Nightflight to Venus

Last updated

Nightflight to Venus
Boney M. - Nightflight To Venus.jpg
Studio album by
Boney M.
Released23 June 1978 [1]
Recorded1977–1978
Genre
Length44:37
Label
Producer Frank Farian
Boney M. chronology
Love for Sale
(1977)		Nightflight to Venus
(1978)		 Oceans of Fantasy
(1979)
Singles from Nightflight to Venus
  1. "Rivers of Babylon"
    Released: April 1978 [2]
  2. "Rasputin"
    Released: August 1978
  3. "Painter Man"
    Released: February 1979 [3]
  4. "Voodoonight"
    Released: 1979
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [4]
Christgau's Record Guide B− [5]

Nightflight to Venus is the third studio album by Euro-Caribbean group Boney M., and was released in June 1978. The album became a major success in continental Europe, Scandinavia, and Canada, topping most of the album charts during the second half of 1978 and also became their first UK number one album. In Canada, it received a nomination for a 1980 Juno Award in a category 'International Album of the Year'. [6]

Contents

Nightflight to Venus includes the worldwide hits "Rivers of Babylon" and "Brown Girl in the Ring", a double A-sided single that topped the UK singles chart and has sold over 2 million copies there. [7] The follow-up was another Boney M. classic, "Rasputin", in most countries also a double A-side coupled with "Painter Man", a cover of a 1966 hit by the band the Creation. In the UK, "Rasputin" and "Painter Man" were released separately as A-sides by Atlantic Records, both reaching the Top 10. "Rivers of Babylon", which peaked at No. 30 on The Billboard Hot 100, became their biggest US hit.

Album information

In Europe and most other parts of the world, the album was followed in November 1978 by the Christmas single, "Mary's Boy Child / Oh My Lord" backed with "Dancing in the Streets", another chart topper – selling over 1.86 million copies in the UK alone. Upon its original 1978 release, these two tracks did not appear on Nightflight to Venus, but they were included on the 2007 CD release of the album.

For the first time, there were four different pressings of the original Hansa Records LPs, all with slightly different versions of some tracks. The most significant difference was the length of the title track, "Nightflight to Venus". On the very first German pressing, it was 7:09 minutes, making the segued medley with the (also extended) "Rasputin" 13:48 in total, the second pressing 5:55, the third 4:58 and the final 4:46.

On the first pressing, "Rasputin" has a unique instrumental part within the last verse; also, the instrumental parts between verses are slightly longer than the other ones, which can also be heard on the 1988 remix. After the first (6:28) and second (6:04) pressing of the LP, the song's album version was shortened to 5:51.

A different mix for "He Was a Steppenwolf" and a slightly different version of "Voodoonight" was used on the first pressing compared to later ones.

The CD version from 1994 is the same as the fourth pressing of the album. On the 2007 reissue, two bonus tracks were added to the album.

On 10 November 2023, the group's YouTube channel released a video celebrating the 45th anniversary of the album. [8] This was followed by a "visual album" series of music videos for every track from Nightlight to Venus; however, some songs are different versions (for example, "Rasputin" is the edited version from The Magic of Boney M. - 20 Golden Hits ).

Track listing

Side A

  1. "Nightflight to Venus" (Frank Farian, Fred Jay, Dietmar Kawohl) – 4:46
  2. "Rasputin" (Frank Farian, Fred Jay, George Reyam (Hans-Jörg Mayer)) – 5:51
  3. "Painter Man" (Eddie Phillips, Kenny Pickett) – 3:10
  4. "He Was a Steppenwolf" (Frank Farian, Fred Jay, Stefan Klinkhammer) – 6:51
  5. "King of the Road" (Roger Miller) – 2:35

Side B

  1. "Rivers of Babylon" (Brent Dowe, Trevor McNaughton, Frank Farian, George Reyam) – 4:21
  2. "Voodoonight" (Giorgio Sgarbi) – 3:31
  3. "Brown Girl in the Ring" (Traditional; arranged by Frank Farian) – 4:02
  4. "Never Change Lovers in the Middle of the Night" (Mats Björklund, Keith Forsey, Fred Jay) – 5:32
  5. "Heart of Gold" (Neil Young) – 4:00

