A cartoon explosion of sound and vision, rapper, singer and producer Betty Boo made her mark with debut album 'Boomania', and hits 'Doin' the Do' and 'Where Are you Baby?' in 1990. Awards and platinum albums followed, yet she stepped away from it all following the release of 'GRRR! It's Betty Boo' in 1992. "I gave away all my recording equipment", says the artist better known as Alison Clarkson to those closest to her; "I thought; that's it done and dusted, finished!" But she wasn't, and with the re-release of her first two albums in 2025 she's going out on her first proper British tour. We caught up with her to discuss her success, working with Blur's Alex James, and why she's back doin' the do. Hoodlum; Eamon O'Neill.
Hi, how are you today?
I'm good, thank you. I'm getting ready for my tour, and I've actually been in the studio as well making new music, so it's been a busy week. I go to London and it's about a 250 mile round trip, so I'm feeling a bit tired, but it's all worth it.
Where are you based?
I'm in the west country, in Wiltshire, which is about an hour and a half or two hours from London. It's nice and quiet, but I do love going back to London because I'm from London originally, so I like to absorb West London especially, where I'm from.
I can see you've got some cool memorabilia behind you!
I've just got all this stuff out because I'm celebrating thirty-five years of 'Boomania', and that's why I'm out on tour. I reissued 'Boomania', and 'GRRR! It's Betty Boo', and I put them out on beautiful colour vinyl, cassettes and CDs. So these posters, actually, they're in really good nick, and I thought they'd be appropriate.
The colour vinyl reissues are really beautiful; that must have been nice when you got those into your hands.
Yes, definitely, and I've signed thousands of them as well, at home. It was an absolute pleasure to do that, and to know that somebody would actually have them in their hands and open it out and look at the artwork, like we did in the old days. So, yeah, it's a really nice nostalgic trip.
As you say you're gearing up for your tour, and it's being billed as your first ever U.K. tour; that can't be right, can it?
Well, back then, I didn't go out on tour as such the way artists do now, because artists are micromanaged and they're just like, shoved out there and supporting acts and things like that. I mean, it wasn't really expected, my success, I don't think, but I did loads of PAs in clubs and things like that - thousands of them - which I suppose would count as a tour, but not really as doing like an hour and a half on stage and performing all my music. It wasn't really a thing with artists really, back then.
What do you remember about that early success? I'm guessing it was an explosion in your life.
Yeah, it was really like an overnight thing, but I'd already had a record out with the Beat Masters with 'Hey DJ / I Can't Dance to That' [1989], so that was sort of a platform for me, because I did the Top of the Pops, and I did all the Radio One road shows and things like that. But yeah, I got my record deal after that, and signed to Rhythm King [British Independent Label] and 'Doing the Do', and 'Where are you Baby?' were first songs I had ever written. I bought a load of equipment - samplers and things like that, and sequencers and recording stuff - and put it in my bedroom at home. I was still living with my mum, and I just experimented, really. I think those songs come from a really good place. They were really quite naive, I think looking back, but they were quite fresh as well.
I watched this brilliant video that you put out on your socials about recording 'Where are you Baby?', and you went into the details about the production and how much that you, as an artist, put into that; do you think people missed that back then?
Yeah, they probably did, I don't know. I mean, I was definitely well respected as an artist, as in, you know, in the NME and Melody Maker. I managed to cross over from rap, and I was on an indie label as well, but I suppose as a female, or pop generally, I think it was just assumed it was made by men in a laboratory. All the other stuff was; mine wasn't! It was made in my bedroom. It was DIY pop, really, but the message is out there now. Actually, somebody said to me, a big record executive said that the world wasn't really ready for Betty Boo. Rap was seen to be a fad as well, like it was going to just disappear, and now it's the biggest genre in the world, and it's filtered down into every single other genre, including the language, the music; it's just become such a massive thing. It was still quite underground, rap music in those days.
I'm good, thank you. I'm getting ready for my tour, and I've actually been in the studio as well making new music, so it's been a busy week. I go to London and it's about a 250 mile round trip, so I'm feeling a bit tired, but it's all worth it.
Where are you based?
