- Album This song officially appears on the McCartney II Official album.
Related sessions
This song has been recorded during the following studio sessions
June - July 1979
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Song facts
“Bogey Music” is a song written and performed by Paul McCartney, released on his second solo album, “McCartney II“, released in 1980. It was inspired by Fungus The Bogeyman, a children’s picture book by British artist Raymond Briggs.
Another song entitled “Bogey Wobble” and likely from the same inspiration was released in 2011 as part of the “McCartney II – Archive Collection“.
There’s a book called Fungus The Bogeyman, for kids and grown-ups, too, which was sent to me by some fellow who’s making it into a film and who wanted me to do some music in it. The story is a bit strange, and the basic idea is that the bogeymen are people who make bumps in the night. They live beneath the ground and come out at night and frighten people and they like everything that is opposite to what we like. If we like warm dry clothes, they like wet slimy ones. And they’ve got all sorts of crazy books in their library, like Lady Chatterley’s Bogey. It’s just a great book, but it’s crazy and it just tickled my fancy when I got it. Anyway, I had that book in the studio one day and opened it to a page where the young people in Bogeyland rebel against the old people who hate music. They all start to get dressed in warm clean clothes and then they start to actually take baths, which is unheard of, and get into rock ‘n ‘roll. So I just look that page, looked at it a bit, and just thought, ‘Well, it looks like a bit of rock’n”roll.’ So I made up the track and called it ‘Bogey Music’, It’s a crazy fantasy, really, but that’s what I was thinking of when I did it.
In 2014, Paul McCartney would be approached by Raymond Brigg, to contribute to a film adaptation of another of his books, “Ethel & Ernest“. Paul would contribute the song “In The Blink of An Eye“.
I knew that Paul McCartney was a big animation fan and I knew that Raymond Briggs’s book Fungus the Bogeyman had influenced Paul’s 1980s track Bogey Music. So I asked Raymond if he might write a letter to Paul to see if he was interested in composing a track for Ethel and Ernest, which he did on Fungus the Bogeyman headed paper!
It obviously worked and we were thrilled when Paul said he was interested. We met up and he produced a CD which included a track called Mum and Dad theme. This eventually became In the Blink of An Eye which we have used in the film.
Roger Mainwood, film director, interviewed for The Telegraph, October 15, 2016
There’s a rough mix available [A1] which has a slighter shorter running time than the released version on “McCartney II“.
‘Nobody Knows’ is craziness, ‘Summer’s Day Song’ is craziness, ‘Frozen Jap’ is craziness, ‘Bogey Music’ is craziness.
Paul McCartney, from McCartney II Archive Collection, 2011
Last updated on April 11, 2021
Lyrics
Everybody bogey
Dig that bogey beat
Man that bogey rhythm
Smells so clean and sweet
Everybody bogey
Bogey on to the street
Without bogey music
Life is incomplete
Without bogey music
Life is incomplete
Everybody bogey
Dig that bogey beat
If you little bogeys
Want to sing along
Clean your bogey act up
And learn the bogey song
Without bogey music
Life is incomplete
Without bogey music
Life is incomplete
Bogey music, bogey music
Bogey music, bogey music
All right, here we are now
Tonight in bogey land
Bogey music, bogey music
Well, when the younger bogeys
Hear that bogey sound
Every little bogey
Got to bogey down
Bogey man bogey
Bogey man bogey
Bogey man bogey on down
Bogey music, bogey music, bogey music
