Betty Boo
Encyclopedia
Alison Moira Clarkson (born 6 March 1970 in Kensington
, London
) better known as Betty Boo, is an English
singer, songwriter
and pop-rap artist
. She first came to mainstream prominence in the late 1980s and early 1990s following a collaboration with The Beatmasters and her subsequent solo career, which spawned a number of chart-placing singles, most notably in 1990 with "Doin' The Do".
at the Holloway
School of Audio Engineering before having a string of hits between 1989 and 1992. Originally nickname
d "Betty Boop
" for her similarity to the cartoon character
, she changed it to avoid trademark
disputes. Of mixed Dusun
and Scottish
descent, she had an unusual, striking Emma Peel
-like look, dressed in mildly provocative and revealing outfits and proved to be an influential pop music figure whose "sassy, powerful music and image launched a thousand wannabe's". Writing for The Guardian
in August 1990, Lucy O'Brien
noted the difference between the "quietly spoken" Clarkson and her "lovable toughie" pop star alter-ego, describing the latter as "a cartoon combination of Betty Boop, Barbarella and Buck Rogers".
Whilst still at school, Boo began her musical career by signing to the British record label Music of Life
with the hip-hop group the She Rockers
, whose success led her to New York
and work with Public Enemy, who encouraged her to pursue a solo
career. Commenting on her time spent supporting Public Enemy on tour in the US
, as well as working with Professor Griff
in the recording studio on the song "Give It A Rest", Boo revealed that things didn't go as expected; "They were producing our single and I thought it would sound like their stuff, but it didn't at all. And some of the crowds were hostile to us. They didn't throw anything, no, but they wanted to see Public Enemy and they just weren't interested in us."
Her big break came when she appeared as guest vocalist on the 1989 number 7 UK hit single, "Hey DJ - I Can't Dance (To That Music You're Playing)" by The Beatmasters. Her first solo single, "Doin' The Do", followed and was also a UK number 7 success for her in 1990, selling 200,000 copies and reaching number one on Billboard's dance chart in the United States
. One year later, the song was used as the title tune for Magic Pockets
video game by the Bitmap Brothers
. Boomania
, her platinum-selling debut album, was largely self-written and self-produced in her bedroom. Her second solo single, "Where Are You Baby?", which reached number 3 in August 1990, is her biggest solo hit to date. "24 Hours" was the third and final single to be issued from Boomania, and although it was a hit, it was less so than previous releases, stalling at number 25 in December 1990. Her initial success was compounded at the 1991 BRIT Awards
ceremony where she was voted that year's best British Breakthrough Act. In 1991, her "Why, Oh Why?" 1950s-style love ballad featured on the soundtrack to the American film A Rage in Harlem.
Boo returned with a new record deal
in 1992 having signed to WEA
. Her follow-up album, GRRR! It's Betty Boo
, suffered very disappointing sales in the UK, peaking at number 62. It did, nevertheless, spawn another UK hit single titled "Let Me Take You There", which reached number 12 in August 1992 and in Sweden it rached number 11 on track-radio charts and 38 on the sale charts . A further single, "I'm On My Way", which featured a musical quote from The Beatles
' "Lady Madonna
" (the brass riff using all the original players) was very well received by the media
, but did not sell well and entered the chart at number 44 in October 1992. Her next single, "Hangover", fared even worse, barely scraping the Top 50 upon release in April 1993. However, in Sweden the album didn't eaven make the charts at all. Following the release of GRRR!, Clarkson turned down an offer to sign with Madonna
's Maverick Records
, and in 1999 a Best Of compilation album—effectively an expanded version of Boomania with extra remixes and a different running order—was released and sold moderately well.
, who was in the process of forming a new, all-girl group. Chris asked Alison to contribute to the project after revealing that she was his inspiration in forming one of his previous projects, the Spice Girls
; "He told me that when they were auditioning for the Spice Girls, they were looking for five Betty Boos - larger-than-life cartoon characters. He asked me to get involved in this other band he was putting together, Girl Thing, because he wanted this signature Betty Boo sound, a bit of hip-hop."
