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Post by richardjohn on Jul 31, 2006 21:13:08 GMT 1
I was listening to this 1979 album this weekend and wondered what other fans thought of it. Here's my thoughts on the tracks.
1. LET IT ALL BE MUSIC
I still love this track. It started off the album with great promise.
The beat is strong and the vocals beautiful. It was good to hear Liz and then Marcia take a verse each. Although she undoubtedly has a great voice, I still don't know why Farian included Precious Wilson. I think it confused people. Could have been a hit single.
2.GOTTA GO HOME
Though not one of my favorite singles, this was the hit that launched the album, so why edit it? Surely the album should have included the longer version.
3.BYE BYE BLUEBIRD
Should have had Marcia or Liz singing this one. Why does Frank think he has such a great voice? Fine as backing, but not as lead.
Love the feel of the track, it still sounds fresh and could have been a single with one of the girls on lead.
4.BAHAMA MAMA
Catchy, in the same way as Ma Baker or Rasputin but lacking the punch.
5.HOLD ON I'M COMING
Precious Wilson again. Why? Marcia could have easily handled this one. Great track, but the lead vocal was not from Boney M so it confused fans and critics.
6.TWO OF US
I'm sure Beatles fans were horrified, but I like this track.
7.RIBBONS OF BLUE
This could easily have been a Boney M A side, but instead lost out to HOLI-HOLIDAY. So, having decided not to include HOLIDAY on the album why did Farian edit this excellent song down to less than 2 minutes. A scandalous waste of time. It would have been better to extend GOTTA GO HOME and leave this off altogether.
8.OCEANS OF FANTASY
Good song, but it's old Frank again on vocals with no sign or sound of Liz and Marcia. Why? It's just madness.
9.EL LUTE
Not everyone's favorite, but l like the tune and the vocals are very well done. A saccharine overdose with heaps of cheese on top. Nice rather than great.
10.NO MORE CHAIN GANG
I never really rated this song, but listening to it again that drum beat is so infectious. The vocals sound a bit distant though. I think Frank wanted to record it alone so he locked the girls out of the studio.
11 I'M BORN AGAIN
I always loved this tune and was unaware that it was 'based' on another Irish tune so I had nothing to compare it to. But why doesn't Liz sing the third verse as shown on the inner album sleeve?
12. NO TIME TO LOSE
This is one of my favorites on the album. Ideally suited to Marcia's voice. I just want her to sing that chorus again after the third verse. Why does Frank cut it off so short?
13. CALENDAR SONG
I love the Caribbean feel to this track. The steel drums are a classic Boney M sound. I know the lyrics aren't exactly 'Bohemian Rhapsody' but its a bit of fun and a positive end to the album.
All in all nowhere near 'Nightflight to Venus' but could we really have expected another album that good?
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oliver
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Post by oliver on Aug 1, 2006 12:02:30 GMT 1
Hi Richard, well, "Oceans Of Fantasy" is still a weird album to me. I still can't decide wether I really like or loathe it. I guess it's somehwere in between. It seems to be put together without a thought and what really struck me then and still strikes me now is that as an important follow- up to "Nightflight To Venus" it wasn't carefully planned. I loved the cover and the poster. It was so "mad Boney M.", really ovber the top but great stunning photos nevertheless. As for the music- well, I think "OOF" leaves the listener confused. There's really no direction and there are so many things I don't understand. With "Nightflight Of Venus", the voices and the image of Boney M. was firmly established. But why then did Farian abandon the Boney M.- sound on those two tracks "Bye Bye Bluebird" and "Oceans Of Fantasy" ? Why that Precious Wilson- song on a Boney M- album ? but there's even more confusion as PW sings on "Öet It All Be Music" although she wasn't even part of the group. And then the shamefully edited version of "ROB": who needs that ? Why was it included on the album  I don't know and I still think as a follow up to the all important breakthrough- album "Nightflight To Venus" it was a complete let down. If I could have my way the album would have the following tracklist. 01. Let It All Be Music (LV's by Marcia and Liz, third verse sung together) 02. Gotta Go Home (Complete Version) 03. Bye Bye Bluebird (with vocals by Marcia and Liz of course) 04. Bahama Mama 05. Two Of Us 06. Oceans Of Fantasy (please with Marcia and Liz) 07. El Lute (not my cup of tea, really, but there you go) 08. No More Chain Gang (with clearer vocals by the ladies) 09. I'm Born Again (with third verse) 10. No Time To Lose (longer version, with third chorus) 11. The Calendar song (with then fades into a short reprise of "Oceans Of Fantasy") That would be the album I would have preferred. But nevertheless "OOF" is quite enjoyable and good music. |
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Post by boneyMitchell2006 on Aug 1, 2006 19:29:28 GMT 1
[ftp][/ftp]  love the out fits |
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Post by richardjohn on Aug 1, 2006 19:53:25 GMT 1
Hi Oliver. I agree with what you have said. The album confuses me too. I can never truly make up my mind whether I like it or not. Just recently I've been enjoying it again, but at other times it seems like a glossly magazine- all style and no substance. It definitely has it's moments but I get the feeling that it's not the album most fans would have liked it to be.
