A-side "I Want You Back" Format 7" vinyl Genre Rock | B-side "Who Do You Love?" Recorded Trafalgar Studios | |
Released March, 1984 (Australia)
1984 (United Kingdom) | ||
"I Want You Back" was the fourth single released by iconic 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. The B-Side "Who Do You Love?" (a.k.a. "Hoodoo You Love?") was recorded live at 2JJJ. The single was released in the United Kingdom in 1984 by Demon Records, but with an alternative B-Side, "Be My Guru".
Contents
Background
Australian rock group Hoodoo Gurus released both the single, "I Want You Back", and its associated album, Stoneage Romeos, in March 1984. They appeared on Big Time Records and were distributed by EMI. The track was written by the group's lead singer and guitarist, Dave Faulkner. During 1982 Kimble Rendall, their founding guitarist, left and was followed out of the band by fellow founder, Roddy Radalj. Radalj publicly expressed his dissatisfaction with Rendall's leaving and Faulkner's greater influence on the group. "I Want You Back" was Hoodoo Gurus first hit in America, reaching number three on the college radio charts.
In an interview with Fred Mills of Harp magazine in January 2007, Faulkner revealed that the song was written not about a former lover but about the split with 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!’"
In 1985 Simon F. (a.k.a. Simon Fellowes of UK Band Intaferon) released a cover version of the song:
" "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.
"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.
Track listing
- "I Want You Back" (Dave Faulkner) — 2:45
- "Who Do You Love?" (Ellas McDaniel a.k.a. Bo Diddley) — 2:05
Personnel
Credited to: