My Boomerang Won't Come Back

Last updated
"My Boomerang Won't Come Back"
Single by Charlie Drake
B-side "She's My Girl"
Released1961
Recorded1961
Genre Novelty
Length3:32 (original version); 2:44 (edited version)
Label Parlophone Records (UK), United Artists (USA)
Songwriter(s) Max Diamond and Charlie Drake
Producer(s) George Martin

"My Boomerang Won't Come Back" is a novelty record by British comedian Charlie Drake which became a hit in the United States and the United Kingdom in 1961.

Contents

Background

The tune concerns a young Aboriginal lad (with Drake's signature Cockney accent) cast out by his tribe due to his inability to toss a boomerang. After months of isolation (and fighting off "nasty bushwackin' animals"), the local witch doctor takes pity on the lad and tells him, "If you want your boomerang to come back/Well, first you've got to throw it!" He does, and proceeds to bring down an aeroplane, which crashes with a loud boom. "Oh, my Gawd," the lad says in horror, "I've hit The Flying Doctor!" The lad and the witch doctor argue over payment ("You still owe me fourteen chickens!") as the record fades out.

The record was produced by George Martin, who went on to even more enduring fame by producing the Beatles. Martin used studio tricks to approximate the sound of Aboriginal instruments.

Controversy

"My Boomerang" is not exactly a paragon of political correctness, even by 1961 standards. In the song an Aboriginal meeting is described as a "pow-wow"—something more appropriate for Native Americans—while their chanting sounds more African than Aboriginal (many of the Aboriginal speakers in the song have either American or British accents.) Most of all, Drake raised eyebrows with the chorus: "I've waved the thing all over the place/practised till I was black in the face/I'm a big disgrace to the Aborigine race/My boomerang won't come back!"

After the BBC refused to play the tune (despite its popularity in record shops), a new version was recorded, substituting "blue in the face"; this version (on Parlophone Records) entered the UK charts in October and eventually peaked at No. 14. [1]

When the song was initially released in the US it contained the "black in the face" lyric which was shortly changed to "blue". British-born talk-show host Michael Jackson, then on KEWB in Oakland, thought this was silly; he claimed "black in the face" was an allusion to George Black, a British theatrical and television producer.

North American versions

United Artists released the record in America, and, not wanting to deal with complaints like the ones in Britain, issued a 45-only version that not only featured the line "blue in the face" but was considerably shorter than the UK version (which was 3:32), clocking in at 2:44 (the middle part was tightened up and the entire final bit about "The Flying Doctor" was excised, assuming American audiences would be unfamiliar with this service; after the sound of the flying boomerang, the song goes back into the chorus and fades out). The US version first hit the Billboard Hot 100 in January 1962 and peaked at No. 21, [2] (a rare pre-Beatles hit for a British artist in the US) for what would be Drake's only American chart appearance (oddly, yet another version turned up on an American LP release, which was the same length as the US 45 but again contained the line "black in the face").

The K-Tel compilation entitled "Looney Tunes" (K-Tel NU9140, 1976) contained the full 3:32 version, with "black in the face" included.

The record also did well in Canada, reaching No. 3 there. [3]

Australian reaction

At the time of its release, despite its less-than-respectful treatment of Aboriginal people, Australian record-buyers apparently had no problem with the original "black in the face" version. Musicologist David Kent has calculated that the song reached No. 1 there in December 1961, and a copy of the record has been archived by Music Australia. [4] Australian musician Horrie Dargie's quintet recorded a response song, "My Boomerang Did Come Back" (1962), co-written by Nat Kipner, Johnny Devlin and Clyde Collins, [5] which peaked in the top 100. [6] [7]

By 2015, however, times had changed, and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) banned the song, after a listener complained that it was racist. The ABC apologized after its Hobart-based radio program, Weekends, played the song in September of that year, at the request of a listener. Following the complaint, the broadcaster said it has removed the track completely from its system and taken steps to ensure "this would not happen again". The ABC's Audience and Consumer Affairs Department released a statement that the error was due to staff "not being familiar with the track’s lyrics". [8] [9]

The Worker reference

The song is referred to in Drake's ITV sitcom The Worker . In the 1969 episode "Hello, Cobbler" (coincidentally, the only one to survive in a colour version), Charlie's eponymous character is hit on the head by a boomerang and hallucinates a bizarre Australian adventure (which sees the actors, including Drake himself, playing Aboriginal characters in blackface makeup). When he wakes up he asks, "What happened?" and is told, "Something you've always wanted--your boomerang came back!"