Alison went on to co-write a number of songs for Girl Thing
, including "Pure and Simple
". Although the group's A&R
man, Simon Cowell
, initially rejected Clarkson's song, it was included in the Japanese edition of Girl Thing's self-titled
debut album, released in 2001. The song became a huge, record-breaking hit single when it was re-recorded and released as the debut single of Hear’Say
—winners of the reality TV show, Popstars
—in March of the same year. On the release, Clarkson commented; "The arrangement they used was almost identical. I never met the band. It was a bit disheartening". The song went on to win the Ivor Novello Award
for the biggest selling single of 2001, however, despite finding renewed success by writing for other artists, Clarkson didn't care much for the audition-based manufactured pop process which spawned them;
Clarkson has also written songs for Girls Aloud
(reunited with the Beatmasters), Louise Nurding, Dannii Minogue
, The Tweenies and, most recently, for Sophie Ellis-Bextor
's fourth studio album.
, with Alex James
, bassist from Blur
. Together, they worked with music producer Ben Hillier
, along with former Boo collaborators The Beatmasters. Despite working to create "an album of experimental yet accessible 21st century pop", just one single emerged from their musical partnership, the self-titled "WigWam" released on 3 April 2006 via Instant Karma Records
.
dance-oriented shows, was a joint project with the London-based dance act Jack Rokka
and, as such, is much more dance-oriented than her previous work. She went on to perform the collaboration in a live set at Manchester Pride
in 2007, along with some of her other songs. The video sees Betty Boo's trademark look resurrected and even features the 'Boosters' - Betty Boo's backing dancers, who always appear with identical hair and outfits to Betty - and the Betty Boo spiral. Betty appeared on ITV's
Loose Women
on 16 October 2007 to promote the single, and has also appeared as an interviewee on BBC Three
's The Most Annoying Pop Songs... show, passing comment on several songs that made the Top 100 list.
on the double-album edition of their 2011 release Together We Were Made
(disc 2 track 2).
reported on BBC Radio 4
's Broadcasting House
that she is working with Clarkson to develop a musical version of Williams' biography England's Mistress: The Infamous Life of Emma Hamilton.
Kensington
Kensington is a district of west and central London, England within the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. An affluent and densely-populated area, its commercial heart is Kensington High Street, and it contains the well-known museum district of South Kensington.To the north, Kensington is...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
) better known as Betty Boo, is an English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
singer, songwriter
Songwriter
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...
and pop-rap artist
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....
. She first came to mainstream prominence in the late 1980s and early 1990s following a collaboration with The Beatmasters and her subsequent solo career, which spawned a number of chart-placing singles, most notably in 1990 with "Doin' The Do".
Betty Boo
Clarkson studied sound engineeringAudio engineering
An audio engineer, also called audio technician, audio technologist or sound technician, is a specialist in a skilled trade that deals with the use of machinery and equipment for the recording, mixing and reproduction of sounds. The field draws on many artistic and vocational areas, including...
at the Holloway
Holloway, London
Holloway is an inner-city district in the London Borough of Islington located north of Charing Cross and follows for the most part, the line of the Holloway Road . At the centre of Holloway is the Nag's Head area...
School of Audio Engineering before having a string of hits between 1989 and 1992. Originally nickname
Nickname
A nickname is "a usually familiar or humorous but sometimes pointed or cruel name given to a person or place, as a supposedly appropriate replacement for or addition to the proper name.", or a name similar in origin and pronunciation from the original name....
d "Betty Boop
Betty Boop
Betty Boop is an animated cartoon character created by Max Fleischer, with help from animators including Grim Natwick. She originally appeared in the Talkartoon and Betty Boop film series, which were produced by Fleischer Studios and released by Paramount Pictures. She has also been featured in...
