Boney M
Encyclopedia
Boney M. is a Eurodisco group created by German record producer Frank Farian
. Originally based in Germany, the four original members of the group's official line-up were Jamaica
ns Liz Mitchell
and Marcia Barrett
, Maizie Williams
from Montserrat
and Bobby Farrell
from Aruba
. The group was formed in 1975 and achieved popularity during the disco era of the late 1970s.
Frank Farian (real name Franz) recorded the dance track "Baby Do You Wanna Bump
" in December 1974. Farian sang the repeated line "Do you do you wanna bump?" in a deep voice (entirely studio created) as well as performing the high falsetto
chorus. When the record was released as a single, it was credited to "Boney M.", a pseudonym Farian had created for himself after watching the Australian detective show Boney
. After a slow start, the song became a hit in the Netherlands and Belgium. It was then that Farian decided to hire performers to 'front' the group for TV performances. The Katja Wolfe booking agency found model-turned-singer Maizie Williams (originally from Montserrat
) and her Jamaica
n singer friend Sheyla Bonnick
for him, along with a dancer known only as "Mike" for the first gigs. Also during 1975, a girl named Nathalie joined but was soon replaced by Claudja Barry
. Then Bonnick and Mike left, and Maizie Williams brought in Bobby Farrell
, an exotic male dancer from Aruba
. Singer Marcia Barrett (also from Jamaica
) joined the group, which then went through another change in line-up when Claudja Barry – tired of merely lip-synching – left in February 1976 to pursue a solo career as a disco singer. Finally Liz Mitchell, former member of the Les Humphries Singers
, stepped in. The line-up was finalised with Liz Mitchell, Maizie Williams, Marcia Barrett, and Bobby Farrell.
, was released in 1976. It contained tracks that Marcia Barrett had already recorded with Farian, including the title track and "Lovin' or Leavin'", both of which were previously recorded in German by another Farian act, Gilla
. As Maizie Williams' voice wasn't considered suitable for recording purposes by Farian, and a try-out with Bobby Farrell performing "No Woman No Cry" didn't work, Farian decided to use only Liz Mitchell and Marcia Barrett along with his own studio-enhanced voice to create the Boney M. sound.
Liz Mitchell claimed that only she and Farian had sung on the hit recordings, but that Farrell did, however, perform live in some of the various later touring incarnations of 'Boney M'.
The album's commercial performance was initially lukewarm. However, the group rigorously toured discos, clubs and even country fairs to earn a reputation for themselves. The group's big break came when, at the end of summer 1976, German television producer Michael 'Mike' Leckebusch (of Radio Bremen
) requested the group for his show Musikladen
. Boney M. appeared on the live music show on September 18, 1976, after 10 pm and in their daring stage costumes, where they performed the song "Daddy Cool". The song quickly went to no.1 in Germany, with the album following the success of the single. Another single, "Sunny
" (a cover of the 1966 Bobby Hebb
song) gave the group their second no.1 hit. The group's popularity had also grown throughout Europe, with "Daddy Cool" reaching no.1 in Switzerland, Sweden, Norway, and Austria. Both singles were also Top 10 hits in the UK which would become one of their biggest markets.
, which contained the hits "Ma Baker
" and "Belfast
". The group embarked on their first major concert tours with a live band of musicians called 'The Black Beautiful Circus' (given their name after Maizie Williams' first band, 'Black Beautiful People'). Though slow to start Love for Sale was certified Gold a year after its release in the UK. Both singles from the album reached no.1 in Germany and the UK Top 10. By this time, sales had also slowly increased for their first album which had peaked at no.40 in the UK but was now certified Silver.
/Brown Girl in the Ring
", which became a massive hit all over Europe, reaching #1 in several countries as well as becoming one of the biggest selling singles of all time in the UK. It also became their most successful single in the United States, peaking at #30 on the U.S. pop singles chart
. Following this came their biggest-selling album, Nightflight to Venus
, which spawned another hit single, "Rasputin
". Continuing with their success, they released "Mary's Boy Child/Oh My Lord
", which was the 1978 Christmas number one single in the United Kingdom and became another of the biggest selling singles of all time there. Also during 1978, Boney M. made a much publicized promotional visit to the Soviet Union
, one of the very few Western acts along with Elton John
to do so, although tracks like "Rasputin" were not released in the Soviet Union due to their lyrics.
While it had never been a secret that Bobby Farrell never was in the studio providing vocals for the studio recordings (Farian did the male vocals in the studio), in 1978 it became public knowledge that Maizie Williams did not sing on the studio recordings either "since her voice wasn't suited for this kind of music", as Farian stated in an interview with German teen magazine Bravo
. Since this had become common practice within the disco genre of the late '70s, few people cared – unlike when Farian did the same thing with Milli Vanilli
in the late 1980s. While only two of Boney M.'s official members actually contributed to the band's records, all four members of the group, including Maizie Williams and Bobby Farrell, performed the vocals live at Boney M. concerts. The band's live sound was also augmented by several backing vocalists, which served to enhance any vocal deficiencies the group may have had compared with the studio productions.
, containing two hit singles – "Gotta Go Home"/"El Lute"
and "I'm Born Again"/"Bahama Mama"
. The album also included a "Lead" and "Backing Vocals" credit for the first time. Oceans of Fantasy reached no.1 in the UK and was certified Platinum, though their run of Top 10 singles had now ended with "Gotta Go Home" peaking at no.12 and "I'm Born Again" peaking at 35.
, which also contained two new songs, "My Friend Jack" and "I See a Boat on the River". It made the #1 spot in the UK, reaching Gold status within six weeks of release, though it was their last big-selling album in the UK.
Boney M.'s fifth album had been scheduled for release in November 1980 but the recording sessions dragged on all through 1981. When Boonoonoonoos
was finally released by the end of that year, Bobby Farrell was fired from the group due to his unreliability. While still a healthy seller in continental Europe, "Boonoonoonoos" failed to crack the UK Top 100 after three consecutive #1 albums, and Farrell's departure left the group unable to promote it. Following this, the group released a Christmas Album.
Reggie Tsiboe was hired to replace Farrell as the new male member of Boney M. in 1982 but the singles "The Carnival Is Over" and "Jambo" fared poorly, and the group's seventh album Ten Thousand Lightyears
, issued in 1984, marked another commercial low point. The group, however, returned to the German Top 20 in the autumn of 1984 with "Kalimba de Luna" and "Happy Song", the latter seeing Bobby Farrell return to the group. Both songs were carbon-copies of the original Italian hits by Tony Esposito
and Baby's Gang
respectively.
By 1985, Farian clearly began losing interest in the group, and their final studio album Eye Dance
was widely regarded as uninspired and disappointing. After celebrating Boney M.'s ten-year anniversary in early 1986, the group officially disbanded after the release of the commercially unsuccessful single 'Young, Free and Single'.