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charlie Drake</span> English comedian, actor, singer and writer (1925–2006)

Charles Edward Springall, known professionally as Charlie Drake, was an English comedian, actor, writer and singer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Novelty song</span> Musical genre

A novelty song is a type of song built upon some form of novel concept, such as a gimmick, a piece of humor, or a sample of popular culture. Novelty songs partially overlap with comedy songs, which are more explicitly based on humor, and with musical parody, especially when the novel gimmick is another popular song. Novelty songs achieved great popularity during the 1920s and 1930s. They had a resurgence of interest in the 1950s and 1960s. The term arose in Tin Pan Alley to describe one of the major divisions of popular music; the other two divisions were ballads and dance music. Humorous songs, or those containing humorous elements, are not necessarily novelty songs.

Black Box is an Italian house music group popular in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The group is currently made up of DJ Daniele Davoli, classically trained clarinet teacher Valerio Semplici, keyboardist and electronic musician Mirko Limoni, and vocalist Celestine Walcott-Gordon. French fashion model Katrin Quinol joined the act in 1989 and became the official face of Black Box, appearing on the cover of their single and album releases as well as in music videos, including the hit "Ride on Time", which was the highest-selling single of 1989 in the UK. The following year, it was revealed that Quinol was lip-syncing and had not performed on the recording. American singer Martha Wash performed the majority of the songs on the group's debut album, Dreamland, while being uncredited.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ain't No Sunshine</span> 1971 single by Bill Withers

"Ain't No Sunshine" is a song by Bill Withers, from his 1971 debut album Just As I Am, produced by Booker T. Jones. The record featured musicians Donald "Duck" Dunn on bass guitar, Al Jackson Jr. on drums and Stephen Stills on guitar. String arrangements were arranged by Jones. The song was recorded in Los Angeles, with overdubs in Memphis by engineer Terry Manning.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Put Your Head on My Shoulder (song)</span> 1959 single by Paul Anka

"Put Your Head on My Shoulder" is a song written by Canadian-born singer-songwriter Paul Anka. Anka's version was recorded in August 1958 at Bell Sound Studios in New York City, twenty days before he recorded his no. 1 hit "Lonely Boy", and was released as a single on August 17, 1959, by ABC-Paramount as catalog number 4510040. It was arranged and conducted by Don Costa. The B-side was "Don't Ever Leave Me". "Put Your Head on My Shoulder" became very successful, reaching No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100. It was his third top five hit of 1959. In Canada the song reached No. 4 on the CHUM Charts.

"Here Comes My Baby" is a song written by British singer-songwriter Cat Stevens. It is well known for being an international hit for the Tremeloes in 1967.

"Wind Beneath My Wings" is a song written in 1982 by Jeff Silbar and Larry Henley.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Until You Come Back to Me (That's What I'm Gonna Do)</span> 1973 song composed by Stevie Wonder, performed by Aretha Franklin

"Until You Come Back to Me (That's What I'm Gonna Do)" is a song written by Morris Broadnax, Clarence Paul, and Stevie Wonder. The song was originally recorded by Stevie Wonder in 1967, but his version was not released as a single and did not appear on an album until 1977's anthology Looking Back. The best-known version of this song is the 1973 release by Aretha Franklin, who had a million-selling top 10 hit on Billboard charts. The song reached No. 1 on the R&B chart and No. 3 on the Hot 100 chart in 1974. It became an RIAA Gold record.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bang-A-Boomerang</span> ABBA song, first sung by Svenne & Lotta

"Bang-A-Boomerang" is a song by ABBA, first released by Svenne & Lotta. The track was first recorded as a demo with English lyrics in September 1974 by the ABBA musicians for their eponymous album ABBA. The song was written by Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus and Stig Anderson and at one point had the working title "Stop and Listen to Your Heart". The lyrics compare the "message of love" with the returning boomerangs which the Aboriginal Australians developed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood</span> 1964 song by Nina Simone

"Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" is a song written by Bennie Benjamin, Horace Ott and Sol Marcus for American singer-songwriter and pianist Nina Simone, who recorded the first version in 1964. "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" has been covered by many artists. Two of the covers were transatlantic hits, the first in 1965 by the Animals, which was a blues rock version; and in 1977 by the disco group Santa Esmeralda, which was a four-on-the-floor rearrangement. A 1986 cover by new wave musician Elvis Costello found success in Britain and Ireland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Slow Hand</span> 1981 single by The Pointer Sisters

"Slow Hand" is a song recorded by American vocal group The Pointer Sisters for their eighth studio album Black & White (1981). The song, written by Michael Clark and John Bettis, was released by the Planet label in May 1981 as the lead single from Black & White.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mockingbird (Inez & Charlie Foxx song)</span> 1963 single by Inez and Charlie Foxx

"Mockingbird" is a 1963 song written and recorded by Inez and Charlie Foxx, based on the lullaby "Hush, Little Baby".

