Why Can't We Be Friends? is the seventh studio album by American band War, released on June 16, 1975, by United Artists Records. Two singles from the album were released: the title track backed with "In Mazatlan", and "Low Rider" backed with "So". Both A-sides were nominated for the Grammy Awards of 1976.
Of the songs on this album, an interpolation of the first part of the song "Smile Happy" was used in the song "It Wasn't Me" by Shaggy featuring RikRok. Versions of the album's titular song have been used in several film and TV productions, notably Bridge to Terabithia, The Final Destination, Wild Things and King of the Hill.
Contents
Track listing
All tracks composed by War (Papa Dee Allen, Harold Brown, B.B. Dickerson, Lonnie Jordan, Charles Miller, Lee Oskar, Howard E. Scott), except where indicated.
Note: The CD edition does not break "Leroy's Latin Lament" into sections.
"Don't Let No One Get You Down" (War, Jerry Goldstein) – 3:59
"Lotus Blossom" (War, Francie Nelson) – 3:59
"Heartbeat" – 7:25
"Leroy's Latin Lament (Medley)" - 6:36
"Lonnie Dreams" – 0:49
"The Way We Feel" (War, lyrics: Keri Oskar) – 1:10
"La Fiesta" – 2:10
"Lament" – 2:27
"Smile Happy" – 7:22
"So" – 4:58
"Low Rider" (War, Jerry Goldstein) – 3:11
"In Mazatlan" – 2:45
"Why Can't We Be Friends?" (War, Jerry Goldstein) – 3:49
Personnel
Personnel taken from Why Can't We Be Friends? liner notes.
War
Howard Scott – guitar, percussion, vocals
B. B. Dickerson – bass, percussion, vocals
Lonnie Jordan – organ, piano, RMI piano, timbales, percussion, vocals
Harold Brown – drums, percussion, vocals (credit missing from LP cover)
Papa Dee Allen – conga, bongos, percussion, vocals
Charles Miller – clarinet, alto, tenor and baritone saxophones, percussion, vocals
Lee Oskar – harmonica, percussion, vocals
Additional musicians
Sharone Scott – backing vocals
Milton James – backing vocals
Moses Wheelock – backing vocals
Technical personnel
Jerry Goldstein – producer
Lonnie Jordan – associate producer
Howard Scott – associate producer
Ed Barton – recording engineer
Andrew Berliner – recording engineer, mastering engineer
Chris Huston – recording engineer