''Gold – 20 Super Hits'' is a

1992 1992 was designated as International Space Year by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 – Boutros Boutros-Ghali of Egypt replaces Javier Pérez de Cuéllar of Peru as United Nations Secretary-General. * January 6 ** The Republ ...

greatest hits album A greatest hits album or best-of album is a type of compilation album that collects popular and commercially successful songs by a particular artist or band. While greatest hits albums are typically supported by the artist, they can also be creat ...

by group

Boney M. Boney M. is a German reggae, funk and disco music group founded in 1974. It achieved popularity during the disco era in the second half of the 1970s. The band was created by German record producer Frank Farian, who was the group's primary song ...

Shortly after record label PolyGram had acquired the rights to the

ABBA ABBA ( ) were a Swedish pop group formed in Stockholm in 1972 by Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad. They are one of the most popular and successful musical groups of all time, and are one of the List ...

back catalogue and had issued the multimillion-selling hits package '' Gold: Greatest Hits'',

BMG BMG may refer to: Organizations Music publishing companies * Bertelsmann Music Group, a 1987–2008 division of Bertelsmann that was purchased by Sony on October 1, 2008 ** Sony BMG, a 2004–2008 joint venture of Bertelsmann and Sony that was pur ...

and producer

Frank Farian Franz Reuther (18 July 1941 – 23 January 2024), known professionally as Frank Farian, was a German record producer and singer who founded the 1970s disco-pop group Boney M., the pop band No Mercy, and the pop band Milli Vanilli. He frequent ...

followed suit with Boney M.'s ''Gold – 20 Super Hits'' which resulted in their best chart entry in the UK (#14 – see ''

The Greatest Hits The Greatest Hits may refer to: * ''The Greatest Hits'' (3 Doors Down album), 2012 * ''The Greatest Hits'' (Amii Stewart 2005), 2005 * ''The Greatest Hits'' (Australian Crawl album), 2014 * ''The Greatest Hits'' (Baby Bird album), 1997 * ''The ...

'') and most other European countries since 1980's ''

The Magic of Boney M. – 20 Golden Hits ''The Magic of Boney M. – 20 Golden Hits'' is a greatest hits album by Euro-Caribbean group Boney M., issued in 1980, which contained all their biggest hits up until that point, including non-album singles "Mary's Boy Child/Oh My Lord" and "Hoo ...

''. Producer Farian controversially edited most of the tracks and also overdubbed them with synthesized 1990s percussion such as disco hi-hats, sampled tambourines and handclaps specifically for this release. These mixes have since appeared on various Boney M. hit collections issued in the 1990s and 2000s, most notably 2006's '' The Magic of Boney M.'', which featured nearly all of the tracks that appeared on this release in this form. ''Gold – 20 Super Hits''/''

'' included a new "Boney M. Megamix", also issued as a single, which reached #7 in the UK in December 1992 and gave the group their tenth UK Top 10 entry.

Track listing

Rivers of Babylon "Rivers of Babylon" is a Rastafari movement, 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 Psalm 19, 19 and Psalm 137, ...

" (Dowe, McNaughton) – 4:15 #* 1992 overdub version of single version. Replaced by a pitched-up version of the same mix on later German issues. #" Daddy Cool" (Farian, Reyam) – 3:26 #* 1992 overdub version. #" Sunny" (Hebb) – 3:56 #* 1992 overdub version. #" Brown Girl in the Ring" (Farian) – 4:00 #* 1992 overdub version. Replaced by the Remix '93 Radio Edit on later German issues. #"

Rasputin Grigori Yefimovich Rasputin ( – ) was a Russian mystic and faith healer. He is best known for having befriended the imperial family of Nicholas II, the last Emperor of Russia, through whom he gained considerable influence in the final ye ...

" (Farian, Jay, Reyam) – 4:24 #* 1992 overdub edit of single version. Full-length version available on '' The Greatest Hits (1993)''. #"

Ma Baker "Ma Baker" is a song by disco group Boney M., released as a single in 1977. It was the first single of their second album '' Love for Sale'' and their third consecutive chart-topper in (West) Germany. The song was a huge success in Europe a ...

" (Farian, Jay, Reyam) – 4:05 #* 1992 overdub edit. Full-length version available on '' The Greatest Hits (1993)''. #"

Hooray! Hooray! It's a Holi-Holiday "Hooray! Hooray! It's a Holi-Holiday" is a 1979 single by German Euro disco band Boney M. as an adaptation of the song, " Polly Wolly Doodle". Despite breaking their row of 7 consecutive German #1 singles, peaking at #4, the single was a big h ...

" (Farian) – 3:55 #* 1992 overdub version. #"

Painter Man "Painter Man" is a song written by British singer Kenny Pickett and guitarist Eddie Phillips, and first recorded by their group the Creation. It was released as a single in October 1966. Written as a response to their avant-garde stage show, the ...