" for her similarity to the cartoon character
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
, she changed it to avoid trademark
Trademark
A trademark, trade mark, or trade-mark is a distinctive sign or indicator used by an individual, business organization, or other legal entity to identify that the products or services to consumers with which the trademark appears originate from a unique source, and to distinguish its products or...
disputes. Of mixed Dusun
Dusun
Dusun is the collective name of a tribe or ethnic and linguistic group in the Malaysian state of Sabah of North Borneo. Due to similarities in culture and language with the Kadazan ethnic group, a new unified term called "Kadazan-Dusun" was created. Collectively, they form the largest ethnic group...
and Scottish
Scottish people
The Scottish people , or Scots, are a nation and ethnic group native to Scotland. Historically they emerged from an amalgamation of the Picts and Gaels, incorporating neighbouring Britons to the south as well as invading Germanic peoples such as the Anglo-Saxons and the Norse.In modern use,...
descent, she had an unusual, striking Emma Peel
Emma Peel
Emma Peel was a fictional spy played by Diana Rigg in the British 1960s adventure television series The Avengers. She was born Emma Knight, the daughter of an industrialist, Sir John Knight.-Casting:...
-like look, dressed in mildly provocative and revealing outfits and proved to be an influential pop music figure whose "sassy, powerful music and image launched a thousand wannabe's". Writing for The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
in August 1990, Lucy O'Brien
Lucy O'Brien
Lucy O'Brien is an author and journalist whose work focuses on women in music.-Early musical and writing career:...
noted the difference between the "quietly spoken" Clarkson and her "lovable toughie" pop star alter-ego, describing the latter as "a cartoon combination of Betty Boop, Barbarella and Buck Rogers".
Whilst still at school, Boo began her musical career by signing to the British record label Music of Life
Music of Life
Music of Life is a British independent dance music label formed in 1986 by two influential DJ remixers, Froggy and Simon Harris. Following several successful productions, one of which reached No3 in the UK pop music charts Harris and Froggy decided to launch their own label, they were offered a...
with the hip-hop group the She Rockers
She Rockers
The She Rockers were a female hip hop trio from London, the most famous member of which was Betty Boo .-Career:...
, whose success led her to New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
and work with Public Enemy, who encouraged her to pursue a solo
Solo (music)
In music, a solo is a piece or a section of a piece played or sung by a single performer...
career. Commenting on her time spent supporting Public Enemy on tour in the US
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, as well as working with Professor Griff
Professor Griff
Professor Griff is an American rapper and spoken word artist. He is a member of the hip hop group Public Enemy and head of the Security of the First World.-Early years in Public Enemy:...
in the recording studio on the song "Give It A Rest", Boo revealed that things didn't go as expected; "They were producing our single and I thought it would sound like their stuff, but it didn't at all. And some of the crowds were hostile to us. They didn't throw anything, no, but they wanted to see Public Enemy and they just weren't interested in us."
Her big break came when she appeared as guest vocalist on the 1989 number 7 UK hit single, "Hey DJ - I Can't Dance (To That Music You're Playing)" by The Beatmasters. Her first solo single, "Doin' The Do", followed and was also a UK number 7 success for her in 1990, selling 200,000 copies and reaching number one on Billboard's dance chart in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. One year later, the song was used as the title tune for Magic Pockets
Magic Pockets
Magic Pockets is a platform game developed by the Bitmap Brothers and published by Renegade in October 1991. It was released for the Atari ST, Amiga, Acorn Archimedes and PC....
video game by the Bitmap Brothers
Bitmap Brothers
The Bitmap Brothers were a UK based video game developer founded in 1987. The company entered the industry in 1988 with the scrolling shooter Xenon. They quickly followed with the classic Speedball...
. Boomania
Boomania
Boomania was the first and most popular album by Betty Boo. It was released in 1990, and was re-released as a remix album: Doin' the Do: The Best of Betty Boo in 1999. King John produced most of the songs...
