Apple Records issued the single on 17 March 1972 in Britain , as Apple R 5944 , with a US release taking place three days later , as Apple 1849 . It was Starr 's first release since " It Don 't Come Easy " , a year before . During this period , his priority had been to develop a career as an actor in films such as 200 Motels ( 1971 ) and Blindman . Further aligning himself with Britain 's glam rock movement , Starr made his directorial debut with Born to Boogie ( 1972 ) , a film starring Bolan that included Starr 's footage of a T. Rex concert held at Wembley on 18 March . With " Back Off Boogaloo " , NME critic Bob Woffinden noted Starr 's success in establishing himself in the two years since the Beatles ' break @-@ up , and wrote that the single " confirmed that he and Harrison , dark horses both , were the ones who had managed their solo careers more purposefully and intelligently " compared with McCartney and Lennon .