Boonoonoonoos

Boonoonoonoos is the fifth studio album by Boney M., released in September 1981.

Background
Despite producer Frank Farian having announced by the end of 1979 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", derived from Latin "Bonus" = good) 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 as "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 Hits in April 1980.

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 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 number 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 and it became a sizeable hit in most of Europe as well. 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, and written by Kelvin James. Released in Germany in December 1980, and belatedly released in the UK in September 1981, the single failed to chart in either of the countries. Another song from the same sessions, "Breakaway", ended up on Boonoonoonoos as a Boney M. track with Frank Farian on lead vocals.

New recording sessions took place in the spring of 1981. The band flew to Jamaica in August 1981 to record a TV special and perform live in concert with Rita Marley, shoot photos for the album inner sleeve and a projected photo book that was never published, and one of the final songs "Silly Confusion" was recorded in Bob Marley'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. (By narrowing the grooves on vinyl, actually the shortened versions of the album by the Hansa Records longer than 46 minutes.) 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.

Singles
The first single to be lifted off the finished Boonoonoonoos album in Germany was double A-side "Malaika"/"Consuela Biaz" in June 1981 which became the first Boney M. single since their breakthrough not to reach the German Top 10. The single was not released in the UK.

"We Kill the World (Don't Kill the World)" was the second single, released in November, and marked the first single since "Belfast" featuring Marcia Barrett as the lead singer. It peaked at #12 in the German charts.

Bobby Farrell recorded for first time
"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" (part of the song "Boonoonoonoos", 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.

Track listing
Note: Tracklist based on cassette / CD releases. Lengths vary between LP releases.

Side A:
 * 1) "Boonoonoonoos" (Frank Farian, Giorgio Sgarbi, Catherine Courage, Fred Jay) - 4:37
 * 2) "That's Boonoonoonoos / Train to Skaville" (Frank Farian, Larry Dillon, Rainer Maria Ehrhart) / "I Shall Sing" (Van Morrison) - 5:56
 * 3) "Silly Confusion" (Frank Farian, Dietmar Kawohl, Mats Björklund, Harry Baierl, Catherine Courage) - 7:12
 * 4) "Ride to Agadir" (Mike Batt) - 5:09
 * 5) "Jimmy" (Frank Farian, Johan Daansen, Brad Howell) - 4:07
 * 6) "African Moon" (Frank Farian, Helmut Rulofs, Liz Mitchell, Catherine Courage) - 2:55

Side B:
 * 1) "We Kill the World (Don't Kill the World)" (Frank Farian, Giorgio & Gisela Sgarbi) - 6:28
 * 2) "Homeland Africa (Ship Ahoy)" (Kenneth Gamble, Frank Farian, Leon Huff) - 4:20
 * 3) "Malaika" (Farian, Reyam, Traditional) - 3:27
 * 4) "Consuela Biaz" (Farian, Courage, O'Hara) - 4:37
 * 5) "Breakaway" (Kelvin James) - 4:18
 * 6) "Sad Movies" (John D. Loudermilk) - 3:22
 * 7) "Goodbye My Friend" (Farian, Rulofs, Courage) - 5:25

Personnel

 * Liz Mitchell - lead vocals (A2, A5, A6, B3, B4, B6 & B7), backing vocals
 * Marcia Barrett - lead vocals (B1, B5), backing vocals
 * Frank Farian - lead vocals (A4 & B5), backing vocals
 * Bobby Farrell - rap (track A2), spoken intro (B1)
 * Cathy Bartney (La Mama) - backing vocals (A3, B1 ("Don't Kill the World") & B3)
 * Madeleine Davis (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
 * Günther Gebauer - bass guitar
 * Helmut Rulofs - guitar


 * Johan Daansen - guitar
 * Mats Björklund - guitar
 * Curt Cress - drums
 * Keith Forsey - drums
 * Harry Baierl - keyboards
 * Kristian Schultze - keyboards
 * Max Greger Jr. - keyboards
 * Dino Solera - saxophone (A5, A6)
 * Tom Scott - saxophone (A1, B5)
 * London Philharmonic Orchestra - orchestra (A4)

Production

 * Frank Farian - producer
 * Christian Kolonovits - arranger
 * Geoff Bastow - arranger
 * Giorgio Sgarbi - arranger
 * Harry Baierl - arranger
 * Stefan Klinkhammer - arranger
 * Tammy Grohé - sound engineer
 * Recorded at Abbey Road Studios London, AIR Studios London, Audio Studio Berlin, Atlantic Studios Munich, Rainbow Studios Munich, Union Studios Munich, Vigilant Studios Nice, Bob Marley Studios Kingston Jamaica, Hitsville Recording Studios Hollywood California. Vocals recording and mixing at Farian Studios in Germany.

Reissued

 * 1994: CD, BMG 74321 21267 2
 * 2007: CD, Sony BMG Music Entertainment 88697094802
 * 2011: Boney M. Original Album Classics, 5 CD, Sony Music 88697928702
 * 2017: Boney M. Complete, 9 LP, Sony Music 88985406971