, her platinum-selling debut album, was largely self-written and self-produced in her bedroom. Her second solo single, "Where Are You Baby?", which reached number 3 in August 1990, is her biggest solo hit to date. "24 Hours" was the third and final single to be issued from Boomania, and although it was a hit, it was less so than previous releases, stalling at number 25 in December 1990. Her initial success was compounded at the 1991 BRIT Awards
Brit Awards
The Brit Awards are the British Phonographic Industry's annual pop music awards. The name was originally a shortened form of "British", "Britain" or "Britannia", but subsequently became a backronym for British Record Industry Trust...
ceremony where she was voted that year's best British Breakthrough Act. In 1991, her "Why, Oh Why?" 1950s-style love ballad featured on the soundtrack to the American film A Rage in Harlem.
Boo returned with a new record deal
Recording contract
A recording contract is a legal agreement between a record label and a recording artist , where the artist makes a record for the label to sell and promote...
in 1992 having signed to WEA
Warner Music Group
Warner Music Group is the third largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry, making it one of the big four record companies...
. Her follow-up album, GRRR! It's Betty Boo
GRRR! It's Betty Boo
Grrr! It's Betty Boo is the second album by Betty Boo, released in 1992 via WEA Records. The record is dedicated to her father.-Critical reception:...
, suffered very disappointing sales in the UK, peaking at number 62. It did, nevertheless, spawn another UK hit single titled "Let Me Take You There", which reached number 12 in August 1992 and in Sweden it rached number 11 on track-radio charts and 38 on the sale charts . A further single, "I'm On My Way", which featured a musical quote from The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
' "Lady Madonna
Lady Madonna
"Lady Madonna" is a song by The Beatles, primarily written by Paul McCartney . In March 1968, it was released as a single, backed with "The Inner Light." The song was recorded on 3 and 6 February 1968 before the Beatles left for India...
" (the brass riff using all the original players) was very well received by the media
Mass media
Mass media refers collectively to all media technologies which are intended to reach a large audience via mass communication. Broadcast media transmit their information electronically and comprise of television, film and radio, movies, CDs, DVDs and some other gadgets like cameras or video consoles...
, but did not sell well and entered the chart at number 44 in October 1992. Her next single, "Hangover", fared even worse, barely scraping the Top 50 upon release in April 1993. However, in Sweden the album didn't eaven make the charts at all. Following the release of GRRR!, Clarkson turned down an offer to sign with Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
's Maverick Records
Maverick Records
Maverick Recording Company is an American record label owned and operated by Warner Music Group, and distributed through Warner Bros. Records.-Company history:...
, and in 1999 a Best Of compilation album—effectively an expanded version of Boomania with extra remixes and a different running order—was released and sold moderately well.
Songwriter
After her solo career effectively ended when her mother contracted terminal cancer in the early 1990s, Clarkson turned to songwriting, at the request of Chris HerbertChris Herbert
Chris Herbert , is a talent manager who has helped overseen the careers of the Spice Girls, Five, Stephen Gately and Hear'Say...
, who was in the process of forming a new, all-girl group. Chris asked Alison to contribute to the project after revealing that she was his inspiration in forming one of his previous projects, the Spice Girls
Spice Girls
The Spice Girls were a British pop girl group formed in 1994. The group consisted of Victoria Beckham , Melanie Brown, Emma Bunton, Melanie Chisholm and Geri Halliwell. They were signed to Virgin Records and released their debut single, "Wannabe" in 1996, which hit number-one in more than 30...
; "He told me that when they were auditioning for the Spice Girls, they were looking for five Betty Boos - larger-than-life cartoon characters. He asked me to get involved in this other band he was putting together, Girl Thing, because he wanted this signature Betty Boo sound, a bit of hip-hop."
Alison went on to co-write a number of songs for Girl Thing
Girl Thing
Girl Thing were a British girl band, made up of members, Jodi Albert, Anika Bostelaar, Linzi Martin, Michelle Barber and Nikki Stuart. They are most famous for their song "Last One Standing" written and produced by the Steelworks production team of Tim Lever, Mike Percy and Eliot Kennedy, which hit...
