Biography
As it is impossible to tell the story of rock and roll without "Beatles", it is also unthinkable to introduce the development of the disco music genre without a decade "Boney M.". The beginning of the explosive success of the legendary group laid the first song, recorded in 1974 experimented with the new style by the German musician Frank Farian. Over the years of creativity, the team members issued 9 albums and sold about 200 million copies of singles, which was noted in the Guinness Book of Records. This achievement nobody surpassed so far.The history of creation and composition
The key figure in the group's biography was Frank Farian. At birth, the future producer "Boney M." He received the name of Franz Roiter, but in his youth on the wave of enthusiasm, the American rock and roll changed it to the alias. By the time of the creation of the famous Quartet, Farian had already earned the experience of forming and conducting the activities of collective projects, but did not think about the launch of the new group. He was interested in his own creativity and experiments with only an emerging disco style.
The result of one of the experiments was the record in December 1974 the compositions "Baby Do You Wanna Bump?". The dance hita was based on the "Al Capone" melody on Jamaica. The German listeners have also liked the German listeners, and at Boney M. - such a pseudonym took Farian - invitations sprinkled at concerts and tele-ester. For the "living" execution of Frank decided to collect a group.
Only one of the participants of the future "gold composition" fell into the first set. It was 24-year-old Maji Ulimes. Born in India, in childhood, together with his family moved to England, where he sang in the Black Beautiful People group and worked in the model business. In the project, Farian originally performed only as a dancer. In the future, became a vocalist, which was involved only during performances: in the work at the Maidi Studio did not participate.
The first composition, in addition to Williams, included Sheil Bonnik and two dancers working under Natalie's pseudonyms and Mike. Already a few months after the first speech, Farian replaced three participants in the group. Marcia Barrett and Claudia Barry took their place. In the same 1975, Bobby Farrell appeared as part of the team. Since he did not have the vocal data, the men's parties in the compositions "Boney M." Recorded Farian.
A year later, the quartet left Berry. The place of the main vocalist was taken by a native of Jamaica Liz Mitchell. In childhood, her family moved to the UK, where the girl got the opportunity to take vocal lessons. Mitchell began at the age of 17, and by 24 years old when Liz came into the field of view of the casting agent Frank Farian, the artist managed to gain experience in Les Humphries Singers and Malcolm's Locks groups.
Five years, the famous quartet existed in the "golden" composition, however, in 1981, Farrell preferred to do solo creativity. Farian used the situation to enhance the vocal level of the ensemble. To "Boney M." Join the professional singer from the UK Raji Tibo. Fans of the disco-collective, however, do not accept the replacement, and in 1984, Frank is forced to return Bobby. From that time to the collapse of the group in 1986 "Boney M." acts as quintet.
Periodic reunification at concerts pushed the musicians to the thoughts on the revival of the team. In 1989, the return of "Boney M." was announced, but now only Mitchell and Tibo acted under this brand. Farian supported the idea and helped a duet to release the Single "Stories". In 1990, the group broke up completely.
Music
BONEY M SHIPS recognizable to this day "Daddy Cool" and "Sunny" came out already on the debut plate of the team in 1976. The composition "Babby Do You Wanna Bump", with which the history of the ensemble began. There was also a Caver on the song Bob Marley "No Woman, No Cry". Release provided musicians a successful start, and a year later, the achievement fastened the second plate "Love for Sale". It was published songs "Ma Baker" and "Belfast". The album won the status of platinum in Germany and the Golden in Holland and the UK.Vocal parties for both plates were recorded only by Liz Mitchell and Marcia Barrett, a male voice in compositions belongs to Frank Farian. This has not changed when working on the third album "NightFlight to Venus", which became the most successful in the discography of the German team. Disco style is combined with the social and historical theme of texts, which is characteristic, rather, rock than pop compositions. A bright example is the song "Rasputin", in the melody of which the motives of Russian folklore are used.
Another composition is "Rivers of Babylon". It was originally issued as a single, according to 2015, it was separated by a circulation of 20 million copies. At the heart of the words of the Hita lies Psalm 136 - the song of exiles from the fallen Jerusalem, which is held in captivity Babylonian. The plate with this composition was published in 1978, and a year later, when John Paul II arrived in Ireland for the first time, the pilgrims welcomed the Pope of the Roman mass execution of the hit.
In the year of release of his best disk "Boney M." He went on tour in the USSR, becoming the first Western team for which an exception was made during the Iron Curtain. Artists even allowed to remove clips on Red Square. Before the Kremlin, part of the film-concert about the famous Quartet, which was shown on central television in the spring of 1979.
In the same year, the musicians have presented the fourth record that has already become the legend of the disco style. Oceans of Fantasy also turned out to be successful, largely due to the Gotta Go Home and Bahama Mama hits presented on it.
The fifth plate, called "BoonoonoOnoos", that translated from the language of Caribbeans means "happiness", special happiness musicians just did not bring. Is that Bobby Farrell, who made his debuting as a vocalist. His voice sounds in the song, on which the album is named. The composition ranked first in Spanish Chart, but did not hit the British rating. In Germany, selling release remained high, but 16th place in the hit parade signaled against the decline in the work of the quartet.
Until the final decay in 1986, the Group released three more albums, but they could not withdraw the team on the second wave of success. A little new material was recorded by Liz Mitchell and Raji Tibo in 1989, when attempts were made to reanimate the group. Subsequently, "Boney M." We have repeatedly reunited for one-time TV projects and concerts, which were performed by the most famous songs.
"Boney M." now
The right to use the name of the group belongs to Liz Mitchell now. The singer tours with other musicians, performing the composition of the legendary team. Williams and Barrett protrude sololy, and each uses its own musical material.
Personal career after decay "Boney M." Bobby Farrell was engaged, but in 2010 he died on the night after speaking at a private party in St. Petersburg. Hotel workers opened the doors and discovered the body of the artist. The investigators called the cause of the death of the star - stop the heart.
Frank Farian continues to play music. In 2017, he presented the album "WorldMusic for Christmas", the compositions of which are based on national melodies of different countries. Liz Mitchell took part in the record.
Discography
- 1976 - "Take the Heat Off Me"
- 1977 - "Love for Sale"
- 1978 - "NightFlight to Venus"
- 1979 - "Oceans of Fantasy"
- 1981 - "BoonoonoOnoos"
- 1981 - "Christmas Album"
- 1984 - "Ten Thousand Lightyears"
- 1985 - "Eye Dance"
Clips
- 1976 - "Sunny"
- 1976 - "Daddy Cool"
- 1978 - "Rasputin"
- 1978 - Rivers Of Babylon
- 1979 - "Bahama Mama"