Boom Boom (Let's Go Back to My Room)
Encyclopedia
"Boom Boom" is the debut single by American Hi-NRG
singer and model Paul Lekakis
.
Originally released in 1987 on ZYX Records, then picked up by Polydor Records
for a wider release, the song peaked at #43 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the U.S.
and at #60 on the UK Singles Chart
in England
. It fared better in other parts of the world, where the song spent five weeks at #1 on the ARIA Charts
in Australia
, from April 13 through May 11 of 1987. It also topped music charts in Japan
and South Africa
, and peaked at #2 in Canada
. The song is noteworthy because it is a well-known 1980s dance club track that nonetheless failed to appear on the U.S. Hot Dance Club Play
chart upon its initial release. Subsequent remixes
have appeared on that chart, however, as well as some of Lekakis' other dance recordings. The song was popular in the LGBT
community and helped to establish his career, both as a singer and as an actor.
In 1990, the song was included on Lekakis' first album, Tattoo It
, which was released on Sire Records
. "Boom Boom" has since been re-released and remix
ed on multiple occasions, most recently in 2007 for the 20th anniversary of the song. This time, the song had a music video
(since there was none when the single was originally released), and it features Lekakis hosting a party with some guests invited into his mansion. In the video, Lekakis is surrounded by scantily clad girls who are clearly the objects of his affection and presented in various sexual scenarios with him. In an interview conducted by Ben Patrick Johnson
, from his video blog Life on the Left Coast, Lekakis stated that the 2007 version is the first in which he participated in the remix process, including re-recording his vocals. There is one slight lyrical difference between the 2007 remix and the original song: instead of "...coming back to my room for a little boom boom", the lyrics in the more recent version are "...coming back to my room for another boom boom".
Although there was no music video for the original release of "Boom Boom", he did lip sync
the song on various programs, some of which have been shown on YouTube
. In addition, Lekakis appeared in an episode of an MTV
program produced by Andy Warhol
, Andy Warhol's Fifteen Minutes
, singing the song in 1987. In 2009, VH1
ranked "Boom Boom" #83 on its program 100 Greatest One Hit Wonders of the 80s. Most recently, in 2010, Matthew Wilkening of AOL Radio
ranked the song at #57 on the list of the 100 Worst Songs Ever, asking, "Doesn't the same idea just sound so much better in French?" before borrowing a lyric
from the chorus of Labelle
's song "Lady Marmalade
".
The song was also remixed in the synthpop
group Freezepop's "Seven Boom Medley," along with The Vengaboys' "Boom Boom Boom Boom
."
Hi-NRG
Hi-NRG describes a form of high-tempo disco music as well as a genre of electronic dance music originating in the United States during the late 1970s...
singer and model Paul Lekakis
Paul Lekakis
Paul Lekakis is a Greek-American actor, model, filmmaker and club music / Hi-NRG singer, who was discovered for his musical and dancing skills at a nightclub while on assignment as a model in Italy.-Music career:...
.
Originally released in 1987 on ZYX Records, then picked up by Polydor Records
Polydor Records
Polydor is a record label owned by Universal Music Group, headquartered in the United Kingdom.-Beginnings:Polydor was originally an independent branch of the Deutsche Grammophon Gesellschaft. Its name was first used as an export label in 1924, the British and German branches of the Gramophone...
for a wider release, the song peaked at #43 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and at #60 on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
in England
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. It fared better in other parts of the world, where the song spent five weeks at #1 on the ARIA Charts
ARIA Charts
The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June...
in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, from April 13 through May 11 of 1987. It also topped music charts in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
and South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, and peaked at #2 in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. The song is noteworthy because it is a well-known 1980s dance club track that nonetheless failed to appear on the U.S. Hot Dance Club Play
Hot Dance Club Play
The Hot Dance Club Songs chart is a weekly national survey of the songs that are most popular in U.S. dance clubs...
chart upon its initial release. Subsequent remixes
RemixeS
RemixeS is a compilation of French singer Mylène Farmer's singles by various famous DJ's, including JXL, Felix Da Housecat and Paul Oakenfold.-Brackground, writing and release:...
have appeared on that chart, however, as well as some of Lekakis' other dance recordings. The song was popular in the LGBT
LGBT
LGBT is an initialism that collectively refers to "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender" people. In use since the 1990s, the term "LGBT" is an adaptation of the initialism "LGB", which itself started replacing the phrase "gay community" beginning in the mid-to-late 1980s, which many within the...
community and helped to establish his career, both as a singer and as an actor.
