. "Bruce's Prehistoric Dub" – 6:43 – remixed by Bruce Forest.
4. "Jeffrey B. Young Hearts Run Free Remix" – 6:08 – remixed by Jeff Young.
5. "A-Cappella Saurus" – 3:46 – mixed by Bruce Forest and Frank Heller.
6. "Full Instrumental" – 5:03 – mixed by Bruce Forest and Frank Heller.
7. "The Debunking of Uri Geller Mix" – 4:30 mixed by Don Was and Jamie Muhoberac.

Chart performance

Weekly charts Chart (1987–1989) Peak position Australia (Kent Music Report)^[3] 9 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)^[4] 16 Canada Top Singles (RPM)^[5] 6 Canada 30 Retail Singles (RPM)^[6] 5 Europe (European Hot 100 Singles)^[7] 27 France (SNEP)^[8] 49 Ireland (IRMA)^[9] 11 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)^[10] 11 Netherlands (Single Top 100)^[11] 10 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)^[12] 16 Norway (VG-lista)^[13] 6 South Africa (Springbok Radio)^[14] 10 Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)^[15] 9 UK Singles (OCC)^[16] 10 US Billboard Hot 100^[17] 7 US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play^[17] 11 US Billboard Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales^[17] 36 US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks^[17] 30 US Cash Box^[18] 7 West Germany (Official German Charts)^[19] 48

Year-end charts Chart (1988) Position Australia (Kent Music Report)^[3] 72 Chart (1989) Position Canada Top Singles (RPM)^[20] 70

In popular culture

The original recording of "Walk the Dinosaur" appears on the soundtrack of the 1994 film The Flintstones.^[21]

A version performed by George Clinton appears on the Super Mario Bros. soundtrack in 1993, and is also featured in the credits.^[22]

The song is one of the songs that can be heard playing at DinoLand U.S.A. at Disney's Animal Kingdom. It is one of sing-along songs with only a few of the lyrics that have been changed for Flik's Musical Adventure at Disney's Animal Kingdom (1999) from the Disney Sing-Along Songs series. It can also be heard during the Electrical Water Pageant.

In the movie Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs a version of the song by Queen Latifah (who also voices Ellie in the Ice Age franchise) is featured during the film and the credits.^[23] This version featured minor lyrical changes to make the song more family-friendly, notably substituting the word "slave" with "friend".^[24]

References

1. Larkin, Colin (2011). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (5th ed.). Omnibus Press. p. 3810. [Was (Not Was)] international breakthrough came several years later with the sublime funk of the US/UK Top 10 hit 'Walk the Dinosaur'.
2. Bowe, Brian J. (December 29, 2004). "Out come the freaks". Metro Times. Retrieved May 3, 2018.
3. "Forum – ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts – Top 100 End of Year AMR Charts – 1980s". Australian-charts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved June 19, 2014.
4. "Was (Not Was) – Walk The Dinosaur" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved July 12, 2013.
5. "Top RPM Singles: Issue 6330." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved October 12, 2020.
6. "30 Retail Singles". RPM. Vol. 50, no. 2. Library and Archives Canada. May 8, 1989. Retrieved June 18, 2014.
7. "European Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 4, no. 45. November 14, 1987. p. 15. Retrieved October 12, 2020.
8. "Was (Not Was) – Walk The Dinosaur" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved July 12, 2013.
9. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Walk the Dinosaur". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved June 19, 2014.
10. "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 48, 1987" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved July 12, 2013.
11. "Was (Not Was) – Walk The Dinosaur" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved July 12, 2013.
12. "Was (Not Was) – Walk The Dinosaur". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved July 12, 2013.
13. "Was (Not Was) – Walk The Dinosaur". VG-lista. Retrieved July 12, 2013.
14. "South African Rock Lists Website SA Charts 1969 – 1989 Acts (W)". Rock.co.za. Retrieved June 1, 2013.
15. "Was (Not Was) – Walk The Dinosaur". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved July 12, 2013.
16. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 12, 2013.
17. "What Up Dog – Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved June 1, 2013.
18. . Cash Box. Archived from the original on October 7, 2012.
19. "Offiziellecharts.de – Was (Not Was) – Walk The Dinosaur" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved March 19, 2019.
20. . RPM. Vol. 51, no. 8. Library and Archives Canada. December 23, 1989. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved June 19, 2014.
21. Demalon, Tom. "Original Soundtrack – The Flintstones [Original Soundtrack]". AllMusic. Retrieved 12 July 2013.
22. Greenberg, Adam. "Original Soundtrack – Super Mario Brothers". AllMusic. Retrieved 26 January 2018.
23. "Walk the Dinosaur - From "Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs"". spotify.com.
24. "Walk the Dinosaur (From "Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs") - Single". music.apple.com.