Boonoonoonoos is the fifth
studio albumA studio album is an original collection of new tracks by a recording artist.It usually does not contain live recordings and/or remixes, and if it does, those tracks do not make up majority of the album and are often "bonus tracks"...
by Boney M. It was released November 1, 1981.
Despite producer Frank Farian having announced that Boney M. were to take a break, recording sessions for a new album began in the spring of 1980, and the title "Boonoonoonoos" (a Caribbean word for "Happiness") already appeared as one of the first completed tracks, a cover of Larry Dillon's ska-title "Train to Skaville" which was intertwined with new rap parts "That's Boonoonoonoos".
Boonoonoonoos is the fifth
studio albumA studio album is an original collection of new tracks by a recording artist.It usually does not contain live recordings and/or remixes, and if it does, those tracks do not make up majority of the album and are often "bonus tracks"...
by Boney M. It was released November 1, 1981.
Despite producer Frank Farian having announced that Boney M. were to take a break, recording sessions for a new album began in the spring of 1980, and the title "Boonoonoonoos" (a Caribbean word for "Happiness") already appeared as one of the first completed tracks, a cover of Larry Dillon's ska-title "Train to Skaville" which was intertwined with new rap parts "That's Boonoonoonoos". Two of the new recordings, "I See A Boat On The River" and "My Friend Jack" were issued to promote
The Magic of Boney M. - 20 Golden HitsThe Magic of Boney M. - 20 Golden Hits is a greatest hits album by Boney M. issued in May 1980 which contained all their biggest hits up until that point, including non-album singles "Mary's Boy Child/Oh My Lord" and "Hooray! Hooray! It's A Holi-Holiday", key album tracks from Take The Heat Off Me,...
in May.
Farian invited the singers Liz Mitchell and Marcia Barrett and his crew of musicians to Nice in the summer of 1980 where several new songs were recorded. A new double A-side single "Children Of Paradise"/"Gadda-Da-Vida" was released in September, announcing the as of yet untitled new album to be released in November '80. The single reached number 11 in Germany, but in the UK their popularity was now quickly slipping. When released in February 1981, the single peaked at a disappointing #66. In the meantime, Farian had decided to revise the whole album.
While new pressings of "Children Of Paradise" now promoted "The Magic Of Boney M." on the back cover, the band instead issued another single in December, a cover version of "Felicidad (Margherita)" backed with "Strange". "Felicidad", originally recorded by Italian band Massara as "Margherita (Love In The Sun)" in 1979, managed to get Boney M. into the German Top 10 again (#6, 27 weeks) and it became a sizeable hit in most of Europe as well. The single, however, wasn't released by
Atlantic RecordsAtlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm & blues, rock and roll, and jazz...
UK, nor was it released in Spain or Portugal where Massara's original version had been a huge hit two years earlier. In the Netherlands, the single was released with "Strange" as the A-side.
At the same time, singer Marcia Barrett issued the solo single "You" / "I'm Lonely", produced by John Edmed. The single passed unnoticed, and Frank Farian decided to take one of Marcia's songs, "Breakaway", and re-record it as a Boney M. track - with his lead vocal.
New recording sessions took place in the spring of 1981. The band flew to Jamaica in May 1981 to record a TV special, perform live in concert with
Rita MarleyAlpharita Constantia Anderson, better known as Rita Marley, and sometimes called "Nana Rita", is the widow of legendary Reggae musician Bob Marley, and a member of the trio the I Threes, Bob Marley's back up singers.-Biography:...
, shoot photos for the album cover, and one of the final songs "Silly Confusion" was recorded in
Bob MarleyRobert Nesta "Bob" Marley was a Jamaican singer-songwriter and musician. He was the lead singer, songwriter and guitarist for the ska, rocksteady and reggae bands The Wailers and Bob Marley & The Wailers...
's Tuff Gong studios in Kingston.
Boonoonoonoos - originally intended to be released as a double-album - was subsequently trimmed to a one disc, thirteen track release. A limited edition double album was however issued in Germany, France and the UK, containing slightly longer versions of certain songs, but with the same number of tracks.
Overview
The first single to be lifted off the finished
Boonoonoonoos album in Germany was double A-side "Malaika"/"Consuela Biaz" in May 1981 which became the first Boney M. single in five years not to reach the Top 10 (#13, 16 weeks). The single was not released in the UK.
