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Boney M.
Boney M. are a disco group that specialises in R&B, reggae, disco and funk. The group was created by German record producer Frank Farian, who was the group's primary songwriter. Originally based in West Germany, the four original members of the group's official line-up were Liz Mitchell and Marcia Barrett from Jamaica, Maizie Williams from Montserrat, and Bobby Farrell from Aruba. The group was formed in 1976 and achieved popularity during the disco era of the late 1970s. Since the 1980s, various line-ups of the band have performed with differing personnel. The band has sold millions of records worldwide and is known for international hits including " Daddy Cool", " Ma Baker", " Belfast", " Sunny", " Rasputin", " Mary's Boy Child/Oh My Lord" and " Rivers of Babylon". History 1974–1976: Formation and early career German singer-songwriter Frank Farian recorded the dance track " Baby Do You Wanna Bump" in December 1974. Farian sang the repeated line "Do you do you wanna ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
West Germany
West Germany is the colloquial term used to indicate the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG; german: Bundesrepublik Deutschland , BRD) between its formation on 23 May 1949 and the German reunification through the accession of East Germany on 3 October 1990. During the Cold War, the western portion of Germany and the associated territory of West Berlin were parts of the Western Bloc. West Germany was formed as a political entity during the Allied occupation of Germany after World War II, established from eleven states formed in the three Allied zones of occupation held by the United States, the United Kingdom, and France. The FRG's provisional capital was the city of Bonn, and the Cold War era country is retrospectively designated as the Bonn Republic. At the onset of the Cold War, Europe was divided between the Western and Eastern blocs. Germany was divided into the two countries. Initially, West Germany claimed an exclusive mandate for all of Germany, representing itself as t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Aruba
Aruba ( , , ), officially the Country of Aruba ( nl, Land Aruba; pap, Pais Aruba) is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands physically located in the mid-south of the Caribbean Sea, about north of the Venezuela peninsula of Paraguaná and northwest of Curaçao. It measures long from its northwestern to its southeastern end and across at its widest point. Together with Bonaire and Curaçao, Aruba forms a group referred to as the ABC islands. Collectively, these and the other three Dutch substantial islands in the Caribbean are often called the Dutch Caribbean, of which Aruba has about one-third of the population. In 1986, it became a constituent country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, and acquired the formal name the Country of Aruba. Aruba is one of the four countries that form the Kingdom of the Netherlands, along with the Netherlands, Curaçao, and Sint Maarten; the citizens of these countries are all Dutch nationals. Aruba has no administrat ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gilla (singer)
Gilla (; born Gisela Wuchinger , 27 February 1950) 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. After an unsuccessful German cover version "Mir ist kein Weg zu weit" of Marcella Bella's Italian hit single "Nessuno mai", Farian had her record a German disco version of Labelle's "Lady Marmalade". Despite being a modest hit (#24), it drew some media attention in Germany from being the first cover with the same explicit lyrics "Willst du mit mir schlafen gehn?" (Do You Want To Sleep With Me) (1975). It was followed later in the year with "Tu es" (recorded in English as "Why Don't You Do It") which became Gilla's biggest hit, peaking at No.10 in the German charts and giving Farian a commercial breakthrough as a producer. Gilla's debut LP, featuring a mix of disco, pop and schlager tracks, was released shortly after. In the summer of 1976, Gilla followed with the single, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Take The Heat Off Me
''Take the Heat off Me'' is the debut album by Euro-Caribbean group Boney M. The album became a major seller in Europe, specifically in the Nordic countries (number 1 in Sweden and Finland, number 2 in Norway), but in the US the album just missed the album chart. Tracks include the hits " Daddy Cool" (number 1 in eight European countries, number 65 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100), " Sunny" (top 5 in many European countries) and the debut single "Baby Do You Wanna Bump". Additional information Producer Frank Farian was in a hurry to capitalize on the sudden success of "Daddy Cool" and put together the first Boney M. album quickly, made possible by the use of cover versions and by reusing already existing recordings. While "Baby Do You Wanna Bump" was reworked from Prince Buster's " Al Capone" (although credited to Farian's alias 'Zambi'), "Sunny", "No Woman No Cry" and "Fever" are cover versions of well-known tracks, albeit rearranged. The title track "Take the Heat off Me" is al ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Les Humphries Singers
The Les Humphries Singers was a 1970s pop group formed in Hamburg, Germany in 1969 by the English-born Les Humphries. The group had several chart hits in Germany and in other European countries. The Les Humphries Singers dissolved at the end of the 1970s and Humphries moved back to England. Members Les Humphries was born John Leslie Humphreys on 10 August 1940 in Croydon, Surrey, England. In 1969 he formed the group in Hamburg, Germany. The group consisted of a large number of singers of diverse ethnic origin, some of whom such as John Lawton also performed with other groups. Another member was Jürgen Drews, who later started a long-running solo career, starting with his 1976 hit in Germany, "Ein Bett im Kornfeld", a cover version of "Let Your Love Flow" by The Bellamy Brothers. Linda Thompson (born 21 September 1948 as Linda Übelherr), who had previously been a member of the Cornely Singers and Love Generation, was a member from 1973 to 1974, and later joined Silver Conv ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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. Two series, each of thirteen episodes, were filmed. The series is centred on Bonaparte, an Australian Aboriginal character, created by Arthur Upfield, who wrote twenty-nine Bony novels between 1929 and 1964. Cast * James Laurenson as Detective Inspector Bonaparte (Boney) (Series 1 and 2). * Nick Tate as Sgt Peter Irwin (two episodes in Series 1). * Kate Fitzpatrick as Constable Alice McGorr (Series 2 only). Notable guest stars * Deryck Barnes as Sgt Colin Harvey (ep "Boney Walks With Death"). * Honor Blackman as Mary Answorth (ep "Boney In Venom House"). * Ken Goodlet as Inspector Walters (ep "Boney And The Kelly Gang"). * David Gulpilil as various characters in various episodes, both series - plus featured dancer in opening and closing sequences. * Max Phipps as Morris Answorth (ep "Boney In Ve ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Falsetto