" (Phillips, Pickette) – 3:16 #* 1992 overdub version. #"

Belfast Belfast (, , , ; from ) is the capital city and principal port of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan and connected to the open sea through Belfast Lough and the North Channel (Great Britain and Ireland), North Channel ...

" (Billybury, Deutscher, Menke) – 3:25 #* 1992 overdub version. #"

No Woman No Cry "No Woman, No Cry" is a reggae song performed by Bob Marley and the Wailers. The song was recorded in 1974 and released on the studio album '' Natty Dread''. The live recording of this song from the 1975 album '' Live!'' was released as a ...

" (

Bob Marley Robert Nesta Marley (6 February 1945 – 11 May 1981) was a Jamaican singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Considered one of the pioneers of reggae, he fused elements of reggae, ska and rocksteady and was renowned for his distinctive voca ...

) – 4:20 #* 1992 overdub edit. Full-length version available on '' The Greatest Hits (1993)''. #"

Mary's Boy Child "Mary's Boy Child", also known as "Mary's Little Boy Child", is a 1956 Christmas song written by Jester Hairston. It is widely performed as a Christmas carol. History The song had its genesis when Hairston was sharing a room with a friend. The fr ...

/ Oh My Lord" (

Jester Hairston Jester Joseph Hairston (July 9, 1901 – January 18, 2000) was an American composer, songwriter, arranger, choral conductor and actor. He was regarded as a leading expert on black spirituals and choral music. His notable compositions include " A ...

, Farian, Jay, Lorin) – 4:01 #* 1992 overdub edit of ''

Christmas Album Christmas music comprises a variety of genres of music regularly performed or heard around the Christmas season. Music associated with Christmas may be purely instrumental, or in the case of carols, may employ lyrics about the nativity of Je ...

'' version. Full-length version available on ''The Most Beautiful Christmas Songs of the World''. #"

Gotta Go Home "Gotta Go Home" is a 1979 double A-side single by German group Boney M. It was the lead single from their fourth album ''Oceans of Fantasy'' (1979) and was the group's eighth and final number-one single in the German charts. In the UK, where "Go ...

" (Farian, Huth, Jay) – 2:30 #* 1992 overdub edit of ''

Oceans of Fantasy ''Oceans of Fantasy'' is the fourth studio album by Euro-Caribbean group Boney M. Released in September 1979, ''Oceans of Fantasy'' became the second Boney M. album to top the UK charts and features the hits " El Lute / Gotta Go Home" and " I'm B ...

'' album version. #"Still I'm Sad" (April, McCarty, Samwell-Smith) – 4:24 #* 1992 overdub edit. Full-length version available on '' The Greatest Hits (1993)''. #"Nightflight To Venus" (Farian, Jay, Kawohl) – 3:49 #* 1992 edited version. #"

Felicidad (Margherita) "Felicidad (Margherita)" is a 1980 single by German band Boney M., not included in any original album by the group. It returned the group to the German Top 10, peaking at #6 but was not released in either the UK or Spain. In the Netherlands, the A ...

" (Conz, Massara) – 2:50 #* 1984 edited version from ''

Kalimba de Luna – 16 Happy Songs Mbira ( ; ) are a family of musical instruments, traditional to the Shona people of Zimbabwe. They consist of a wooden board (often fitted with a resonator) with attached staggered metal tines, played by holding the instrument in the hands and ...

'', overdubbed. #"

El Lute EL, El or el may refer to: Arts and entertainment Fictional entities * El, a character from the manga series ''Shugo Chara!'' by Peach-Pit * Eleven (''Stranger Things'') (El), a fictional character in the TV series ''Stranger Things'' * El, fami ...

" (Blum, Farian, Jay) – 3:58 #* 1989 remix version from '' Greatest Hits Of All Times – Remix '89 – Volume II'', edited. #"

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 t ...

" (Zambi) – 2:25 #* 1992 overdub edit. #"Kalimba De Luna" (Amoruso, Esposito, Licastro, Malavasi) – 4:11 #* 1992 overdub edit. #"Happy Song" (Abacab, Bacciocci, Spagna) – 3:56 #* Edited 7" version. (released as Boney M. with Bobby Farrell and The School Rebels) #"Boney M. Megamix" (Farian, Reyam, Hebb, Jay) – 3:51 #* 1992 version, radio edit. ("

" / " Sunny" / "Daddy Cool" / "

" / "

Personnel

Liz Mitchell Elizabeth Rebecca Pemberton-Mitchell (born 12 July 1952) is a British singer, best known as one of the original singers of the 1970s disco and reggae band Boney M. Mitchell now lives in Reading, UK. Early life Mitchell was born in the paris ...

–

lead vocals The lead vocalist in popular music is typically the member of a group or band whose voice is the most prominent melody in a performance where multiple voices may be heard. The lead singer sets their voice against the accompaniment parts of the ...

backing vocals A backing vocalist is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists. A backing vocalist may also sing alone as a lead-in to the main vocalist's entry or to sing a counter-melody. Backing vocalists are us ...