"We Kill The World (Don't Kill The World)" was the second single, released in September, and marked the first single since "Belfast" featuring Marcia Barrett as the lead singer. It peaked at #12 in the German charts and was their first UK Top 40 entry in two years (#39) after some disappointing placings of their previous two singles ("Children Of Paradise" #66 and "My Friend Jack" #57), but the single went to #1 in both Spain and South Africa.
The "Boonoonoonoos" album came with a picture innersleeve and a large fold-out poster with the lyrics on the back. When the LP was released in Germany in September, the album was immediately withdrawn after pressure from singer Liz Mitchell who was unhappy with a photo on the innersleeve, picturing the band in soaked clothes in the Ocho Rios waterfall. The innersleeve was redesigned with a photo of the band in a canoo, and the LP finally released on November 1, 1981.
Boonoonoonoos hit the #1 spot in Spain (where the group had just done a big promotion tour) but failed to crack the UK Top 75 (after three consecutive #1 LPs). The album peaked at #16 in Germany, and while still a healthy seller, it was becoming obvious that the band, like so many of their contemporaries, was being affected by the so called "anti-disco backlash".
"Boonoonoonoos" marked Bobby Farrell's debut on record. Having previously only mimed to Frank Farian's vocals on TV (but having sung live in the group's concerts), Farrell was featured on the track "Train To Skaville" as a rapper. He also did the spoken intro on "We Kill The World".
Boney M. member Maizie Williams had also done a small part on "Train To Skaville" (featured in the group's TV special), and so the track would be the first recording to actually feature all four group members, but her part was eventually re-recorded by Liz Mitchell for the released version of the song.
"Boonoonoonoos" also marked the first time Farian used additional singers on a Boney M. record. Vocal group
La MamaLa Mama is a German pop and disco trio who worked in Frank Farian's studios in the first half of the 1980s. Adapting their name from New York theatre La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club, they released three singles and two albums and worked as backing singers on a number of recordings for other...
(Cathy Bartney, Patricia Shockley, and
Madeleine DavisMadeleine Davis is an American-born pop and jazz singer and a stage actress...
) had originally been hired as backing singers for Precious Wilson's first album but since Farian also used them to do demos, their vocals were in some cases kept in the final mix.
Brian Paul was a young boy featured on the second single "We Kill The World (Don't Kill The World)". Even though the record sleeve credits "other children", Brian Paul and his friend Brian Sletten eventually sang all of the children's vocals themselves. They also appeared with the group in a number of TV shows when they promoted the song.
Soon after the release of
Boonoonoonoos band member Bobby Farrell was fired from the group by producer Frank Farian, leaving the group unavailable to promote the album.
Christmas Album - originally planned as a Liz Mitchell solo album - was rushed out three weeks after "Boonoonoonoos". Atlantic (UK) planned to release a new version of "Jimmy" as a single in April 1982 but those plans were eventually shelved.
Track listing
Side A:
- "Boonoonoonoos" (Frank Farian, Giorgio Sgarbi, Catherine Courage, Fred Jay)
- "That's Boonoonoonoos / Train to Skaville" (Frank Farian, Larry Dillon, Rainer Maria Ehrhart) / "I Shall Sing" (Van Morrison
Van Morrison is a critically acclaimed singer and songwriter with a reputation for being at once stubborn, idiosyncratic, and sublime...
)
- "Silly Confusion" (Frank Farian, Dietmar Kawohl, Mats Björklund, Harry Baierl, Catherine Courage)
- "Ride to Agadir" (Mike Batt
Mike Batt is a British based songwriter, musician, producer and Deputy Chairman of the British Phonographic Industry...
)
- "Jimmy" (Frank Farian, Johan Daansen, Brad Howell)
- "African Moon" (Frank Farian, Helmut Rulofs, Liz Mitchell, Catherine Courage)
Side B:
- "We Kill the World (Don't Kill the World)" (Frank Farian, Giorgio & Giusela K. Sgarbi)
- "Homeland Africa (Ship Ahoy)" (Kenneth Gamble, Frank Farian, Leon Huff)
- "Malaika
It was later re-recorded at Equator Sound Studios by the British-born Kenyan music promoter Charles Worrod, who marketed the ballad to eventually becoming an internationally acclaimed song...
" (Farian, Reyam, Traditional)
- "Consuela Biaz" (Farian, Courage, O'Hara)
- "Breakaway" (Kelvin James)
- "Sad Movies
"Sad Movies " is a 1961 pop song by the American singer Sue Thompson. The song was written by John D. Loudermilk and appears on Thompson's 1962 Hickory Records album Meet Sue Thompson....
