Boom Boom Chi Boom Boom


Boom Boom Chi Boom Boom is the third studio album by Tom Tom Club, released in 1988. It includes a cover of the Velvet Underground's "Femme Fatale", with David Byrne, Lou Reed, and Jerry Harrison.
The track "Suboceana" was released as a single in the UK in late 1988 and received some radio airplay. In the US, a 12-inch single of the song was released, which featured a remix by Marshall Jefferson, and contains the track "Devil, Does Your Dog Bite". That song is a bonus on the Japanese issue of the album that has the original 10 songs.
The track "Don't Say No" was released as a single in the UK, Europe, and Australia. The 7" version was remixed by Tuta Aquino and various 12" releases included acid house remixes by Marshall Jefferson.
"Challenge of the Love Warriors" is played over the ending credits of Mary Lambert's 1987 mystery thriller Siesta though it is not included on the soundtrack album, also released in 1987, from Miles Davis and Marcus Miller.

Production

The band began working on the album in 1986, and eventually spent two months recording it.

Critical reception

Trouser Press preferred the US version of the album, writing that it "is as much fun for as deep as you care to listen." The Rolling Stone Album Guide called the album "forced" and "hollow-sounding." The Los Angeles Times called it "a fluffy funkasonic fun house that serves as a fine complement to the Heads’ more arty melanges." The Rough Guide to Rock deemed the songs "polite white soul arrangements."

Track listing

All songs written by Tina Weymouth and Chris Frantz, except where noted.
  1. "Suboceana" – 4:53
  2. "Shock the World" – 3:51
  3. "Don't Say No" – 4:30
  4. "Challenge of the Love Warriors" – 3:07
  5. "Femme Fatale" – 2:48
  6. "Born for Love" – 4:24
  7. "Broken Promises" – 3:45
  8. "She Belongs to Me" – 4:03
  9. "Little Eva" – 4:00
  10. "Mighty Teardrop" – 4:13

    US/Canada (1989) track listing

The album was heavily revised for issue in the US and Canada. Three tracks of the original 1988 issue were dropped, while four new tracks were added.
  1. "Call of the Wild" mixed by Gary Wilkinson
  2. "Kiss Me When I Get Back" mixed by Louis Scalise
  3. "Wa Wa Dance" mixed by Gary Wilkinson
  4. "I Confess" mixed by David Sussman
  5. "Challenge of the Love Warriors"
  6. "Suboceana"
  7. "Don't Say No"
  8. "Shock the World"
  9. "Little Eva"
  10. "Femme Fatale"
  11. "She Belongs to Me" mixed by Mark Roule

    Personnel

  • Tina Weymouth – bass, keyboards, rhythm guitar, vocals; harmonium on "Femme Fatale"
  • Chris Frantz – drums, keyboards, percussion, front cover painting
  • Mark Roule – guitar, backing vocals
  • Gary Pozner – keyboards, drum programming, percussion, backing vocals
  • Laura Weymouth – backing vocals
  • Wally Badarou – Synclavier on "Challenge of the Love Warriors" and Bell keyboards on "Broken Promises"
  • Steve Scales – bongos, percussion on "Challenge of the Love Warriors"
  • Jerry Harrison – keyboards, backing vocals on "Femme Fatale"
  • Lou Reed – guitar, backing vocals on "Femme Fatale"
  • David Byrne – guitar, backing vocals on "Femme Fatale"
  • Eddie Martinez – guitar on "Born for Love"
  • Jay Berliner – Spanish guitar on "Broken Promises"
  • Glenn Rosenstein – rhythm guitar on "Born for Love", keyboards on "She Belongs to Me"
  • Heidi Berg – violin on "Little Eva"
  • Coco Arnesen Roule – vocals on "Call of the Wild"
  • Tiny Valentine – vocals on "Wa Wa Dance"
;Technical
  • Glenn Rosenstein – engineer, mixing
  • Mark Roule and Steven Stanley – additional engineer

    Chart performance

The album spent 11 weeks on the U.S. Billboard album charts and reached its peak position of #114 in May 1989.