Bogey music, bogey music, bogey music
Bogey music
Bogey man bogey on down
Bogey music
All you little bogeys
I want you to sing along
Clean your bogey act up
And learn the bogey song
Without bogey music
Life is incomplete
You know, it is...suckers
Bogey music, bogey music
Bogey music, bogey music
Officially appears on
Official album • Released in 1980
3:28 • Studio version • A
- Paul McCartney :
- Bass, Drums, Electric guitars, Mixing engineer, Producer, Recording engineer, Synthesizers, Tambourine, Vocals
- Eddie Klein :
- Mixing assistant
- Session Recording:
- June - July 1979
- Studio :
- Home Studio, Peasmarsh, Sussex, UK
- Session Recording:
- June - July 1979
- Studio :
- Spirit Of Ranachan Studio, Campbeltown, Scotland
- Session Mixing:
- September 1979
- Studio :
- EMI Studios, Abbey Road
Credits & recording details courtesy of Luca Perasi • Buy Paul McCartney: Music Is Ideas. The Stories Behind the Songs (Vol. 1) 1970-1989 on Amazon
Official album • Released in 1993
3:28 • Studio version • A1993 • 1993 remaster
- Paul McCartney :
- Bass, Drums, Electric guitars, Mixing engineer, Producer, Recording engineer, Synthesizers, Tambourine, Vocals
- Eddie Klein :
- Mixing assistant
- Session Recording:
- June - July 1979
- Studio :
- Home Studio, Peasmarsh, Sussex, UK
- Session Recording:
- June - July 1979
- Studio :
- Spirit Of Ranachan Studio, Campbeltown, Scotland
- Session Mixing:
- September 1979
- Studio :
- EMI Studios, Abbey Road
Credits & recording details courtesy of Luca Perasi • Buy Paul McCartney: Music Is Ideas. The Stories Behind the Songs (Vol. 1) 1970-1989 on Amazon
McCartney II - Archive Collection
Official album • Released in 2011
3:29 • Studio version • A2011 • 2011 remaster
- Paul McCartney :
- Bass, Drums, Electric guitars, Mixing engineer, Producer, Recording engineer, Synthesizers, Tambourine, Vocals
- Eddie Klein :
- Mixing assistant
- Session Recording:
- June - July 1979
- Studio :
- Home Studio, Peasmarsh, Sussex, UK
- Session Recording:
- June - July 1979
- Studio :
- Spirit Of Ranachan Studio, Campbeltown, Scotland
- Session Mixing:
- September 1979
- Studio :
- EMI Studios, Abbey Road
Credits & recording details courtesy of Luca Perasi • Buy Paul McCartney: Music Is Ideas. The Stories Behind the Songs (Vol. 1) 1970-1989 on Amazon
McCartney II (Limited Clear LP)
LP • Released in 2017
3:29 • Studio version • A2011 • 2011 remaster
- Paul McCartney :
- Bass, Drums, Electric guitars, Mixing engineer, Producer, Recording engineer, Synthesizers, Tambourine, Vocals
- Eddie Klein :
- Mixing assistant
- Session Recording:
- June - July 1979
- Studio :
- Home Studio, Peasmarsh, Sussex, UK
- Session Recording:
- June - July 1979
- Studio :
- Spirit Of Ranachan Studio, Campbeltown, Scotland
- Session Mixing:
- September 1979
- Studio :
- EMI Studios, Abbey Road
Credits & recording details courtesy of Luca Perasi • Buy Paul McCartney: Music Is Ideas. The Stories Behind the Songs (Vol. 1) 1970-1989 on Amazon
McCartney I II III Limited Edition Colour 3LP Box Set
LP • Released in 2022
3:29 • Studio version • A2011 • 2011 remaster
- Paul McCartney :
- Bass, Drums, Electric guitars, Mixing engineer, Producer, Recording engineer, Synthesizers, Tambourine, Vocals
- Eddie Klein :
- Mixing assistant
- Session Recording:
- June - July 1979
- Studio :
- Home Studio, Peasmarsh, Sussex, UK
- Session Recording:
- June - July 1979
- Studio :
- Spirit Of Ranachan Studio, Campbeltown, Scotland
- Session Mixing:
- September 1979
- Studio :
- EMI Studios, Abbey Road
Credits & recording details courtesy of Luca Perasi • Buy Paul McCartney: Music Is Ideas. The Stories Behind the Songs (Vol. 1) 1970-1989 on Amazon