, including "Pure and Simple
Pure and Simple
"Pure and Simple" is a popular song, released as the debut single by Hear'Say, the original winners of the UK version of Popstars. It was released as a double A-side with "Bridge Over Troubled Water", which was a fan favourite at the live shows....
". Although the group's A&R
A&R
Artists and repertoire is the division of a record label that is responsible for talent scouting and overseeing the artistic development of recording artists. It also acts as a liaison between artists and the record label.- Finding talent :...
man, Simon Cowell
Simon Cowell
Simon Phillip Cowell is an English A&R executive, television producer, entrepreneur, and television personality. He is known in the United Kingdom and United States for his role as a talent judge on TV shows such as Pop Idol, The X Factor, Britain's Got Talent and American Idol...
, initially rejected Clarkson's song, it was included in the Japanese edition of Girl Thing's self-titled
Eponym
An eponym is the name of a person or thing, whether real or fictitious, after which a particular place, tribe, era, discovery, or other item is named or thought to be named...
debut album, released in 2001. The song became a huge, record-breaking hit single when it was re-recorded and released as the debut single of Hear’Say
Hear’Say
Hear'Say were a British manufactured pop group created in February 2001 from the winners of Popstars, an ITV reality TV show based on a New Zealand show of the same name. They enjoyed huge success with their debut single "Pure and Simple", helped by the publicity surrounding Popstars, the first of...
—winners of the reality TV show, Popstars
Popstars
Popstars is an international reality television franchise and a precursor to the Idol series. The series first began in New Zealand in 1999 when producer Jonathan Dowling formed the five member all-girl group TrueBliss...
—in March of the same year. On the release, Clarkson commented; "The arrangement they used was almost identical. I never met the band. It was a bit disheartening". The song went on to win the Ivor Novello Award
Ivor Novello Awards
The Ivor Novello Awards, named after the Cardiff born entertainer Ivor Novello, are awards for songwriting and composing. They are presented annually in London by the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors and were first introduced in 1955.Nicknamed The Ivors, the awards take place...
for the biggest selling single of 2001, however, despite finding renewed success by writing for other artists, Clarkson didn't care much for the audition-based manufactured pop process which spawned them;
This audition-based pop star thing just didn't exist when I was around, or at least I wasn't aware of it. I came from a hip-hop background, did very credible underground music. As a pop artist, I had my own image. I had got to help the directors with the videos, I worked very closely with an art designer on the sleeves and stuff. It's completely different now...
Popstars was the whole thing I completely loathe in pop music. I don't like the idea of people being auditioned to be in a pop band. They may as well be working on a cruise liner. Pop music will not evolve if it carries on like this. I think Popstars exposed how a pop group is made. It should put an end to it completely. Even if 'Pure and Simple' was a successful record, I'm not that passionate about it. I'm more passionate that the programme itself might have changed people's view about pop.
Clarkson has also written songs for Girls Aloud
Girls Aloud
Girls Aloud are a British and Irish pop girl group based in London. They were created through the ITV1 talent show Popstars The Rivals in 2002. The group consists of Cheryl Cole , Nadine Coyle, Sarah Harding, Nicola Roberts and Kimberley Walsh. They are signed to Fascination Records, a Polydor...
(reunited with the Beatmasters), Louise Nurding, Dannii Minogue
Dannii Minogue
Danielle Jane "Dannii" Minogue is an Australian singer-songwriter, actress, television personality, radio personality, fashion designer and model...
, The Tweenies and, most recently, for Sophie Ellis-Bextor
Sophie Ellis-Bextor
Sophie Michelle Ellis-Bextor is an English singer, songwriter, model and occasional DJ. She first came to prominence in the late 1990s, as the lead singer of the indie rock band Theaudience. After the group disbanded, Ellis-Bextor went solo, achieving widespread success in the early 2000s...
's fourth studio album.
WigWam
In 2006, Betty formed a pop duo called WigWamWigWam
WigWam are a duo comprising Alex James, the bassist from Blur and vocalist Betty Boo. With record producer Ben Hillier, and former Boo collaborators Beatmasters, WigWam were said to be creating an album which they described as "experimental yet accessible 21st century pop"...
