So, this was Boney M’s debut hit that set off a 10 year journey of monster songs. Boney M were created – yes, actually created – by the German-based producer and composer Frank Farian in 1976. Frank actually was quite a creator of bands – his other masterpiece was Milli Vanilli (do you remember those amazing boys with the fantastic lip synching ability – and the scandal at the Grammy’s?! )

Anyway, Frank invented the group to perform a song that he had already recorded and went and found four afro-Carribean black-german singers Marcia Barrett, Liz Mitchell, Maizie Williams and Bobby Farell to sing it.

Now here’s the bit that blew my mind when I first heard it – Bobby Farrell – crazy haired, manic dancing, front man – almost NEVER sang anything on the Boney M song ?. It was Frank Farian, the creator himself, who performed all the male parts for the recordings. And Frank did a lot more too – on this song, the intro music was is Frank doing rhythmic tic-tic-tics and playing on his teeth with a pencil. Bobby Farrell’s primary functions in the band were to look awesome and to dance his ass off ! I think he did both those jobs brilliantly ? 

I first heard this song at my mamaji’ place – blew me away so much I quietly ‘borrowed’ his cassette of ‘Take The Heat Off Me’, their debut album. When he found out later that afternoon there was hell to pay and I seem to remember some threats of a smack around the head ?!

Must admit these guys are still one of my favourite groups – Rasputin, Ma Baker, Sunny, River of Babylon…these were staples on ‘A Date With You’ and at our parties. We’ll come back to Boney M soon