Official album • Released in 2022
3:29 • Studio version • A2011 • 2011 remaster
- Paul McCartney :
- Bass, Drums, Electric guitars, Mixing engineer, Producer, Recording engineer, Synthesizers, Tambourine, Vocals
- Eddie Klein :
- Mixing assistant
- Session Recording:
- June - July 1979
- Studio :
- Home Studio, Peasmarsh, Sussex, UK
- Session Recording:
- June - July 1979
- Studio :
- Spirit Of Ranachan Studio, Campbeltown, Scotland
- Session Mixing:
- September 1979
- Studio :
- EMI Studios, Abbey Road
Credits & recording details courtesy of Luca Perasi • Buy Paul McCartney: Music Is Ideas. The Stories Behind the Songs (Vol. 1) 1970-1989 on Amazon
Bootlegs
Unofficial album • Released in 2000
3:29 • Rough mix • A1
- Paul McCartney :
- Bass, Drums, Electric guitars, Mixing engineer, Producer, Recording engineer, Synthesizers, Tambourine, Vocals
- Eddie Klein :
- Mixing assistant
- Session Recording:
- June - July 1979
- Studio :
- Home Studio, Peasmarsh, Sussex, UK
- Session Recording:
- June - July 1979
- Studio :
- Spirit Of Ranachan Studio, Campbeltown, Scotland
- Session Mixing:
- September 1979
- Studio :
- EMI Studios, Abbey Road
Credits & recording details courtesy of Luca Perasi • Buy Paul McCartney: Music Is Ideas. The Stories Behind the Songs (Vol. 1) 1970-1989 on Amazon
McCartney II - Ultimate Archive Collection
Unofficial album • Released in 2016
3:28 • Studio version • A
- Paul McCartney :
- Bass, Drums, Electric guitars, Mixing engineer, Producer, Recording engineer, Synthesizers, Tambourine, Vocals
- Eddie Klein :
- Mixing assistant
- Session Recording:
- June - July 1979
- Studio :
- Home Studio, Peasmarsh, Sussex, UK
- Session Recording:
- June - July 1979
- Studio :
- Spirit Of Ranachan Studio, Campbeltown, Scotland
- Session Mixing:
- September 1979
- Studio :
- EMI Studios, Abbey Road
Credits & recording details courtesy of Luca Perasi • Buy Paul McCartney: Music Is Ideas. The Stories Behind the Songs (Vol. 1) 1970-1989 on Amazon
Unofficial album • Released in 2016
3:19 • Rough mix • A1
- Paul McCartney :
- Bass, Drums, Electric guitars, Mixing engineer, Producer, Recording engineer, Synthesizers, Tambourine, Vocals
- Eddie Klein :
- Mixing assistant
- Session Recording:
- June - July 1979
- Studio :
- Home Studio, Peasmarsh, Sussex, UK
- Session Recording:
- June - July 1979
- Studio :
- Spirit Of Ranachan Studio, Campbeltown, Scotland
- Session Mixing:
- September 1979
- Studio :
- EMI Studios, Abbey Road
Credits & recording details courtesy of Luca Perasi • Buy Paul McCartney: Music Is Ideas. The Stories Behind the Songs (Vol. 1) 1970-1989 on Amazon
Live performances
Paul McCartney has never played this song in concert.
Going further
Paul McCartney: Music Is Ideas. The Stories Behind the Songs (Vol. 1) 1970-1989
With 25 albums of pop music, 5 of classical – a total of around 500 songs – released over the course of more than half a century, Paul McCartney's career, on his own and with Wings, boasts an incredible catalogue that's always striving to free itself from the shadow of The Beatles. The stories behind the songs, demos and studio recordings, unreleased tracks, recording dates, musicians, live performances and tours, covers, events: Music Is Ideas Volume 1 traces McCartney's post-Beatles output from 1970 to 1989 in the form of 346 song sheets, filled with details of the recordings and stories behind the sessions. Accompanied by photos, and drawing on interviews and contemporary reviews, this reference book draws the portrait of a musical craftsman who has elevated popular song to an art-form.
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Thank you, I was wondering about the motivation behind this song