"Standing on the Corner" is a popular song written by Frank Loesser and published in 1956. It was introduced by Shorty Long, Alan Gilbert, John Henson, and Roy Lazarus in the Broadway musical, The Most Happy Fella.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oh Boy (The Mood I'm In)</span>

"Oh Boy " is a popular song written by Tony Romeo. It has been recorded by Diana Trask and Brotherhood of Man, among others. The song is about a woman whose partner/husband is no longer with her and she sadly walks the streets in an attempt to find him. Tony Romeo who wrote the song is best known for his 1970 hit "I Think I Love You" by The Partridge Family, which became a US No.1.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">My Elusive Dreams</span> 1967 single by David Houston and Tammy Wynette

"My Elusive Dreams" is a country music song written by Billy Sherrill and Curly Putman. Putman recorded his song in March 1967 and released it on ABC Records in June 1967, peaking at #41 on the Hot Country Singles charts and #34 on the Bubbling Under Hot 100. The song was later recorded by several artists. The best-known version was recorded as a duet by David Houston and Tammy Wynette, and was a No. 1 country hit in October 1967; the song also peaked at No. 89 on the Billboard Hot 100. Wynette recorded a second duet version of My Elusive Dreams in 1973 with George Jones; this version was included on the Let's Build a World Together album. A 1975 Irish version by Philomena Begley and Ray Lynam is referenced in The Pogues’s A Pair of Brown Eyes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jon Morter</span> English radio DJ

Jonathan Morter is an English radio DJ, social media pioneer and campaigner. He helped launch various internet campaigns. He launched the Condescending Corporate Brand Page, a page that harshly ridicules corporate social media techniques.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kunt and the Gang</span> British musical comedian

Kunt and the Gang is a British dark musical comedy songwriter and performer from Basildon, Essex. Despite the "and the Gang" in the stage name, the act comprises a single performer, whose real name is Wayne Clements.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stand By (Roman Holliday song)</span> 1983 single by Roman Holliday

"Stand By" is the debut single by British band Roman Holliday, released in 1983. It was written by Steve Lambert and R. Lambert and produced by Peter Collins. The song peaked at #61 on the UK Singles Chart. In the US, "Stand By" peaked at #54.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Come Closer (Wizkid song)</span> 2017 single by Wizkid featuring Drake

"Come Closer" is an electropop and Afropop song by Nigerian singer Wizkid featuring Canadian rapper Drake. The song was released as the third single from the former's third studio album, Sounds from the Other Side (2017).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Don't Throw It All Away</span> Song written by Gary Benson

"Don't Throw It All Away" is a song written by British musician Gary Benson and first released by the Shadows on their 1975 album Specs Appeal. Benson released his version as a single later the same year, which reached number 20 on the UK Singles Chart in the fall of 1975.

References

  1. ↑ "officialcharts.com". officialcharts.com. Retrieved January 9, 2023.
  2. ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2013). Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles, 14th Edition: 1955-2012. Record Research. p. 256.
  3. ↑ "MY BOOMERANG WON'T COME BACK by CHARLIE DRAKE". Songfacts.com. Retrieved 2016-09-26.
  4. ↑ "My boomerang won't come back [music] / words & music by Max Diamond & Charlie Drake". Nla.gov.au. Retrieved 2016-09-26.
  5. ↑ "Song Catalogue Search Results for 'My Boomerang Did Come Back'". APRA AMCOS (Australasian Performing Right Association, Australasian Mechanical Copyright Owners Society). Retrieved 11 October 2023.
  6. ↑ Kent, David (2005). Australian Chart Book 1940–1969 . Turramurra, NSW: Australian Chart Book. ISBN   0-6464-4439-5. Note: Chart positions back-calculated by Kent in 2005.
  7. ↑ Kilby, David; Kilby, Jordie (3 October 2012). "Return of the Boomerang". RareCollections. Archived from the original on 25 July 2015. Retrieved 11 October 2023– via National Library of Australia.
  8. ↑ "ABC Bans Charttopping Boomerang Song by British Comedian Charlie Drake". Heraldsun.com.au. Retrieved 2016-09-26.
  9. ↑ "ABC bans 'offensive' Charlie Drake comedy song". 3aw.com.au. Retrieved 2016-09-26.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.