Maizie Williams
Encyclopedia
Maizie Ursula Williams is one of the original members of successful 70s disco
music group
, Boney M
.
, Williams began working as a model, eventually gaining the title Miss Black Beautiful in a contest in 1973. After this initial success she went on to front her own band, Black Beautiful People. She later moved to West Germany
with her friend Sheyla Bonnick
. One day in 1975, while at a restaurant, the two were approached by an agent who asked if they were interested in joining a new pop group Boney M. "She asked if we could sing. Well, you don't say no, do you," Williams later recalled in an interview. She had previously been singing with a local band back in England but had been told off by her brother Billy: "You have a terrible voice. Better keep working as a walking clothes-hanger."
It turned out that it was not important either if Williams could sing or not since the job was to dance and mime to a disco song called "Baby Do You Wanna Bump" that producer Frank Farian
had recorded all the vocals for himself but was unable to promote himself since he had a career as a schlager
singer in his own name. So Williams and Bonnick teamed up with a girl called Nathalie and a boy called Mike and did a discothek tour and a few TV performances over the next months. Nathalie left and was replaced by Claudja Barry
. Sheila then decided that lip-syncing wasn't enough for her and left, hoping to achieve a solo career. Mike left as well, and the two were replaced by new members Marcia Barrett
and Bobby Farrell
.http://www.tributesabroad.co.uk/tune/info_boneyM_sounds.html When Claudja went the same way as Sheila, Liz Mitchell
took her place, and finally the pieces fell together: Boney M. were assembled as a real group and ready to do a follow-up to "Baby Do You Wanna Bump".
and Marcia Barrett
were singers and would participate in the group's recordings together with producer Frank Farian
doing the deep male voice, and the threesome did the follow-up single "Daddy Cool" which soon became a worldwide hit and launched the group's phenomenal career with several hit singles and albums over the next decade. Williams and Bobby Farrell
did not sing on the records since "their voices weren't suited for this particular kind of music" as Farian put it in a Bravo interview in 1978. It didn't create any big scandal - both Williams and Farrell did sing during the group's many live performances during their extensive world tours 1977–1979. Williams remained with the group until the ultimate break-up in 1990. In 1994, she did what her former colleagues Liz Mitchell
and Bobby Farrell
had also done, she formed her own Boney M group, billed as Boney M featuring Maizie Williams. The group featured Sheila Bonnick from the short-lived original 1975 line-up. Williams herself would finally front as a lead singer in the group's renditions of the hits "Brown Girl in the Ring", "Hooray! Hooray! It's a Holi-Holiday", "Sunny" and "Daddy Cool".
LP, 1979, lists only Farian, Mitchell and Barrett in the track-by-track vocal credits.http://www.discogs.com/Boney-M-Oceans-Of-Fantasy/release/184627 Maizie did record a minor part for the group's "That's Boonoonoonoos / Train to Skaville" which was also broadcast in the 1981 TV special "Ein Sound geht um die Welt" (A Sound Goes Around the World)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_u82NbaDvg but in the final mix released on record, the part was eventually re-recorded by Liz Mitchell
.
's version of "Daddy Cool" which hit the #1 spot in the LMK charts in the last week of August. Williams is currently working on a new studio album for release in 2010.
The singer faced a court case vs. Boney M. producer and Sony/BMG concerning the rights to perform under the name Boney M. "after hearing that she had not sung on any of the band's recordings".http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/music/article1555467.ece On February 16, 2009, Williams had judgement in the case, meaning Farian has to account to her for all record sales and future sales.
September 2011 a Dutch press release was issued regarding a tribute single that has been written by Maizie Williams together with Dutch songwriters Eddie Middle-Line and Björn de Water.
This will make it the first new release by two members of Boney M in over 30 years. The release of the song and video Josephine Baker (Eddie Middle-Line Mix) is set for 3 October 2011 and will have a worldwide release.
Disco
Disco is a genre of dance music. Disco acts charted high during the mid-1970s, and the genre's popularity peaked during the late 1970s. It had its roots in clubs that catered to African American, gay, psychedelic, and other communities in New York City and Philadelphia during the late 1960s and...
music group
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
, Boney M
Boney M
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 Jamaicans Liz Mitchell and Marcia Barrett, Maizie Williams from Montserrat and Bobby Farrell from Aruba...
.
Early years
Brought up in BirminghamBirmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
, Williams began working as a model, eventually gaining the title Miss Black Beautiful in a contest in 1973. After this initial success she went on to front her own band, Black Beautiful People. She later moved to West Germany
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
with her 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:...
