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Oceans of Fantasy

 
Album Review: Oceans of Fantasy
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Oceans of Fantasy

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  • Artist: Boney M.
  • Rating: StarStarHalf Star
  • Release Date: 1979
  • Genre: Rhythm & Blues

Review

By the time Oceans of Fantasy was released in 1979, Boney M. had become a worldwide sensation thanks to Frank Farian's canny combination of bubblegum-ish pop hooks with slick disco-minded production. Oceans of Fantasy continues very much in this vein: "Gotta Go Home" mixes a wordless singalong hook, an insistent dance beat, and some exotic steel drumwork to create a reggae-styled slice of bubblegum disco, while "Bye Bye Bluebird" transforms what could have been a ballad into a bouncy pop tune by raising the tempo and adding an elastic bassline. It also boasts one of the group's finest hits in "El Lute," the sentimental tale of a freedom-fighting Spanish outlaw that is reminiscent of the ABBA classic "Fernando." However, not all the songs on Oceans of Fantasy live up to this high standard of quality: the title track boasts a lush arrangement but lacks the insistent hooks that would bring it to life, and "Bahama Mama" is cloyingly cutesy even by Boney M. standards. Another problem with the album is that its 52-minute running time is simply too long: Boney M.'s effervescent sound is the kind of music that is most effective when delivered in a short dose, and some judicious pruning of the song list could have resulted in a more consistent and engaging album. With those criticisms in mind, Oceans of Fantasy still offers enough solid dance-pop to keep the group's fans happy. ~ Donald A. Guarisco, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track TitleComposersPerformersTime
Let It All Be Music Christian Kolonovits Boney M. (4:55)
Gotta Go Home Frank Farian, Stefan Klinkhammer, Fred Jay Boney M. (3:46)
Bye Bye Bluebird Frank Farian, Stefan Klinkhammer, Fred Jay, George Reyam Boney M. (4:50)
Bahama Mama Frank Farian, Fred Jay Boney M. (3:17)
Hold on I'm Coming Isaac Hayes, David Porter Boney M., Precious Wilson (3:37)
Two of Us (Lyrics) John Lennon, Paul McCartney Boney M. (3:16)
Ribbons of Blue (Lyrics) Keith Forsey Boney M. (2:00)
Oceans of Fantasy Kawohl & Towers Boney M. (5:07)
El Lute Frank Farian, Stefan Klinkhammer, Christian Kolonovits, Fred Jay Boney M. (5:57)
No More Chain Gang Keith Forsey, Frank Farian, Stefan Klinkhammer, Fred Jay Boney M. (5:24)
I'm Born Again (Lyrics) Helmut Rulofs, Fred Jay Boney M. (4:09)
No Time to Lose Frank Farian, Stefan Klinkhammer, Fred Jay Boney M. (2:56)
Calendar Song (January, February, March...) Frank Farian Boney M. (2:41)

Credits

Geoff Stradling (Trombone), Gary Unwin (Bass), Mats Bjoerklund (Guitar), Lance Burton (Saxophone), Jim Polivka (Trumpet), Lisa Grodanier (Saxophone), Michael Crétu (Keyboards), Maizie Williams (Vocals), Precious Wilson (Vocals), Karl Bartelmes (Trumpet), Liz Mitchell (Vocals), Scott Newton (Trumpet), Etienne Cap (Trumpet), Georg Delagalte (Trombone), Bobby Stern (Saxophone), Nick Woodland (Guitar), Bobby Farrell (Vocals), Dino Solera (Wind), Marcia Barrett (Vocals), Benny Gebauer (Saxophone), Keith Forsey (Drums), Frank Farian (Vocals), Reinhard Besser (Bass), Frank Farian (Producer)
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Wikipedia: Oceans of Fantasy
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Home > Library > Miscellaneous > Wikipedia
Oceans of Fantasy
Studio album by Boney M.
Released September 1979
Recorded 1979
Genre R&B, Pop music, Disco
Length LP 54:17, CD 51:49
Label Atlantic Records (UK)
Sire Records (USA)
Hansa Records (FRG)
Producer Frank Farian
Professional reviews
Boney M. chronology
Nightflight to Venus
(1978)		 Oceans Of Fantasy
(1979)		 The Magic of Boney M. - 20 Golden Hits
(1980)

