"Blubber Boy" is a song by Australian rock band Regurgitator. The song was released as a radio single in Australia in 1995 promoting the band's second EP New (1995). The song was released in the UK as a CD and 7" Single. The song ranked at number 17 on Triple J's Hottest 100 in 1995.[1] A remixed version of the song (Riding the Wave of Fashion Mix) was released on the band's debut studio album, Tu-Plang in 1996.

"Blubber Boy"
UK CD single cover
Single by Regurgitator
from the album New
Released1995
Recorded1995
StudioRed Zeds
Length2:43
LabelWarner Music Australasia
Songwriter(s)Quan Yeomans
Producer(s)Magoo, Regurgitator
Regurgitator singles chronology
"Track 1"
(1995)
"Blubber Boy"
(1995)
"F.S.O."
(1996)

Details

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Yeomans had been inspired by a book on feminist fairy-tales give to him by Kiley Gaffney. Ely said, "Quan brought the song into practice and Martin and I were going, "Are you sure you want to do this?' To us it was uncool because it wasn't in 7/8 time. But it felt good. And he said the word 'cunt' in it quite a lot. So then we were like, he's swearing, it must be OK."[2] Of all the Inuit-based fairy tales in that book, "Blubber Boy" was the tamest one, according to Yeomans.[3]

Reception

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In 2019, Tyler Jenke from The Brag ranked Regurgitator's best songs, with "Blubber Boy" coming it at number 3. Jenke said "It's not often that bands get their start by singing a song based upon an Inuit fairytale about drowned boyfriends and blubber… replacements, but Regurgitator aren't exactly a normal band. A prime example of their early talent, 'Blubber Boy' is still a tune whose chorus commands a massive singalong during a live show."[4]

Andrew Stafford, in Pig City, called it "Unabashed pop, instantly memorable, with a lyric as ribald as it was eccentric."[2]

Live performances

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In support of their album Tu-Plang, Regurgitator performed "Blubber Boy" (alongside singles "F.S.O." and "Kong Foo Sing") on the Australian music show Recovery. Looking back at that performance in a 2019 interview with the band, Dylan Lewis, the show's host, was surprised at how they got away with performing the song on a Saturday morning TV timeslot, considering its lyric. Yeomans considers the Recovery performance to be "one of my proudest moments from the early days [of Regurgitator]".[3]

Track listings

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UK CD Single
No.TitleLength
1."Blubber Boy"2:43
2."Power Tool"2:02
3."Gravey"3:18

Release history

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Region Date Format Label Catalogue
Australia 1995 Radio promo EastWest, Warner n/a
United Kingdom 1995 CD Single, 7" Single Coalition Recordings COLA 017CD

References

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  1. ^ "Hottest 100 1995". Triple J. Archived from the original on 18 February 2009. Retrieved 7 October 2019.
  2. ^ a b Andrew Stafford (2016). Pig City: From the Saints to Savage Garden. University of Queensland Press. p. 278. ISBN 9780702235610.
  3. ^ a b Lewis, Dylan; Yeomans, Quan; Ely, Ben (21 November 2019). "Quan Yeomans and Ben Ely - Regurgitator: Recovery Reunion" (video). youtube.com. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 29 January 2023.
  4. ^ "The 10 biggest hits from Brisbane alt-rock legends Regurgitator". The Brag. 13 May 2019. Retrieved 7 October 2019.