Blame It on the Boogie
Encyclopedia
"Blame It on the Boogie" is a disco
song
, originally released in 1978 both by English singer-songwriter
Mick Jackson
as well as (in its most famous version) by The Jacksons (no relation), and was later also covered by numerous other artists
.
by Mick Jackson (credited as Michael George Jackson-Clarke) as well as Mick's brother
, David Jackson and Elmar Krohn.
The song bears a remarkable similarity to "You Could Have Been a Lady," a 1971 single from Hot Chocolate covered by Canadian rock band April Wine; no songwriting credits acknowledge this similarity.
Although Mick Jackson recorded the song in 1977 "Blame It on the Boogie" was written in hopes of being sold to Stevie Wonder
.
The Mick Jackson track was showcased in 1978 at Midem where according to Mick Jackson: "The Jacksons' manager [Peter Kerstin] heard the track being played...and took a tape recording of it...back to the States [where] The Jacksons quickly recorded a version so it would be out before mine." - in fact the Mick Jackson recording was released by Atlantic Records in the US in August 1978.
According to Michael Jackson
of the Jacksons, Bobby Colomby
, who was producing the Jacksons' Destiny album, brought the group "Blame It on the Boogie". "It was an uptempo, finger-poppin'-time type song that was a good vehicle for the band approach we wanted to cultivate. I had fun slurring the chorus: [the lyric] 'Blame It on the Boogie' could be sung in one breath without putting my lips together."
in September 1978, Epic Records that month released the Jacksons' version of "Blame It on the Boogie" as the advance single from the Destiny album. Although "Blame It on the Boogie" returned the Jacksons to the Hot 100 after five flop singles it was not the single to effect a major comeback for the Jacksons peaking at #54; it would be the follow-up: "Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)", which would briefly restore the Jacksons' Top Ten fortunes. However, "Blame It on the Boogie" did reach #3 R&B and would be coupled with "Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)" on an extended club play single which would reach #20 on the dance charts in 1979.
In the UK both the Mick Jackson version and the Jacksons' were released within a few days of each other in September 1978. The UK music press, struck by the rival versions being by similarly named artists, declared a "Battle of the Boogie" which Mick Jackson recalls as "great publicity...There was an equal balance of interest from the media about both releases - A good example is that my version came out first on Top Of The Pops
... The had the second week...Radio One
played The version and Capital Radio only played mine - It was fair."
The Jacksons' version—incorrectly lauded by Melody Maker
as their “self-penned song”—was the more successful version reaching Number 8 on the chart dated 4 November 1978; the Mick Jackson version—hailed by NME
as "far superior"—had peaked at Number 15 on the chart for 21 October.
Mick Jackson himself in 2003 said of the Jacksons' version of "Blame It on the Boogie": "[the original] version had 100% of our heart and soul in it but the Jacksons' version had the magic extra 2% that made it incredible."
. The video, featuring the group's members dancing on a black background, relied heavily on vintage electronic trail effects, created at Image West, Ltd. using then-cutting edge equipment: the Scanimate
analog computer system and a Quantel
DFS 3000 digital framestore.
and led to Mick Jackson's 1978 album Weekend (which features the original version of "Blame it on the Boogie") being re-released (for download on the iTunes Store
) for the first time in 30 years by Demon Music. To promote the documentary, Mick gave a rare television interview to BBC Breakfast
.
Disco
Disco is a genre of dance music. Disco acts charted high during the mid-1970s, and the genre's popularity peaked during the late 1970s. It had its roots in clubs that catered to African American, gay, psychedelic, and other communities in New York City and Philadelphia during the late 1960s and...
song
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
, originally released in 1978 both by English singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
Mick Jackson
Mick Jackson (singer)
Mick Jackson is an English singer-songwriter and the co-writer of the song, "Blame It on the Boogie"...
as well as (in its most famous version) by The Jacksons (no relation), and was later also covered by numerous other artists
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
.
Background
The song was co-authoredSongwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
by Mick Jackson (credited as Michael George Jackson-Clarke) as well as Mick's brother
Sibling
Siblings are people who share at least one parent. A male sibling is called a brother; and a female sibling is called a sister. In most societies throughout the world, siblings usually grow up together and spend a good deal of their childhood socializing with one another...
, David Jackson and Elmar Krohn.
The song bears a remarkable similarity to "You Could Have Been a Lady," a 1971 single from Hot Chocolate covered by Canadian rock band April Wine; no songwriting credits acknowledge this similarity.
Although Mick Jackson recorded the song in 1977 "Blame It on the Boogie" was written in hopes of being sold to Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder
Stevland Hardaway Morris , better known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and activist...
