Back Off Boogaloo

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"Back Off Boogaloo" is a 1972 single released by Ringo Starr. The song was a hit in the U.S. reaching #9 on the US Hot 100 and achieving Starr's best position in the UK Singles Chart, where it reached #2, blocked only by the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards' version of "Amazing Grace".

Origin of the song

This is one of the few songs solely written by Starr. He composed the song himself, but George Harrison produced it (and played lead guitar on it). The B-side is "Blindman".

In a 1977 interview, Starr explained that the phrase "Back Off Boogaloo" was inspired when he and fellow musician (and close friend) Marc Bolan had dinner one night, and Bolan used the word "boogaloo" multiple times in his sentences. Starr said that after dinner, when he had been half awake and half asleep, the beat and tune for the song had become stuck in his head. He went to find a tape recorder to record the song but had trouble when all his tape recorders either were broken or had no batteries, adding, "So, I stole batteries from the kids toys and I got the song down."^{[citation needed]} Ringo also reiterated this story in 1998 on VH1 Storytellers. This would contradict a popular legend that 'Boogaloo' was a nickname for Paul McCartney and that the song was Starr's message to McCartney to "back off" the lawsuits and return to making good music (as the lyric says, "give me something tasty"); and not to "pretend that you're dead" as the "Paul is dead" rumor had perpetuated.^{[citation needed]}

Later release

The original single was included on the 90s re-issue of Starr's 1974 album Goodnight Vienna. The song was remade by Starr, in a new arrangement, in 1981 and included on his album Stop and Smell the Roses on the Boardwalk label.

Video

The promotional video shows Starr walking around an outdoor structure while being followed by Frankenstein's monster. Starr eventually notices the monster and the two hug and spend the rest of the day together. A similar monster is depicted on the cover of the single.

References

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