Brown Girl in the Ring (song)
Encyclopedia
"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.
Boys and girls play ring games in many parts of the world, especially during their pre-teen years. In There's a Brown Girl in the Ring, an anthology of Eastern Caribbean song games by Alan Lomax, J.D. Elder and Bess Lomax Hawe, it is suggested that ring games are a children's precursor to adult courtship.
Players form a ring by holding hands, then one girl or boy goes into the middle of the ring and starts skipping or walking around to the song. The girl or boy is then asked, "Show me your motion." At this point the child in the center does his or her favorite dance. If asked "Show me your partner," he or she picks a friend to join him or her in the circle. It has been played for many centuries in all of Jamaica.
" (1978). When "Rivers of Babylon" had slipped to #20 in the UK charts, radio stations suddenly flipped the single, seeing "Brown Girl in the Ring" going all the way to #2 and becoming a hit in its own right. Liz Mitchell had previously recorded the song in 1975 with the group Malcolm's Locks her ex-boy friend Malcolm Magaron as the lead singer, and arranger Peter Herbolzheimer accused Frank Farian of stealing his arrangement for the song http://www.lizmitchellfanclub.com/malcolm.html. The court case ran for more than 20 years in Germany. The early single pressing features the full-length 4:18 version with a chorus bit being edited out. The single mix is also slightly different from the album version which features steel drums on the outro riff of the song, the single mix doesn't.
, Frank Farian remixed "Brown Girl in the Ring" for a single release, April 1993. The remix featured new lead vocals by Liz Mitchell and reached #6 in Denmark, #38 in the UK charts while failing to chart in Germany. The single also included a new remix of "The Calendar Song".
Side A
Side B
CD
"Brown Girl In The Ring (Remix '93)" (MCI/BMG 74321 13705 2, 1993)
covered the song in German, using Boney M.'s original backing track and backing vocals.
Other versions have been done by Brotherhood of Man
, Raffi
, Dan Zanes
and the Minipops
.
Jurassic 5
, a Southern California based hip-hop group, has a song titled "Brown Girl" which refers to the original song in its chorus.
The song is featured in the film Touching the Void
when mountaineer
Joe Simpson
worries he is succumbing to madness or death. He recalls: "I remember thinking, bloody hell, I'm going to die to Boney M".
The Australian children's group, The Wiggles
, sing and dance to "Brown Girl" during a segment of their syndicated show. In true Wiggles fashion, where the main characters are often identified by the color of their shirt, the "brown girl" is in fact Caucasian, but clad in brown.
Lord Invader
, a calypsonian
from Trinidad, recorded a version circa 1946-1947 in New York. The recording is now part of the Smithsonian
Folkways
collection and was only released in 2000 on Lord Invader Calypso in New York CD.
Exuma
recorded "Brown Girl" on his second album "Reincarnation" in 1972. Exuma claims to be the original artist to have recorded Brown Girl in the Ring. He claims that his version of Brown Girl in the Ring was re-recorded by Boney M without the permission of Exuma. The lawsuit has gone on for over 20 years.
Eric Monty Morris' 'Cinderella' incorporates the tune and rhyme.
Taj Mahal recorded "brown girl in the ring" on his audio cd "Shake Sugaree: Taj Mahal sings and plays for children" 1992
Brown Girl in the Ring is a children's ring game thought to have originated in Jamaica.
Boys and girls play ring games in many parts of the world, especially during their pre-teen years. In There's a Brown Girl in the Ring, an anthology of Eastern Caribbean song games by Alan Lomax, J.D. Elder and Bess Lomax Hawe, it is suggested that ring games are a children's precursor to adult courtship.
Players form a ring by holding hands, then one girl or boy goes into the middle of the ring and starts skipping or walking around to the song. The girl or boy is then asked, "Show me your motion." At this point the child in the center does his or her favorite dance. If asked "Show me your partner," he or she picks a friend to join him or her in the circle. It has been played for many centuries in all of Jamaica.
Boney M. recording
Arguably the most popular version of the song, Boney M.'s version was originally a single B-side to the group's #1 hit 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...
" (1978). When "Rivers of Babylon" had slipped to #20 in the UK charts, radio stations suddenly flipped the single, seeing "Brown Girl in the Ring" going all the way to #2 and becoming a hit in its own right. Liz Mitchell had previously recorded the song in 1975 with the group Malcolm's Locks her ex-boy friend Malcolm Magaron as the lead singer, and arranger Peter Herbolzheimer accused Frank Farian of stealing his arrangement for the song http://www.lizmitchellfanclub.com/malcolm.html. The court case ran for more than 20 years in Germany. The early single pressing features the full-length 4:18 version with a chorus bit being edited out. The single mix is also slightly different from the album version which features steel drums on the outro riff of the song, the single mix doesn't.
1993 Remix
Following the successful sales of the compilation album Gold - 20 Super HitsGold - 20 Super Hits
Gold – 20 Super Hits is a 1992 greatest hits album by group Boney M.. Shortly after record label PolyGram had acquired the rights to the ABBA back catalogue and had issued the multimillion-selling hits package Gold: Greatest Hits, BMG and producer Frank Farian followed suit with Boney M.'s Gold -...
, Frank Farian remixed "Brown Girl in the Ring" for a single release, April 1993. The remix featured new lead vocals by Liz Mitchell and reached #6 in Denmark, #38 in the UK charts while failing to chart in Germany. The single also included a new remix of "The Calendar Song".