Personnel

Production

Charts

Certifications and sales

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Austria (IFPI Austria) [29] Gold25,000*
Canada (Music Canada) [30] 5× Platinum700,000 [31]
Denmark—140,000 [32]
Germany (BVMI) [33] 2× Platinum1,000,000^
Greece (IFPI Greece) [34] Platinum100,000^
Hong Kong (IFPI Hong Kong) [35] Platinum20,000*
Ireland—52,000 [36]
Netherlands (NVPI) [37] Gold50,000^
New Zealand (RMNZ) [38] Platinum15,000^
Spain (PROMUSICAE) [39] Platinum100,000^
Switzerland—125,000 [40]
United Kingdom (BPI) [41] Platinum300,000^

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Reissued

Related Research Articles

"Rivers of Babylon" is a Rastafari song written and recorded by Brent Dowe and Trevor McNaughton of the Jamaican reggae group The Melodians in 1970. The lyrics are adapted from the texts of Psalms 19 and 137 in the Hebrew Bible. The Melodians' original version of the song appeared on the soundtrack album for the 1972 movie The Harder They Come, which made it internationally known.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rasputin (song)</span> 1978 Boney M. single

"Rasputin" is a song by German-based pop and Eurodisco group Boney M. It was released on 28 August 1978 as the second single from their third studio album Nightflight to Venus (1978). Written by the group's creator Frank Farian, along with George Reyam and Fred Jay, it is a song about Grigori Rasputin, a friend and advisor of Tsar Nicholas II of Russia and his family during the early 20th century. The song describes Rasputin as a playboy, mystical healer, and political manipulator.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Daddy Cool (Boney M. song)</span> 1976 song by Boney M.

"Daddy Cool" is a song produced and co-written by Frank Farian who had founded the group Boney M. to visually perform to his songs on TV and while touring discos. Farian also provided the male voice parts on the record. The song was included on their debut album Take the Heat off Me. It was a 1976 hit and a staple of disco music and became Boney M.'s first hit in the United Kingdom.

<i>Gold – 20 Super Hits</i> 1992 greatest hits album by Boney M.

Gold – 20 Super Hits is a 1992 greatest hits album by group Boney M. Shortly after record label PolyGram had acquired the rights to the ABBA back catalogue and had issued the multimillion-selling hits package Gold: Greatest Hits, BMG and producer Frank Farian followed suit with Boney M.'s Gold – 20 Super Hits which resulted in their best chart entry in the UK and most other European countries since 1980's The Magic of Boney M. – 20 Golden Hits.

<i>Take the Heat off Me</i> 1976 studio album by Boney M.

Take the Heat off Me is the debut album by Euro-Caribbean group Boney M. The album became a major seller in Europe, specifically in the Nordic countries, but in the U.S. the album just missed the album chart. Tracks include the hits "Daddy Cool", "Sunny" and the debut single "Baby Do You Wanna Bump".

<i>Oceans of Fantasy</i> 1979 studio album by Boney M.

Oceans of Fantasy is the fourth studio album by Euro-Caribbean group Boney M. Released in September 1979, Oceans of Fantasy became the second Boney M. album to top the UK charts and features the hits "El Lute / Gotta Go Home" and "I'm Born Again / Bahama Mama".

<i>Love for Sale</i> (Boney M. album) 1977 studio album by Boney M.

Love for Sale is the second studio album by Euro-Caribbean group Boney M. The album includes the hits "Ma Baker" and "Belfast". It also includes three covers: "Love for Sale", "Have You Ever Seen the Rain?", and "Still I'm Sad".

<i>The Magic of Boney M. – 20 Golden Hits</i> 1980 greatest hits album by Boney M.

The Magic of Boney M. – 20 Golden Hits is a greatest hits album by Euro-Caribbean group Boney M., issued in 1980, which contained all their biggest hits up until that point, including non-album singles "Mary's Boy Child/Oh My Lord" and "Hooray! Hooray! It's a Holi-Holiday", album tracks from Take the Heat off Me, Love for Sale, Nightflight to Venus and Oceans of Fantasy as well as their most recent double A-side single release "I See a Boat On the River"/ "My Friend Jack".

<i>Boonoonoonoos</i> 1981 studio album by Boney M.

Boonoonoonoos is the fifth studio album by Boney M..