" (John D. LoudermilkJohn D. Loudermilk is an American singer and songwriter.-Biography:Loudermilk grew up in a family who were members of the Salvation Army faith and was influenced by the church singing. His cousins Ira and Charlie Loudermilk were known professionally as the Louvin Brothers...
)
- "Goodbye My Friend" (Farian, Rulofs, Courage)
Alternative album editions
- "Boonoonoonoos" (Direct Master Cutting - Long Versions). Limited edition double album, released in Germany, France and the UK.
Side A
- "Boonoonoonoos"
- "Train to Skaville / That's Boonoonoonoos / I Shall Sing"
- "Silly Confusion"
Side B
- "Ride to Agadir"
- "Jimmy"
- "African Moon"
Side C
- "We Kill the World (Don't Kill the World)"
- "Homeland Africa (Ship Ahoy)"
- "Malaika"
Side D
- "Consuela Biaz"
- "Breakaway"
- "Sad Movies"
- "Goodbye My Friend"
Release history
LP
- Germany: Test pressing 203 888-000 (Pressing O) (excluding "Malaika" and "Consuela Biaz")
- Germany: Hansa Records
Hansa Records was a record label founded in the 1960s based in Berlin, Germany....
203 888-320 (A-6 / B-7) (Pressing I] (reverse running order of "Malaika" and "Consuela Biaz")
- Germany: Hansa 203 888-320 (A-8 / B-3) (Pressing II) (reverse running order of "Malaika" and "Consuela Biaz")
- Germany: Hansa 203 888-320 (A-3 / B-8) (Pressing III)
- Germany: Hansa 203 888-320 (A-13 / B-13) (Pressing IV)
- UK: Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm & blues, rock and roll, and jazz...
K 50852 (Pressing VI)
- Japan: Atlantic P-13010A (Pressing VII)
- Spain: Ariola I-203 888 (Pressing VIII)
- Italy: Durium DAI 30.384 (Pressing III)
- Argentina: RCA Victor AVS 4959 (Pressing VIII)
- South Africa: Gallo ML 4541 (Pressing VII)
MC
- Germany: Hansa 403 888-352. (Pressing X)
Limited Edition 2LP
- Germany: Hansa 301 850-570 (Pressing V)
- UK: Atlantic K 50852D (Pressing VIII)
- France: Carrere
Carrere was a French record label which specialized in euro disco and pop. One of the most successful performers was Sheila B. Devotion who started her career there.
67.831 (Pressing IX)
CD releases
- Germany 1994: BMG 74321 21267 2. (The CD cover featured slightly different photos than original LP) (Pressing XI)
- Europe 2007: Sony-BMG 88697 09481 2, including two bonus tracks: 14. Felicidad (Margherita) (Massara, Conz) - 4:33. 15. Strange (Dobson) - 3:28, both originally released on Hansa single 102 681-100 (1980).
Single releases
Germany
7"
- "Malaika" (7" Mix) - 5:02 / "Consuela Biaz" (7" Mix) - 4:57 (Hansa 103 350-100, 1981)
- "We Kill The World (Don't Kill The World)" (7" Edit) - 5:38 / "Boonoonoonoos" (7" Edit) - 5:35 (Hansa 103 666-100, 1981)
12"
- "Malaika" (12" Mix) - 5:35 / "Consuela Biaz" (7" Mix) - 4:57 (Hansa 600 400-213, 1981)
- "Boonoonoonoos" (12" Mix) - 11:23 ("Boonoonoonoos" - 4:52 / "That's Boonoonoonoos/Train to Skaville/I Shall Sing" - 6:31) / "We Kill The World (Don't Kill The World)" - 6:32 (Hansa 600 455-213, 1981)
UK
7"
- "We Kill The World (Don't Kill The World) (UK 7" Edit) - 5:38 / "Boonoonoonoos" (7" Edit) - 5:35 (Atlantic K11689, 1981)
12"
- We Kill The World (Don't Kill The World)" - 6:30 / "6 Years Of Boney M. Hits (Boney M. on 45)" (12" Mix - long version) - 13:26 (Atlantic K 11689T, 1981)
Overview of different pressings
The
Boonoonoonoos album were released in no less than 10 different pressings as well as a unique test pressing, omitting "Malaika" and "Consuela Biaz" from the track listing. Two pressings featured these two tracks in reverse order, i.e. track B3 - "Consuela Biaz", track B4 "Malaika".