Releases
12" Single- "Brown Girl In The Ring (Remix '93)" (MCI/BMG 74321 13705 1, 1993)
Side A
- "Brown Girl in the Ring" (Funny Girl Club Mix) - 5:35
- "The Calendar Song (January, February, March...)" (Remix '93) - 3:14
Side B
- "Brown Girl in the Ring" (Club Mix - Rap Version) - 5:35
- "Brown Girl in the Ring" (Radio Version) - 3:58
CD
"Brown Girl In The Ring (Remix '93)" (MCI/BMG 74321 13705 2, 1993)
-
- "Brown Girl in the Ring" (Radio Version) - 3:58
- "Brown Girl in the Ring" (Funny Girl Club Mix) - 5:35
- "Brown Girl in the Ring" (Club Mix - Rap Version) - 5:35
- "The Calendar Song (January, February, March...)" (Remix '93) - 3:14
Other recordings
Austrian Waterloo & RobinsonWaterloo & Robinson
Waterloo & Robinson is an Austrian band, consisting of Johann Kreuzmayr and Josef Krassnitzer . The duo are most famous for representing Austria in the Eurovision Song Contest 1976, performing the song My Little World, where they recorded a 5th-place finish with 80 points...
covered the song in German, using Boney M.'s original backing track and backing vocals.
Other versions have been done by Brotherhood of Man
Brotherhood of Man
Brotherhood of Man are a British pop group who achieved success in the 1970s, most notably by winning the 1976 Eurovision Song Contest with "Save Your Kisses for Me"....
, Raffi
Raffi (musician)
Raffi Cavoukian, CM, OBC , better known by his stage name Raffi, is a Canadian-Armenian singer-songwriter, author, essayist and lecturer...
, Dan Zanes
Dan Zanes
Dan Zanes was a member of the popular 1980s band The Del Fuegos and is currently the front man of the Grammy-winning group Dan Zanes and Friends.-History:...
and the Minipops
Minipops
Minipops was a television series broadcast in 1983 on Channel 4 in the United Kingdom. Focused primarily for younger viewers, it consisted of music performances on a brightly coloured set, featuring preteen children singing then-contemporary pop music hits as well as older classics...
.
Jurassic 5
Jurassic 5
Jurassic 5 was an American alternative hip hop group formed in 1993 from members of two previous groups, Rebels of Rhythm and Unity Committee by rappers Charles Stewart , Dante Givens , Courtenay Henderson , Marc Stuart , and disc jockeys Mark Potsic and Lucas Macfadden...
, a Southern California based hip-hop group, has a song titled "Brown Girl" which refers to the original song in its chorus.
The song is featured in the film 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:...
when mountaineer
Mountaineering
Mountaineering or mountain climbing is the sport, hobby or profession of hiking, skiing, and climbing mountains. While mountaineering began as attempts to reach the highest point of unclimbed mountains it has branched into specialisations that address different aspects of the mountain and consists...
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:...
worries he is succumbing to madness or death. He recalls: "I remember thinking, bloody hell, I'm going to die to Boney M".
The Australian children's group, The Wiggles
The Wiggles
The Wiggles are a children's group formed in Sydney, Australia in 1991. Their original members were Anthony Field, Phillip Wilcher, Murray Cook, Greg Page, and Jeff Fatt. Wilcher left the group after their first album...
, sing and dance to "Brown Girl" during a segment of their syndicated show. In true Wiggles fashion, where the main characters are often identified by the color of their shirt, the "brown girl" is in fact Caucasian, but clad in brown.
Lord Invader
Lord Invader
Lord Invader was a prominent calypsonian with a very distinctive, gravelly voice....
, a calypsonian
Calypsonian
A calypsonian , originally known as the chantwell is a musician, from the Anglophone Caribbean, who sings songs called calypso. Calypsos are musical renditions having their origins in the West African griot tradition...
from Trinidad, recorded a version circa 1946-1947 in New York. The recording is now part of the Smithsonian
Smithsonian Institution
The Smithsonian Institution is an educational and research institute and associated museum complex, administered and funded by the government of the United States and by funds from its endowment, contributions, and profits from its retail operations, concessions, licensing activities, and magazines...
Folkways
Folkways Records
Folkways Records was a record label founded by Moses Asch that documented folk, world, and children's music. It was acquired by the Smithsonian Institution in 1987, and is now part of Smithsonian Folkways.-History:...
collection and was only released in 2000 on Lord Invader Calypso in New York CD.
Exuma
Exuma (musician)
Macfarlane Gregory Anthony Mackey, who recorded as Exuma was a Bahamian musician, known for his almost unclassifiable music; a strong mixture of carnival, junkanoo, calypso and ballad. In his early days in New York's Greenwich Village, Tony McKay performed in small clubs and bars...
recorded "Brown Girl" on his second album "Reincarnation" in 1972. Exuma claims to be the original artist to have recorded Brown Girl in the Ring. He claims that his version of Brown Girl in the Ring was re-recorded by Boney M without the permission of Exuma. The lawsuit has gone on for over 20 years.
Eric Monty Morris' 'Cinderella' incorporates the tune and rhyme.
Taj Mahal recorded "brown girl in the ring" on his audio cd "Shake Sugaree: Taj Mahal sings and plays for children" 1992
Charts (1978)
| Chart | Peak Position |
|---|---|
| Eurochart Hot 100 | 1 |