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“Blame It on the Boogie” is a disco song, originally released in 1978 both by English singer-songwriter Mick Jackson as well as (in its most famous version) by The Jacksons (no connection), and was later also covered by numerous other artists.
Although Mick Jackson recorded the song in 1977 “Blame It on the Boogie” was written in hopes of being shopped to Stevie Wonder.
The Mick Jackson track was showcased in 1978 at Midem where according to Mick Jackson: “The Jackson’s manager [Peter Kerstin] heard the track being played…and took a tape recording of it…back to the States [where] The Jackson’s quickly recorded a version so it would be out before mine.”
In fact the Mick Jackson recording was released by Atlantic Records in the US in August of 1978 becoming a minor hit (#61). Epic Records released the Jacksons’ version that October and although it did return the group to the charts after five flop releases “Blame It on the Boogie” – with which peaked at number fifty-four on the Hot 100 – was not the single to effect a major comeback for the Jacksons; it would be the subsequent single: “Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)”, also from the Destiny album, which would briefly restore the Jacksons’ Top Ten fortunes. However, “Blame It on the Boogie” did reach number three on the R&B charts for three weeks . In addition, Blame It on the Boogie” would be coupled with “Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)” on an extended club play single which would reach number twenty on the dance charts in 1979.
In the UK both the Mick Jackson version and the Jacksons’ were released within a few days of each other in October 1978 in both the UK and the US. The UK music press, struck by the rival versions being by similarly named artists, declared a “Battle of the Boogie” which Mick Jackson recalls as “great publicity…There was an equal balance of interest from the media about both releases – A good example is that my version came out first on Top Of The Pops… The Jackson’s had the second week…Radio One played The Jackson’s version and Capital Radio only played mine – It was fair.”
The Jacksons’ version – lauded by Melody Maker as their “self-penned song” (16th Sept 1978) – was the more successful version reaching #8 on the chart dated 4 November 1978; the Mick Jackson version – hailed by NME as ” far superior” (7th Oct 1978) – had peaked at #15 on the chart for that 21 October.
Mick Jackson himself in 2003 would say of the Jacksons’ version of “Blame It on the Boogie”: “[the original] version had 100% of our heart and soul in it but the Jackson’s version had the magic extra 2% that made it incredible.”
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