From this point, different versions of the group were formed. One version began touring in the first half of 1987 with Marilyn Carrillo taking Liz Mitchell's place. Mitchell returned for a second leg of the tour late 1987, and Marcia Barrett soon left the band again. At the same time, Bobby Farrell had set up a deal for a new Boney M. album to be recorded without Farian in Belgium. When Farrell failed to show up for either recording or tour, and Maizie Williams had never sung on record, the album ended up being released as Liz Mitchell's first solo album No One Will Force You. Mitchell and Williams completed a tour during 1987-88, adding singer Celena Duncan and Curt De Daran as replacements for Barrett and Farrell. Carol Grey later replaced Celena Duncan.
In October 1988, the classic Boney M. line-up reunited for the album Greatest Hits of All Times - Remix '88
but tensions ran high between the members, and Liz Mitchell left in the spring of 1989 to be replaced by Madeleine Davis. While Mitchell promoted her solo album, the group recorded the single "Everybody Wants to Dance Like Josephine Baker", without Farian's knowledge or approval. Threatened with legal action by the producer over the use of the Boney M. name, the single was subsequently withdrawn and Farian issued "Stories" with his own new Boney M. line-up featuring Liz Mitchell, Reggie Tsiboe and two new members, Sharon Stevens and Patty Onoyewenjo. A second remix album Greatest Hits of All Times - Remix '89 - Volume II
was released but fared poorly.
, was battling cancer
and unable to perform, Boney M. toured the world with a line-up of Liz Mitchell, Carol Grey, Patricia Lorna Foster and Curt Dee Daran (replaced by Tony Ashcroft in 1994). Maizie Williams assembled her own Boney M. line-up with her friend and short-time Boney M. member in the early days in 1975, Sheila Bonnick, and two others. Bobby Farrell also toured with three ever-changing female performers.
As recounted in his 2004 book Touching the Void
, the British climber Joe Simpson
was subsequently to find the catchy tune of "Brown Girl in the Ring" haunting him in the final hours of his struggle to survive the descent of Siula Grande
in the Andes
, and the song was later used in the film of Touching the Void
made by Kevin Macdonald
. Simpson recalls: "I remember thinking, bloody hell, I'm going to die to Boney M".
A musical
based on the music of Boney M., Daddy Cool
, opened in London in August 2006 to mixed reviews and sluggish ticket sales, causing it to close again in February 2007. From April to July, 2007, this show played in a mobile theatre in Berlin, which was specially designed for this show.
In April 2007, pop singer Peter Wilson, who during the mid-90s scored a couple of Top 40 hits in his native Australia, released a brand new song, co-written by Frank Farian
entitled "Doin' Fine". It is described as "paying tribute to the sound of Boney M." and features the famous string arrangement from their first number 1 hit, "Daddy Cool".
In a sign of their continued popularity in South Asia, a concert by Boney M. (featuring Marcia Barrett) was a featured attraction at the 37th International Film Festival of India
(IFFI), which took place on November 23, 2006 in Panaji, the state capital of Goa
, India. The group is also popular in the Vietnamese diaspora, and was featured in Thuy Nga music productions.
In the UK, a new album of their greatest hits, entitled The Magic of Boney M.
was released via BMG
on November 27, 2006. Special additions to this release were a Mousse T.
remix of "Sunny
" and a brand new song from 2006, featuring Liz Mitchell, entitled "A Moment Of Love".
On April 10, 2007, Boney M.'s first four albums were reissued on compact disc
with bonus tracks, this time also in the United States (the first time these were available to the U.S. music market since their original releases in the 1970s).
In September 2007, Boney M.'s last four original albums, Boonoonoonoos
, Ten Thousand Lightyears
, Kalimba de Luna - 16 Happy Songs
and Eye Dance
were reissued on compact disc
in Europe and the United States, all including bonus tracks. In November 2007, a new Christmas compilation was scheduled for release as well as the DVD Fantastic Boney M. - On Stage and on the Road featuring live performances and a film from the band's 1981 visit to Jamaica
.
Bobby Farrell's Boney M. performed a concert at the Amphi in Ra'anana
, Israel
in May 2007. On June 28, 2007 Boney M. featuring Matthew Felsenfeld and Liz Mitchell performed at the "Oktiabrsky" concert hall in St. Petersburg, Russia. In September 2007, Maizie Williams Boney M. line-up performed live at the Royal Albert Hall, UK, to raise awareness of HIV/AIDS in Africa, performing her own renditions of 'Brown Girl in the Ring' and 'Hooray! Hooray! It's a Holi-Holiday'.
The legal rights to the name "Boney M." have been a matter of controversy, and even court cases, between the former members of the band and producer Frank Farian ever since the late 1980s. Farian, the man who in effect created the group, has continued to work with Liz Mitchell and her line-up all through the 1990s and 2000s, but in a strange twist of fate further Boney M. productions in Germany could be faced with legal proceedings. January 2007 was the date Zanillya Farrell (daughter of Bobby Farrell) and Yasmina Ayad-Saban (ex-wife of Farrell) renewed the trademark to the name Boney M. in Germany for a 10 year period.
In November 2008, iconic disco legend and former label mate, Amanda Lear
recorded a version of the song, "Doin' Fine" as part of her new studio album, which she announced on French television is scheduled for release in spring 2009.
In January 2009 Frank Farian
released a brand new single called Felicidad America (Obama Obama) under the name-check Boney M. feat. Sherita O. & Yulee B. featuring two new vocalists. The song is a remake of the 1980 Boney M. classic with new vocals and re-written lyrics now referring to the new US president Barack Obama
.
On December 30, 2010, it was announced that Bobby Farrell had died at the age of 61 from heart failure. His agent said Farrell was complaining of breathing problems after performing with his band the evening before. Farrell lived in Amsterdam until his death. The singer was found dead in a hotel room in Saint Petersburg
, Russia, where he had been performing.
", a cover of a track by The Melodians
with lyrics partly based on Psalm 137
and partly on Psalm 19, became (at the time) the second highest-selling single of all time in the UK. After reaching no.1 for five weeks, "Rivers of Babylon" began dropping down the chart, at which point the B-side "Brown Girl in the Ring" was given extensive radio airplay, and the single climbed back up the chart to #2. The single spent 6 months in the UK Top 40, including 19 weeks in the Top 10. It eventually sold 5000 copies short of two million.