I'm in the west country, in Wiltshire, which is about an hour and a half or two hours from London. It's nice and quiet, but I do love going back to London because I'm from London originally, so I like to absorb West London especially, where I'm from.
I can see you've got some cool memorabilia behind you!
I've just got all this stuff out because I'm celebrating thirty-five years of 'Boomania', and that's why I'm out on tour. I reissued 'Boomania', and 'GRRR! It's Betty Boo', and I put them out on beautiful colour vinyl, cassettes and CDs. So these posters, actually, they're in really good nick, and I thought they'd be appropriate.
The colour vinyl reissues are really beautiful; that must have been nice when you got those into your hands.
Yes, definitely, and I've signed thousands of them as well, at home. It was an absolute pleasure to do that, and to know that somebody would actually have them in their hands and open it out and look at the artwork, like we did in the old days. So, yeah, it's a really nice nostalgic trip.
As you say you're gearing up for your tour, and it's being billed as your first ever U.K. tour; that can't be right, can it?
Well, back then, I didn't go out on tour as such the way artists do now, because artists are micromanaged and they're just like, shoved out there and supporting acts and things like that. I mean, it wasn't really expected, my success, I don't think, but I did loads of PAs in clubs and things like that - thousands of them - which I suppose would count as a tour, but not really as doing like an hour and a half on stage and performing all my music. It wasn't really a thing with artists really, back then.
What do you remember about that early success? I'm guessing it was an explosion in your life.
Yeah, it was really like an overnight thing, but I'd already had a record out with the Beat Masters with 'Hey DJ / I Can't Dance to That' [1989], so that was sort of a platform for me, because I did the Top of the Pops, and I did all the Radio One road shows and things like that. But yeah, I got my record deal after that, and signed to Rhythm King [British Independent Label] and 'Doing the Do', and 'Where are you Baby?' were first songs I had ever written. I bought a load of equipment - samplers and things like that, and sequencers and recording stuff - and put it in my bedroom at home. I was still living with my mum, and I just experimented, really. I think those songs come from a really good place. They were really quite naive, I think looking back, but they were quite fresh as well.
I watched this brilliant video that you put out on your socials about recording 'Where are you Baby?', and you went into the details about the production and how much that you, as an artist, put into that; do you think people missed that back then?
Yeah, they probably did, I don't know. I mean, I was definitely well respected as an artist, as in, you know, in the NME and Melody Maker. I managed to cross over from rap, and I was on an indie label as well, but I suppose as a female, or pop generally, I think it was just assumed it was made by men in a laboratory. All the other stuff was; mine wasn't! It was made in my bedroom. It was DIY pop, really, but the message is out there now. Actually, somebody said to me, a big record executive said that the world wasn't really ready for Betty Boo. Rap was seen to be a fad as well, like it was going to just disappear, and now it's the biggest genre in the world, and it's filtered down into every single other genre, including the language, the music; it's just become such a massive thing. It was still quite underground, rap music in those days.
You worked with Public Enemy earlier in your career, although I don't think you were entirely happy with the results of that; is that correct?
Well, it's just it wasn't really where I wanted to go. I think I was going through a transition where I really wanted to make pop music, and it was Professor Griff, and he's one that produced the record, so it didn't sound like Public Enemy, which is what I really wanted it to sound like. But, you know, there's no regrets there. I think, you always have to have little building blocks to go where you want to go, and I was just such a massive fan of pop in the mid-80s that I thought there's got to be a way of combining rap with pop, so I think that's what I set out to do.
I suppose the biggest question is why did you take such a long hiatus? You did so much in between, but I mean, to reclaim those first two records, and to be Betty Boo again.
