Boney M

Boney M

Boney M. is a Eurodance and disco group, which was phenomenally successful during the 1970s. The group was created by producer Frank Farian in 1976 and was composed of four West Indian artists working in London, Germany and Netherlands: singers Marcia Barrett and Liz Mitchell, model Maizie Williams and DJ Bobby Farrell.

When Frank Farian first released "Baby Do You Wanna Bump?" in 1974, under the Boney M name, he did the singing himself (there were very few words), and only when the song became a hit he decided to hire a team of dancers and vocalists to 'man' the group. The line-up changed several times; only Maizie Williams was there from the very beginning.

Foreshadowing Farian's involvement in the Milli Vanilli controversy a decade later, Williams and Farrell sang very little, or not at all, on Boney M's records. The mostly spoken male voice was that of Farian. He finally admitted to this on German television in 2003, saying that Farrell had been chosen for his personality and innovative dancing. (The vocal contributions of Barrett and Williams are not in doubt.)

Rivers of Babylon became the second highest selling single of all time in the UK in 1978 when the B-side Brown girl in the Ring was given extensive airplay on radio. It sold 500 copies short of 2 million.

They also achieved a second UK million seller with their version of calypso classic Mary's Boy Child which was previously a million seller for Harry Belafonte. As of the list of the best selling singles in the United Kingdom, issued in 2002, Boney M appear 5th and 10th places respectively, with the two above singles. They are the only act to appear twice in the Top 10; not even the Beatles were able to achieve this. Boney M, with their sensuous tunes and catchy rythms became one of the few western bands that became well-known in the non-European world including Africa, India and South-East Asia. To this day, along with ABBA, they are the most widely known western music acts in these regions.

Other singles include:

  • Baby Do You Wanna Bump?
  • Daddy Cool
  • El Lute
  • Sunny
  • Ma Baker
  • Belfast
  • Nightflight to Venus
  • Rasputin
  • Painter Man (about Andy Warhol)

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Other singles include:. As of March 12, however, no release had yet been announced. To this day, along with ABBA, they are the most widely known western music acts in these regions. In December 2004, she wrote a Christmas letter to her fans announcing an album release in 2005; additionally, unsubstantiated reports have stated that the album might be released as early as March. Boney M, with their sensuous tunes and catchy rythms became one of the few western bands that became well-known in the non-European world including Africa, India and South-East Asia. She was reportedly recording tracks as recently as November 2003 at Abbey Road Studios, but as of fall 2004 no release date for a new album had been announced, more than a decade after her last recordings were released. They are the only act to appear twice in the Top 10; not even the Beatles were able to achieve this. She has confirmed that she is at work on a new album, with the title of one track "How to be Invisible" having been discussed on at least one of her fan Web sites.

As of the list of the best selling singles in the United Kingdom, issued in 2002, Boney M appear 5th and 10th places respectively, with the two above singles. In 1999, she gave birth to a baby boy, Bertie, fathered by guitarist Danny MacIntosh. They also achieved a second UK million seller with their version of calypso classic Mary's Boy Child which was previously a million seller for Harry Belafonte. There were also unconfirmed reports that she had suffered a nervous breakdown. It sold 500 copies short of 2 million. Bush dropped out of the public eye in the late 1990s, though her name occasionally cropped up in the media in connection with rumours of a new album release. Rivers of Babylon became the second highest selling single of all time in the UK in 1978 when the B-side Brown girl in the Ring was given extensive airplay on radio. In 1993, Bush directed and starred in the short film, The Line, The Cross and The Curve, a musical co-starring Miranda Richardson and featuring music from Bush's album The Red Shoes which was inspired by the classic movie The Red Shoes.

(The vocal contributions of Barrett and Williams are not in doubt.). It was this benefit that was recorded and is the only record of Bush's live performance. He finally admitted to this on German television in 2003, saying that Farrell had been chosen for his personality and innovative dancing. Bush held a benefit concert on 12 May, with Peter Gabriel and Steve Harley at London’s Hammersmith Odeon for his family. The mostly spoken male voice was that of Farian. A number of reasons have been suggested as to why she abandoned touring, among them her reputed need to be in total control of the final product, which is incompatible with live stage performance, a rumour of a crippling fear of flying, and the suggestion that the death of 21 year old Bill Duffield, severely affected her. Duffield, her lighting director, was killed in an accident during her April 20 concert at The London Palladium when he fell twenty feet through an open trap door on the stage. Foreshadowing Farian's involvement in the Milli Vanilli controversy a decade later, Williams and Farrell sang very little, or not at all, on Boney M's records. Bush's only tour took place in early 1979 (April 3 - May 10 see details below), after which she gave only the occasional live performance.