The group achieved a second UK million-seller with their version of the calypso
classic "Mary's Boy Child
/Oh My Lord", which was previously a million-seller for Harry Belafonte
. On the list of the all-time best selling singles in the United Kingdom, Boney M. appear in fifth place (with "Rivers of Babylon") and tenth place (with "Mary's Boy Child/Oh My Lord"). The single sold almost 1.8 million copies and achieved sales of over 1.6 million in the 4 weeks the song was at number one in December 1978. Paul McCartney
is the only other artist to appear twice (once with The Beatles
, once with Wings
) in the Top 10 of that list.
, Donna Summer
, and the Bee Gees
the Boney M. discography is quite unusual – while the greater part of the band's back catalogue has been remixed, remade, remodeled and reissued all through the 80s, 90s and 2000s by producer Frank Farian and record company BMG-Ariola (now Sony BMG), most of the original 7" and 12" versions issued on vinyl in the 70s and early 80s remained unavailable on CD until 2008 and the release of the box set The Collection
and the single CD compilation Rivers Of Babylon (A Best Of Collection)
.
campaign of South Korea, then-candidate Roh Moo-hyun
, who eventually won the presidency at that event, took Bahama Mama to promote his aim of positive political reform.
The 2005 Chinese film Shanghai Dreams
features a scene depicting a rural Chinese disco in 1983, with teenagers dancing to Rivers of Babylon and Gotta Go Home
In the 2008 Kazakh film Tulpan
, the tractor driver Boni continually plays a cassette of Rivers of Babylon, an example of his fascination for all things Western.
In the 2008 Chinese film Cheung Gong 7 hou (English title: CJ7
), the song "Sunny" is a vital part of the soundtrack.
The song "Rasputin"
appears in the 2010 video game Just Dance 2
for the Nintendo Wii
.
Frank Farian
Frank Farian , is a German record producer and songwriter. He started out as a trained cook before moving into the music industry...
. Originally based in Germany, the four original members of the group's official line-up were Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
ns Liz Mitchell
Liz Mitchell
Liz Mitchell is a singer, best known as the former lead singer of the 1970s disco/pop band, Boney M.-Early life:...
and Marcia Barrett
Marcia Barrett
Marcia Barrett , is one of the original singers with the vocal group, Boney M.-The early years:...
, Maizie Williams
Maizie Williams
Maizie Ursula Williams is one of the original members of successful 70s disco music group, Boney M.-Early years:...
from Montserrat
Montserrat
Montserrat is a British overseas territory located in the Leeward Islands, part of the chain of islands called the Lesser Antilles in the West Indies. This island measures approximately long and wide, giving of coastline...
and Bobby Farrell
Bobby Farrell
Roberto "Bobby" Alfonso Farrell was an Aruban dancer and performer, best known as the male member of the successful 1970s pop and disco group Boney M.-Early years:...
from Aruba
Aruba
Aruba is a 33 km-long island of the Lesser Antilles in the southern Caribbean Sea, located 27 km north of the coast of Venezuela and 130 km east of Guajira Peninsula...
. The group was formed in 1975 and achieved popularity during the disco era of the late 1970s.
History
German singer-songwriterSinger-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
Frank Farian (real name Franz) recorded the dance track "Baby Do You Wanna Bump
Baby Do You Wanna Bump
"Baby Do You Wanna Bump" is a song recorded by German record producer Frank Farian under the name Boney M. and included on the 1976 album Take The Heat Off Me. It was the first Boney M. single and a minor hit in the Netherlands and Belgium, which prompted Farian to create a proper group to promote...
" in December 1974. Farian sang the repeated line "Do you do you wanna bump?" in a deep voice (entirely studio created) as well as performing the high falsetto
Falsetto
Falsetto is the vocal register occupying the frequency range just above the modal voice register and overlapping with it by approximately one octave. It is produced by the vibration of the ligamentous edges of the vocal folds, in whole or in part...
chorus. When the record was released as a single, it was credited to "Boney M.", a pseudonym Farian had created for himself after watching the Australian detective show Boney
Boney (TV series)
Boney is an Australian television series produced by Fauna Productions during 1971 and 1972, featuring James Laurenson in the title role of Detective Inspector Napoleon Bonaparte...
. After a slow start, the song became a hit in the Netherlands and Belgium. It was then that Farian decided to hire performers to 'front' the group for TV performances. The Katja Wolfe booking agency found model-turned-singer Maizie Williams (originally from Montserrat
Montserrat
Montserrat is a British overseas territory located in the Leeward Islands, part of the chain of islands called the Lesser Antilles in the West Indies. This island measures approximately long and wide, giving of coastline...
) and her Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
n singer friend Sheyla Bonnick
Sheyla Bonnick
Sheyla Bonnick is a singer and performer, born in Jamaica and brought up in England. She was a member of an early line-up of pop group Boney M. in 1975. Her name was previously spelled as Sheila Bonnick and Sheila Bonnique.-Biography:...
for him, along with a dancer known only as "Mike" for the first gigs. Also during 1975, a girl named Nathalie joined but was soon replaced by Claudja Barry
Claudja Barry
Claudja Barry, is a singer and actress who has performed in the European versions of the stage musicals Hair and Catch My Soul.-Early music career:...
. Then Bonnick and Mike left, and Maizie Williams brought in Bobby Farrell
Bobby Farrell
Roberto "Bobby" Alfonso Farrell was an Aruban dancer and performer, best known as the male member of the successful 1970s pop and disco group Boney M.-Early years:...
, an exotic male dancer from Aruba
Aruba
Aruba is a 33 km-long island of the Lesser Antilles in the southern Caribbean Sea, located 27 km north of the coast of Venezuela and 130 km east of Guajira Peninsula...
. Singer Marcia Barrett (also from Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
) joined the group, which then went through another change in line-up when Claudja Barry – tired of merely lip-synching – left in February 1976 to pursue a solo career as a disco singer. Finally Liz Mitchell, former member of the Les Humphries Singers
Les Humphries Singers
The Les Humphries Singers was a 1970s musical group formed in Hamburg, Germany in 1969 by the English born Les Humphries , who had been inspired to do his own version of the Edwin Hawkins Singers.The Les Humphries Singers dissolved at the end of the...
, stepped in. The line-up was finalised with Liz Mitchell, Maizie Williams, Marcia Barrett, and Bobby Farrell.
Take the Heat Off Me
Boney M.'s first album, Take the Heat Off MeTake the Heat Off Me
Take The Heat Off Me is the debut album by Boney M.. The album became a major seller outside of the United States, where the album just missed making the chart. Includes the hits "Daddy Cool" , "Sunny" and "Baby Do You Wanna Bump"...
, was released in 1976. It contained tracks that Marcia Barrett had already recorded with Farian, including the title track and "Lovin' or Leavin'", both of which were previously recorded in German by another Farian act, Gilla
Gilla
Gilla is an Austrian singer from the late 1970s disco era.-History:Gilla was discovered by German producer Frank Farian who got her signed to Hansa Records in 1974...
