Boney M. is a Euro-Caribbean vocal group created by German record producer Frank Farian. Originally based in West Germany, the four original members of the group's official line-up were Liz Mitchell and Marcia Barrett from Jamaica, Maizie Williams from Montserrat and Bobby Farrell, a performing-artist from Aruba. The group was formed in 1976 and achieved popularity during the disco era of the late 1970s. Since the 1980s, various line-ups of the band have performed with different personnel.
Elizabeth Rebecca Mitchell is a Jamaican-born British vocalist, best known as the former lead singer of the 1970s disco/reggae band Boney M.
"Mary's Boy Child" is a 1956 Christmas song, written by Jester Hairston. It is widely performed as a Christmas carol.
Marcia Barrett is a Jamaican-born British vocalist and one of the original singers with the vocal group Boney M.
"When A Child Is Born" is a popular Christmas song. The original melody was "Soleado", a tune from 1974 by Ciro Dammicco, composer for Italy's Daniel Sentacruz Ensemble, and Dario Baldan Bembo. The tune was based on Damicco's earlier tune "Le rose blu" published in 1972. The English language lyrics were written a few years later by Fred Jay. They do not make specific mention of Christmas but the importance they attach to looking forward to the birth of one particular child somewhere, anywhere, suggests a reference to the birth of Jesus Christ, and the citing of "a tiny star" that "lights up way up high" may allude to the Star of Bethlehem. Fred Jay's lyrics have been sung by many artists, most successfully by Johnny Mathis in 1976, whose version was the Christmas number one in the UK.
Christmas Party or Xmas Party or variant may refer to:
Reggie Tsiboe is one of the former lead singers of the disco group Boney M. between 1982 and 1986 and later between 1989 and 1990.
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 20 Greatest Christmas Songs is a compilation/remix album by Boney M.. In 1986 producer Frank Farian took the master tapes from 1981's Christmas Album, added six recordings by Liz Mitchell, Reggie Tsiboe and two session singers from 1984, remixed them and created Die 20 schönsten Weihnachtslieder der Welt, internationally released as The 20 Greatest Christmas Songs. The 1986 version of the Boney M. Christmas album has since been re-issued as The Most Beautiful Christmas Songs of the World (1992), A Wonderful Christmas Time (1998) and Christmas Party.
The Greatest Hits is a greatest hits album of recordings by Boney M. released by BMG in the United Kingdom in late 2001.
The Most Beautiful Christmas Songs of the World is a compilation/remix album by Boney M. released simultaneously with greatest hits package Gold - 20 Super Hits in November 1992. The album is a slightly re-edited and remixed version of 1986's The 20 Greatest Christmas Songs.
After the chart success of the 1992 "Megamix", the 1978 Christmas number one "Mary's Boy Child/Oh My Lord" was also re-issued as a single under the name "Christmas Megamix".
The Most Beautiful Christmas Songs of the World has since been re-packaged with new artwork and re-issued as A Wonderful Christmas Time in 1998, as Christmas Party in both 1998 and 2003, as Christmas with Boney M. in 2007 and most recently as Christmas Time in 2008.
The Complete Collection is a compilation album of recordings by Boney M. released by BMG/CMC Records in Denmark in late 2000.
Christmas with Boney M. a.k.a. (New) Christmas with Boney M. is an aborted Second Christmas album turned into a compilation. The album was exclusively released in South Africa where the group's popularity - contrary to the rest of the world - remained high during the early 80s. The album is a sought-after item for Boney M. collectors since it includes the original recording "Mother and Child Reunion" with Reggie Tsiboe and La Mama which was remixed and overdubbed with additional vocals for a 1985 charity single for Ethiopia, released by Frank Farian Corporation. The album has never been released on CD.
After the commercial failure with the Ten Thousand Lightyears album, Frank Farian gathered Liz Mitchell and new member Reggie Tsiboe to record a second Christmas album in the hope of repeating the success of 1981's Christmas Album. Backed by two classically trained singers, the twin sisters Amy & Elaine Goff, Farian recorded six new titles before he changed his plans and had Reggie record "Kalimba De Luna" - a current hit in Italy - which, when released as a Boney M. title, gave the group a European hit single, quickly followed by another cover of an Italian hit, "Happy Song". To benefit from the Christmas sales, Farian hastily put together two compilation albums Kalimba de Luna - 16 Happy Songs and a seasonal-themed "Christmas With Boney M.", mixing the six new Christmas songs with six previously released titles which all had a seasonal or semi-religious flair to them. Hansa chose just to release the "Kalimba De Luna" compilation on the strength of the two new hit singles, and the second Christmas album never went further than the test pressing stage. Boney M.'s South-African record company, Gallo, however, went for the Christmas release and furthermore added "Little Drummer Boy" and "Mary's Boy Child" from the first Christmas Album and replaced "Exodus" with "Children Of Paradise".
The new Christmas songs were made available to the rest of the world two years later when Hansa released the album The 20 Greatest Christmas Songs.
Christmas With Boney M. is another Christmas compilation by Boney M., released November 16, 2007, containing all 12 songs from their original 1981 Christmas Album plus six later songs, recorded in 1984 for the album Christmas with Boney M. (1984). The new compilation follows the 2007 re-release of Boney M.'s original studio albums.
"Mary's Boy Child / Oh My Lord" is a 1978 Christmas single by Boney M., a cover of Harry Belafonte's 1956 hit, put in medley with the new song "Oh My Lord" (Farian/Jay).
Christmas Time is another Christmas compilation by Boney M., released 2008, containing most of the songs from their original 1981 Christmas Album plus a selection of songs recorded in 1984 for the album Christmas with Boney M. (1984). For the first time released on CD since the mid-1980s are both the full original 1981 versions of "White Christmas" and "Feliz Navidad". "Jingle Bells" is however presented here in a 30 seconds shorter version and "Mary's Boy Child/Oh My Lord" is an edited remix dating back to 1992. "Darkness Is Falling", "Oh Christmas Tree ", the instrumental "Winter Fairy-Tale" and the eight-minute "Christmas Medley" are completely omitted on this release.
The Complete Boney M. is a UK Issue box set, comprising the 2007 remastered CD re-issues of seven of Boney M.'s eight original albums 1976 - 85 with bonus tracks + the compilation album Kalimba de Luna. The title "Complete" is somewhat misleading, given that Boney M.'s Christmas Album (1981) was not included, neither was any of the group's 12" versions.
The discography of Boney M. includes 8 studio albums, 38 compilation and remix albums, and 38 singles.
A Christmas present is a Christmas gift given in celebration of Christmas.