<i>Christmas Album</i> (Boney M. album) 1981 studio album by Boney M.

Christmas Album is the sixth studio album by Boney M. It was recorded in the summer of 1981 and released on 23 November 1981. In certain territories the album was given the alternate title Christmas with Boney M.

<i>Ten Thousand Lightyears</i> 1984 studio album by Boney M.

Ten Thousand Lightyears is the seventh studio album by Boney M. and the first to feature new member Reggie Tsiboe, who had taken over Bobby Farrell's role as the band's leading man in early 1982.

<i>The Best of 10 Years – 32 Superhits</i>

The Best of 10 Years – 32 Superhits also known as 32 Superhits - Non-Stop Digital Remix is a remix album by Boney M. released in 1986.

<i>The Greatest Hits</i> (2001 Boney M. album) 2001 greatest hits album by Boney M.

The Greatest Hits is a greatest hits album of recordings by Boney M. released by BMG in the United Kingdom in late 2001.

<i>Greatest Hits of All Times – Remix 88</i> Remix album

Greatest Hits of All Times – Remix '88 is a remix album by Boney M. released in 1988. Boney M.'s new manager at the time, Simon Napier-Bell, succeeded in persuading the four original members to briefly reunite and promote this remix album. The man employed to re-arrange the original hits and create new interest in the band was PWL's Pete Hammond, who previously had remixed many of the Stock Aitken Waterman stable's chart-topping hits with Kylie Minogue, Jason Donovan, Rick Astley and Bananarama. Five of the tracks also feature new lead vocals by Liz Mitchell. In early 2021, Hammond recalled the following about the '88 remix project, explaining the new vocals: "The 2inch 24 track multi-track tapes were sent to PWL by Frank Farian of Far Music. Apparently, they had lost some of the original recordings—four songs if I remember correctly—and had to record four new versions; they were musically incomplete but good enough for me to overdub and remix". The remix project spun off three fairly successful single releases, "Rivers of Babylon ", "Rasputin " and the 1988 "Megamix", which would appear on the follow-up album issued a year later, and created the first wave of Boney M. nostalgia in Europe.

<i>The Best of Boney M.</i> 1997 greatest hits album by Boney M.

The Best of Boney M. is a compilation album of recordings by Boney M. released by BMG UK's midprice label Camden in 1997.

<i>Daddy Cool – Star Collection</i>

Daddy Cool – Star Collection is a compilation of recordings by Boney M. released by BMG-Ariola's mid-price label Ariola Express in Germany in 1991.

<i>The Complete Collection</i> (Boney M. album) 2000 compilation album by Boney M.

The Complete Collection is a compilation album of recordings by Boney M. released by BMG/CMC Records in Denmark in late 2000.

<i>Norske Hits</i> 1998 compilation album by Boney M.

Norske Hits is a compilation album of recordings by Boney M. released by BMG-Ariola in Norway in late 1998.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">6 Years of Boney M. Hits</span> 1982 single by Boney M.

"6 Years of Boney M. Hits " is a greatest hits medley by Boney M., inspired by the success of the hit medleys by Stars on 45. Originally released on the B-side of the band's 1981 Christmas single "Little Drummer Boy", the single was flipped over in January 1982 with the medley as an A-side. While failing to chart in Germany, the medley reached #6 in the Spanish charts and was also an A-side release in France and Japan. The 12" version featured a faded version on the German pressing and an unfaded version on the French pressing, while the UK version was extended with their Christmas chart-topper "Mary's Boy Child – Oh My Lord".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boney M. discography</span>

The discography of German disco group Boney M. includes 8 studio albums, 50 singles, and numerous compilation albums.

