I Want You Back (Bananarama song)

The song was initially titled "Reason for Leaving" and had a different chorus that Bananarama's members disliked; so they co-rewrote it and the song was retitled "I Want You Back".[1] Both versions were originally recorded with Siobhan Fahey for the 1987 Wow! album. For the April 1988 single release, the song was re-recorded with Jacquie O'Sullivan, who had replaced Fahey in March 1988.[1] "Reason for Living" was included on the deluxe version of Wow!, which was released in 2013. Elements of the original chorus can be heard in both the original Wow! version of "I Want You Back" and in the Extended European Mix of the 1988 single release.[1]

The accompanying music video for "I Want You Back" featured the group performing the song in various scenarios. One has the three girls performing a choreographed dance routine before the camera. Another has them acting silly, dancing spontaneously, and humorously fighting for screen time. Another scenario features the girls performing their dance routine dressed in silver gowns, wigs and skin darkening makeup as The Supremes.[1] These scenes are interspersed with go-go boys dancing with wigs or in cages clad only in briefs and glow-in-the-dark body paint. An alternative version exists with a scenario of the girls in long wigs replacing the choreographed dance routine scenes. Both videos were directed by Andy Morahan.[2]

James Hamilton from Record Mirror wrote in his dance column, "Breezily jaunty (what else!) 123+1⁄2bpm thudding pop chugger with the girls' usual shrill trademarks".[3] In 2021, British magazine Classic Pop ranked it number 29 in their list of "Top 40 Stock Aitken Waterman songs".[4]

"I Want You Back" was among Bananarama's most successful singles on the worldwide charts. In the UK, it was one of the band's top ten hit (out of ten); it started at number 36 on 9 April 1988, peaked at number five for consecutive two weeks, and fell off the chart after ten weeks, five of them spent in the top ten.[5] It met also with success in Ireland where it reached number three and charted for a total of six weeks,[6] was a top ten hit in Spain where it attained number six,[7] and a top 20 hit in Finland.[8] However, it was a moderate hit in German-speaking countries, culminating at number 23 and 29 in Switzerland and Germany, respectively,[9][10] and in Dutch-speaking countries, stalling at numbers 40 and 49 in the Flanders region of Belgium and the Netherlands.[11][12] On the Music & Media's combined Pan-European Hot 100 singles chart, it debuted at number 45 on 23 April 1988, reached a peak of number 17 in its third week,[13] and cumulated nine weeks of presence on the chart. It also enjoyed decent airplay on radios, thus charted for eight weeks on the European Airplay Top 50, peaking at number eight in its fifth week.[14]

Regarding the Oceanian market, "I Want You Back" was a top ten hit in both Australia and New Zealand. In Australia, it charted in the top 50 for 11 weeks, six of them spent in the top ten, with number three as its highest position in its first week.[15] In New Zealand, it had an eight-week chart run with a start at number 20 on 31 July 1988 and a peak at number ten in its third week.[16]

• 7-inch single (NANA 16)

1. "I Want You Back" (single version) – 3:47
2. "Bad for Me" – 3:37

• 10-inch gatefold single (NANG 16)

1. "I Want You Back" (single version) – 3:47
2. "Bananarama Megamix" (edit) – 6:15

• 12-inch single (NANX 16)

1. "I Want You Back" (extended European version) – 7:56
2. "Amnesia" (extended 12″ version) (theme from The Roxy) – 6:28

   M. Stock/M. Aitken/P. Waterman, :Remixed by Extra Beat Boys

3. "Bad for Me" – 3:37

• CD single (NANCD 16)

1. "I Want You Back" (single version) – 3:47
2. "Bad for Me" – 3:37
3. "Amnesia" (extended 12" version) (Theme from The Roxy) – 6:28
4. "Love in the First Degree" (house remix) – 5:45

   Remixed by Pete Hammond and edited by Phil Harding

Other versions

1. "I Want You Back" (LP version) – 3:53

   Taken from the album Wow!

• Sara Dallin – vocals
• Keren Woodward – vocals
• Siobhan Fahey – vocals
• Jacquie O'Sullivan – vocals (single)