| Title |
Description |
Length |
on pressings |
| O |
I |
II |
III |
IV |
V |
VI |
VII |
VIII |
IX |
X |
XI |
| Boonoonoonoos |
4:37 |
• |
• |
• |
• |
• |
|
• |
• |
• |
|
• |
• |
|
4:50 |
|
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|
• |
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|
• |
|
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| That's Boonoonoonoos / Train To Skaville |
2:21 |
|
|
• |
• |
• |
|
• |
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• |
• |
|
|
2:25 |
|
• |
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3:24 |
• |
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• |
|
• |
• |
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|
3:33 |
|
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• |
|
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| I Shall Sing |
1:00 |
• |
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3:09 |
|
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• |
• |
• |
• |
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|
3:35 |
|
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• |
• |
• |
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• |
• |
|
3:37 |
|
• |
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3:47 |
|
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• |
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|
| Silly Confusion |
6:54 |
• |
• |
|
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|
7:12 |
|
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• |
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• |
• |
• |
• |
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7:17 |
|
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• |
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• |
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7:17 |
|
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• |
• |
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• |
|
| Ride To Agadir |
5:10 |
• |
• |
• |
• |
• |
• |
• |
• |
• |
• |
• |
• |
| Jimmy |
3:52 |
|
|
• |
• |
• |
• |
• |
|
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|
|
|
|
4:10 |
• |
• |
|
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|
• |
• |
• |
• |
• |
| African Moon |
|
2:37 |
|
• |
|
• |
|
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|
|
2:50 |
• |
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• |
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• |
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• |
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|
3:00 |
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• |
• |
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3:19 |
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• |
• |
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4:12 |
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• |
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• |
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| We Kill The World (Don't Kill The World) |
|
6:02 |
• |
|
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| 6:05 |
|
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• |
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|
6:32 |
|
• |
• |
• |
• |
• |
• |
|
• |
• |
• |
• |
| Homeland Africa (Ship Ahoy) |
3:20 |
|
• |
• |
• |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2 verses + 1st verse repeated |
4:20 |
|
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• |
• |
• |
• |
• |
• |
• |
• |
|
5:05 |
• |
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| Malaika |
| 2:48 |
|
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• |
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| 2:48 |
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• |
• |
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• |
• |
• |
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| 3:34 |
|
• |
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• |
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• |
• |
• |
| Consuela Biaz |
3:50 |
|
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• |
• |
• |
|
• |
• |
• |
|
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|
4:36 |
|
• |
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• |
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• |
• |
• |
| Breakaway |
3:45 |
|
|
• |
• |
• |
|
• |
• |
• |
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|
3:46 |
|
• |
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4:17 |
|
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• |
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• |
• |
• |
|
4:23 |
• |
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| Sad Movies |
3:22 |
|
• |
• |
• |
• |
• |
• |
• |
• |
• |
• |
• |
|
3:40 |
• |
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| Goodbye My Friend |
| 5:26 |
• |
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| 5:10 |
|
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• |
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• |
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| 5:27 |
|
• |
• |
• |
|
• |
|
• |
• |
• |
• |
• |
Personnel
- Liz Mitchell
Liz Mitchell is a singer, best known as the former lead singer of the 1970s disco/pop band, Boney M.-Early life:...
- lead vocals (A2, A5, A6, B3, B4, B6 & B7), backing vocalsA backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists...
- Marcia Barrett
Marcia Barrett , is one of the original vocalists with the prominent pop vocal group, Boney M.- The early years :...
- lead vocals (B1, B5), backing vocals
- Frank Farian
Not to be confused with Frank Farina.Franz Reuther , better known as Frank Farian, is a German music producer and singer-songwriter. He started out as a trained cook before moving into the music business...
- lead vocals (A4 & B5), backing vocals
- Bobby Farrell
Bobby Farrell is a dancer and performer. He is best known as the male member of the successful 1970s pop and disco group Boney M....
- rap (track A2), spoken intro (B1)
- Cathy Bartney (La Mama
La Mama is a German pop and disco trio who worked in Frank Farian's studios in the first half of the 1980s. Adapting their name from New York theatre La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club, they released three singles and two albums and worked as backing singers on a number of recordings for other...
) - backing vocals (A3, B1 ("Don't Kill the World") & B3)
- Madeleine Davis
Madeleine Davis is an American-born pop and jazz singer and a stage actress...
(La Mama) - backing vocals (A3, B1 ("Don't Kill the World") & B3)
- Patricia Shockley (La Mama) - backing vocals (A3, B1 ("Don't Kill the World") & B3)
- Brian Paul - lead- and backing vocals (B1 ("Don't Kill the World"))
- Brian Sletten - backing vocals (B1 ("Don't Kill the World"))
- Dave King - bass guitar
The electric bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a plectrum....