''Falsetto'' (, ; Italian diminutive of , "false") 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 cords, in whole or in part. Commonly cited in the context of singing, falsetto, a characteristic of phonation by both sexes, is also one of four main spoken vocal registers recognized by speech pathology. The term ''falsetto'' is most often used in the context of singing to refer to a type of vocal phonation that enables the singer to sing notes beyond the vocal range of the normal or modal voice. The typical tone of falsetto register or M2, usually has a characteristic breathy and flute-like sound relatively free of overtones—which is more limited than its modal counterpart in both dynamic variation and tone quality. However, William Vennard points out that while most untrained people can sound comparatively "breathy" o ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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 group's 1976 debut album ''Take the Heat off Me''. Released as the first Boney M. single, it became a minor hit in the Netherlands and Belgium, prompting Farian to create a proper group to promote his studio project. In the United Kingdom, the single was released by Creole Records, but went unnoticed. Concept and release "Baby Do You Wanna Bump?"—a remake of Prince Buster's 1960s song "Al Capone"—was written by producer Frank Farian under the pseudonym Zambi, with Farian himself doing the deep male lead vocal, as well as the high falsetto backing vocals. George Reyam was also credited as a composer on Part II, but the label did not mention Prince Buster, who had written "Al Capone". When the song was included on the Boney M. debut album ''Take the Heat off Me'', Farian joined the A- and B-sides of the original single (Parts I & II) together and create ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rivers Of Babylon
"Rivers of Babylon" is a Rastafari song written and recorded by Brent Dowe and Trevor McNaughton of the Jamaican reggae group The Melodians in 1970. The lyrics are adapted from the texts of Psalms 19, and 137 in the Hebrew Bible. The Melodians' original version of the song appeared on the soundtrack album for the 1972 movie ''The Harder They Come'', which made it internationally known. The song was re-popularized in Europe by the 1978 Boney M. cover version, which was awarded a platinum disc and is one of the top-ten, all-time best-selling singles in the UK. The B-side of the single, " Brown Girl in the Ring", also became a hit. Background Biblical psalms The song is based on the Biblical Psalm 137:1-4, a hymn expressing the lamentations of the Jewish people in exile following the Babylonian conquest of Jerusalem in 586 BC: Previously the Kingdom of Israel, after being united under Kings David and Solomon, had been split in two, with the Kingdom of Israel in the north, conq ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mary's Boy Child – Oh My Lord
"Mary's Boy Child / Oh My Lord" is a 1978 Christmas single by Boney M., a cover of Harry Belafonte's 1956 hit "Mary's Boy Child", put in medley with the new song "Oh My Lord". The single had its premiere on 2nd November 1978 on the German TV-show "Starparade" (Episode 44) which aired on ZDF. It topped the UK Singles Chart for four weeks and became Christmas number one in the UK, spending eight weeks in the charts. It has sold 1.89 million units as of November 2015. It was the second single for the group in the UK's all-time best selling singles list. The song was later included in the group's ''Christmas Album'', issued in 1981. In the United States, the track reached number 85 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, Boney M's last of four singles to chart there. In 2017, it experienced somewhat of a resurgence and peaked at number 89 on the Holiday 100. In certain areas of the U.S., the medley can sometimes be heard during the Thanksgiving/Christmas holiday season on radio station ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rasputin (song)
"Rasputin" is a song by Germany-based pop and Eurodisco group Boney M. It was released on 28 August 1978 as the second single from their third studio album ''Nightflight to Venus'' (1978). Written by the group's creator Frank Farian, along with George Reyam and Fred Jay, it is a song about Grigori Rasputin, a friend and advisor of Tsar Nicholas II of Russia and his family during the early 20th century. The song describes Rasputin as a playboy, mystical healer, and political manipulator. Composition The core of the song tells of Rasputin's rise to prominence in the court of Nicholas II, referencing the hope held by Tsarina Alexandra Fyodorovna that Grigori Rasputin would heal her hemophiliac son, Tsarevich Alexei of Russia, and as such his appointment as Alexei's personal healer. Rasputin gained tremendous influence from this position, particularly with Alexandra. This is also retold in the song: "For the queen he was no wheeler dealer". It also claims that Rasputin was Alexan ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sunny (Bobby Hebb Song)
"Sunny" is a soul jazz standard written by Bobby Hebb in 1963. It is one of the most performed and recorded popular songs, with hundreds of versions released. BMI rates "Sunny" No. 25 in its "Top 100 songs of the century". Background and composition Hebb's parents, William and Ovalla Hebb, were both blind musicians. Hebb and his older brother Harold performed as a song-and-dance duo in Nashville, beginning when Bobby was three and Harold was nine. Hebb performed on a TV show hosted by country music record producer Owen Bradley. Hebb wrote the song after his older brother, Harold, was stabbed to death outside a Nashville nightclub. Hebb was devastated by the event and many critics say it inspired the lyrics and tune. According to Hebb, he merely wrote the song as an expression of a preference for a ''"sunny"'' disposition over a ''"lousy"'' disposition following the murder of his brother. Events influenced Hebb's songwriting, but his melody, crossing over into R&B (#3 on U. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