In 1990, the song was included on Lekakis' first album, Tattoo It
Tattoo It
Tattoo It was the title of a 1990 album by American pop / Hi-NRG singer Paul Lekakis. The album was released on Sire Records. It contains the song, "Boom Boom ", which Lekakis had previously released in 1987 on Polydor Records. Two of the tracks on the album, "You Blow Me Away" and "My House", were...
, which was released on Sire Records
Sire Records
Sire Records is an American record label, owned by Warner Music Group and distributed through Warner Bros. Records.-Beginnings:The label was founded in 1966 as Sire Productions by Seymour Stein and Richard Gottehrer, each investing ten thousand dollars into the new company. Its early releases as a...
. "Boom Boom" has since been re-released and remix
Remix
A remix is an alternative version of a recorded song, made from an original version. This term is also used for any alterations of media other than song ....
ed on multiple occasions, most recently in 2007 for the 20th anniversary of the song. This time, the song had a music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
(since there was none when the single was originally released), and it features Lekakis hosting a party with some guests invited into his mansion. In the video, Lekakis is surrounded by scantily clad girls who are clearly the objects of his affection and presented in various sexual scenarios with him. In an interview conducted by Ben Patrick Johnson
Ben Patrick Johnson
Ben Patrick Johnson is an American voice-over actor, author and blogger, Foundation Director, and human rights activist.-Voice-overs:...
, from his video blog Life on the Left Coast, Lekakis stated that the 2007 version is the first in which he participated in the remix process, including re-recording his vocals. There is one slight lyrical difference between the 2007 remix and the original song: instead of "...coming back to my room for a little boom boom", the lyrics in the more recent version are "...coming back to my room for another boom boom".
Although there was no music video for the original release of "Boom Boom", he did lip sync
Lip sync
Lip sync, lip-sync, lip-synch is a technical term for matching lip movements with sung or spoken vocals...
the song on various programs, some of which have been shown on YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
. In addition, Lekakis appeared in an episode of an MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
program produced by Andy Warhol
Andy Warhol
Andrew Warhola , known as Andy Warhol, was an American painter, printmaker, and filmmaker who was a leading figure in the visual art movement known as pop art...
, Andy Warhol's Fifteen Minutes
Andy Warhol's Fifteen Minutes
Andy Warhol's Fifteen Minutes is an American talk show hosted by artist Andy Warhol, that aired on MTV from 1985 to 1987. One of the network's earliest series, it was made up of interviews of up and coming musicians such as Courtney Love....
, singing the song in 1987. In 2009, VH1
VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
ranked "Boom Boom" #83 on its program 100 Greatest One Hit Wonders of the 80s. Most recently, in 2010, Matthew Wilkening of AOL Radio
AOL Radio
AOL Radio powered by Slacker, , is an online radio service available only in the United States.- Roots :...
ranked the song at #57 on the list of the 100 Worst Songs Ever, asking, "Doesn't the same idea just sound so much better in French?" before borrowing a lyric
Voulez-vous coucher avec moi?
' is a French phrase that has become well-known in the English-speaking world through popular songs. It is perhaps best known from the song "Lady Marmalade," first popularized in 1975 by the group Labelle...
from the chorus of Labelle
Labelle
Labelle is an American all female singing group who were a popular vocal group of the 1960s and 1970s. The group was formed after the disbanding of two rival girl groups in the Philadelphia/Trenton areas, the Ordettes and the Del-Capris, forming as a new version of the former group, later changing...
's song "Lady Marmalade
Lady Marmalade
"Lady Marmalade" was also covered by Italian pop star Sabrina. It was released in 1987 as the album's second single by Baby Records. In some countries, including France and the Netherlands, the song was known as "Voulez-vous coucher avec moi? " and was released in 1988.-Track listings:7" maxi#...
".
The song was also remixed in the synthpop
Synthpop
Synthpop is a genre of popular music that first became prominent in the 1980s, in which the synthesizer is the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s and early 1970s by the use of synthesizers in progressive rock, electronic art rock, disco and particularly the "Kraut rock" of...
group Freezepop's "Seven Boom Medley," along with The Vengaboys' "Boom Boom Boom Boom
Boom Boom Boom Boom
"Boom, Boom, Boom, Boom!!" is a song by the Dutch Eurodance group Vengaboys. It was released as a single on 14 June 1999. It topped the UK Singles Chart on 26 June 1999. The song is not based on Paul Lekakis's "Boom Boom ", from 1987, despite similar lyrics.In the UK, the song is the Vengaboys'...
."