. One day in 1975, while at a restaurant, the two were approached by an agent who asked if they were interested in joining a new pop group Boney M. "She asked if we could sing. Well, you don't say no, do you," Williams later recalled in an interview. She had previously been singing with a local band back in England but had been told off by her brother Billy: "You have a terrible voice. Better keep working as a walking clothes-hanger."
It turned out that it was not important either if Williams could sing or not since the job was to dance and mime to a disco song called "Baby Do You Wanna Bump" that producer 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...
had recorded all the vocals for himself but was unable to promote himself since he had a career as a schlager
Schlager
Schlager music is a style of popular music prevalent in Central and Northern Europe and the Balkans and also in France and Poland. In Portugal, it was adapted and became pimba music...
singer in his own name. So Williams and Bonnick teamed up with a girl called Nathalie and a boy called Mike and did a discothek tour and a few TV performances over the next months. Nathalie left and was 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:...
. Sheila then decided that lip-syncing wasn't enough for her and left, hoping to achieve a solo career. Mike left as well, and the two were replaced by new members Marcia Barrett
Marcia Barrett
Marcia Barrett , is one of the original singers with the vocal group, Boney M.-The early years:...
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:...
.http://www.tributesabroad.co.uk/tune/info_boneyM_sounds.html When Claudja went the same way as Sheila, 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:...
took her place, and finally the pieces fell together: Boney M. were assembled as a real group and ready to do a follow-up to "Baby Do You Wanna Bump".
Boney M.
Both Liz MitchellLiz 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:...
were singers and would participate in the group's recordings together with producer 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...
doing the deep male voice, and the threesome did the follow-up single "Daddy Cool" which soon became a worldwide hit and launched the group's phenomenal career with several hit singles and albums over the next decade. Williams 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:...
did not sing on the records since "their voices weren't suited for this particular kind of music" as Farian put it in a Bravo interview in 1978. It didn't create any big scandal - both Williams and Farrell did sing during the group's many live performances during their extensive world tours 1977–1979. Williams remained with the group until the ultimate break-up in 1990. In 1994, she did what her former colleagues 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 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:...
had also done, she formed her own Boney M group, billed as Boney M featuring Maizie Williams. The group featured Sheila Bonnick from the short-lived original 1975 line-up. Williams herself would finally front as a lead singer in the group's renditions of the hits "Brown Girl in the Ring", "Hooray! Hooray! It's a Holi-Holiday", "Sunny" and "Daddy Cool".
Vocal controversy
It is stated on Williams' official site that "it's no secret that although she sang in the studio Williams' less dominant voice appears to have been mostly excluded from many of the recordings, with the exception of some backing vocals, for reasons only the producer knew at the time"http://www.maiziewilliams.com/history.shtml. However, the inner sleeve of the group's 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"...
LP, 1979, lists only Farian, Mitchell and Barrett in the track-by-track vocal credits.http://www.discogs.com/Boney-M-Oceans-Of-Fantasy/release/184627 Maizie did record a minor part for the group's "That's Boonoonoonoos / Train to Skaville" which was also broadcast in the 1981 TV special "Ein Sound geht um die Welt" (A Sound Goes Around the World)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_u82NbaDvg but in the final mix released on record, the part was eventually re-recorded by 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:...
.
Present
Besides still touring the world, Williams released her first solo record in December 2006, Call Upon Jesus, including the download single "Praise Be Unto Him". In February 2007, she released her own dance version of the Boney M. hit "Sunny". In June, she starred as the featured vocalist on Latvian group Melo-MMelo-M
Melo-M is a Latvian instrumental cello rock trio consisting of three classically trained cellists: Kārlis Auzāns, Valters Pūce, and Antons Trocjuks...
's version of "Daddy Cool" which hit the #1 spot in the LMK charts in the last week of August. Williams is currently working on a new studio album for release in 2010.
The singer faced a court case vs. Boney M. producer and Sony/BMG concerning the rights to perform under the name Boney M. "after hearing that she had not sung on any of the band's recordings".http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/music/article1555467.ece On February 16, 2009, Williams had judgement in the case, meaning Farian has to account to her for all record sales and future sales.
September 2011 a Dutch press release was issued regarding a tribute single that has been written by Maizie Williams together with Dutch songwriters Eddie Middle-Line and Björn de Water.
This will make it the first new release by two members of Boney M in over 30 years. The release of the song and video Josephine Baker (Eddie Middle-Line Mix) is set for 3 October 2011 and will have a worldwide release.