Oceans of Fantasy is the fourth studio album by Boney M. Released in September 1979, Oceans Of Fantasy became the second Boney M. album to top the UK charts and features hits "El Lute" based on Eleuterio Sánchez life, "I'm Born Again", "Bahama Mama" and "Gotta Go Home". The album had been preceded in the spring of 1979 by double A-side single "Hooray! Hooray! It's A Holi-Holiday" (based on American folksong Polly Wolly Doodle) / "Ribbons Of Blue", also one of the band's biggest hits. The A-side was surprisingly not included on Oceans Of Fantasy but the B-side was - if only in a heavily edited form. The original length of the track is 4:02 and songs like "Gotta Go Home" and "Bahama Mama" were also longer on 7" than on the actual album. Just like in the case of its predecessor Nightflight to Venus the original Hansa Records pressings of the album also included a range of different edits of certain tracks.
Several pressings also contained the wrong running order on cover & labels, incorrectly listing "El Lute" as the opening track on side 2, followed by "No More Chain Gang" and "Oceans Of Fantasy" - a very early and scarce pressing actually has this running order on vinyl. The same pressing also features "Let It All Be Music" and "Gotta Go Home" segued into a medley.
Oceans Of Fantasy also features a guest appearance by Eruption's lead singer Precious Wilson on "Let It All Be Music" as well as on the cover of Sam & Dave's "Hold On I'm Coming", which was also issued as Wilson's first solo single. The Argentinian pressing omitted "El Lute" in favour of "Hooray! Hooray! It's A Holi-Holiday".
The album was the only Boney M. album to feature a full track-by-track vocal credits list which only confirmed what had been a public secret since the very beginning - that only two of the four band members, Liz Mitchell and Marcia Barrett, actually sang on the Boney M. records, and that producer Frank Farian sang the characteristic deep male vocal as well as high falsetto vocals - he even duetted with himself on the track "Bye Bye Bluebird". Maizie Williams and Bobby Farrell didn't take any part in the studio sessions. The revelation didn't seem to harm the band's popularity that much at the time, but ten years later Farian was to be involved in a similar scandal with band Milli Vanilli, that time unfortunately with serious consequences for both the producer and the band.

Contents

Track listing

Side A:

  1. "Let It All Be Music" (Music by S.W. Van Vugt, Lyrics by C. Kolonovits)
    • Featuring Special Guest Star Precious Wilson.
    • 1st pressing (Hansa 200 888 A-6): 5:10 (in medley with "Gotta Go Home")
    • 2nd + 3rd pressings(Hansa 200 888 A-8 / A-25 (Club Edition) / Atlantic (UK): 5:33
    • 4th pressing (Hansa 200 888 A-28 (and above) / Ariola (Spain + Portugal) / Atlantic (Japan) / Carrere (France) version) + CD: 4:46
  2. "Gotta Go Home" (Music by Frank Farian and H. Huth, Lyrics by F. Jay and J. Huth)
    • 1st pressing: 3:56 (in medley with "Let It All Be Music") - as second single version (without synth intro)
    • All other pressings + CD: 3:45
    • Original 7" mix (4:40) remains unreleased on CD.
  3. "Bye Bye Bluebird" (Written by Frank Farian, Fred Jay and George Reyam (Hans-Jörg Mayer))
    • 1st pressing: 4:42 (very rare mix featuring different sax solo)
    • 2nd pressing: 5:12 (with a repeated first verse)
    • 3rd + 4th pressings + CD: 4:47
  4. "Bahama Mama" (Music by Frank Farian, Lyrics by Fred Jay)
    • 1st pressing: 3:33 (slightly different mix)
    • 2nd + 3rd pressings: 3:33 (slightly shorter than 7" mix)
    • 4th pressing + CD: 3:16
  5. "Hold On I'm Coming" (Written by Isaac Hayes, David Porter)
    • Performed by Precious Wilson.
    • 1st, 2nd and 3rd pressings: 4:05 (original single version)
    • 4th pressing + CD: 3:32
  6. "Two of Us" (Written by Paul McCartney,[1], credited to Lennon/McCartney)
    • 1st pressing: 3:29 (longer outro)
    • 2nd, 3rd and 4th pressings + CD: 3:18
  7. "Ribbons Of Blue" (Written by Keith Forsey, L. Andrew)
    • 1st, 2nd and 3rd pressings + CD: 2:01
    • 4th pressing: 1:02 (alternate mix with extra slide guitar)
    • Original 7" mix - 4:02.