It took a long time because, I think, in the back of my mind, I thought; "yeah, one day I'll do it". It took me a while to, I mean, I just gave away all my recording equipment. I thought; "that's it done and dusted, finished!" I gave away loads of beautiful keyboards to my next door neighbour who was into music, and I was talking about it the other day to somebody, and they said; "you're crazy, they're worth thousands of pounds now!" But, yeah, I just thought that I'll just do something else, but then I got to the big 5 0, and I thought; "what? How did that happen?!", so I just thought; "well, I've got to do it now; if I don't do it, I'll never do it". And without sounding too deep, both my parents didn't make it to fifty in adult life, so I just thought; "hey, I'm here. I've got to really do them justice" And it was great just reclaiming what I did, but it was a bit of a challenge because I wasn't sure what an older Betty Boo would sound like, because I was a teenager when I made those records. So I thought I'll just start to chip away, and somehow this kind of personality, my alter ego, reappeared. And actually I think my music now, my new music, it somehow seamlessly fits in with my old stuff, because it's got a '90s feel, but it's also got modern take on it as well. People are loving it all really, so I'm really happy about that.
Going back to you selling your keyboards, it's so much easier these days; what are you using to record?
I use Logic, and yeah, I've got a tiny little keyboard, and that's all you need, but at the same time, I was recording in the studio the other day at a place called Eastcote, and they've got all the vintage keyboards, and they take up a lot of space, but they're actually really beautiful to look at.
Logic is so easy to use.
Well, this is it. Yeah, I mean, it's great for young people these days because technology is so easy, and it's really straightforward. In the old days, samplers were really complicated, and MIDI, understanding a new language was quite difficult.
I wanted to talk a little bit about the change of the musical landscape in the '90s, because I know that the second album didn't perform as well as the first.
I'd signed to a new label, Warner Brothers, and I was able to really do some great things with them. They spent a load of money on nice videos. When I was signed to Rhythm King, I was still living at home with my mum, I wasn't getting paid, so I was having a ball. I was working with some great musicians as well, like a thirty-two piece string quartet, but yeah, it's a funny time. It's a bit like, yeah, grunge came along and all sorts of different things, but I think looking back, I still like that record, especially, 'Let Me Take You There'. It's one of my favourite songs, and it's got loads of beautiful guitars. It was a very different approach, but it actually started in the same way, with a break beat and a bass line, and a little sample, which is very typically hip hop. I think my process is always the same. I always make sure there's some sort of sonic landscape that makes it sound different to other records.
But yeah, lots of things happened in the '90s, and it's funny because when people say; "90s", they immediately say "Spice Girls! 5ive!" and "Boyzone," or something like that, you know, or; "S Club Seven"; they don't go "Betty Boo". I don't know, the early '90s was sort of forgotten, I think, in lots of ways, but really I think the early '90s were the best because it was a big crossover with stuff out of Manchester, the dance and the club scene, and rap. There was lots of interesting things that were coning out.
Yeah, and even that Euro dance scene.
Yeah, and actually, they've stood the test of time, those records like Snap and Haddaway. They sound great. They sound really fat.
Well, it's just it wasn't really where I wanted to go. I think I was going through a transition where I really wanted to make pop music, and it was Professor Griff, and he's one that produced the record, so it didn't sound like Public Enemy, which is what I really wanted it to sound like. But, you know, there's no regrets there. I think, you always have to have little building blocks to go where you want to go, and I was just such a massive fan of pop in the mid-80s that I thought there's got to be a way of combining rap with pop, so I think that's what I set out to do.
I suppose the biggest question is why did you take such a long hiatus? You did so much in between, but I mean, to reclaim those first two records, and to be Betty Boo again.
It took a long time because, I think, in the back of my mind, I thought; "yeah, one day I'll do it". It took me a while to, I mean, I just gave away all my recording equipment. I thought; "that's it done and dusted, finished!" I gave away loads of beautiful keyboards to my next door neighbour who was into music, and I was talking about it the other day to somebody, and they said; "you're crazy, they're worth thousands of pounds now!" But, yeah, I just thought that I'll just do something else, but then I got to the big 5 0, and I thought; "what? How did that happen?!", so I just thought; "well, I've got to do it now; if I don't do it, I'll never do it". And without sounding too deep, both my parents didn't make it to fifty in adult life, so I just thought; "hey, I'm here. I've got to really do them justice" And it was great just reclaiming what I did, but it was a bit of a challenge because I wasn't sure what an older Betty Boo would sound like, because I was a teenager when I made those records. So I thought I'll just start to chip away, and somehow this kind of personality, my alter ego, reappeared. And actually I think my music now, my new music, it somehow seamlessly fits in with my old stuff, because it's got a '90s feel, but it's also got modern take on it as well. People are loving it all really, so I'm really happy about that.