References

  1. ↑ "Boney M albums".
  2. ↑ "Music Week" (PDF). p. 50.
  3. ↑ "Music Week" (PDF). p. 32.
  4. ↑ Allmusic review
  5. ↑ Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: B". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies . Ticknor & Fields. ISBN   089919026X . Retrieved 22 February 2019– via robertchristgau.com.
  6. ↑ "JUNO Award Nominees".
  7. ↑ "Official Charts Company". OfficialCharts.com .
  8. ↑ "45th Anniversary Nightflight to Venus - Visual Album (Teaser)". YouTube .
  9. ↑ David Kent (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 . St Ives, NSW: Australian Chart Book. ISBN   0-646-11917-6.
  10. ↑ "Austriancharts.at – Boney M. – Nightflight to Venus" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 14 June 2020.
  11. ↑ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 4733a". RPM . Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 14 June 2020.
  12. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Boney M. – Nightflight to Venus" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 14 June 2020.
  13. ↑ Nyman, Jake (2005). Suomi soi 4: Suuri suomalainen listakirja (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Tammi. ISBN   951-31-2503-3.
  14. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Boney M. – Nightflight to Venus" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 14 June 2020.
  15. ↑ Racca, Guido (2019). M&D Borsa Album 1964–2019 (in Italian). Amazon Digital Services LLC - KDP Print US. ISBN   978-1094705002.
  16. ↑ "Charts.nz – Boney M. – Nightflight to Venus". Hung Medien. Retrieved 14 June 2020.
  17. ↑ "Norwegiancharts.com – Boney M. – Nightflight to Venus". Hung Medien. Retrieved 14 June 2020.
  18. ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – Boney M. – Nightflight to Venus". Hung Medien. Retrieved 14 June 2020.
  19. ↑ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 21 October 2021.
  20. ↑ "Boney M. Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 14 June 2020.
  21. ↑ David Kent (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 . St Ives, NSW: Australian Chart Book. p. 430. ISBN   0-646-11917-6.
  22. ↑ "Jahreshitparade Alben 1978" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 21 October 2021.
  23. ↑ "Jaaroverzichten – Album 1978" (in Dutch). Dutch Charts . Retrieved 21 October 2021.
  24. ↑ "Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts . Retrieved 21 October 2021.
  25. ↑ "Top Selling Albums of 1978 — The Official New Zealand Music Chart". Recorded Music New Zealand . Retrieved 25 January 2022.
  26. ↑ "1979 – Top 100 Albums". RPM . Library and Archives Canada. 17 July 2013. Retrieved 21 October 2021.
  27. ↑ "Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved 14 June 2020.
  28. ↑ "Top Selling Albums of 1979 — The Official New Zealand Music Chart". Recorded Music New Zealand . Retrieved 21 October 2021.
  29. ↑ "From The Music Capitols Of The World - Vienna" (PDF). Billboard. 12 August 1978. p. 74. Retrieved 29 November 2019– via American Radio History.
  30. ↑ "Canadian album certifications – Boney M – Nightflight to Venus". Music Canada.
  31. ↑ McQuarrie, Fiona (19 November 1980). "Rock Talk". The Vancouver Sun . p. 43. Retrieved 3 March 2024.
  32. ↑ Orsted, Knud (9 June 1979). "Black Music - International - Denmark" (PDF). Billboard. p. BM-26. Retrieved 16 September 2019.
  33. ↑ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Boney M; 'Nightflight to Venus')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie.
  34. ↑ John Carr (9 February 1980). "Greeks Grind To Foreign Product" (PDF). Billboard . p. 32. Retrieved 19 September 2021– via World Radio History.
  35. ↑ "IFPIHK Gold Disc Award − 1979". IFPI Hong Kong. Retrieved 27 November 2019.
  36. ↑ "Boney M's" (PDF). Music Week . 9 December 1978. p. 1. Retrieved 30 August 2022.
  37. ↑ "Dutch album certifications – Boney M – Nightflight to Venus" (in Dutch). Nederlandse Vereniging van Producenten en Importeurs van beeld- en geluidsdragers . Retrieved 5 August 2018.Enter Nightflight to Venus in the "Artiest of titel" box. Select 1979 in the drop-down menu saying "Alle jaargangen".
  38. ↑ "New Zealand album certifications – Boney M – Nightflight to Venus". Recorded Music NZ . Retrieved 20 November 2024.
  39. ↑ Sólo Éxitos 1959–2002 Año A Año: Certificados 1979–1990 (in Spanish). Iberautor Promociones Culturales. 2005. ISBN   8480486392.
  40. ↑ Haesler, Pierre (20 January 1979). "Ventriloquist LP Topping Swiss Charts" (PDF). Billboard. p. 104. Retrieved 16 September 2019.
  41. ↑ "British album certifications – Boney M – Nightflight to Venus". British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved 25 May 2021.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.