Boomania – Betty Boo– September 10th, 1990, Rhythm King Records
Boomania is the debut solo album by British recording artist Alison Clarkson, better known by her pop persona Betty Boo.
Ah Betty Boo… 😍
Betty Boo was my first teenage crush so forgive me if I get a bit swoony. I also credit this album with helping me keep sane at the tail end of the pandemic when I was alone and out of work.
I found a second hand copy of Boomania by accident while crate digging (full story below) and, despite being flat broke, bought it, brought it home and played it incessantly to keep my spirits up. And it worked. Every time I played it I couldn’t help but smile, even when everything around me seemed to be going to shit.
So yeah, big-up Betty Boo. As a teenage boy you won my heart. But as a grown-ass man you’ve got my everlasting love, gratitude and respect.
Alison Clarkson began her career as a rapper and was a member of She Rockers, an all-girl hiphop trio who released one album on Jive in 1990.
For her recording persona, Clarkson drew inspiration from the vintage cartoon character Betty Boop, the animated embodiment of jazz era liberation. Like her namesake, Betty Boo was big on glamour but with the sass to match.
Playfully seductive, with a retro-60s go-go aesthetic, Betty Boo nonetheless gave the impression of being a tomboy at heart, thus ensuring I was instantly smitten. Even today when I see a similar hairstyle I get all fluttery and stuttery like a nervous teenager. 😊
But, teenage hormones aside, Betty Boo’s music is what really got my pulse racing.
Yes, she was a pop star, with a ready-made look that was perfect for primetime but had a streak of defiance that ran far deeper than the customary Madonna-style shallow brattyness.
Her voice could be velvet one moment, delivering a devastating diss rap the next. And despite being barely out of her teens, I always got the sense that countless record company slimeballs grossly underestimated her tenacity and subsequently had their spirits broken while trying to sand down her rough edges.
How rough do you ask? Rough enough for the She Rockers to get asked to support Public Enemy on tour.
And tough enough to emerge from that tour stronger than ever, all riled up to release a solo album.
Tough enough, too, to survive for decades in the misogynistic mire that is the music industry, with its myriad ups and downs. Yet in 2024 she’s still hustling, still innovating and still releasing music.
Equally impressive is the fact that, unlike the vast majority of her contemporaries, or would-be pop stars in general, Betty Boo wrote a lot of her own material.
Many the songs on Boomania were written exclusively by her. On the rest she shares writing credits, with the bulk of those shared with King John, the production duo of Rex Brough and John Coxon, who worked as co-producers of Boomania.
I say co-producers because Betty Boo was also something of a gearhead having studied music production, before honing her trade in the studio.
Betty Boo’s first big breakthrough came while appearing on the Beatmasters’ debut album, Anywayawanna and subsequent single release, “Hey DJ!/I Can’t Dance (To That Music You’re Playing).”
Following her brief stint with Beatmasters, Betty Boo became the master of her own beats, producing tracks in her home setup which would eventually become the foundation for Boomania, a classic dance album that’s all killer, no filler.
Boomanic Episode
I found my vinyl copy of Boomania while riffling through a musty Moroccan second hand shop at the tail end of lockdown.
It was quite possibly the darkest and messiest shop I’d ever been, the condensed tat of decades dangerously stacked in corners or heaped up onto groaning shelves which looked like they were about to collapse at any moment.
But once you get locked into a serious vinyl collection, the tendency is to push it as far as you can.
Everywhere around me was an all pervasive sense of despair, as though those dusty shelves were closing in and would eventually swallow me whole and I’d become just another wretched, arenose artefact, trapped forever amidst the cracked teacups, moth-holed rags, broken VCRs and fossilised boardgames.
In the dankest of all corners were crates of records, stacked precariously, as though by a resentful poltergeist. All the while the proprietor was eyeballing me, for fear I was going to nick any of his precious busted old shite.
It took considerable effort just to get to that part of the shop, with various hurdles along the way, then each crate had to be hoisted down and rifled through separately, with very little space to do so.
The majority of the records were unrecognisable, exotic one hit wonders from mustachioed balladeers in gaudy 70s costumes, but every so often you’d hit a vein of gold amidst the rubble.
On previous ventures to that shop I found a Vangelis album, a Sven Vath EP and the Midnight Cowboy soundtrack album. So I was determined on that visit to fish through the remaining crates, the least accessible ones right at the very bottom, to see if there was anything else of value to be found, before vowing never to return.
The air inside was giving me a headache and my fingertips were turning black, having walked along the tops of thousands of greasy record sleeves.
And just as I was about to give up and leave, a solitary ray of sunshine bust through the gloom, as Betty Boo’s gorgeous brown eyes beckoned me closer.
Boomania!
I checked inside – result! – the record actually was there (the shop had plenty empty sleeves) and in good nick too. Immediately my sinuses started whining, “great – can we go now?“
But another voice inside me told me to keep going, so I did, and lo and behold, in addition to Boomania, I found more Betty Boo singles, including the 12s of Doin’ The Do and Where Are You Baby.
I’m guessing that, once upon a time, somebody had been a big Betty Boo fan but then changed their minds and subsequently sold all their records. But I’d never do that to you Betty Boo, I’m going to cherish these records forever.