- Günther Gebauer - bass guitar
The electric bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a plectrum....
- Helmut Rulofs - guitar
The guitar is a musical instrument with ancient roots that adapts readily to a wide variety of musical styles. It typically has six strings, but four-, seven-, eight-, ten-, eleven-, twelve-, thirteen- and eighteen-string guitars also exist. The size and shape of the neck and the base of the guitar...
- Johan Daansen - guitar
The guitar is a musical instrument with ancient roots that adapts readily to a wide variety of musical styles. It typically has six strings, but four-, seven-, eight-, ten-, eleven-, twelve-, thirteen- and eighteen-string guitars also exist. The size and shape of the neck and the base of the guitar...
- Mats Björklund - guitar
The guitar is a musical instrument with ancient roots that adapts readily to a wide variety of musical styles. It typically has six strings, but four-, seven-, eight-, ten-, eleven-, twelve-, thirteen- and eighteen-string guitars also exist. The size and shape of the neck and the base of the guitar...
- Curt Cress - drums
A drum set is a collection of drums, cymbals and sometimes other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person . The term "drum kit" first became used in the 1700s in Britain...
- Keith Forsey
Keith Forsey is an British soundtrack composer, drummer, songwriter and record producer.As drummer and long-time associate of producer Giorgio Moroder, Forsey can be heard on several Donna Summer albums until 1981. He co-wrote several songs on the albums Bad Girls, The Wanderer and I'm a Rainbow...
- drumsA drum set is a collection of drums, cymbals and sometimes other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person . The term "drum kit" first became used in the 1700s in Britain...
- Harry Baierl - keyboards
A keyboard instrument is any musical instrument played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include various types of organs as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
- Kristian Schultze - keyboards
A keyboard instrument is any musical instrument played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include various types of organs as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
- Max Greger Jr. - keyboards
A keyboard instrument is any musical instrument played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include various types of organs as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
- Dino Solera - saxophone
The saxophone is a conical-bored transposing musical instrument considered a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and are played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by Adolphe Sax in 1841...
(A5, A6)
- Tom Scott
Tom Scott is an American saxophonist, composer, arranger, conductor and bandleader of the west coast jazz/jazz fusion ensemble The L.A. Express.-Biography:...
- saxophone (A1, B5)
- London Philharmonic Orchestra
The London Philharmonic Orchestra , based in London, is one of the major orchestras of the United Kingdom, and is based in the Royal Festival Hall. In addition, the LPO is the main resident orchestra of the Glyndebourne Festival Opera...
- orchestra (A4)
Production
- Frank Farian - producer
In the music industry, a record producer has many roles, among them controlling the recording sessions, coaching and guiding the musicians, organizing and scheduling production budget and resources, and supervising the recording, mixing and mastering processes...
- Christian Kolonovits - arranger
In investment banking, an arranger is a provider of funds in the syndication of a debt. They are entitled to syndicate the loan or bond issue, and may be referred to as the "lead underwriter". This is because this entity bears the risk of being able to sell the underlying securities/debt or the...
- Geoff Bastow - arranger
- Giorgio Sgarbi - arranger
- Harry Baierl - arranger
- Stefan Klinkhammer - arranger
- Tammy Grohé - sound engineer
- Recorded at Abbey Road Studios
Abbey Road Studios, established in November of 1931 by EMI in London, England, is an iconic recording studio located at Abbey Road, in St John's Wood in the City of Westminster...
London, AIR Studios London, Audio Studio Berlin, Atlantic Studios Munich, Rainbow Studios Munich, Union Studios Munich, Vigilant Studios Nice, Bob MarleyRobert Nesta "Bob" Marley was a Jamaican singer-songwriter and musician. He was the lead singer, songwriter and guitarist for the ska, rocksteady and reggae bands The Wailers and Bob Marley & The Wailers...
Studios Kingston Jamaica, Hitsville Recording Studios Hollywood California. Mixed at Farian Studios.
Charts
Album
| Year |
Chart |
Position |
| 1981 |
NorwayNorway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a country in Northern Europe occupying the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, as well as Jan Mayen and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard under the Spitsbergen Treaty...
's album chart |
21 |
Single
| Year |
Single |
Chart |
Position |
| 1981 |
"Children of Paradise" |
UK single chart |
66 |
| 1981 |
"We kill the world (Don't kill the world)" |
UK single chart |
39 |
Sources and external links