I Want You Back (Hoodoo Gurus song)

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“I Want You Back”
“I Want You Back” cover
Single by The Hoodoo Gurus
from the album Stoneage Romeos
A-side "I Want You Back"
B-side "Who Do You Love?"
Released Flag of Australia March, 1984
Flag of the United Kingdom 1984
Format 7" vinyl
Recorded Trafalgar Studios
Genre Rock
Length 2:45
Label Flag of Australia Big Time
Flag of the United Kingdom Demon Records
Writer(s) Dave Faulkner
Producer Alan Thorne
The Hoodoo Gurus singles chronology
"My Girl"
(1983)
"I Want You Back"
(1984)
"Bittersweet
(1985)

"I Want You Back" was the fourth single released by iconic[1][2] Australian rock group Hoodoo Gurus from their debut album Stoneage Romeos. It was released on Big Time Records (distributed by EMI) in March, 1984 (at same time as the album). "I Want You Back" was written by Dave Faulkner.[3] The B-Side "Who Do You Love?" (aka "Hoodoo You Love?") was recorded live by 2JJJ. The single was released in the United Kingdom in 1984 by Demon Records, but with an alternative B-Side, "Be My Guru".[4]

" "I Want You Back" was one of the few songs of mine to ever be covered by another artist, a fellow mysteriously named Simon F, produced by Billy Idol's then-guitarist Steve Stevens (do you miss the 80's?). Some writers refer to their creations as their 'children', well this felt more akin to having your child grow up to be a serial killer. Their (per)version was not a hit, but then neither was ours." Dave Faulkner.[5]

In 1985 Simon F. (aka Simon Fellowes (UK Band Intaferon)) released a version of the song.[6] "I Want You Back" was also performed by The Spazzys on the 2005 tribute album Stoneage Cameos (see Stoneage Romeos), with "Hoodoo You Love?" performed by The Drones.

In an interview with Harp Magazine in 2007, Faulkner revealed that the song was written not about a former lover but actually about former co-founder of the Hoodoo Gurus, Roddy Radalj.

"Basically, when Rod Radalj left the Gurus he was very dismissive of us, trying to move on and kind of burn everything behind him: ‘Oh, it’s not worth staying in that band. They’re terrible!’ So I basically turned that emotion around: ‘Here’s this guy who ditched us and he’s acting like the spurned lover!’ It was me saying, ‘You’ll regret it.’"...

"Well, yeah, I just turned all that stuff into a relationship song.” Faulkner says. “I don’t know why people don’t realize that it’s an anger song. You’re right, they think it’s a longing song. But it’s not a song about ‘I wish you’d come back,’ but — ‘You’ll wish you were back!’" [7]


Contents

[edit] Track listing

  1. "I Want You Back" (Dave Faulkner) — 2:45
  2. "Who Do You Love?" (Ellas McDaniel aka Bo Diddley)[3] — 2:05

[edit] Personnel

Credited to:[8]

  • Producer, Engineer — Alan Thorne
  • Mixed — Alan Thorne (track 2)
  • Recorded — Peter Watts (track 2)

[edit] Reviews

[edit] References

  1. ^ ARIA Awards 2007: About Hall of Fame. ARIA Awards. Retrieved on 2007-11-20.
  2. ^ Pope, Mark (2007-05-07). (PDF) "ARIA presents the 2007 ARIA Hall of Fame". Retrieved on 2008-01-22.
  3. ^ a b Australasian Performing Right Association. APRA. Retrieved on 2007-12-21.
  4. ^ Rate Your Music - "I Want You Back (GBR)". Retrieved on 2007-12-21.
  5. ^ Faulkner, Dave (June 2000). "Pop and punishment". juliat. Retrieved on 2008-01-09.
  6. ^ Discogs entry on Simon F.. Retrieved on 2008-01-09.
  7. ^ Mills, Fred (January 2007). "Hoodoo Gurus: By My Guru". Harp Magazine. Retrieved on 2008-02-13.
  8. ^ Discogs entry on "I Want You Back". Retrieved on 2008-01-09.