Going back to you selling your keyboards, it's so much easier these days; what are you using to record?
I use Logic, and yeah, I've got a tiny little keyboard, and that's all you need, but at the same time, I was recording in the studio the other day at a place called Eastcote, and they've got all the vintage keyboards, and they take up a lot of space, but they're actually really beautiful to look at.
Logic is so easy to use.
Well, this is it. Yeah, I mean, it's great for young people these days because technology is so easy, and it's really straightforward. In the old days, samplers were really complicated, and MIDI, understanding a new language was quite difficult.
I wanted to talk a little bit about the change of the musical landscape in the '90s, because I know that the second album didn't perform as well as the first.
I'd signed to a new label, Warner Brothers, and I was able to really do some great things with them. They spent a load of money on nice videos. When I was signed to Rhythm King, I was still living at home with my mum, I wasn't getting paid, so I was having a ball. I was working with some great musicians as well, like a thirty-two piece string quartet, but yeah, it's a funny time. It's a bit like, yeah, grunge came along and all sorts of different things, but I think looking back, I still like that record, especially, 'Let Me Take You There'. It's one of my favourite songs, and it's got loads of beautiful guitars. It was a very different approach, but it actually started in the same way, with a break beat and a bass line, and a little sample, which is very typically hip hop. I think my process is always the same. I always make sure there's some sort of sonic landscape that makes it sound different to other records.
But yeah, lots of things happened in the '90s, and it's funny because when people say; "90s", they immediately say "Spice Girls! 5ive!" and "Boyzone," or something like that, you know, or; "S Club Seven"; they don't go "Betty Boo". I don't know, the early '90s was sort of forgotten, I think, in lots of ways, but really I think the early '90s were the best because it was a big crossover with stuff out of Manchester, the dance and the club scene, and rap. There was lots of interesting things that were coning out.
Yeah, and even that Euro dance scene.
Yeah, and actually, they've stood the test of time, those records like Snap and Haddaway. They sound great. They sound really fat.
I wanted to touch on Wigwam as we've been talking about reclaiming your past; do you think there's a chance that that album will get a release at some point?
Nah. No, me and Alex James have moved on quite considerably. I mean, it was just a bit of fun because we both moved to the countryside. We were both pop stars, moved out, and in country miles, we're neighbours, so we just thought we'd mess around and do some stuff. But then I moved on, he moved on, you know, started making cheese, and I wanted to do my own thing. But, you know, he didn't know if Blur was going to come out again. Blur was finished at that point. And now he's got a festival called 'Big Festival', which is amazing, and does great stuff, and no, I don't think so. I really love doing what I'm doing right now.
So is that album in the vault somewhere, as a finished album, as is claimed?
I'd call them doodles. They're not really finished. They're things that could be explored, but I don't know. I'm just in such a good place right now with what I'm doing and with my co-writer and co-producer, Andy Wright. We just do really great things, and every time we go to the studio we come up with something incredible or something I'm really happy with. So, yeah, I'm really happy with what I'm doing.
You did a lot of writing in the period from the end of Betty Boo until now; is it better writing for yourself?
I prefer writing for myself because it's my personality. Song writing for other people, I enjoyed it at times, but there were other times I hated it, especially going to L.A. and working with the big hitters. I just used to find it really soulless and sort of clinical. Really, my heart wasn't in it, but at the same time, I thought; "oh, this is what you do, post-pop star, isn't it?" It's a bit like being a footballer and then managing a football team, or coaching; it's the natural progression. But there again, I think lots of the record industry used to just label artists as over the hill if they were like, 24 or 25. That was still in existence, like twenty years ago, ten years ago, but now it's fine; anybody can do it, and I'm really against what they used to call artists that are of a certain age, 'heritage acts'. I think they should be just 'artists'. Why?! Does that mean they're geriatric? I mean? It's like, Nah, don't like that. It's the record labels. I think they're evil, actually, if I'm honest.
The great thing about what you're doing now is iyou seem to be in control of it all, as a real cottage industry.
