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Christmas Album

 
Album Review: Christmas Album

  • Artist: Boney M.
  • Rating: StarStarStar
  • Release Date: November 23, 1981
  • Total Time: 44:11
  • Type: Christmas
  • Genre: Rhythm & Blues

Review

What holiday spent roasting chestnuts 'round the fire would be complete without a tune or two from one of Germany's greatest disco exports? Why, none of course. And thankfully, although the handful of Yuletide singles Boney M. recorded often turned up slivered into their albums and assorted singles, in 1981 the band repaired to England, added London's Christmas Choir, and gave listeners Christmas Album. The resulting 12 tracks -- all bundled together in a festive blue, white, and gray sleeve -- bring back nostalgic memories of crackling apple wood, popcorn balls, highballs, and nights at the disco -- this is Boney M., after all. From their classic version of "Mary's Boy Child/Oh My Lord," which infused the Christmas spirit with Caribbean island spirituals and charted pretty much everywhere in 1979, to their interpretation of "Little Drummer Boy," which finds Bobby Farrell keeping the rum-pum-pums firmly in hand and sounding a little menacing to boot, this couldn't be mistaken for anything other than good old Boney M. magic. Elsewhere, the quartet reggaes up "White Christmas" and discos-down "Zion's Daughter," which at times sounds inexplicably like "Frosty the Snowman." Add to that a medley of "Holy Night," "Snow Falls Over the Ground," and "Hear Ye the Message," and that extra toddy to get you through the family dinner won't even be necessary. Nicely produced, pleasing to listen to, flawlessly delivered, and infused with an honesty that's too real to smack of phoniness, this album probably will be prized only by serious fans and collectors, standing as a mere novelty item for anyone else. There are certainly far finer contemporary holiday albums to be found, but Boney M. are, in their own effervescent way, disco's finest Yuletide elves. ~ Amy Hanson, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track TitleComposersPerformersTime
The Little Drummer Boy (Lyrics) Harry Simeone, Katherine Davis, Henry Onorati Boney M. (4:27)
White Christmas (Lyrics) Irving Berlin Boney M. (4:19)
Feliz Navidad José Feliciano Boney M. (3:07)
Jingle Bells (Lyrics) Frank Farian, J.S. Pierpont Boney M. (2:53)
Winter Fairy-Tale Harry Baierl Boney M. (2:58)
Mary's Boy Child/Oh My Lord Frank Farian, Jester Hairston Boney M. (5:14)
Christmas Medley: Silent Night, Holy Night (Stille Nacht, Heilige ...) Frank Farian, Traditional, Fred Jay Boney M. (6:25)
Petit Papa Noël (Lyrics) Henri Martinet, Raymond Vincy Boney M. (1:41)
Zion's Daughter (Tochter Zion) George Frederick Handel, Frank Farian, Helmut Rulofs, Traditional, Fred Jay Boney M. (3:51)
When a Child Is Born (Lyrics) Helmut Rulofs, Fred Jay Boney M. (3:20)
Darkness Is Falling (Es Wird Scho' Glei' Dumpa) Helmut Rulofs, Fred Jay Boney M. (2:02)
I'll Be Home for Christmas Frank Farian, Helmut Rulofs, Catherine Courage Boney M. (3:54)

Credits

Nick Curtis (Tenor (Vocal)), Frank Farian (Producer), Helmut Rulofs (Assistant Producer), Curt Cress (Drums), Kristian Schultze (Keyboards), Michael O. Drexler (Vocals), Johan Daansen (Guitar), Katie Kissoon (Soprano (Vocal)), Jochen Scheffter (Engineer), Simon Bell (Tenor (Vocal)), Joy Yates (Alto (Vocals)), Jerry Rix (Bass (Vocal)), Steve Nye (Engineer), Harry Baierl (Keyboards), George Chandler (Baritone (Vocal)), Harry Baierl (Arranger), Stefan Klinkhammer (Arranger)
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Wikipedia: Christmas Album (Boney M. album)
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Christmas Album
Studio album by Boney M.
Released October 1981
Recorded 1978, 1981
Genre R&B, Pop music, Disco
Length 44:11
Label Atlantic Records (UK)
Hansa Records (FRG)
Producer Frank Farian
Professional reviews
Boney M. chronology
Boonoonoonoos
(1981)
Christmas Album
(1981)
Ten Thousand Lightyears
(1984)