Side B:

  1. "Oceans Of Fantasy" (Written by D. Kawohl, Zill and F. Jay) - 5:26
    • 1st pressing (Hansa 200 888 B-3): 5:26 (NB appears as track B3 on this pressing)
    • 2nd + 3rd pressings (Hansa 200 B-6 / B-22 (Club Edition) / Atlantic (UK): 5:26
    • 4th pressing (Hansa 200 888 B-36 (and above) / Ariola (Spain + Portugal) / Atlantic (Japan) / Carrere (France) version) + CD: 5:05
  2. "El Lute" (Written by Frank Farian, Fred Jay, Hans Blum)
    • 1st pressing (NB appears as track B1 on this pressing), 2nd + 3rd pressings: 5:09 (as original single version)
    • 4th pressing + CD: 5:48 (extended version)
  3. "No More Chain Gang" (Music by Rainer Ehrhardt, Frank Farian and Fred Jay, Lyrics by S. Klinkhammer and K. Forsey)
    • 1st pressing (NB appears as track B2 on this pressing) + 2nd pressing: 5:12 (without percussion middle break)
    • 3rd pressing (200 888 B-16): 5:51, (200 888 B-22): 5:43
    • 4th pressing + CD: 5:17
  4. "I'm Born Again" (Written by Traditional, Helmut Rulofs and Fred Jay) - 4:08
  5. "No Time To Lose" (Music by Frank Farian, Fred Jay, Stefan Klinkhammer, Lyrics by Stefan Klinkhammer)
    • 1st, 2nd + 3rd pressings: 3:26
    • 4th pressing + CD: 2:57
  6. "The Calendar Song (January, February, March ...)" (Music by Frank Farian, Lyrics by C. Kolonovits)
    • 1st pressing: 2:44 (cold ending, alternate mix with some steeldrum riffs left out)
    • 2nd pressing: 3:22 (cold ending)
    • 3rd and 4th pressings + CD: 2:47 (faded)

Personnel

  • Liz Mitchell - lead vocals (A1, A6, A7, B2, B4 & B6), backing vocals (A1, A2, A4, A7, B2, B3 & B6)
  • Marcia Barrett - lead vocals (A1 & B5), backing vocals (A1, A2, A4, A6, A7, B2, B3, B5 & B6)
  • Frank Farian - lead vocals (A1, B2, B3), lead and backing vocals (A3 & B1) backing vocals (A1, A2, A4, A5, A6, A7, B3, B4, B5 & B6)
  • Precious Wilson - guest lead vocals on track A1, lead and backing vocals on A5
  • Linda Blake - voice of "Bahama Mama" on A4
  • Bill Swisher - narrator on B2
  • Gary Unwin - bass guitar
  • Reinhard Besser - bass guitar
  • Keith Forsey - drums
  • Mats Björklund - guitar
  • Nick Woodland - guitar
  • Michael Cretu - keyboards
  • Lisa Gordanier - saxophone (alto)
  • American Horns In Europe - brass instruments
  • Lance Burton - saxophone (baritone)
  • Bobby Stern - saxophone (tenor)
  • Geoff Stradling - trombone
  • Jim Polivka - trumpet
  • Scot Newton - trumpet
  • Etienne Cap - trumpet on "Oceans of Fantasy"
  • Walter Raab - trumpet on "Oceans of Fantasy"
  • Karl Bartelmes - trumpet on "Oceans of Fantasy"
  • Benny Gebauer - saxophone on "Oceans of Fantasy"
  • Dino Solera - saxophone on "Oceans of Fantasy", pan flute on "El Lute"
  • George Delagaye - trombone on "Oceans of Fantasy"
  • Ludwig Rehberg Jr. - sound effects on "Oceans of Fantasy"
  • The Original Trinidad Steel And Showband - performers

Production

Release history

  • UK: Atlantic Records K50610.
  • Germany: Hansa Records 200 888-320 (7 different pressings), 24x24" double gatefold sleeve.
  • Germany: Hansa 38 339 2.
  • Germany: Hansa 200 919-424, picture disc.