.
The Mick Jackson track was showcased in 1978 at Midem where according to Mick Jackson: "The Jacksons' manager [Peter Kerstin] heard the track being played...and took a tape recording of it...back to the States [where] The Jacksons quickly recorded a version so it would be out before mine." - in fact the Mick Jackson recording was released by Atlantic Records in the US in August 1978.
According to Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
of the Jacksons, Bobby Colomby
Bobby Colomby
Bobby Colomby is an innovative jazz-rock fusion drummer, and an original member of the group Blood, Sweat & Tears...
, who was producing the Jacksons' Destiny album, brought the group "Blame It on the Boogie". "It was an uptempo, finger-poppin'-time type song that was a good vehicle for the band approach we wanted to cultivate. I had fun slurring the chorus: [the lyric] 'Blame It on the Boogie' could be sung in one breath without putting my lips together."
Chart rivalry
Despite the Mick Jackson original reach a #61 peak on the Billboard Hot 100Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
in September 1978, Epic Records that month released the Jacksons' version of "Blame It on the Boogie" as the advance single from the Destiny album. Although "Blame It on the Boogie" returned the Jacksons to the Hot 100 after five flop singles it was not the single to effect a major comeback for the Jacksons peaking at #54; it would be the follow-up: "Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)", which would briefly restore the Jacksons' Top Ten fortunes. However, "Blame It on the Boogie" did reach #3 R&B and would be coupled with "Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)" on an extended club play single which would reach #20 on the dance charts in 1979.
In the UK both the Mick Jackson version and the Jacksons' were released within a few days of each other in September 1978. The UK music press, struck by the rival versions being by similarly named artists, declared a "Battle of the Boogie" which Mick Jackson recalls as "great publicity...There was an equal balance of interest from the media about both releases - A good example is that my version came out first on Top Of The Pops
Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops, also known as TOTP, is a British music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly from 1 January 1964 to 30 July 2006. After 25 December 2006 it became a radio program, now hosted by Tony Blackburn...
... The had the second week...Radio One
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
played The version and Capital Radio only played mine - It was fair."
The Jacksons' version—incorrectly lauded by Melody Maker
Melody Maker
Melody Maker, published in the United Kingdom, was, according to its publisher IPC Media, the world's oldest weekly music newspaper. It was founded in 1926 as a magazine targeted at musicians; in 2000 it was merged into "long-standing rival" New Musical Express.-1950s–1960s:Originally the Melody...
as their “self-penned song”—was the more successful version reaching Number 8 on the chart dated 4 November 1978; the Mick Jackson version—hailed by NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
as "far superior"—had peaked at Number 15 on the chart for 21 October.
Mick Jackson himself in 2003 said of the Jacksons' version of "Blame It on the Boogie": "[the original] version had 100% of our heart and soul in it but the Jacksons' version had the magic extra 2% that made it incredible."
Video
The promotional music video by the Jacksons was created for "Blame It on the Boogie". Michael Jackson's 1993 biography states that the video marked his video debut. The Jacksons' very first promotional music video was Enjoy YourselfEnjoy Yourself (The Jacksons song)
"Enjoy Yourself" is a song recorded by The Jacksons and released as a single in 1976 and peaking in early 1977. It was the first non-Motown single for the group since they departed from the label earlier that year. The song peaked at #6 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart on Feb. 19, 1977 and #2 on the...
. The video, featuring the group's members dancing on a black background, relied heavily on vintage electronic trail effects, created at Image West, Ltd. using then-cutting edge equipment: the Scanimate
Scanimate
Scanimate is the name for an analog computer animation system developed from the late 1960s to the early 1980s.The Scanimate systems were used to produce much of the video-based animation seen on television between most of the 1970s and early 1980s in commercials, promotions, and show openings...
analog computer system and a Quantel
Quantel
Quantel is a company based in the United Kingdom and founded in 1973 that designs and manufactures digital production equipment for the broadcast television, video production and motion picture industries...
DFS 3000 digital framestore.