Christmas Album is the sixth studio album by Boney M.. It was recorded in the summer of 1981 and released on 23 November 1981.
The album, which in certain territories was given the alternate title Christmas with Boney M., was issued just three weeks after the moderately successful Boonoonoonoos and had originally been planned as Liz Mitchell's first solo album. After the lukewarm reception of Boonoonoonoos, plans were, however, changed, and it was instead released under the name Boney M. to strengthen the band's declining commercial position.
The album includes the million-selling 1978 Christmas number one "Mary's Boy Child/Oh My Lord" and it yielded two further single releases, "Little Drummer Boy" which turned out to be a Top 20 hit in Germany. A second single was released for Christmas 1982, "Zion's Daughter" (with new member Reggie Tsiboe pictured on the cover), but failed to chart. "Feliz Navidad" was chosen as a single in Scandinavia, and Spain opted for "Jingle Bells". Ariola (Spain) furthermore issued "White Christmas" in 1983. "Christmas Album" achieved Platinum sales in 1983.
Christmas Album which was given the title Mary's Boy Child - The Christmas Album in the UK was to be the final Boney M. album release on the Atlantic Records label.
One of the biggest commercial hits of the year 1981 was the Dutch "Stars On 45" Beatles cover medley, a number one single in the US and number two in the UK. To promote the albums Boonoonoonoos and Christmas Album Frank Farian created a thirteen minute medley in the style of Stars On 45 called "6 Years of Boney M. Hits (Boney M. on 45)" which was issued as both A- and B-side singles in certain territories - in the UK it was the B-side of Boonoonoonoos 12" single "We Kill The World (Don't Kill The World)", in Germany the edited 7" version was the B-side of Christmas Album single "Little Drummer Boy", and in January 1982 it was repackaged and released as the A-side.
Later in the eighties, the tracks of Christmas Album, with the notable exception of the instrumental "Winter Fairy-Tale" and the closing song "I'll Be Home For Christmas", were to be remixed and re-issued as Die 20 schönsten Weihnachtslieder der Welt, The 20 Greatest Christmas Songs, The Most Beautiful Christmas Songs of the World, Happy Christmas, A Wonderful Christmas Time and Christmas Party.

Contents

Track listing

Side A:

  1. "Little Drummer Boy" (Katherine K. Davis, Henry Onorati, Harry Simeone) - 4:27
  2. "White Christmas" (Irving Berlin) - 4:19
  3. "Feliz Navidad" (José Feliciano) - 3:07
  4. "Jingle Bells" (James Lord Pierpont, Frank Farian) - 2:53
  5. "Winter Fairy-Tale" (Instrumental) (Baierl) - 2:58
  6. "Mary's Boy Child/Oh My Lord" (Jester Hairston, Lorin, Frank Farian, Fred Jay) - 5:14
    • Edited version

Side B:

  1. Christmas Medley: "Silent Night, Holy Night (Stille Nacht, Heilige Nacht)"/ "Snow Falls Over The Ground (Leise Rieselt Der Schnee)" / "Hear Ye the Message" (Traditional, Frank Farian, Fred Jay) - 6:25
    • The 2nd verse of "Silent Night" is sung in German on the German LP release but in English on the UK release. The full-length medley contained "Sweet Bells (Süßer die Glocken nie klingen)" which wasn't released until 1986 when the medley was remixed and overdubbed.
  2. "Petit Papa Noël" (Martinet, Vincy) - 1:41
  3. "Zion's Daughter (Tochter Zion)" (Traditional, George Frideric Handel, Frank Farian, Fred Jay, Helmut Rulofs) - 3:51
  4. "When a Child Is Born" (Fred Jay, Zacar) - 3:20
  5. "Darkness Is Falling" (Fred Jay, Helmut Rulofs) - 3:02
  6. "I'll Be Home for Christmas" (Catherine Courage, Frank Farian, Helmut Rulofs) - 3:54

Personnel

Production

  • Frank Farian - producer
  • Helmut Rulofs - assistant producer
  • Harry Baierl - musical arranger
  • Stefan Klinkhammer - musical arranger
  • Recorded at Abbey Road Studios and AIR Studios, London
  • Steve Nye - sound engineer
  • Recorded at Vigilant Studio, Nice
  • Didier Utard - engineer
  • Recorded at Union Studio, Munich
  • Jochen Scheffer - engineer
  • Recorded at Rainbow studio, Munich
  • Volker Armand - engineer
  • Mixed at Farian Studio
  • Ariola-Eurodisc Studios - design
  • Claus Lange - photography

Release history

CD releases

  • 1991 Germany: Hansa 254 300-222.

Single releases

"Little Drummer Boy" /
"6 Years of Boney M. Hits"
Single by Boney M.
from the album Christmas Album
Released November 1981
Format 7" single, 12" single
Recorded 1981
Genre Pop, Disco
Label Hansa Records (FRG)
Producer Frank Farian
Boney M. singles chronology
"We Kill the World / Boonoonoonoos"
(1981)
"Little Drummer Boy" / 6 Years of Boney M. Hits"
(1981)
"6 Years of Boney M. Hits"
(1981)
Alternate cover
"6 Years of Boney M. Hits" 12" single, Germany 1981.
"6 Years of Boney M. Hits" 12" single, Germany 1981.

Germany
7"

  • "Little Drummer Boy" - 4:27 / "6 Years Of Boney M. Hits (Boney M. on 45)" (7" Edit) - 4:48 (Hansa Records 103 777-100, 1981)
  • "Zion's Daughter" - 3:50 / "White Christmas" - 3:15 (Hansa 104-874-100, 1982)

12"

  • "6 Years Of Boney M Hits (Boney M. on 45)" (12" Mix - edited version omitting "Mary's Boy Child/Oh My Lord") - 11:13 / "Little Drummer Boy" - 4:27 (Hansa 600 479-213, 1981)

Sources and external links




 
 
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Album Review. Copyright © 2009 All Media Guide, LLC. Content provided by All Music Guide ®, a trademark of All Media Guide, LLC. All rights reserved.  Read more
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