"Boy" was written by band member Theodore ("Ted") Ottaviano and features a prominent Chimes melody. The band secured a recording contract when the demo of the song was given to DJ/producer Ivan Ivan, who then passed it along to Seymour Stein of Sire Records.[1]
The song is said to describe the frustrations of a woman with an affection for "a boy who likes boys",[2] with songwriter Ted Ottaviano adding in a 2016 Village Voice interview that the song was "written about Boy Bar, which was a very exclusive gay club in the East Village."[3]
In 1985, a rare Australian promotional video was shot for the single. On May 21, 1985, the song was featured on American Bandstand's rate-a-record segment.[4] Up against B.E. Taylor Group's "Reggae Rock & Roll", "Boy" won the competition with a score of 84.[4]
Chart performance
Although the song failed to reach the BillboardHot 100 chart, it did make the top 10 on the BillboardHot Dance Club Play chart, where it peaked at No. 7 in April 1985.[5]
In 2000, the song was remixed by noted club DJ Peter Rauhofer, as well as Headrillaz, Dubaholics, RPO, and re-released to dance clubs in late 2000/early 2001. These remixes, including an almost ten-minute-long version by Rauhofer, again charted on the Billboard Club Play chart under the title "Boy (Remixes)", this time reaching No. 1 on the dance chart in February 2001.[6] Both the original version of "Boy" as well as an edit of the remix by Rauhofer were included on Book of Love's greatest hits album, I Touch Roses: The Best of Book of Love, in 2001.
In 2001, a promotional video remix titled 'Big Red Mix' was made for the album edit of the Peter Rauhofer remix using footage from the band's 1989 appearance at Bill Graham's In Concert Against AIDS benefit show in San Francisco.
The song is played during a club scene in the episode "Limbo" of the American television series Halt and Catch Fire, and during a bar scene in the film Fun Mom Dinner. The song also appears during the closing credits of the fifth episode of the third season of the TV show “Industry”.
Remix A&R coordination tracks 3-9 (CD): Bill Coleman for Peace Bisquit, NYC.
Remix and additional production on Peter Rauhofer Remix (Big Red Mix), Peter Rauhofer Club Mix, Peter Rauhofer Dub, A Capella, by Peter Rauhofer for Unique Productions, NYC.
Remix and additional production on Headrillaz Extended Vocal Mix, Headrillaz Dub, Headrillaz Club Dub, by Headrillaz (Caspar Kedros and Darius Kedros) at The Bunker. Edits by Albert Cabrera for One Rascal.
Postproduction and remix on RPO Remix by Rick Pier O'Neil at RPO Traxx, France.
Remixing on Dubaholics Remix and Dubaholics Dub by The Dubaholics for Dubaholics Productions at the Asylum Studios, UK. Rhodes: Antony Gorry. Bass licks: Mall.
Production and remix on Sound Bisquit "Blame" Dub by Ted Ottaviano and Bill Coleman for Peace Bisquit and Sound Umbrella. Mixed by Doug McKean at World of Beauty, NYC.
Cover art by Bill Jacobson, copyright 1993, Interim portrait #525, courtesy of Julie Saul Gallery, NYC.
The Japanese 7" version is slightly longer and has a cold ending instead of a fade. Found only on the Japanese 7" vinyl single.
1985
Extended Mix
4:28
Ivan Ivan
Found on the 12" vinyl single and the 1988/1990 Sire Records' CD version of Book of Love.*
1985
Dub
5:00
Ivan Ivan
Found on the 12" vinyl single and the 2009 CD reissue of Book of Love (Noble Rot).
1999
Razormaid Mix
5:23
John Bice
Found on the 1999 Razormaid Records CD compilation Members Revenge 1: Discontented!.
2000
Headrillaz Club Dub
4:47
Casper Kedros Darius Kedros
Exclusive mix found only on the 2x12" vinyl promo released in 2000.
2000
A Cappella
3:24
Peter Rauhofer
Exclusive a cappella version, taken from the Peter Rauhofer remix (not the original 1985 version). Only found on the 2x12" vinyl promo released in 2000.
2001
Peter Rauhofer Remix
3:11
Peter Rauhofer
A shorter edited version of the Peter Rauhofer Club Mix (Edited by John Masciana) used in the video remix (Big Red Mix). Found on the CD version of I Touch Roses: The Best of Book of Love.*
2001
Peter Rauhofer Club Mix
9:59
Peter Rauhofer
Found on both the regular and promo 2x12" vinyl singles and the Reprise Records CD Maxi-single (2001).
2001
Peter Rauhofer Dub
8:18
Peter Rauhofer
Found on both the regular and promo 2x12" vinyl singles and the Reprise Records CD Maxi-single (2001).
2001
Headrillaz Extended Vocal Mix
7:09
Casper Kedros Darius Kedros
Found on both the regular and promo 2x12" vinyl singles and the Reprise Records CD Maxi-single (2001).
2001
Headrillaz Dub
5:32
Casper Kedros Darius Kedros
Found on both the regular and promo 2x12" vinyl singles and the Reprise Records CD Maxi-single (2001).
2001
RPO Remix
6:40
Rick Pier O'Neil
Found on the 2001 promo 12" vinyl, the regular 2x12" vinyl single, and the Reprise Records CD Maxi-single (2001).
2001
Dubaholics Remix
6:11
The Dubaholics
Found on the 2001 promo 12" vinyl, the regular 2x12" vinyl single, and the Reprise Records CD Maxi-single (2001).
2001
Dubaholics Dub
5:13
The Dubaholics
Found on the 2001 promo 12" vinyl, the regular 2x12" vinyl single, and the Reprise Records CD Maxi-single (2001).
2001
Sound Bisquit "Blame" Dub
8:00
Ted Ottaviano Bill Coleman
Found on the 2001 promo 12" vinyl single and the Reprise Records CD Maxi-single (2001).
2006
DJ Irene Rockstar Mix
4:27
DJ Irene
Found on the 2006 CD compilation Future Retro (Rhino Records).*
2009
Demo
3:06
Theodore Ottaviano
The original demo version. Found only on the bonus disc of the 2009 CD reissue of Book of Love (Noble Rot).
2009
Live
2:43
n/a
Live version from the In Concert Against AIDS benefit, 1989. Found only on the bonus disc of the 2009 CD reissue of Book of Love (Noble Rot).
" * " denotes that version is available as digital download.
