Bobby Farrell - from Boney M...

This is so very sad - I just found out the super hot dancer and singer
Bobby Farrell

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.... has died.

I grew up with Boney M, it was a craze in my youth,
and particularly for us commies back then in 70ties it was like a small window into something forbidden.

The costumes they wore during their performances to us plain masses plagued with shortages were fantastically rich - the epitome of western wealth and outrageous-ness,
but most important - it had FREEDOM written all over it.

Wonderful disco times, wonderful disco group.

I am so very sorry about Bobby, and his lonely passing away.
May he dance and sing heavenly forever!



Risa

We got this on the news a few days ago Risa.
Always seem to be a lot of celeb death as the new year comes in.
Did you know Bobby didnt actually sing on the records?
He was the dancer and he had to mime to the producers voice.....

My daughter was a big Boney M fan...

Pen

Pen is back!!!!

That's true ... a bit like a 70's version of Milli Vanilli. But who cares they all looked great ...

RIP Bobby

P.

Hi Petzi. Wow I didnt know I could create that much excitement. Thank you....

Well, I missed you Pen.
Sorry to hear you are still having a rough time.

Hug!

P.

I've never heard of him. Can you name some of his songs?

Rivers of Babylon. Brown Girl in the Ring. Rasputin.
Mary's Boy Child.
All under the name of the group "Boney M" Leslie.
I think more popular in Europe perhaps......long time ago now too.

Pen

Yeah, I guess he wasn't big over here in the colonies.

They were not all that big anywhere, Leslie.
This was a manufactured "plastic" pop-product from Germany during those disco days of flares big hats etc. Later the "singers" kept changing in order to revive their best days, but eventually it all faded away.

They were big. They have been a disco phenomenon in Europe in the 70s.
It is simply not true to say that they were not that successful.

Unless you have been living under a rock you have been aware of Bony M. Heck ... even my grandparents who have been almost exclusively into yodeling have been singing along to Bony M.

Their music might not be everybody’s cup of tea but it sure is catchy stuff.



P.

lesherb wrote:Yeah, I guess he wasn't big over here in the colonies.

No Leslie, I cant imagine they really made it that far.
Here they were very popular and had quite a few hits.
My kids loved them and still do. They were part of the typical 70s glam scene, but we could use a bit of that back compared to a lot of what's around.

I think the singer Liz Mitchel is still performing their hits on the nostalgia circuit.

pen
Probably their biggest hit....You can see Bobby, the only fella.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nm1g8FFRArc

even my grandparents who have been almost exclusively into yodeling have been singing along to Bony M.

That proves my point exactly!
They were always something of a joke.

I think maybe you were the only one laughing Mini. They were very popular and this was the 70s with glam rock and all.
I think maybe they were just not to your taste??

Some liked them and some not,

like it's with any other music group, especially musical groups who was not playing terribly ambitious music but silly, catchy dance tunes like
Abba, Goombay Dance Band, Boney M, Eruption, Donna Summer etc.

Their stars glowed hot and brightly, went suddenly, lasted rather shortly, and as quickly went down,
their fame consists of limited amount of hits played over and over until today.

What Abba is known for, for example? Waterloo? Lay All Your Love On Me? Fernando?
and some other hits
but come to think of it, for all their life work there is but same limited number of songs that public remembers them for.

Same with Boney M, they had their heydays, their time under the spotlights,
and while they had - those who loved them - like I did - are grateful for the memories

The music, the extravaganza is unforgettable

Now, the members of Boney M were citizens from countries politically associated with Netherlands and UK,
so it's only fitting that they seek employment and possibly immigration in Europe not America or anywhere else.
Hence their musical scene was also Europe, not USA and that's why they were mostly famous in there and Asia
but not that much over the "pond".

This may be of interest to you, MINI since you are in UK:

UK sales mark

In 1978, "Rivers of Babylon", a cover of a track by The Melodians with lyrics partly based on Psalm 137 and partly on Psalm 19,[12] became (at the time) the second highest-selling single of all time in the UK. After reaching no.1 for five weeks, "Rivers of Babylon" began dropping down the chart, at which point the B-side "Brown Girl in the Ring" was given extensive radio airplay, and the single climbed back up the chart to #2. The single spent 6 months in the UK Top 40, including 19 weeks in the Top 10. It eventually sold 5000 copies short of two million.

The group achieved a second UK million-seller with their version of the calypso classic "Mary's Boy Child/Oh My Lord", which was previously a million-seller for Harry Belafonte. On the list of the all-time best selling singles in the United Kingdom, Boney M. appear in fifth place (with "Rivers of Babylon") and tenth place (with "Mary's Boy Child/Oh My Lord"). The single sold almost 1.8 million copies and achieved sales of over 1.6 million in the 4 weeks the song was at number one in December 1978. Paul McCartney is the only other artist to appear twice (once with The Beatles, once with Wings) in the Top 10 of that list.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boney_M.

Looks like UK loved "joke" anyway, Mini

Risa