Marcia Barrett Marcia Barrett (born 14 October 1948) is a British singer and one of the original singers with the vocal group Boney M. Early years Barrett was born in Saint Catherine Parish, British Jamaica; her parents brought her to Croydon, England in ...

– lead vocals, backing vocals *

Reggie Tsiboe Reggie Tsiboe (born 7 September 1950) is a Ghanaian-British entertainer, dancer and one of the singers of the disco group Boney M. between 1982 and 1986 and later between 1989 and 1990. Career During the 1970s, Tsiboe was a member of the group ...

– lead vocals, backing vocals (tracks 18 & 19) *

Bobby Farrell Roberto Alfonso Farrell (6 October 1949 – 30 December 2010) was an Aruban dancer, visual performer, singer and DJ. He was a member of the 1970s and 1980s R&B group Boney M. Biography Birth and early life Farrell was born and raised on ...

– vocals (track 19)

Production

– producer,

remixer A remix, also sometimes called reorchestration or rework, is a piece of media which has been altered or contorted from its original state by adding, removing, or changing pieces of the item. A song, piece of artwork, book, poem, or photograph ca ...

Release history

* 1993 EU: MCI / BMG 74321 12577 1 (LP) * 1993 EU: MCI / BMG 74321 12577 2 (CD) * 1993 EU: BMG Ariola 74321 126052 7 (CD)

Single releases

EU 7" * "Megamix" (Radio Edit) – 3:51 / "Bang Bang Lulu" – 3:01 (MCI/

74321 12606-7, 1992)
12" * "Megamix" (MCI/BMG 74321 12606-1, 1992) Side A # "Megamix (Long Version) – 6:12 # "Babysitter" (1983 recording – 1992 remix) – 3:48 Side B # "Megamix" (Radio edit) – 3:51 # "Bang Bang Lulu" – 3:01 * "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 * "Megamix" (MCI/BMG 74321 12606-2, 1992) *# "Mega Mix" (Radio Edit) – 3:51 *# "Megamix" (Long version) – 6:12 *# "Bang Bang Lulu" – 3:01 *# "Babysitter" – 3:48 * "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

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications and sales

''The Greatest Hits'' (1993 UK Release)

''The Greatest Hits'' is a

, released in 1993. It is the UK version of

's ''Gold – 20 Super Hits'', with alternate album art and a slightly different track listing. Besides Boney M.'s best known hits like " Daddy Cool", "

" and "

", this fourteen track compilation also includes the 1993

remix A remix, also sometimes called reorchestration or rework, is a piece of media which has been altered or contorted from its original state by adding, removing, or changing pieces of the item. A song, piece of artwork, book, poem, or photograph ca ...

of " Brown Girl in the Ring" (UK #38) that was issued in both the UK and the rest of Europe as the follow-up single to the 1992 "

Megamix A megamix is a remix containing multiple songs in rapid succession. It often features various artists. There may be only one verse or even just a brief chorus of each song used, sometimes in addition to samples of the same or other songs. It i ...

" (UK #7). While still in overdubbed form, three tracks on this compilation, "

", "Ma Baker" and "

No Woman, No Cry "No Woman, No Cry" is a reggae song performed by Bob Marley and the Wailers. The song was recorded in 1974 and released on the studio album '' Natty Dread''. The live recording of this song from the 1975 album '' Live!'' was released as a ...

" are also featured in their full length, as opposed to the versions on the German BMG predecessor ''Gold – 20 Super Hits''. ''The Greatest Hits'' omits songs like "

", " Kalimba de Luna" and " Happy Song", which were not hits in the UK (It should also be worth noting "Felicidad" wasn't released as a single in the UK). ''The Greatest Hits'' was released by the now defunct

Telstar Records Telstar Records was a British record label that operated from 1982 to 2004. Background Telstar Records was founded in 1982 by Sean O'Brien and Neil Palmer with a government loan of £120,000. It was launched as a specialist compilation marketi ...

, while the singles "Megamix" and "Brown Girl in the Ring (Remix '93)" were issued by

Arista Records Arista Records ( ) is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the American division of the Japanese conglomerate Sony. The label was previously a division of Bertelsmann Music G ...

, which at the time was operating as a sublabel to

. ''The Greatest Hits'' reached number 14 on the

UK Albums Chart The Official Albums Chart is the United Kingdom's industry-recognised national record chart for album, albums. Entries are ranked by sales and audio streaming. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the O ...

in early 1993, which made it Boney M.'s highest charting album since 1980's ''

''.

References

Sources and external links

Rate Your Music, detailed discography

Discogs.com, detailed discography
* All Music Guide, biography, discography etc. {{DEFAULTSORT:Gold - 20 Super Hits Albums produced by Frank Farian 1992 greatest hits albums Boney M. compilation albums Bertelsmann Music Group compilation albums