Maybe if Frank had stuck to the funkier feel he apparently had in mind (Bye bye Bluebird, Hold On l'm Coming,Oceans of Fantasy,No Time To Lose) the tracks would have sounded better together. As it is, it was as if he couldn't make up his mind so he chose a bit of this and a bit of that. Of course it's easy to judge now and I'm sure Frank Farian must have been under tremendous pressure from the record company to come up with another 'Nightflight To Venus'.
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Post by boneyMitchell2006 on Aug 1, 2006 20:08:05 GMT 1
[ftp][/ftp][ftp][/ftp]  i love the outfits dears ;D |
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Post by richardjohn on Aug 1, 2006 21:59:26 GMT 1
Yes BoneyMitchell2006, I think we've got that, but what's your opinion on the album?
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Post by boneyMitchell2006 on Aug 1, 2006 22:12:21 GMT 1
:)its a fab album i love it all , its well cool the song are really great night flight was pure disco pop dance songs ...but oceans of fantasty was a more classy album a move on from the full on disco love it and you can tell frank worked really hard on this album and some for the songs are amazing NO MORE CHAIN GANG love it so diffrent and unique drums and again i love the song words one of my fave on the album! I'M BORN AGAIN again a now classic boney m song totaly classy and 100%boney m a really great song and shows what a great vocal liz can do! i loved them doing this on top of the pops! and on fantastic boney m  LET IT ALL BE MUSIC again i love the big intro and the production is first class! this could have been a single fab vocals from all. BAHAMA MAMA love this boney m classic song fun upbeat funky little number that really easy on the ear and again superb vocal by liz should have did a promo video for this! ps i love the extended super sound mix as well OCEANS OF FANTASY frank liz and co on vocals amazing track and its backing track makes a strange fantasy number i love it!! makes me dream and the production is outstanding. TWO OF US fab cover and it really shows that liz and marcia and frank could carry it off its a fun song and i love it imagine this a aa side with NO MORE CHAIN GANG !! wonder what it could have done in the german charts? EL LUTE classic boney m mature a big step forwords for the group and its really really great i love the story the music and the vocals the fans i know all love it and again the production is amazing deffo a ever green boney m song its sweet and pure boney m . RIBBONS OF BLUE shame its a edited version on the album why o why did the record company not includ the longer 7! mix on the 1994 reissue cd anyway i love the song big change for the ms and shows a diffrent side and by diffrent i mean good its a fav of mind . fantastic NO TIME TO LOSE marcia on lead vocals shame its cut short il have loved a longer version. love it. GOTTA GO HOME. really great love the demo version as well going back home mix!! and the german super suound 12" mix is fantastic id have loved a boney m video for this the group driving along some holliday plays singing there hearts out..classic bm. BYE BYE BLUEBIRD great song but id have loved liz and marcia on this but franks not bad. after al he is the 5 member of boney m after all lol. said so on the cover....  CALENDAR SONG would have loved more steel drums and instramental parts on this still cool though. my fav thing about this album is the superb picture disc its stunning!! wow ;D |
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Post by richardjohn on Aug 1, 2006 23:05:42 GMT 1
I dont think they did TOTP with 'Born again' as it missed the top 30.
Also doesn't Frank sing 'Oceans' on his own, with himself as backing?
