Biography
Three beautiful girls in dazzling outfits, while exhibitionist Bobby Farrell parades his bare chest, as they rev up an audience ready to live up old times. "Daddy Cool", "Rivers Of Babylon", "Rasputin", "Ma Baker" and many others. The music contains elements of gospel, calypso and nursery rhyme. It's a mixture of kitsch and camp that makes Boney M. so enjoyable.
Over the years since Boney M. have been around, they have accumulated 42 golden, 50 platinum and 50 silver discs. They've sold more than 150 million records worldwide.
The "MEGAMIX" – CD achieves Top 10 in the UK, Holland, Belgium and Finland. New remix of "Brown Girl In The Ring" achieves top 15 in the UK, Belgium, Holland, France and Scandinavia.
Here are some career facts of the group:
1976
The breakthrough of Boney M. "Daddy Cool" and the album called "Take The Hear Off Me" turned out to be international chart breakers. Silver, gold and platinum records began to flow in a neverending stream. Boney M. is the most successful group in Germany. German television's "Musikladen" directed by Mike Leckebusch, featured the single "Daddy Cool". In Germany and Holland sales topped over 100.000 copies a week after this appearance.
1977
First successful tour in West-Germany. The second album was a row of hits. "Rivers Of Babylon" - all time bestseller in Switzerland, Austria, Holland. Over 2 million in England, 1 million plus in France, 2 million plus in Germany.
1978
The album "Nightflight To Venus" broke new records. Before its release in Germany 400.000 copies were ordered by distributors. This meant gold even before it was for sale. Second tour in Germany was sold out in every city. In December WEA-London telexed that "Mary's Boy Child" has sold 2,5 million copies. The song has been added to England's "Guinness Book Of Records" as one of the twenty most successful singles in history of the British record business. A special album was published for the USSR. The Russians ordered 300.000 copies within a few days. On December 9th Boney M. landed in Moscow with their band "Black Beautiful Circus". More than 100.000 people tried to get a ticket to see Boney M. on stage. The black market price was 170 Rubles (the average income of a laborer in the USSR). Boney M. was the first pop group that received hard cash instead of trade goods.
1979
February: Third tour in Germany.
March: Promotion tour in USA. In one week more than 100 interviews (radio and magazines) and 10 TV – shows in New York and Los Angeles.
April: Scandinavian tour.
May: Far East and Japan tour.
June: TV promotion tour in South America. More than 40 TV shows.
August: Poland tour. Audience in Poland chanted for hours non-stop "Ra- Ra- Rasputin, when does Boney M. begin".
September: Three weeks tour in England and Ireland.
October: TV shows in Germany, France, Holland. October 23rd Boney M. received the "Golden Antenne" from RTL Germany, "Disco Award 79" from RTL France.
November: Fourth tour in Germany. "Royal Variety Show" in London, with the Royal Family as Guest of Honor.
December: TV shows in Germany, England, Spain, Holland, France and Switzerland. December 31st UNICEF-concert in London.
1980
The same as in 1979, many tours, many interviews, many TV - shows.
1981
A benefit concert for the 50.000 orphans in Jamaica, together with Rita Marley, Third World and the Melody Makers. After this TV-special for the German Television Bobby Farrell decided to leave the group because of mismanagement and bad organization.
1981 - 1984
With a substitute for Bobby Farrell the group tried to keep up their success. It failed.
1985
Bobby Farrell rejoined the group which resulted in their comeback with the hit "Happy Song". Several TV shows in Germany.
1986
The single "Young, Free And Single" in several TV shows in Germany. TV-special "Ten Years Boney M.".
1987
Concerts in India, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Bahrain and Muscat (Oman).
1988
Concerts in Holland, Belgium, France, Switzerland, Cyprus, Iceland, Gibraltar.
After the final split of the group, Bobby Farrell took several years of rest, but in the beginning of the 90's the deejays and the audience started with a Boney M. revival and Bobby decided to start his Boney M.
All in all, great years for Boney M., almost 1 million people saw Boney M. live in concert, more than 2,5 billion viewers saw Boney M. on TV and by December 1987 Boney M. had sold nearly 150 million records. The biggest selling group that ever came out of Germany!!
At the moment Bobby Farrell Feat. Boney M.Show is touring all over the world. If Bobby Farrell and his show are around, come and see it. You will enjoy it, and sing along with all the smashing hits of the early days...
Hits & Audio
| Title | Year | Chart Position | Play |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daddy Cool | 1976 | UK #6, US #65, DE #1 | Adobe Flash Player not installed or older than 9.0.16!  |
| Sunny | 1976 | UK #3, DE #1 | Adobe Flash Player not installed or older than 9.0.16! |
| Ma Baker | 1977 | UK #2, DE #1 | Adobe Flash Player not installed or older than 9.0.16! |
| Belfast | 1977 | UK #8, DE #1 | |
| Rivers Of Babylon | 1978 | UK #1, US #30, DE #1 | Adobe Flash Player not installed or older than 9.0.16! |
| Brown Girl In The Ring | 1978 | UK #3 | Adobe Flash Player not installed or older than 9.0.16! |
| Rasputin | 1978 | UK #2, D #1 | Adobe Flash Player not installed or older than 9.0.16! |
| Mary's Boy Child - Oh My Lord | 1979 | UK #1, US #3 | |
| Hooray! Hooray! It's a Holi-Holiday | 1979 | UK #3, DE #3 | Adobe Flash Player not installed or older than 9.0.16! |
| Happy Song | 1984 | DE #7 |