. As Maizie Williams' voice wasn't considered suitable for recording purposes by Farian, and a try-out with Bobby Farrell performing "No Woman No Cry" didn't work, Farian decided to use only Liz Mitchell and Marcia Barrett along with his own studio-enhanced voice to create the Boney M. sound.
Liz Mitchell claimed that only she and Farian had sung on the hit recordings, but that Farrell did, however, perform live in some of the various later touring incarnations of 'Boney M'.
The album's commercial performance was initially lukewarm. However, the group rigorously toured discos, clubs and even country fairs to earn a reputation for themselves. The group's big break came when, at the end of summer 1976, German television producer Michael 'Mike' Leckebusch (of Radio Bremen
Radio Bremen
Radio Bremen , Germany's smallest public radio and television broadcaster, is the legally mandated broadcaster for the city-state of Bremen...
) requested the group for his show Musikladen
Musikladen
Der Musikladen was a West German music television programme that ran from December 13, 1972 to November 29, 1984. The show continued the 1960s Beat-Club under a new name, and in turn was replaced by Extratour.-History:...
. Boney M. appeared on the live music show on September 18, 1976, after 10 pm and in their daring stage costumes, where they performed the song "Daddy Cool". The song quickly went to no.1 in Germany, with the album following the success of the single. Another single, "Sunny
Sunny (song)
"Sunny" is the name of a song written by Bobby Hebb. It is one of the most covered popular songs, with hundreds of versions released. BMI rates "Sunny" number 25 in its "Top 100 songs of the century."...
" (a cover of the 1966 Bobby Hebb
Bobby Hebb
Bobby Hebb was an American singer and songwriter, best known for his writing and recording of "Sunny".-Biography:...
song) gave the group their second no.1 hit. The group's popularity had also grown throughout Europe, with "Daddy Cool" reaching no.1 in Switzerland, Sweden, Norway, and Austria. Both singles were also Top 10 hits in the UK which would become one of their biggest markets.
Love for Sale
In 1977, Boney M. released their second album, Love for SaleLove for Sale (Boney M. album)
Love for Sale is the second album by Boney M. The album includes the hits "Ma Baker" , and "Belfast"...
, which contained the hits "Ma Baker
Ma Baker
"Ma Baker" is a 1977 disco hit single by German disco band Boney M. It was the first single of their second album Love for Sale and their third consecutive chart-topper in Germany and their best yet placing in the UK, peaking at #2 although only a minor single in the US .-The song:Frank Farian's...
" and "Belfast
Belfast (Boney M. song)
"Belfast" is the second single of the disco band Boney M.'s 1977 album Love for Sale. "Belfast" was the first Boney M. single to feature lead vocals by Marcia Barrett and became their 4th consecutive German chart-topper. In the UK it peaked at #8...
". The group embarked on their first major concert tours with a live band of musicians called 'The Black Beautiful Circus' (given their name after Maizie Williams' first band, 'Black Beautiful People'). Though slow to start Love for Sale was certified Gold a year after its release in the UK. Both singles from the album reached no.1 in Germany and the UK Top 10. By this time, sales had also slowly increased for their first album which had peaked at no.40 in the UK but was now certified Silver.
Nightflight to Venus
1978 was the group's biggest year. They released a new double A-sided single, "Rivers of BabylonRivers of Babylon
"Rivers of Babylon" is a rastafarian song written and recorded by Brent Dowe and Trevor McNaughton of the Jamaican reggae group The Melodians in 1970. The Melodians' original versions of the song appeared in the sound track to the 1972 movie The Harder They Come and the 1999 Nicolas Cage movie...
/Brown Girl in the Ring
Brown Girl in the Ring (song)
"Brown Girl in the Ring" is a traditional children's song in the West Indies. It was originally featured in the game of the same name.Brown Girl in the Ring is a children's ring game thought to have originated in Jamaica....
", which became a massive hit all over Europe, reaching #1 in several countries as well as becoming one of the biggest selling singles of all time in the UK. It also became their most successful single in the United States, peaking at #30 on the U.S. pop singles chart
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
. Following this came their biggest-selling album, Nightflight to Venus
Nightflight to Venus
Nightflight to Venus is the third album by the band Boney M, and was released in July 1978.The album became a major success in continental Europe, Scandinavia, and Canada, topping most of the album charts during the second half of 1978 and also became their first UK number one album...
, which spawned another hit single, "Rasputin
Rasputin (song)
"Rasputin" is a 1978 disco hit single by the Germany-based pop and disco group Boney M., the second single off their hugely successful album Nightflight to Venus. The song is a semi-biographical song whose subject and namesake is Grigori Rasputin, a friend and advisor of Tsar Nicholas II of Russia...
". Continuing with their success, they released "Mary's Boy Child/Oh My Lord
Mary's Boy Child - Oh My Lord
"Mary's Boy Child - Oh My Lord" is a 1978 Christmas single for Boney M., a cover of Harry Belafonte's 1956 hit, put in medley with the new song "Oh My Lord" ....
", which was the 1978 Christmas number one single in the United Kingdom and became another of the biggest selling singles of all time there. Also during 1978, Boney M. made a much publicized promotional visit to the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
, one of the very few Western acts along with Elton John
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
to do so, although tracks like "Rasputin" were not released in the Soviet Union due to their lyrics.
While it had never been a secret that Bobby Farrell never was in the studio providing vocals for the studio recordings (Farian did the male vocals in the studio), in 1978 it became public knowledge that Maizie Williams did not sing on the studio recordings either "since her voice wasn't suited for this kind of music", as Farian stated in an interview with German teen magazine Bravo
Bravo (magazine)
Bravo is the largest teen magazine within the German-language sphere. The first issue was published in 1956, subtitled as "the magazine for film and television" . Marilyn Monroe's portrait graced the first published issue, the never-published dummy issue cover displayed Elvis Presley.-History:The...
. Since this had become common practice within the disco genre of the late '70s, few people cared – unlike when Farian did the same thing with Milli Vanilli
Milli Vanilli
Milli Vanilli was a pop/dance music project formed by Frank Farian in Germany in 1988, visually fronted by Fab Morvan and Rob Pilatus. The group's debut album achieved international success and earned them a Grammy Award for Best New Artist on Feb. 21, 1990. Milli Vanilli became one of the most...
in the late 1980s. While only two of Boney M.'s official members actually contributed to the band's records, all four members of the group, including Maizie Williams and Bobby Farrell, performed the vocals live at Boney M. concerts. The band's live sound was also augmented by several backing vocalists, which served to enhance any vocal deficiencies the group may have had compared with the studio productions.