So I paid the surly Moroccan man behind the counter and bounded back home, beaming like a child skipping home from the sweet shop. Straight to the sitting room, slapping Boomania on the decks before cranking that shit up loud.
It was even better than I’d remembered.
Having spent twice as much time as intended in the second hand shop of doom I had to work doubletime to catch up on housework and soon found myself singing along while sliding around on the tiles in my socks, doing the do, the dinner and my laundry all at the same time.
I’d started the day off in a miserable mood – suddenly I was ecstatic.
Like I said, this was the tail end of lockdown, when I’d lost my job due to the pandemic. I was desperately in need of something to feel happy about and Betty Boo came to my rescue.
It’s fair to say Betty Boo’s career has had its fair share of ups and downs, but right now I’m glad to say it’s definitely on the upswing.
She released a comeback album, the cleverly named Boomerang, two years ago. And her latest album, Rip Up the Rulebook, has just dropped today at the time of writing, prompting me this review/love letter for the album which started it all, Boomania.
So, let’s rewind it back, all the way to 1990, when it was all about…
Doin’ The Do
“Where Are You Baby?” is the first of Boomania’s many earworms, an effortlessly catchy pop song that’s also a hip house banger.
The beat comes from The Monkees’ track, Mary, Mary, a break which Betty Boo’s come back to various times and one which has also been used by hiphop royalty like De La Soul and Run DMC. It’s sped up here, though, adding more beef to the house beat.
The piano melody, meanwhile, is borrowed from Motown’s The Velvelettes, but given a very late 80s/early 90s house twist. Add some 60s-style organs and guitar and the groove factor increases considerably.
Betty Boo raps on each verse while singing the chorus and right away we know everything we need to know. This is fresh and funky party music, scoring high on pop sensibilities, but also very much made for the dancefloor.
Track two, “Hey DJ / I Can’t Dance (To That Music You’re Playing)” is the track which essentially launched Betty Boo’s career and is another album highlight for me.
In addition to my copy of Boomania, my original Beatmasters 12” is one of my most cherished possessions.
I Can’t Dance should be mandatory for every DJ, the track of choice to play whenever someone comes up bitching about the music, “can you play X/Y/Z instead?” No fuck off, but here’s some Beatmasters and Betty Boo, and if you can’t dance to that, then the problem’s clearly on your side, not mine.
The fact that it has Ska Train on the flip of that release makes it even more valuable, as does the fact that I always have it filed right next to Longsy D’s This is Ska for an extended skacid session, once again, guaranteed to get the party started.
But yeah, this was technically the first single from the album, in that it was released a year prior, but Where Are You Baby is the first true Betty Boo single.
So, first single, second single, either way, I Can’t Dance is pure hip house perfection.
I really love this old music video too, very much of its time but you can see that pure, unfiltered Boo-itude shining though.
Boo Is Booming comes blasting out the gate with a big fat breakbeat and accompanying scratching that could just as easily be the intro to a De La Soul track.
In fact, with a little pitch wizardry this one mixes nicely with The Magic Number.
Boo’s Boogie brings it back to the house music vibe, with some thumping percussion and clever synth programming.
This sweet instrumental piece is a joint Betty Boo / King John production and, after three hip house tunes in a row, serves as a welcome interlude while also adding some extra depth and breadth to the album.
Only problem is it’s cut way too short.
24 Hours is gorgeous little time capsule, so indicative of its unique time in history as the 80s gave way to the 90s.
You got that deliciously retro beat, complete with classic electro style Fairlight orch hits and to cap it all off some sweet and squidgy DX solid bass.
It’s exactly the sorta beat one might imagine the Fresh Prince to start rapping over, but instead we get something far more intricate and nuanced.
I attribute this in part to the fact that William Orbit was involved in the production of this track. And he’s clearly playing to his strengths here.
Orbit’s always been good with composing and arranging electronic music, but he also has an uncanny ability to craft pop songs with a lot more depth than most. This track’s a case in point.
Add in a bridge with Boo rapping over a Peter Piper beat and – mwaa! Chef’s kiss!
24 Hours was the final single from the album. There was also an accompanying remixes EP which, among other things, included one the earliest mixes from a pre-Fatboy Slim era Norman Cook.
Valentine’s Day starts off with some tinkling synths and choral layers lending it a dreamlike quality. We also get more of that sweet 90s synth bass sound riding an expertly programmed break.
This track, once again, has the effect of further extending the album’s sound pallet.
Really enjoy the vibe of this but there is one issue with it. Betty Boo’s not asking me to be her Valentine. I’ve had years to get over it though, and maybe someday I will.
Doin The Do (King John 7” Mix) – this is a remix of the Betty Boo Doin’ The Do song that I’m laying odds began playing in your head reflexively the moment you saw the title of this blog post and read the words “Betty Boo”.
First of all, let’s acknowledge the genius of including your stage name in the lyrics to ensure nobody forgets who you are.
Second, doing so on a song that’s so damn catchy. And not catchy in that usual, argh I have this song stuck in my head and it won’t fuck off kinda way, which seems to be all that pop music wants to aim for these days.