Other versions
Tina Charles has stated that she recorded "Blame It on the Boogie" prior to the Jacksons; her version was not released as "Sony [felt] it was not a strong enough song."- 1989: Stock Aitken WatermanStock Aitken WatermanStock Aitken Waterman, sometimes known as SAW, were a UK songwriting and record producing trio consisting of Mike Stock, Matt Aitken and Pete Waterman. They had great success during the mid to late 1980s and early 1990s...
had Big Fun remake "Blame It on the Boogie" with a resultant best ever Pop chart peak of Number 4 UK. - 1990: Luis MiguelLuis MiguelLuis Miguel Gallego Basteri is a Mexican singer. He is widely known only by the name Luis Miguel and is often referred to as "El Sol de México"...
recorded the song in a Spanish-language version entitled "Será Que No Me Amas" and by Chris Watrin, and is a concert favorite. - 1998: Dance act ClockClock (dance act)Clock was a British band primarily led by Stu Allan and Pete Pritchard. They started as a house act, then turned to eurodance and eventually ended up as a disco act. In 1994, they hailed themselves as the British "2 Unlimited" when they recruited rapper Marcus Thomas , and vocalist Lorna Saunders ...
brought "Blame It on the Boogie" back to the UK Top 20 (Number 16). - 2003: "Blame It on the Boogie" was the lead single off the Michael JacksonMichael JacksonMichael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
tribute album Bringin You the Magic recorded by Jay Kid a native of Denmark (born Yannick Harrison 8 January 1990) who in September 2003 became the first artist to perform at the Neverland Ranch at Michael Jackson's express invitation. - 2004: German eurodance act Captain JackCaptain Jack (band)Captain Jack is a musical duo, specializing in Eurodance music, originating from Germany.- History :Its members were Francisco Alejandro Gutierrez , and Sunny...
covered the song on their album "Café Cubar". - 2005: the top ten finalists of the French televised Nouvelle StarNouvelle StarNouvelle Star is a French television series based on the popular Pop Idol programme produced by FremantleMedia and broadcast by M6 in France....
cut a remake, which reached Number 15 in France. - 2008: The song was performed by WestlifeWestlifeWestlife are an Irish boy band established on 3 July 1998. They are to disband in 2012. The group's line-up was Nicky Byrne, Kian Egan, Mark Feehily, Shane Filan, and Brian McFadden . The group are the only act in British and Irish history to have their first seven singles peak at number one...
on their Back Home TourBack Home TourThe Back Home Tour is a world tour by Irish boyband, Westlife in support of their 9th studio album, Back Home. The band will be touring the United Kingdom, Ireland and New Zealand....
. - 2009: In the wake of the interest in Michael JacksonMichael JacksonMichael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
's recordings initiated after his death on 25 June "Blame It on the Boogie" entered the charts in Australia and the UK. - 2009: The song was performed by The SaturdaysThe SaturdaysThe Saturdays are a British and Irish pop girl group based in London, United Kingdom. The group consists of five members Una Healy, Mollie King, Frankie Sandford, Vanessa White and Rochelle Wiseman. In 2007 the band were formed through Fascination Records which gave them an instant record deal with...
in one venue of their The Work TourThe Work TourThe Work Tour is the debut headlining theatre tour by British girl group The Saturdays. The tour became the bands first headlining tour, but their second time actually touring, after they spent part of 2008 as support act for Girls Aloud on their Tangled Up Tour. The tour opened on 2 June 2009, and...
, due to Michael JacksonMichael JacksonMichael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
's death. - 2010: The song was performed by children at the Albert Hall in a Michael Jackson medley.
Documentary
In 2010, filmmaker Patrick Nation made a Channel 4 documentary about Mick Jackson and the story of the song, entitled The Other Michael Jackson: Battle of the Boogie. The documentary was co-written and presented by Mick's son Sam Peter JacksonSam Peter Jackson
Sam Peter Jackson is a playwright and actor best known for writing the play "Public Property", which ran at the Trafalgar Studios in London's West End in 2009 starring Nigel Harman, Robert Daws and Steven Webb and was nominated for a 2010 WhatsOnStage Theatregoers' Choice Award as Best New...
and led to Mick Jackson's 1978 album Weekend (which features the original version of "Blame it on the Boogie") being re-released (for download on the iTunes Store
ITunes Store
The iTunes Store is a software-based online digital media store operated by Apple. Opening as the iTunes Music Store on April 28, 2003, with over 200,000 items to purchase, it is, as of April 2008, the number-one music vendor in the United States...
) for the first time in 30 years by Demon Music. To promote the documentary, Mick gave a rare television interview to BBC Breakfast
BBC Breakfast
BBC Breakfast is the morning television news programme simulcast on BBC One and the BBC News channel. It is presented live from BBC Television Centre in White City, West London, and contains a mixture of news, sport, weather, business and feature items...
.
External links
- Mick Jackson — official website
- Documentary about The Battle of The Boogie at Channel 4Channel 4Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
- Mick Jackson discography at DiscogsDiscogsDiscogs, short for discographies, is a website and database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. The Discogs servers, currently hosted under the domain name discogs.com, are owned by Zink Media, Inc., and are...
- Mick Jackson discography at Disco-disco