Oceans of Fantasy
1979 saw Boney M. release a brand new single, "Hooray! Hooray! It's a Holi-Holiday", which became another Top 10 hit across Europe. Later in the year they released their fourth album, Oceans of FantasyOceans of Fantasy
Oceans of Fantasy is the fourth studio album by Boney M. Released in September 1979, Oceans Of Fantasy became the second Boney M. album to top the UK charts and features hits "El Lute" based on Eleuterio Sánchez life, "I'm Born Again", "Bahama Mama" and "Gotta Go Home"...
, containing two hit singles – "Gotta Go Home"/"El Lute"
El Lute / Gotta Go Home
"El Lute" / "Gotta Go Home" is a double A-side single by German band Boney M. It was the lead single off their fourth album Oceans of Fantasy and was the group's eighth and final number 1 single in the German charts...
and "I'm Born Again"/"Bahama Mama"
I'm Born Again / Bahama Mama
"I'm Born Again" / "Bahama Mama" is a double A-side single by German band Boney M. It was the second single off their fourth album Oceans of Fantasy , not withcounting a promotional-only single release of "Let It All Be Music" and the album title track. Not as successful as previous singles, the...
. The album also included a "Lead" and "Backing Vocals" credit for the first time. Oceans of Fantasy reached no.1 in the UK and was certified Platinum, though their run of Top 10 singles had now ended with "Gotta Go Home" peaking at no.12 and "I'm Born Again" peaking at 35.
The 1980s
In 1980, Boney M. released a greatest hits album, The Magic of Boney M. - 20 Golden HitsThe Magic of Boney M. - 20 Golden Hits
The Magic of Boney M. – 20 Golden Hits is a greatest hits album by Boney M. issued in May 1980 which contained all their biggest hits up until that point, including non-album singles "Mary's Boy Child/Oh My Lord" and "Hooray! Hooray! It's A Holi-Holiday", key album tracks from Take The Heat Off Me,...
, which also contained two new songs, "My Friend Jack" and "I See a Boat on the River". It made the #1 spot in the UK, reaching Gold status within six weeks of release, though it was their last big-selling album in the UK.
Boney M.'s fifth album had been scheduled for release in November 1980 but the recording sessions dragged on all through 1981. When Boonoonoonoos
Boonoonoonoos
Boonoonoonoos is the fifth studio album by Boney M. It was released on November 1, 1981.Despite producer Frank Farian having announced that Boney M...
was finally released by the end of that year, Bobby Farrell was fired from the group due to his unreliability. While still a healthy seller in continental Europe, "Boonoonoonoos" failed to crack the UK Top 100 after three consecutive #1 albums, and Farrell's departure left the group unable to promote it. Following this, the group released a Christmas Album.
Reggie Tsiboe was hired to replace Farrell as the new male member of Boney M. in 1982 but the singles "The Carnival Is Over" and "Jambo" fared poorly, and the group's seventh album Ten Thousand Lightyears
Ten Thousand Lightyears
Ten Thousand Lightyears is the seventh studio album by Boney M. and the first to feature new member Reggie Tsiboe who had taken over Bobby Farrell's role as the band's leading man in early 1982...
, issued in 1984, marked another commercial low point. The group, however, returned to the German Top 20 in the autumn of 1984 with "Kalimba de Luna" and "Happy Song", the latter seeing Bobby Farrell return to the group. Both songs were carbon-copies of the original Italian hits by Tony Esposito
Tony Esposito (musician)
Antonio "Tony" Esposito is an Italian musician, singer-songwriter and drummer from Italy.-Career :Esposito was born in Naples.He is well known for his 1984 hit single "Kalimba de Luna" from his album Il grande esploratore....
and Baby's Gang
Baby's Gang
Baby's Gang was a Italian project, best known for their 1983 hit single, "Happy Song".-Singles:*1983: "Happy Song"*1984: "Challenger"*1985: "America"*1985: "Jamin"*1985: "Step By Step"*1986: "My Little Japanese Boy"*1989: "Disco Maniac"...
respectively.
By 1985, Farian clearly began losing interest in the group, and their final studio album Eye Dance
Eye Dance
Eye Dance is the eighth and final studio album released under the Boney M. moniker and was released in the autumn of 1985. The cover artwork was significant of the state the group was in at that time : neither the famous "Boney M." logo nor the "singers" photograph did appear, replaced by an...
was widely regarded as uninspired and disappointing. After celebrating Boney M.'s ten-year anniversary in early 1986, the group officially disbanded after the release of the commercially unsuccessful single 'Young, Free and Single'.
From this point, different versions of the group were formed. One version began touring in the first half of 1987 with Marilyn Carrillo taking Liz Mitchell's place. Mitchell returned for a second leg of the tour late 1987, and Marcia Barrett soon left the band again. At the same time, Bobby Farrell had set up a deal for a new Boney M. album to be recorded without Farian in Belgium. When Farrell failed to show up for either recording or tour, and Maizie Williams had never sung on record, the album ended up being released as Liz Mitchell's first solo album No One Will Force You. Mitchell and Williams completed a tour during 1987-88, adding singer Celena Duncan and Curt De Daran as replacements for Barrett and Farrell. Carol Grey later replaced Celena Duncan.
In October 1988, the classic Boney M. line-up reunited for the album Greatest Hits of All Times - Remix '88
Greatest Hits of All Times - Remix '88
Greatest Hits of All Times - Remix '88 is a remix album by Boney M. released in 1988. Boney M.'s new manager at the time, Simon Napier-Bell, succeeded in persuading the four original members to briefly reunite and promote this remix album...
but tensions ran high between the members, and Liz Mitchell left in the spring of 1989 to be replaced by Madeleine Davis. While Mitchell promoted her solo album, the group recorded the single "Everybody Wants to Dance Like Josephine Baker", without Farian's knowledge or approval. Threatened with legal action by the producer over the use of the Boney M. name, the single was subsequently withdrawn and Farian issued "Stories" with his own new Boney M. line-up featuring Liz Mitchell, Reggie Tsiboe and two new members, Sharon Stevens and Patty Onoyewenjo. A second remix album Greatest Hits of All Times - Remix '89 - Volume II
Greatest Hits of All Times - Remix '89 - Volume II
Greatest Hits of All Times – Remix '89 – Volume II is a remix album by Boney M. released in November 1989. The follow-up to 1988's Greatest Hits Of All Times - Remix '88 includes remixes by both PWL's Pete Hammond and original producer Frank Farian and yielded two single releases, "The Summer Mega...
was released but fared poorly.