Well, I've put everything through my own site with husband, and we've curated a nice team, which is what you do at a label anyway, if you're signed. It's just, if you go through a label, they have a number that they put a certain amount of money into it, and then they put you through a machine, and then they forget about you, and that's not what I want to do. That's not why I make music; I want to make music because I just love it. That's the great thing about having social media now; you know who likes your stuff and you can actually communicate with them and really engage with them, and I love that. Life couldn't be any better,
Do you still have your gold and platinum discs and all that kind of stuff, your trophies from early days?
There might be some in the lock up, but I wasn't really big on collecting stuff like that. Even my BRIT Award, for instance, I've been using it as a doorstop! It's not like the ones you now which are a bit more like Oscars where they're sort of tall; in the old days they had kind of an oak base, brass thing with Britannia with a... what do you call that thing?
The Trident?
That's it! The Trident's fallen. Yeah, it's fallen off. I don't know where it is. And actually, I gave a lot of my awards to my granny, and she had lots of them in her living room, and when she passed away, I had house clearance people come in to help because it was quite a big job, and I said; "whatever you do, don't take those because they're personal". Next time I go in, and they're all gone; my Smash Hits Award, my Irma award; everything gone, all my awards. So they're probably out there somewhere.
Back to the present, and you must be really excited to be getting out there on tour.
I am! I did the first tour this summer, in June, and that was fantastic, and I'm really looking forward to coming over to Ireland. I love Dublin, and yeah, it's going to be fabulous. It's just one big '90s party, with dancing and jumping around! What I love the best is when people rap 'Doing the Do' back at me. I'm really amazed that they can do it, because it is quite fast. I mean, being on stage for an hour and a half and rapping and singing for that amount of time, sometimes it's quite nice to get some help! [Laughing] Only kidding! Yeah, it's great, it's a really great buzz, and to think that 35 years after it was released, that I'd still get this response, it's incredible.
What else can fans expect?
I'm going to do meet and greets. I'm not charging people for a meet and greet. It makes me so cross when people do that because I've heard some terrible stories. I won't mention any names, but some had big perspex barriers next to them so they can have their photo taken with the artist, or they've got glasses on and they don't say anything. What's the point of that?! You're just charging people one hundred or to hundred quid! That's bad!
After the tour, are you going to be continuing with work on a new album?
Yes. I write stuff from home, and then when I've got some ideas, I go to see Andy and we just knock them out together. So that's what I've been doing this week, on top of rehearsing and everything else. I just feel like it's almost like I've got my job back, and I didn't think that I'd be doing it in my fifties. That surprised me the most, really, but when you're younger, you just don't go; "oh, I don't know what I'm going to be doing when I'm 55", but it's amazing. If you just apply yourself and have a passion, it gets so much joy out of doing things. And I don't feel any pressure particularly. I mean, radio play sometimes is a bit tricky, because if you're not signed to a major label you don't get the kind of the boost that you might get from being signed to a label. But I've had playlists, and my records get played. I see them every week. That's the other thing, having your own label, you see exactly who's playing your record; you get the reports and see who listens to your music on Spotify and iTunes. It's incredible, really!
Visit Betty Boo's official site for tickets, reissues, and more.
Nah. No, me and Alex James have moved on quite considerably. I mean, it was just a bit of fun because we both moved to the countryside. We were both pop stars, moved out, and in country miles, we're neighbours, so we just thought we'd mess around and do some stuff. But then I moved on, he moved on, you know, started making cheese, and I wanted to do my own thing. But, you know, he didn't know if Blur was going to come out again. Blur was finished at that point. And now he's got a festival called 'Big Festival', which is amazing, and does great stuff, and no, I don't think so. I really love doing what I'm doing right now.
So is that album in the vault somewhere, as a finished album, as is claimed?
I'd call them doodles. They're not really finished. They're things that could be explored, but I don't know. I'm just in such a good place right now with what I'm doing and with my co-writer and co-producer, Andy Wright. We just do really great things, and every time we go to the studio we come up with something incredible or something I'm really happy with. So, yeah, I'm really happy with what I'm doing.
You did a lot of writing in the period from the end of Betty Boo until now; is it better writing for yourself?
