GRRR!_It's_Betty_Boo
GRRR! It's Betty Boo
1992 studio album by Betty Boo
Grrr! It's Betty Boo is the second studio album by English singer Betty Boo, released on 12 October 1992 via WEA Records.[2] This album failed to match the success of her debut studio album, Boomania (1990), stalling at No. 62 in the UK Albums Chart.[5] The album did however garner one hit single with "Let Me Take You There", which peaked at No. 12 in the UK Singles Chart.[5] Further singles from the album were "I'm on My Way", "Catch Me", "Thing Goin' On" and "Hangover". The record is dedicated to her father. The cover art is based on the iconic package of Tigra cigarettes. After this, Betty Boo retired from the music industry for several years.
| GRRR! It's Betty Boo | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 12 October 1992 (1992-10-12) | |||
| Recorded | 1992 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 38:44 | |||
| Label | WEA | |||
| Producer |
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| Betty Boo chronology | ||||
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| Singles from GRRR! It's Betty Boo | ||||
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| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| The Guardian | (mixed)[2] |
| NME | 5/10[3] |
| Philadelphia Inquirer | [4] |
Writing for The Guardian in October 1992, Adam Sweeting thought that the album contained "more than its fair share of garish artificial charm", surmising that although Boo's songs "hang on a thread of absurdity", presenting critics with an easy target, "her kittenish raps – usually about boys and boy-trouble – bristle with winningly daft rhymes".[2] AllMusic's William Ruhlmann noted that "Boo raps through the verses and sings the choruses (...) in an engaging enough manner, but she never threatens to be more than a cartoon".[1] Madonna praised the album in a 1994 interview with Q Magazine, describing it as "horribly ignored".[6]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "I'm on My Way" |
| 3:22 |
| 2. | "Thing Goin' On" |
| 3:41 |
| 3. | "Hangover" | 3:49 | |
| 4. | "Curly & Girly" | 4:22 | |
| 5. | "Wish You Were Here" | 4:17 | |
| 6. | "Let Me Take You There" |
| 3:58 |
| 7. | "Gave You the Boo" | 4:00 | |
| 8. | "Skin Tight" |
| 3:38 |
| 9. | "Catch Me" |
| 3:47 |
| 10. | "Close the Door" | 3:38 |
All tracks are written by Alison Clarkson and John Coxon, except as noted
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 11. | "Jet Sex" (7" version) | |
| 12. | "Platform Shoe Shuffle" (7" edit[lower-alpha 1]) | |
| 13. | "I'm on My Way" (Tumpin' Dub) | |
| 14. | "Let Me Take You There" (Ubiquity Mix) | |
| 15. | "Hangover" (Sunday Morning Remix[lower-alpha 2]) | |
| 16. | "Thing Goin' On" (MK radio remix[lower-alpha 2]) | |
| 17. | "Catch Me" (12" version[lower-alpha 2]) |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Let Me Take You There" (12" version[lower-alpha 1]) | |
| 2. | "I'm on My Way" (The Batman and Robin Mix) | |
| 3. | "Hangover" (12" mix[lower-alpha 1]) | |
| 4. | "Thing Goin' On" (MK club mix[lower-alpha 2]) | |
| 5. | "Catch Me" (original version[lower-alpha 2]) | |
| 6. | "Jet Sex" (12" version) | |
| 7. | "Platform Shoe Shuffle" (extended version) | |
| 8. | "Let Me Take You There" (Away Mix) | |
| 9. | "I'm on My Way" (Boo Choons) | |
| 10. | "Hangover" (Saturday Night Remix) | |
| 11. | "Catch Me" (London Underground Mix[lower-alpha 1][lower-alpha 2]) | |
| 12. | "Thing Goin' On" (MK Underground Mix[lower-alpha 2]) | |
| 13. | "Let Me Take You There" (Take U There Mix[lower-alpha 1]) |
Samples
- "I'm on My Way" contains an interpolation of "Lady Madonna", written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney. The saxophone line is not taken directly from The Beatles' original version, but is a re-creation featuring the same session players: Ronnie Scott, Harry Klein, Bill Povey and Bill Jackman.
- "Thing Goin' On" contains a sample of "Turn Off the Lights", written by Young, Logan & Saunders and performed by Larry Young's Fuel.
- "Let Me Take You There" contains a sample of "It's All in the Game", written by Charles Dawes and Carl Sigman, as performed by The Four Tops. The instrumental break contains a sample of "Pet Sounds", written by Brian Wilson and performed by The Beach Boys.
- "Close the Door" begins with a bass arrangement bearing strong similarities to Barry White's "I'm Gonna Love You Just a Little More Baby".[citation needed]
Additional musicians
- Ronnie Scott – saxophone on track 1
- Harry Klein – saxophone on track 1
- Bill Povey – saxophone on track 1
- Bill Jackman – saxophone on track 1
- Gary Plumbley – saxophone on track 8
- Guy Barker – flumpet on track 2
- Richard Niles – string arrangement on track 3
- Roger Rettig – pedal steel on track 3
- Frank Ton Ton – drums on track 6
- Michael Rosenberg – guitar on track 8
- Sweet Paulino – percussion on track 8
- Fenella Barton – strings on track 9
- Sian Bell – strings on track 9
- Sonia Shany – strings on track 9
- Jocelyn Pook – strings on track 9
Technical personnel
- John Coxon – producer, pre-production "Done Upstairs"
- Mads Bjerke – recording, engineer on tracks 1–7 & 10 at The Strongroom
- Streets Ahead – producer on track 2
- Dean Ross – producer on tracks 8–9
- Sweet Paulino – producer on tracks 8–9
- Jim Abyss – recording on track 8 at Metropolis Studios, mix engineer on track 1 at Olympic Studios
- Ren Swan – recording on track 9 at Sarm East Studios
- Gregg Jackman – mix engineer on tracks 2–10 at Sarm West Studios
| Chart (1992) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Germany (GfK Entertainment Charts)[8] | 97 |
| UK (Official Charts Company)[5] | 62 |
- Ruhlmann, William. "Review: Grrr! It's Betty Boo - Betty Boo". AllMusic. Retrieved 16 July 2009.
- Adam Sweeting. "Review: BETTY BOO - Grrr! It's Betty Boo". The Guardian G2 (16 October 1992). Guardian News and Media Limited: 6.
- Wood, Sam (24 November 1992). "By the Other Schumann, 19 Lieder". Philadelphia Inquirer.
- "Official Charts > Betty Boo". The Official UK Charts Company. Retrieved 19 July 2017.
- Du Noyer, Paul (December 1994). "Madonna Interview 1994". Q.
- "Offizielle Deutsche Charts > Betty Boo – GRRR! It's Betty Boo (album)" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved 19 July 2017.