CD releases

  • Germany 1994: BMG 74321 21270 2.
  • EU & US 2007: Sony-BMG 88697-08263-2. Bonus tracks: "I See a Boat on the River" (Helmut Rulofs, Frank Farian, G. Winger, Fred Jay, ) - 4:40, "My Friend Jack" (The Smoke) - 4:40

Single releases


UK
7"

  • "Hooray! Hooray! It's A Holi-Holiday" (Frank Farian, Fred Jay) - 3:57 / "Ribbons of Blue" - 4:02 (Atlantic Records K11279, 1979)
  • "Hooray! Hooray! It's A Holi-Holiday" - 3:57 / "Ribbons of Blue" - 4:02 (Atlantic K11279P, picture disc, 1979)
  • "Gotta Go Home" (Edited 7" Mix) - 4:00 / "El Lute" - 4:58 (Atlantic K11351, 1979)
  • "I'm Born Again" (7" Mix) - 4:17 / "Bahama Mama" (7" Mix) - 3:35 (Atlantic K11310, 1979)

12"

  • "Hooray! Hooray! It's A Holi-Holiday" - 3:57 / "Ribbons of Blue" - 4:02 (Atlantic Records K11279CT, transparent green vinyl, 1979)


Germany
7"

  • "Hooray! Hooray! It's A Holi-Holiday" - 3:57 / "Ribbons of Blue" - 4:02 (Hansa Records 100 444-100, 1979)
  • Precious Wilson: "Hold On I'm Coming" - 4:10 / "Funky Dancer (You Got Me Dancing)" (Precious Wilson, Rainer Ehrhardt) - 3:09 (Hansa 100 803-100, 1979)
  • "El Lute" - 4:58 / "Gotta Go Home" (7" Mix) - 4:40 (Hansa 100 804-100, 1979)
  • "El Lute" - 4:58 / "Gotta Go Home" (Edited 7" Mix) - 4:00 (Hansa 100 804-100 second edition, 1979)
  • "Let It All Be Music" - 4:46 / "Oceans of Fantasy" - 5:05 (Hansa 101 027-000, promo-only, 1979)
  • "I'm Born Again" (7" Mix) - 4:17 / "Bahama Mama" (7" Mix) - 3:35 (Hansa 101 101-100, 1979)

12"

  • "Gotta Go Home" (12" Mix) - 5:04 / "El Lute" - 5:09 (Hansa 600 081-213, 1979)
  • Precious Wilson: "Hold On I'm Coming" (12" Mix) - 5:44 / "Funky Dancer (You Got Me Dancing)" (12" Mix) - 5:26 (Hansa 600 086-213, 1979)
  • "Bye Bye Bluebird" - 4:47 / "Let It All Be Music" - 5:07 / "Oceans of Fantasy" - 5:05 / "No More Chain Gang" - 5:25 (Hansa 600 126-000, promo-only, 1979
  • "Bahama Mama" (12" Mix) - 5:12 / "I'm Born Again" (7" Mix) - 4:17 (Hansa 600 166-100, 1979)

Charts

Album
Year Chart Position
1979 UK albums chart 1
Norway's album chart 1
Single
Year Single Chart Position
1979 "Hooray Hooray, It's a Holi-holiday" UK single chart 3
Norway's single chart 2
"Gotta Go Home/El Lute" UK single chart 12
"El Lute/Gotta Go Home" Norway's single chart 4
"I'm Born Again" UK single chart 35

Sources and external links

References

  1. ^ MacDonald, Ian (2003). Revolution in the Head:The Beatles' Records and the Sixties. Pimlico. p. 335. ISBN 1-8441-3828-3. 
v • d • e
Boney M.
Marcia Barrett · Bobby Farrell · Liz Mitchell · Maizie Williams
Reggie Tsiboe
Studio albums and
main compilations
(1976–1985)
Main compilations
and remix albums
(1986–)