The 1990s
1992 saw a renewed interest in Boney M.'s music with the "Boney M. Megamix" single returning the group to the UK Top 10 for the first time since 1980, and a subsequent Greatest Hits album reaching the UK Top 20 in 1993. While Marcia Barrett, now residing in FloridaFlorida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, was battling cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
and unable to perform, Boney M. toured the world with a line-up of Liz Mitchell, Carol Grey, Patricia Lorna Foster and Curt Dee Daran (replaced by Tony Ashcroft in 1994). Maizie Williams assembled her own Boney M. line-up with her friend and short-time Boney M. member in the early days in 1975, Sheila Bonnick, and two others. Bobby Farrell also toured with three ever-changing female performers.
2000s
Liz Mitchell was touring the world with her line-up of Boney M., which is the only line-up officially supported by Farian (the court ruling of 1990 stated that all four members are entitled to perform their own Boney M. shows). Bobby Farrell and Liz Mitchell have released solo albums containing their own re-recordings of Boney M.'s classic hits. Maizie Williams released her first solo album in 2006 and her own single version of Boney M.'s "Sunny". In 2007 her rendition of 'Daddy Cool' with Melo-M hit the number one spot in the Latvian (LMK) Charts. Marcia Barrett has released two solo albums with a third scheduled for release in 2010.As recounted in his 2004 book Touching the Void
Touching the Void
Touching the Void is a 1988 book by Joe Simpson, recounting his and Simon Yates's disastrous and nearly fatal climb of the 6,344-metre Siula Grande in the Peruvian Andes in 1985....
, the British climber Joe Simpson
Joe Simpson (mountaineer)
Joe Simpson is an English mountaineer, author and motivational speaker. He is best known for his book Touching the Void and the 2003 film adaptation of his book.-Early life:...
was subsequently to find the catchy tune of "Brown Girl in the Ring" haunting him in the final hours of his struggle to survive the descent of Siula Grande
Siula Grande
Siula Grande is a mountain in the Cordillera Huayhuash, in the Peruvian Andes. It is 6344 m high and has a subpeak, Siula Chico, 6260 m high.-Touching the Void ascent:In 1985 Siula Grande was climbed by Joe Simpson and Simon Yates...
in the Andes
Andes
The Andes is the world's longest continental mountain range. It is a continual range of highlands along the western coast of South America. This range is about long, about to wide , and of an average height of about .Along its length, the Andes is split into several ranges, which are separated...
, and the song was later used in the film of Touching the Void
Touching the Void (film)
Touching the Void is a 2003 documentary film based on the book of the same name by Joe Simpson about Simpson's and Simon Yates' disastrous and near fatal attempt to climb the 6,344 metre Siula Grande in the Peruvian Andes in 1985.-Outline:...
made by Kevin Macdonald
Kevin MacDonald (director)
Kevin Macdonald is a Scottish director, best known for his films One Day in September, State of Play, The Last King of Scotland and Touching the Void.-Personal life:...
. Simpson recalls: "I remember thinking, bloody hell, I'm going to die to Boney M".
A musical
Musical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
based on the music of Boney M., Daddy Cool
Daddy Cool (musical)
Daddy Cool is a musical based upon the works of Boney M and other Frank Farian produced artists. It premiered in the West End in 2006, followed by UK and international tours.The musical tells the story of Sunny, a young man who lives for his music...
, opened in London in August 2006 to mixed reviews and sluggish ticket sales, causing it to close again in February 2007. From April to July, 2007, this show played in a mobile theatre in Berlin, which was specially designed for this show.
In April 2007, pop singer Peter Wilson, who during the mid-90s scored a couple of Top 40 hits in his native Australia, released a brand new song, co-written by Frank Farian
Frank Farian
Frank Farian , is a German record producer and songwriter. He started out as a trained cook before moving into the music industry...
entitled "Doin' Fine". It is described as "paying tribute to the sound of Boney M." and features the famous string arrangement from their first number 1 hit, "Daddy Cool".
In a sign of their continued popularity in South Asia, a concert by Boney M. (featuring Marcia Barrett) was a featured attraction at the 37th International Film Festival of India
International Film Festival of India
The International Film Festival of India , founded in 1952, is one of the most significant film festivals in Asia. Held annually in the beach town of Goa, in the Western Coast of the country, the festival aims at providing a common platform for the cinemas of the world to project the excellence of...
(IFFI), which took place on November 23, 2006 in Panaji, the state capital of Goa
Goa
Goa , a former Portuguese colony, is India's smallest state by area and the fourth smallest by population. Located in South West India in the region known as the Konkan, it is bounded by the state of Maharashtra to the north, and by Karnataka to the east and south, while the Arabian Sea forms its...
, India. The group is also popular in the Vietnamese diaspora, and was featured in Thuy Nga music productions.
In the UK, a new album of their greatest hits, entitled The Magic of Boney M.
The Magic of Boney M.
The Magic of Boney M. is a greatest hits album of recordings by Boney M. released by Sony BMG in October 2006.The compilation which is an updated version of 1993's Gold - 20 Super Hits and 2001's The Greatest Hits includes eighteen of Boney M's best known hits from the 70s and 80s, a new remix of...
was released via BMG
BMG
Bertelsmann Music Group, , was a division of Bertelsmann before its completion of sale of the majority of its assets to Japan's Sony Corporation of America on October 1, 2008. It was established in 1987 to combine the music label activities of Bertelsmann...
on November 27, 2006. Special additions to this release were a Mousse T.
Mousse T.
Mousse T. is a German DJ and record producer of Turkish descent. He is best known for his collaboration with Tom Jones, "Sex Bomb", released on the album Reload.-Biography:...
remix of "Sunny
Sunny (song)
"Sunny" is the name of a song written by Bobby Hebb. It is one of the most covered popular songs, with hundreds of versions released. BMI rates "Sunny" number 25 in its "Top 100 songs of the century."...
" and a brand new song from 2006, featuring Liz Mitchell, entitled "A Moment Of Love".
On April 10, 2007, Boney M.'s first four albums were reissued on compact disc
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
with bonus tracks, this time also in the United States (the first time these were available to the U.S. music market since their original releases in the 1970s).
In September 2007, Boney M.'s last four original albums, Boonoonoonoos
Boonoonoonoos
Boonoonoonoos is the fifth studio album by Boney M. It was released on November 1, 1981.Despite producer Frank Farian having announced that Boney M...
, Ten Thousand Lightyears
Ten Thousand Lightyears
Ten Thousand Lightyears is the seventh studio album by Boney M. and the first to feature new member Reggie Tsiboe who had taken over Bobby Farrell's role as the band's leading man in early 1982...