No, Doin The Do is that rare form of catchy – the kind you can’t help singing along to and having a bit of a boogie whenever you hear it.
Third, it’s worth reiterating that Betty Boo wrote a lot of her songs, often singlehanded. This one’s a solo effort and I think, but don’t quote me on it, she done some of the production on it also, or at least had a home-recorded demo version which served as the seed of this King John Remix version.
From what I gather she recorded this one shortly after her success with the Beatmasters and, if you don’t count the Beatmasters track, was the first single from the album.
Either way it rocketed up the charts globally and made her a household name. Not bad for a debut release from a newbie songwriter,
(‘Til My Last Breath) Doin’ It to Def starts off with a killer bassline and bongo combo. We then get some additional scratchin, before Betty Boo raps over a classic Hot Pants break.
The verses feel very much like classic 80s hiphop, while the use of digital pianos on the chorus gives this one more of a Madchester feel.
It’s also got some references to music of the time like Kylie Minogue (bleugh!) and Technotronic’s Pump Up The Jam ,which came out the same year.
Don’t Know What To Do is an Adamski-esque house number with yet another swaggering DX bassline. Really love Betty Boo’s vocals on this one, showing yet another side to her vocal range.
I also like how this track’s got a slight psychedelic edge and, though its sound pallet is still dated, I think this one in particular holds up quite well.
Shame builds on the previous track’s momentum with yet another funky four-four floor filler. Compared to some of the other house tracks on here this one’s got more of a New York feel…
At least until the halfway mark when, out of nowhere, Betty Boo hijacks Renegade Soundtrack for the bridge. Yep that’s the famous Phantom bassline showing up in the middle of a Betty Boo album – didn’t see that coming eh?
Perfect late night shimmy track this one.
Mumbo Jumbo blends various disparate elements, from 70s wah guitars to salsa pianos, to form a funky gumbo, seasoned with layers of percussion and a driving hip house beat to create yet another piece of dancefloor-friendly pop perfection.
Leave Me Alone once again comes in strong with those Renegade Soundwave vibes with a ruff ‘n’ tuff breakbeat. The synths soften the effect, however, while Betty Boo once again shows off her vocal range.
It’s quite a courageous track to finish on, actually, since it’s the farthest thing from a conventional pop song this album gets. It’s also comparatively melancholic compared to others but is a compelling performance none the less, guaranteeing that Boomania finishes just as strong as it began.
Boomaniac 4 Life
In the world of pop music, having a distinct look can help you stand out and get noticed but never forget that people are fickle.
Today’s fashion is tomorrows passing fad and without the talent to back it up and the tenacity to persevere through those lean years, you’ll never attain the kind of longevity true artists enjoy.
The 1980s were transformative years. And as digital technology advanced at speed many people, especially in the US, began looking back at previous decades through rosy glasses. Hence the explosion of 50s-themed diners and nostalgic movies like Back To The Future.
But by the end of the 1980s and moving into the 90s, the focus had shifted a decade forward with a resurgence of 60s music and hippie-style fashion.
And, unlike 50s nostalgia, which was mainly an American phenomenon, 60s nostalgia was much broader reaching.
Hence the flower power aesthetic of the Native Tongues and Dee Lite, the kaleidoscopic sound of Madchester, Beatles and Monkees covers, peace signs, acid house, the second summer of love, smiley face tie-dye shirts with baggy jeans and beads…
Betty Boo’s groovy aesthetic slotted perfectly into this trend, allowing her to ride that first ever wave of 60 nostalgia to prominence. She had the ‘do, she rocked the look and she had the perfect hook.
Because once you’ve heard Doin’ The Do, that’s it, it’ll stay in your head forever – in a good way.
More importantly, though, she had an upstart attitude backed up by pure raw talent. She could sing, she could rap, she wrote her own songs and best of all, knew her way around the studio.
But did anyone think at the time she would still be releasing records in 2024?
Certainly not all those record industry dinosaurs who’ve long since gone extinct. But here she is, bouncing back like a boomerang, to quote her 2022 comeback song.
Even when not performing she remained a prolific songwriter.
And, unlike me, she’s kept up with the trends in pop music
Whereas its fair to say I know who Taylor Swift is and I’m confident I could pick her out in a police line-up, but I couldn’t name a single one of her songs to save my life.
I like to say it’s because I’m not old, just old skool.
I came of age during the sampling era, when classic dance records seemed to be coming out on a near-daily basis. That’s how my journey began.
Besides, I couldn’t be a Swiftie even if I wanted to. Because once a Boomaniac, always a Boomaniac.
So, am I maybe a little bit more starry eyed this time around? Oh definitely!
Is the subject of my teenage crush impacting my objectivity? No. Because the music is just that damn good.
Admittedly, Boomania is showing its age. It was released at a unique point in time when house music an rap were joined at the hip. But much like I said in my recent review of Off The Wall, although it’s very much a record of its time, it hasn’t lost any of its original vibrance and energy.
34 years on, Boomania still bangs. Have a listen yourself and I’m sure you’ll agree, this is a fun record that was made for dancing and is guaranteed to bring a smile to your face.