The Best of 10 Years - 32 Superhits (1986) · The 20 Greatest Christmas Songs (1986) · Greatest Hits of All Times - Remix '88 (1988) · Ma Baker (1989) · Greatest Hits of All Times - Remix '89 - Volume II (1989) · The Collection (1991) · Daddy Cool - Star Collection (1991) · The Most Beautiful Christmas Songs of the World (1992) · Gold - 20 Super Hits (1992) · The Greatest Hits (1993) · More Gold - 20 Super Hits Vol. II (1993) · Hit Collection (1996) · Best In Spain (1996) · The Best of Boney M. (1997) · Norske Hits (1998) · Ultimate (1999) · 20th Century Hits (1999) · 25 Jaar Na Daddy Cool (2000) · The Complete Collection (2000) · Their Most Beautiful Ballads (2000) · The Greatest Hits (2001) · The Magic of Boney M. (2006) · Hit Collection (2007) · Christmas With Boney M. (2007) · The Collection (2008) · Rivers of Babylon (A Best Of Collection) (2008) · Ultimate Boney M. - Long Versions & Rarities, Volume 1 (2008) · Christmas Time (2008) · The Complete Boney M. (2008) · In the Mix (2008) · The Magic of Boney M. - The Danish Collection (2008) · Ultimate Boney M. - Long Versions & Rarities, Volume 2 (2009) · Let It All Be Music - The Party Album (2009) · Ultimate Boney M. - Long Versions & Rarities, Volume 3 (2009)
Main single
discography

"Baby Do You Wanna Bump" (1975) · "Daddy Cool" (1976) · "Sunny" (1976) · "Ma Baker" (1977) · "Belfast" (1977) · "Rivers of Babylon"/"Brown Girl in the Ring" (1978) · "Rasputin" (1978) · "Mary's Boy Child"/"Oh My Lord" (1978) · "Painter Man" (1979) · "Hooray! Hooray! It's a Holi-Holiday" (1979) · "El Lute"/"Gotta Go Home" (1979) · "I'm Born Again"/"Bahama Mama" (1979) · "I See a Boat on the River"/"My Friend Jack" (1980) · "Children of Paradise"/"Gadda-Da-Vida" (1980) · "Felicidad (Margherita)" (1980) · "Malaika"/"Consuela Biaz" (1981) · "We Kill the World"/"Boonoonoonoos" (1981) · "The Little Drummer Boy"/"6 Years of Boney M. Hits" (1981) · "The Carnival Is Over"/"Going Back West" (1982) · "Zion's Daughter" (1982) · "Jambo - Hakuna Matata (No Problems)" (1983) · "Somewhere in the World" (1984) · "Kalimba de Luna" (1984) · "Happy Song" (1984) · "My Cherie Amour" (1985) · "Young, Free and Single" (1985) · "Daddy Cool (Anniversary Recording '86)" (1986) · "Bang Bang Lulu" (1986) · "Rivers of Babylon (Remix)"/"Mary's Boy Child"/"Oh My Lord (Remix)" (1988) · "Megamix" (1988) · "The Summer Mega Mix" (1989) · "Malaika (Lambada Remix)" (1989) · "Everybody Wants to Dance Like Josephine Baker" (1989) · "Stories" (1990) · "Christmas Mega Mix" (1992) · "Megamix" (1992) · "Brown Girl in the Ring (Remix)" (1993) · "Ma Baker (Remix)" (1993) · "Papa Chico" (1994) · "Somebody Scream - Ma Baker" (1998) · "Daddy Cool '99" (1999) · "Hooray! Hooray! (Caribbean Night Fever)" (1999) · "Sunny (Remix)" (2000) · "Daddy Cool 2001" (2001) · "Sunny (Mousse T. Remix)" (2006) · "Felicidad America (Obama-Obama)" (2009)

This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)

 
 
Learn More
Oceans of Fantasy (1979 Album by Boney M.)
Oceans of Fantasy [Bonus Tracks] (2007 Album by Boney M.)
Boney M. (Rhythm & Blues Band, '70s-2000s)

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