, Kalimba de Luna - 16 Happy Songs
Kalimba de Luna - 16 Happy Songs
Kalimba de Luna – 16 Happy Songs is a compilation album by Boney M. released in late 1984. On the strength of two carbon-copy cover versions, "Kalimba de Luna" and "Happy Song" which gave Boney M...
and Eye Dance
Eye Dance
Eye Dance is the eighth and final studio album released under the Boney M. moniker and was released in the autumn of 1985. The cover artwork was significant of the state the group was in at that time : neither the famous "Boney M." logo nor the "singers" photograph did appear, replaced by an...
were reissued on compact disc
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
in Europe and the United States, all including bonus tracks. In November 2007, a new Christmas compilation was scheduled for release as well as the DVD Fantastic Boney M. - On Stage and on the Road featuring live performances and a film from the band's 1981 visit to Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
.
Bobby Farrell's Boney M. performed a concert at the Amphi in Ra'anana
Ra'anana
Ra'anana is a city in the heart of the southern Sharon Plain of the Central District of Israel with a population of 68,300, . Ra'anana is bordered by Kfar Sava on the east and Herzliya on the southwest...
, Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
in May 2007. On June 28, 2007 Boney M. featuring Matthew Felsenfeld and Liz Mitchell performed at the "Oktiabrsky" concert hall in St. Petersburg, Russia. In September 2007, Maizie Williams Boney M. line-up performed live at the Royal Albert Hall, UK, to raise awareness of HIV/AIDS in Africa, performing her own renditions of 'Brown Girl in the Ring' and 'Hooray! Hooray! It's a Holi-Holiday'.
The legal rights to the name "Boney M." have been a matter of controversy, and even court cases, between the former members of the band and producer Frank Farian ever since the late 1980s. Farian, the man who in effect created the group, has continued to work with Liz Mitchell and her line-up all through the 1990s and 2000s, but in a strange twist of fate further Boney M. productions in Germany could be faced with legal proceedings. January 2007 was the date Zanillya Farrell (daughter of Bobby Farrell) and Yasmina Ayad-Saban (ex-wife of Farrell) renewed the trademark to the name Boney M. in Germany for a 10 year period.
In November 2008, iconic disco legend and former label mate, Amanda Lear
Amanda Lear
Amanda Lear is a French singer, lyricist, composer, painter, TV presenter, actress and novelist....
recorded a version of the song, "Doin' Fine" as part of her new studio album, which she announced on French television is scheduled for release in spring 2009.
In January 2009 Frank Farian
Frank Farian
Frank Farian , is a German record producer and songwriter. He started out as a trained cook before moving into the music industry...
released a brand new single called Felicidad America (Obama Obama) under the name-check Boney M. feat. Sherita O. & Yulee B. featuring two new vocalists. The song is a remake of the 1980 Boney M. classic with new vocals and re-written lyrics now referring to the new US president Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
.
2010s
In July 2010, Maizie Williams headlined a Boney M. performance at Ramallah's Cultural Palace, in the West Bank, as part of the Palestine International Festival. The band played "Daddy Cool", "Ma Baker" and "Brown Girl in the Ring", but refrained from playing "Rivers of Babylon", rumored to be at the event organizers' request because of its description of the Jewish yearning for Zion.On December 30, 2010, it was announced that Bobby Farrell had died at the age of 61 from heart failure. His agent said Farrell was complaining of breathing problems after performing with his band the evening before. Farrell lived in Amsterdam until his death. The singer was found dead in a hotel room in Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...
, Russia, where he had been performing.
Members
- Liz MitchellLiz MitchellLiz Mitchell is a singer, best known as the former lead singer of the 1970s disco/pop band, Boney M.-Early life:...
, Lead and backing vocals (1976–) - Marcia BarrettMarcia BarrettMarcia Barrett , is one of the original singers with the vocal group, Boney M.-The early years:...
, Lead and backing vocals (1975–) - Maizie WilliamsMaizie WilliamsMaizie Ursula Williams is one of the original members of successful 70s disco music group, Boney M.-Early years:...
, Dancer, live vocals (1975–) - Bobby FarrellBobby FarrellRoberto "Bobby" Alfonso Farrell was an Aruban dancer and performer, best known as the male member of the successful 1970s pop and disco group Boney M.-Early years:...
, Dancer, rap, live vocals (1975–81, 1984–2010) - Reggie TsiboeReggie TsiboeReggie Tsiboe was born on 7 September 1950 in Kumasi was one of the lead singers of the disco group Boney M. between 1982-1986 and later between 1989-1990....
, Lead and backing vocals (1982–86, 1989–90)
UK sales mark
In 1978, "Rivers of BabylonRivers of Babylon
"Rivers of Babylon" is a rastafarian song written and recorded by Brent Dowe and Trevor McNaughton of the Jamaican reggae group The Melodians in 1970. The Melodians' original versions of the song appeared in the sound track to the 1972 movie The Harder They Come and the 1999 Nicolas Cage movie...
", a cover of a track by The Melodians
The Melodians
The Melodians were a reggae band formed in the Greenwich Town area of Kingston, Jamaica in 1965, by Tony Brevett , Brent Dowe and Trevor McNaughton...
with lyrics partly based on Psalm 137
Psalm 137
Psalm 137 is one of the best known of the Biblical psalms. Its opening lines, "By the rivers of Babylon..." have been set to music on several occasions....
and partly on Psalm 19, became (at the time) the second highest-selling single of all time in the UK. After reaching no.1 for five weeks, "Rivers of Babylon" began dropping down the chart, at which point the B-side "Brown Girl in the Ring" was given extensive radio airplay, and the single climbed back up the chart to #2. The single spent 6 months in the UK Top 40, including 19 weeks in the Top 10. It eventually sold 5000 copies short of two million.
The group achieved a second UK million-seller with their version of the calypso
Calypso music
Calypso is a style of Afro-Caribbean music that originated in Trinidad and Tobago from African and European roots. The roots of the genre lay in the arrival of enslaved Africans, who, not being allowed to speak with each other, communicated through song...
classic "Mary's Boy Child
Mary's Boy Child
"Mary's Boy Child" is a 1956 Christmas song, written by Jester Hairston. With its religious content, it is also widely performed as a Christmas carol....
/Oh My Lord", which was previously a million-seller for Harry Belafonte
Harry Belafonte
Harold George "Harry" Belafonte, Jr. is an American singer, songwriter, actor and social activist. He was dubbed the "King of Calypso" for popularizing the Caribbean musical style with an international audience in the 1950s...
. On the list of the all-time best selling singles in the United Kingdom, Boney M. appear in fifth place (with "Rivers of Babylon") and tenth place (with "Mary's Boy Child/Oh My Lord"). The single sold almost 1.8 million copies and achieved sales of over 1.6 million in the 4 weeks the song was at number one in December 1978. Paul McCartney
Paul McCartney
Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100...
is the only other artist to appear twice (once with The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
, once with Wings
Wings (band)
Wings were a British-American rock group formed in 1971 by Paul McCartney, Denny Laine and Linda McCartney that remained active until 1981....
) in the Top 10 of that list.