, with Alex James
Alex James (musician)
Professionally known as Alex James is an English musician, songwriter, journalist and cheesemaker. He is best known as the bass player and occasional vocalist of band Blur...
, bassist from Blur
Blur (band)
Blur is an English alternative rock band. Formed in London in 1989 as Seymour, the group consists of singer Damon Albarn, guitarist Graham Coxon, bassist Alex James and drummer Dave Rowntree. Blur's debut album Leisure incorporated the sounds of Madchester and shoegazing...
. Together, they worked with music producer Ben Hillier
Ben Hillier
Ben Hillier is a British songwriter and pop-rock music producer who is part of the creative team 140dB. He has produced such popular and critically acclaimed albums as Playing the Angel and Sounds of the Universe by Depeche Mode, Think Tank by Blur, Some Cities by Doves and Cast of Thousands by...
, along with former Boo collaborators The Beatmasters. Despite working to create "an album of experimental yet accessible 21st century pop", just one single emerged from their musical partnership, the self-titled "WigWam" released on 3 April 2006 via Instant Karma Records
Instant Karma (record label)
Instant Karma is an independent record label created by former Warner Music Group chairman and head of the BPI, Rob Dickins, in 1999.The label was founded by Dickins after his resignation from Warner Music, where he gained fame for his track record of signing female vocalists such as Enya and The...
.
Collaboration with Jack Rokka
In August 2007, she released a new single titled "Take Off". The song, which was playlisted on Radio 1'sBBC 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...
dance-oriented shows, was a joint project with the London-based dance act Jack Rokka
Jack Rokka
Digital Dog are now a SE London-based team, Steve Cornish and Nick Mace. They have produced/remixed for everyone from Cheyrl Cole, Timbaland, Katy Perry, Britney Spears, Rihanna, Ciara, Pussycat dolls, 50 Cent, Taio Cruz, Tinchy Stryder, Cyndi Lauper, Chipmunk, JLS, Pink, Fatboy Slim, Armand Van...
and, as such, is much more dance-oriented than her previous work. She went on to perform the collaboration in a live set at Manchester Pride
Manchester Pride
Manchester Pride is the current name of the annual Gay Pride festival held in the city of Manchester in the North West of England in the United Kingdom....
in 2007, along with some of her other songs. The video sees Betty Boo's trademark look resurrected and even features the 'Boosters' - Betty Boo's backing dancers, who always appear with identical hair and outfits to Betty - and the Betty Boo spiral. Betty appeared on ITV's
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
Loose Women
Loose Women
Loose Women is a British lunchtime television programme, first broadcast in 1999 on ITV. It consists of a panel of four women who interview celebrities and discuss topical issues, ranging from daily politics and current affairs, to celebrity gossip...
on 16 October 2007 to promote the single, and has also appeared as an interviewee on BBC Three
BBC Three
BBC Three is a television network from the BBC broadcasting via digital cable, terrestrial, IPTV and satellite platforms. The channel's target audience includes those in the 16-34 year old age group, and has the purpose of providing "innovative" content to younger audiences, focusing on new talent...
's The Most Annoying Pop Songs... show, passing comment on several songs that made the Top 100 list.
The Feeling
In June 2011, Clarkson features as Betty Boo (and is credited) on the track Virtually Art by The FeelingThe Feeling
The Feeling are a BRIT award-nominated English pop band from West Sussex and London. The band categorise their music as "pop".Following a limited release of their first single "Fill My Little World" in late 2005, the band entered the UK Singles Chart at #7 with their first full release "Sewn" in...
on the double-album edition of their 2011 release Together We Were Made
Together We Were Made
Together We Were Made is the third studio album by the British rock band The Feeling, released on June 20, 2011.-Standard edition:# "Set My World on Fire" – 3:57# "Dance for the Lights" – 4:21# "Another Soldier" – 3:41...
(disc 2 track 2).
