德國歌手兼詞曲作家Frank Farian在1974年底推出了一首跳舞歌曲《Baby Do You Wanna Bump》,並在歌曲中以他低沉的聲音重複唱出「Do you do you wanna bump?」這句歌詞。當歌曲在荷蘭和比利時開始走紅,次年 (1975),Frank Farian決定僱用幾位表演者,在電視節目中作為歌曲的演唱者,這三女一男即是Boney M.這個合唱團體組成的由來。
frank farian & Boney M.
從團體成立到1979,Boney M.有多首風行世界的歌曲,像是《Daddy Cool》(1976)、《Belfast》(1977)、《Rasputin》&《Rivers of Babylon》(1978)及《Gotta Go Home》《Bahama Mama》(1979)等,可說是該團的全盛時期。1982,團體中的唯一男生Bobby Farrell和老闆Frank Farian的關係搞不好,離開了Boney M. (雖然1984又重回樂團,但兩年後樂團又正式解散了。),而樂團立即找了另位男生Reggie Tsobie來替代他。
此首《Going Back West》為黑人歌手Jimmy Cliff於1971首錄發行,Boney M.在1984翻唱,並收錄在專輯《Kalimba de Luna – 16 Happy Songs》中,主唱者即為頂替Bobby Farrell的Reggie Tsobie。
Bobby Farrell
說到Bobby Farrell,他算是舞蹈和表演藝術家。在Boney M.期間,他在唱歌上幾乎沒有貢獻,有些歌曲像是《Daddy Cool》的低音部份,還是由老闆Frank Farian幕後操刀,Farrell只是對嘴罷了,但無可否認,Farrell像猴子般的跳舞,也確是Boney M.舞台表演的一個亮點。據Farrell的女兒後來陳述,Farrell曾向Farian索取10萬馬克,但被要求簽署一份文件,致Boney M.解散後,無法取得肖像權、版權費等任何費用,一度還得靠社會福利渡日。好在Boney M.這個團名並未在全世界註冊,Farrell還可以「Bobby Farrell's Boney M.」的名稱在某些國家巡演。2010,Farrell在俄國聖彼得堡的一間旅館因心臟病過世,享年61。
延伸閱讀:
亂談(47) Rivers of Babylon
I was born and raised in the ghetto
Talk with me and you'll know
I wasn't satisfied, with living on the side
I started looking around, for a possibility
Listen to my story, of what became of me
I met a businessman
Who said he had some friends back east
So why don't you come along
Well we can help you at least
We'll make you into a big star
By playing your guitar
But the joke was on me
They left me flat to see
Going back west
Yes I know I'll make out alright
Going back west
Where my music's playing all night
Going back west (going back west)
I think I'll do alright
Going back west
Yes I know I'll make out alright
Going back west
Where my music's playing all night
Going back west (going back west)
I think I'll do alright
Struggling for recognition, identity and respect
I got a lot of promises
They told me not to fret
So we will stand by you
If the going gets rough
But when I started thinking
They didn't even bluff
'Bout a year has come and gone
And left me standing here
Thinking how it could have been
For still I ain't nowhere
They surely took me for a ride
Trampled on my pride
But I hold my head up high
Got no more tears to cry
Going back west
Yes I know I'll make out alright
Going back west
Where my music's playing all night
Going back west (going back west)
I think I'll do alright
Going back west
Yes I know I'll make out alright
Going back west
Where my music's playing all night
Going back west (going back west)
I think I'll do alright
Going back west
Yes I know I'll make out alright
Going back west
Where my music's playing all night
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