Back catalogue
Compared to other best-selling artists of the 1970s like ABBAABBA
ABBA was a Swedish pop group formed in Stockholm in 1970 which consisted of Anni-Frid Lyngstad, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson and Agnetha Fältskog...
, Donna Summer
Donna Summer
LaDonna Adrian Gaines , known by her stage name, Donna Summer, is an American singer/songwriter who gained prominence during the disco era of the 1970s. She has a mezzo-soprano vocal range. Summer is a five-time Grammy winner and was the first artist to have three consecutive double albums reach...
, and the Bee Gees
Bee Gees
The Bee Gees are a musical group that originally comprised three brothers: Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb. The trio was successful for most of their 40-plus years of recording music, but they had two distinct periods of exceptional success: as a pop act in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and as a...
the Boney M. discography is quite unusual – while the greater part of the band's back catalogue has been remixed, remade, remodeled and reissued all through the 80s, 90s and 2000s by producer Frank Farian and record company BMG-Ariola (now Sony BMG), most of the original 7" and 12" versions issued on vinyl in the 70s and early 80s remained unavailable on CD until 2008 and the release of the box set The Collection
The Collection (Boney M. box set)
The Collection is a budget-priced 3CD box set by Boney M., released on Sony-BMG, featuring a mix of singles, album tracks and 12" versions, including one song "Daddy Cool " previously unavailable on CD and a further 17 mixes that are previously unreleased on CD...
and the single CD compilation Rivers Of Babylon (A Best Of Collection)
Rivers Of Babylon (A Best Of Collection)
Rivers of Babylon is a budget-priced CD compilation by Boney M., released by Sony-BMG in their "A Best Of Collection" series...
.
Popularity outside the West
During the 2002 presidential electionSouth Korean Presidential Election, 2002
The 16th South Korean Presidential Election took place on 19 December 2002. The election was won by Roh Moo-Hyun of the Millennium Democratic Party, who beat Lee Hoi-chang of the Grand National Party by just over half a million votes.-Results:...
campaign of South Korea, then-candidate Roh Moo-hyun
Roh Moo-hyun
Roh Moo-hyun GOM GCB was the 16th President of South Korea .Roh's pre-presidential political career was focused on human rights advocacy for student activists in South Korea. His electoral career later expanded to a focus on overcoming regionalism in South Korean politics, culminating in his...
, who eventually won the presidency at that event, took Bahama Mama to promote his aim of positive political reform.
The 2005 Chinese film Shanghai Dreams
Shanghai Dreams
Shanghai Dreams is a 2005 Chinese film directed by Wang Xiaoshuai and starring Gao Yuanyuan, Li Bin, Tang Yang, Wang Xiaoyang, and Yao Anlian. The film was produced by Stellar Megamedia, Debo Films Ltd...
features a scene depicting a rural Chinese disco in 1983, with teenagers dancing to Rivers of Babylon and Gotta Go Home
In the 2008 Kazakh film Tulpan
Tulpan
Tulpan is a 2008 Kazakh drama film. The film is directed by Sergey Dvortsevoy and distributed by . Tulpan is Kazakhstan's 2009 Academy Awards official submission to Foreign Language Film category...
, the tractor driver Boni continually plays a cassette of Rivers of Babylon, an example of his fascination for all things Western.
In the 2008 Chinese film Cheung Gong 7 hou (English title: CJ7
CJ7
CJ7 is a 2008 Hong Kong science fiction/comedy film co-written, co-produced and directed by Stephen Chow, who also stars in the film. It was released on 31 January 2008 in Hong Kong. It was also released on 14 March 2008 in the United States....
), the song "Sunny" is a vital part of the soundtrack.
The song "Rasputin"
Rasputin (song)
"Rasputin" is a 1978 disco hit single by the Germany-based pop and disco group Boney M., the second single off their hugely successful album Nightflight to Venus. The song is a semi-biographical song whose subject and namesake is Grigori Rasputin, a friend and advisor of Tsar Nicholas II of Russia...
appears in the 2010 video game Just Dance 2
Just Dance 2 (video game)
Just Dance 2 is a music game developed and published by Ubisoft Paris for the Wii. It is a sequel to Just Dance. It was released in North America on October 12, 2010 & in Europe on October 14. The Best Buy Edition was released in North America on November 21, 2010. There are 44 new tracks and new...
for the Nintendo Wii
Wii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
.
Studio album releases
| Release date | Title |
|---|---|
| 1976 | Take the Heat Off Me Take the Heat Off Me Take The Heat Off Me is the debut album by Boney M.. The album became a major seller outside of the United States, where the album just missed making the chart. Includes the hits "Daddy Cool" , "Sunny" and "Baby Do You Wanna Bump"... |
| 1977 | Love for Sale Love for Sale (Boney M. album) Love for Sale is the second album by Boney M. The album includes the hits "Ma Baker" , and "Belfast"... |
| 1978 | Nightflight to Venus Nightflight to Venus Nightflight to Venus is the third album by the band Boney M, and was released in July 1978.The album became a major success in continental Europe, Scandinavia, and Canada, topping most of the album charts during the second half of 1978 and also became their first UK number one album... |
| 1979 | Oceans of Fantasy Oceans of Fantasy Oceans of Fantasy is the fourth studio album by Boney M. Released in September 1979, Oceans Of Fantasy became the second Boney M. album to top the UK charts and features hits "El Lute" based on Eleuterio Sánchez life, "I'm Born Again", "Bahama Mama" and "Gotta Go Home"... |
| 1981 | Boonoonoonoos Boonoonoonoos Boonoonoonoos is the fifth studio album by Boney M. It was released on November 1, 1981.Despite producer Frank Farian having announced that Boney M... |
| 1981 | Christmas Album Christmas Album (Boney M. album) Germany7"* "Little Drummer Boy" - 4:27 / "6 Years Of Boney M. Hits " - 4:48 * "Zion's Daughter" - 3:50 / "White Christmas" - 3:15 12"* "6 Years Of Boney M Hits Germany7"* "Little Drummer Boy" - 4:27 / "6 Years Of Boney M. Hits (Boney M. on 45)" (7" Edit) - 4:48 (Hansa Records 103 777-100, 1981)*... |
| 1984 | Ten Thousand Lightyears Ten Thousand Lightyears Ten Thousand Lightyears is the seventh studio album by Boney M. and the first to feature new member Reggie Tsiboe who had taken over Bobby Farrell's role as the band's leading man in early 1982... |
| 1985 | Eye Dance Eye Dance Eye Dance is the eighth and final studio album released under the Boney M. moniker and was released in the autumn of 1985. The cover artwork was significant of the state the group was in at that time : neither the famous "Boney M." logo nor the "singers" photograph did appear, replaced by an... (Boney M. featuring Bobby Farrell) |