Other work
In July 2009, historian Kate WilliamsKate Williams (historian)
Kate Williams is a British author, historian and TV presenter.-Books:Her first book, England’s Mistress, a biography of Emma Hamilton, was published by Random House in the UK and US...
reported on BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...
's Broadcasting House
Broadcasting House (radio programme)
Broadcasting House is a current affairs programme on BBC Radio 4, presented by Paddy O'Connell. It is broadcast every Sunday between 09:00 and 10:00....
that she is working with Clarkson to develop a musical version of Williams' biography England's Mistress: The Infamous Life of Emma Hamilton.
Albums
| Year | Album details | Peak chart positions | Certifications Music recording sales certification Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,... (sales thresholds) |
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK |
AUS 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... |
NLD Netherlands The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders... |
NZ Recording Industry Association of New Zealand The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand... |
|||
| 1990 | Boomania Boomania Boomania was the first and most popular album by Betty Boo. It was released in 1990, and was re-released as a remix album: Doin' the Do: The Best of Betty Boo in 1999. King John produced most of the songs... |
4 | 68 | 88 | 25 |
|
| 1992 | GRRR! It's Betty Boo GRRR! It's Betty Boo Grrr! It's Betty Boo is the second album by Betty Boo, released in 1992 via WEA Records. The record is dedicated to her father.-Critical reception:... |
62 | - | - | - | |
| 1999 | Doin' the Do: The Best of Betty Boo Doin' the Do: The Best of Betty Boo Doin' The Do: The Best of Betty Boo is the third album by Betty Boo and was released in 1999. It only contains tracks from her debut album Boomania with the addition of a few extended versions of singles from Boomania, a remix and a megamix.... |
- | - | - | - | |
Singles
- "Hey DJ / I Can't Dance (To That Music You're Playing)" / "Ska Train" (Guest vocal for the BeatmastersBeatmastersThe Beatmasters are a team of dance music songwriters, musicians and producers who were successful as artists in their own right in the UK in the late 1980s and early 1990s and then went on to produce and remix records for many other groups...
) (1989) UK #7 - "Doin' the Do" (1990) UK #7, AUS #3
- "Where Are You Baby?Where Are You Baby?"Where Are You Baby?" was a 1990 single released by Betty Boo from her album Boomania. It peaked at #3 in the UK Singles Chart in September 1990. The main verse hook line is the tune of the saxophone riff that leads in to the middle 8 section of the James Brown track I Got You...
" (1990) UK #3, AUS #19 - "24 Hours" (1990) UK #25, AUS #94
- "Let Me Take You There" (1992) UK #12, AUS #97, SWE #38
- "I'm On My Way" (1992) UK #44
- "Hangover" (1993) UK #50
- "Catch Me" (1993)- not released as a single in the UK
- "Thing Goin' On" (1993)- not released as a single in the UK
- "Wigwam" (2006) as part of WigWamWigWamWigWam are a duo comprising Alex James, the bassist from Blur and vocalist Betty Boo. With record producer Ben Hillier, and former Boo collaborators Beatmasters, WigWam were said to be creating an album which they described as "experimental yet accessible 21st century pop"...
with Alex James UK #60 - "Take Off" (Jack RokkaJack RokkaDigital Dog are now a SE London-based team, Steve Cornish and Nick Mace. They have produced/remixed for everyone from Cheyrl Cole, Timbaland, Katy Perry, Britney Spears, Rihanna, Ciara, Pussycat dolls, 50 Cent, Taio Cruz, Tinchy Stryder, Cyndi Lauper, Chipmunk, JLS, Pink, Fatboy Slim, Armand Van...
vs. Betty Boo) (2007) UK #92
See also
- List of Number 1 Dance Hits (United States)
- List of artists who reached number one on the US Dance chart
- WigWamWigWamWigWam are a duo comprising Alex James, the bassist from Blur and vocalist Betty Boo. With record producer Ben Hillier, and former Boo collaborators Beatmasters, WigWam were said to be creating an album which they described as "experimental yet accessible 21st century pop"...