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Post by boneyMitchell2006 on Aug 1, 2006 23:30:01 GMT 1
I dont think they did TOTP with 'Born again' as it missed the top 30. Also doesn't Frank sing 'Oceans' on his own, with himself as backing? yes the group did do im born again on top of the pops and looked amazing enjoy the pic! k [ftp][/ftp][ftp][/ftp]  |
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oliver
Junior Member
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Post by oliver on Aug 2, 2006 8:28:13 GMT 1
Well, I think songs like "El Lute", "I'm Born Again", "Holiday"" and "Boat On The River" were responsible for the change of the image of Boney M.- and in my opinion not for the better. Suddenly they produced more "schlager"- like songs and they were not as cool as before. Songs like "Ma Baker" or "Daddy Cool" were dance- orientated, well- produced pop songs and after "El Lute" suddenly german Schlager singers like Michael Holm or Bruce Low ("Die Legende von Babylon") covered Boney M. which I at 16 found extremely uncool. Where was the sexy dancey funky rhythm machine called "Boney M." ? They were to regain some of their younger audience with songs like "We Kill The World" or "Children Of Paradise" but some of their later material simply sounded too "unfunky". |
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Post by boneyMitchell2006 on Aug 2, 2006 10:05:29 GMT 1
yes but what was you wanting hard disco songs all the time that was ok for 1976 till 1978 pure disco but music at that time was moving on im glad frank did what he did i like boney ms disco songs lots. yes but thank god for superb productions like"El Lute" "I'm Born Again", "Boat On The River" "my friend jack" and so on pure class and boney m classics ma baker are great disco songs but times change!!! dont for get that seeing the group perform im born again is amazing when you think the group started with a disco song like daddy cool...and then to move on to do proper songs like "im born again" shows how much the group can do not just some disco act..liz mitchells vocals are fab on it as well ;D
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Post by jdbaptist on Aug 2, 2006 14:22:26 GMT 1
Hi richardjohn. Boney M. did TOTP with 'I'm Born Again' in November '79, the same week they were in for the Royal Variety Performance. The only vocals on the 'Oceans Of Fantasy' track are Frank Farian's; no other member of Boney M. sing on it. They all however lipsynched to it for 'Fantastic Boney M' and the September Seaside Special for BBC1. Bobby, Liz, Maizie and Marcia did, however, sing it live for the 'Oceans Of Fantasy' tour, all four of them. There live version was really great, different to the album but still 'fantastic' Boney M. !  I'm sure I covered this before, but when the group did there appearances on 'Soul Train' in 1979, the song which went down the best for them with the studio audience (the show would Gage audience responses to songs) was 'Dancing In The Streets'! The 'Oceans Of Fantasy' album was meant to be in the same funky vein as 'Dancing In The Streets'. Not only did the record company (and Fred Jay, Frank Farian's partner) want Frank to work in this vein, they also wanted a change to the lead vocals! They did not think that Liz Mitchell's leads suited an American Market and they wanted her replaced with Precious Wilson. Farian offered to replace Maizie, but not to let Precious Wilson sing! The 'Oceans Of Fantasy' became a mish mash of ideas and is an inferior work to the previous three lps. Farian really didn't know which way to bring the group forward (a lot of the arguments in the group, a part from money, was the fact that the group were not happy with the direction the group was being pulled. All the emphasis had been put on Liz and the material had become really poor ballads like 'El Lute' and endless calypso style tracks copying 'Brown Girl'. |
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Post by boneyMitchell2006 on Aug 2, 2006 14:30:23 GMT 1
[ftp][/ftp][ftp][/ftp] i told him dolly as to the dancing in the street frank says its a "little bull s h i t"(1999) so theres no way he want to make more recordings like that!! soul train ill post screen shots when i get time its on a dvd some place!!  pps talking of the usa i love the unique rivers of babylon 12 extended version with totaly unique liz vocals and intro superb and rare!! |
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Post by richardjohn on Aug 2, 2006 20:19:13 GMT 1
Thanks for the picture. The outfits ring a bell with me, but l had forgotten about it. They must have made an exception for Boney M because right up until the 1990s they never featured songs that weren't in the top 30. Maybe it was because of the Royal Variety Show appearance.
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Post by jdbaptist on Aug 3, 2006 18:17:51 GMT 1
TOTP made the exception then again in 1980 because they also featured 'My Friend Jack' on the show! And that was placed even lower in the charts!
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I don't know and I still think as a follow up to the all important breakthrough- album "Nightflight To Venus" it was a complete let down. If I could have my way the album would have the following tracklist.