I prefer writing for myself because it's my personality. Song writing for other people, I enjoyed it at times, but there were other times I hated it, especially going to L.A. and working with the big hitters. I just used to find it really soulless and sort of clinical. Really, my heart wasn't in it, but at the same time, I thought; "oh, this is what you do, post-pop star, isn't it?" It's a bit like being a footballer and then managing a football team, or coaching; it's the natural progression. But there again, I think lots of the record industry used to just label artists as over the hill if they were like, 24 or 25. That was still in existence, like twenty years ago, ten years ago, but now it's fine; anybody can do it, and I'm really against what they used to call artists that are of a certain age, 'heritage acts'. I think they should be just 'artists'. Why?! Does that mean they're geriatric? I mean? It's like, Nah, don't like that. It's the record labels. I think they're evil, actually, if I'm honest.
The great thing about what you're doing now is iyou seem to be in control of it all, as a real cottage industry.
Well, I've put everything through my own site with husband, and we've curated a nice team, which is what you do at a label anyway, if you're signed. It's just, if you go through a label, they have a number that they put a certain amount of money into it, and then they put you through a machine, and then they forget about you, and that's not what I want to do. That's not why I make music; I want to make music because I just love it. That's the great thing about having social media now; you know who likes your stuff and you can actually communicate with them and really engage with them, and I love that. Life couldn't be any better,
Do you still have your gold and platinum discs and all that kind of stuff, your trophies from early days?
There might be some in the lock up, but I wasn't really big on collecting stuff like that. Even my BRIT Award, for instance, I've been using it as a doorstop! It's not like the ones you now which are a bit more like Oscars where they're sort of tall; in the old days they had kind of an oak base, brass thing with Britannia with a... what do you call that thing?
The Trident?
That's it! The Trident's fallen. Yeah, it's fallen off. I don't know where it is. And actually, I gave a lot of my awards to my granny, and she had lots of them in her living room, and when she passed away, I had house clearance people come in to help because it was quite a big job, and I said; "whatever you do, don't take those because they're personal". Next time I go in, and they're all gone; my Smash Hits Award, my Irma award; everything gone, all my awards. So they're probably out there somewhere.
Back to the present, and you must be really excited to be getting out there on tour.
I am! I did the first tour this summer, in June, and that was fantastic, and I'm really looking forward to coming over to Ireland. I love Dublin, and yeah, it's going to be fabulous. It's just one big '90s party, with dancing and jumping around! What I love the best is when people rap 'Doing the Do' back at me. I'm really amazed that they can do it, because it is quite fast. I mean, being on stage for an hour and a half and rapping and singing for that amount of time, sometimes it's quite nice to get some help! [Laughing] Only kidding! Yeah, it's great, it's a really great buzz, and to think that 35 years after it was released, that I'd still get this response, it's incredible.
What else can fans expect?
I'm going to do meet and greets. I'm not charging people for a meet and greet. It makes me so cross when people do that because I've heard some terrible stories. I won't mention any names, but some had big perspex barriers next to them so they can have their photo taken with the artist, or they've got glasses on and they don't say anything. What's the point of that?! You're just charging people one hundred or to hundred quid! That's bad!
After the tour, are you going to be continuing with work on a new album?
Yes. I write stuff from home, and then when I've got some ideas, I go to see Andy and we just knock them out together. So that's what I've been doing this week, on top of rehearsing and everything else. I just feel like it's almost like I've got my job back, and I didn't think that I'd be doing it in my fifties. That surprised me the most, really, but when you're younger, you just don't go; "oh, I don't know what I'm going to be doing when I'm 55", but it's amazing. If you just apply yourself and have a passion, it gets so much joy out of doing things. And I don't feel any pressure particularly. I mean, radio play sometimes is a bit tricky, because if you're not signed to a major label you don't get the kind of the boost that you might get from being signed to a label. But I've had playlists, and my records get played. I see them every week. That's the other thing, having your own label, you see exactly who's playing your record; you get the reports and see who listens to your music on Spotify and iTunes. It's incredible, really!
Visit Betty Boo's official site for tickets, reissues, and more.
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