When Frank Farian first released "Baby Do You Wanna Bump?" in 1974, under the Boney M name, he did the singing himself (there were very few words), and only when the song became a hit he decided to hire a team of dancers and vocalists to 'man' the group. The line-up changed several times; only Maizie Williams was there from the very beginning. A wide diversity of respected artists have worked with her on some of her more recent albums ranging from the rock guitarist Jeff Beck, the legendary guitarist Ian Bairnson, jazz/rock drummer Stuart Elliot, the classical guitarist John Williams, the folk artists The Trio Bulgarka, and Prince. The group was created by producer Frank Farian in 1976 and was composed of four West Indian artists working in London, Germany and Netherlands: singers Marcia Barrett and Liz Mitchell, model Maizie Williams and DJ Bobby Farrell. She has appeared in duets with Midge Ure, Big Country and others on their albums. Boney M. is a Eurodance and disco group, which was phenomenally successful during the 1970s. Harper is another frequent collaborator, appearing on her song Breathing and her on his albums HQ and Once (both also featuring Gilmour). Painter Man (about Andy Warhol). Their duet of Roy Harper's Another Day was discussed for release as a single, but this never came to pass.

Rasputin. She has worked with Peter Gabriel on two of his albums, most notably on the hits Games Without Frontiers and Don't Give Up, (the latter a duet); and his appearance on her 1979 television special. Nightflight to Venus. Gurdjieff in Them Heavy People. Belfast. I. Ma Baker. Her lyrics are highly literate and reference a wide array of subject matter, often relatively obscure, such as Wilhelm Reich in Cloudbusting, or G.

Sunny. Kate Bush has tackled sensitive and taboo subjects long before it has become fashionable to do so; Kashka From Baghdad is a song about a gay male couple; Breathing explores the results of nuclear fallout. El Lute. The unapologetic use of her voice as an instrument to convey a broad range of emotional intensity and subtlety is one thing that characterizes nearly all that she does. Daddy Cool. It has been observed that even the more joyous of the pieces is often tinged with traces of melancholy, and even the most sorrowful have elements of a unique vitality struggling against all that would oppress it. Baby Do You Wanna Bump?. More than one reviewer has used the term surreal to describe much of her music, for many of the songs have a melodramatic emotional and musical surrealism that defies easy categorization.

Even in her earliest works where the piano was a primary instrument, she wove together many diverse influences, melding classical music, rock, and a wide range of ethnic and folk sources, to produce a uniquely impressive amalgalm, and this has continued throughout her career. Suede front-man Brett Anderson has stated that Wuthering Heights was the first single he ever bought. Even the iconoclastic punk rocker John Lydon (Johnny Rotten of the Sex Pistols) has declared her work to be "fucking brilliant" and has labelled her "a true original". Though many outside of Europe remain unfamiliar with her work and its profound intensity, others in her profession are willing to declare her works as those of great genius.

The trip hop artist Tricky has stated her work has been a significant influence on him and that she should be treasured more than the Beatles. While her range of styles does not appeal to everyone, Bush is nevertheless widely respected by many musicians, and has been noted as an influence and inspiration by artists as diverse as Jewel, Tori Amos, Björk, Suede, Paula Cole, Sinéad O'Connor, Pat Benatar, Happy Rhodes, The Utah Saints, Big Boi of OutKast and others. They have since worked together on occasional projects and in concert. David Gilmour of Pink Floyd was largely responsible for bringing her to prominence, funding her first demo sessions and attracting the interest of the Floyd's record company, EMI.

Kate Bush (born Catherine Bush on July 30, 1958 in Bexleyheath, Kent, England) is a British singer-songwriter who has acquired a large number of extremely devoted fans since her debut in 1978 with the surprise hit "Wuthering Heights," which was number 1 in the British music charts for 4 weeks. Recorded as Live at the Hammersmith Odeon. Hammersmith Odeon, London, UK (May 12) Benefit concert. Jarhunderthalle, Frankfurt, Germany (10 May).

Rosengarten, Mannheim, Germany (8 May). Theatre de Champs Elysees, Paris, France (6 May). Guerzenich, Cologne, Germany (4 May). Circuskrone, Munich, Germany (3 May).

Leiderhalle, Stuttgart, Germany (2 May). Carré Theatre, Amsterdam, The Netherlands (29 April). Congress Centrum, Hamburg, Germany (28 April). Falkoneer Theatre, Copenhagen, Denmark (26 April).

Concert House, Stockholm, Sweden (24 April). The Palladium, London, UK (16 April - 20 April). Usher Hall, Edinburgh, UK (13 April). Empire Theatre, Sunderland, UK (12 April).

Apollo Theatre, Manchester, UK (11 April). Apollo Theatre, Manchester, UK (10 April). Hippodrome, Bristol, UK (9 April). Gaumont Southampton, UK (7 April).

New Theatre Oxford, UK (6 April). Hippodrome, Birmingham, UK (5 April). Hippodrome, Birmingham, UK (4 April). Empire, Liverpool, UK (3 April).

On Stage - 4 Live Tracks ( EP ) (1979). Live at the Hammersmith Odeon (1989). The Line, the Cross and the Curve (1994). The Sensual World (1989).

The Whole Story (1986). Hair of the Hound (1986). The Single File (1983). Live at the Hammersmith Odeon (1981).

This Woman's Work 1978-1990 (1990, rereleased in 1998) (a boxed set of her six albums to date, also including two discs of rare b-sides). The Whole Story (1986) (includes a new rendition of "Wuthering Heights"). Title TBA (tentative release 2005) - in December 2004 Bush annnounced a new album was planned for 2005 release. The Red Shoes (1993).

The Sensual World (1989). Hounds of Love (1985). The Dreaming (1982). Never For Ever (1980).

Lionheart (1978). The Kick Inside (1977).