Boney M – 1984 - Ten Thousand Lightyears

Boney M – 1984 - Ten Thousand Lightyears

Label: Ariola Eurodisc S.A.
Catalog#: I-206.200
Format: Vinyl, LP
Country: Spain
Released: 1984
Genre: Electronic
Style: Electro, Disco

Tracklisting:

A1 Exodus (Noah's Ark 2001)
A2 Wild Planet
A3 Future World
A4 Where Did You Go
A5 10.0000 Lightyears
A6 I Feel Good
B1 Somewhere In The World
B2 Bel Ami
B3 Living Like A Moviestar
B4 Dizzy
B5 The Alibama
B6 Jimmy
B7 Barbarella Fortuneteller

Codec: Lame 3.92
Quality: CBR, 320kbps, stereo

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Review by Søren Jensen http://rateyourmusic.com

The first album featuring new member Reggie Tsiboe was released May 1984 but had originally been scheduled for release Autumn 1983 with another African adaption "Jambo - Hakuna Matata (No Problems)" released as the first single. The excellent new recording was driven by a heavy drum beat, loaded with percussion, handclaps, flutes and steeldrums with lead vocals by Farian and Liz, and backing vocals by Liz, Marcia and Reggie, but it was not what the fans wanted, and "Jambo" reached only a disappointing # 48 on the German charts. New songs were recorded, some were scrapped - among those "Jambo" and a cover version of Paul Simon's "Mother And Child Reunion" - and whereas the original concept of the album seemed to have been more in the vein of Boonoonoonoos, it had now evolved to a semi-concept science-fiction album instead. 10.000 Lightyears opened with "Exodus (Noah's Ark 2001)", a song that deliberately borrowed the guitar theme from "Papa Was A Rolling Stone" (which Farian had just recorded with Precious Wilson) and the chorus from Bob Marley's "Exodus" ... nonetheless, a fantastic recording with a sharp, clean, electronic rock sound, lots of sound effects and really taking Boney M. into the 1980s, with a story line of the world's population having to emigrate on Starship "Noah's Ark 2001" to a new and better world. On board the ship, they are welcomed by a mystery voice of the "Wild Planet", a bouncy, sci-fi, hi-NRG track. "Future World", a mid-tempo track with a heavy beat and a great chorus, expresses the hopes and expectations to this new and better world, 10,000 lightyears away. In the dreamy title track featuring angelic vocals by sisters Amy & Elaine Goff on the chorus, the narrator however is woken by the alarm clock to discover it was all just a wonderful dream. "Somewhere In The World", a beautiful mid-tempo song featuring the London Philharmonic Orchestra, concludes this tale. With lead vocals by Liz and harmony vocals by Marcia, the song was also released on single, backed with "Exodus", to accompany the album. Alas, it peaked only at #49 in the German singles charts. The remaining songs were all but one original material. "Where Did You Go" was a classy adult ballad composed by Dietmar Kawohl. The irresistible hook to "I Feel Good" makes it a missed opportunity for a single release as does the final track, sung by Reggie, "Barbarella Fortuneteller". Many of the tracks on side 2 remain, although enjoyable, mostly filler tracks, like the joyous, brass-loaded "Bel Ami", the melancholic "Living Like A Moviestar" which was planned as the second, but never materialized, single off the album; the low-key "Alibama" and the 1982 re-recording of "Jimmy" which had been scheduled as the 3rd single off Boonoonoonoos, April 1982. The only cover version on the album was a re-make of "Dizzy", described as "a masterpiece for the disco scene, a teeny-flipper with a firework of technically polished tone tricks!" and a song about which Farian told in the promotional booklet: I couldn't get the thought out of my head to bring out a solo record with myself, but I simply didn't have the right song [...] In a short time a specially produced maxi single will be released with an extended club mix version, digitally recorded and mastered, with the song "Dizzy" by singer Frank Farian together with Sandy Davis. Sandy Davis also did the lead vocal of the demo version of "The Alibama" which - apparently by mistake - snuck out on the promotional LP release which featured different mixes of some of the songs, most notably "Future World" and "10.000 Lightyears", the latter even including an extra verse: 'Reality comes knocking at my door / I face the same obligations once more / Dreams took me 10.000 lightyears away / I'd give all I've got if that's where I could stay' which was cut off the commercial version. Although the LP reached #23 in the German charts, 10.000 Lightyears hardly charted elsewhere and failed to be a triumphant come-back for Boney M. despite being a highly enjoyable and diverse album. Liz Mitchell was now in focus even more, taking the lead on 11 out of 13 songs, it was ironic that Farian - now having three great singers in the group - didn't take advantage of those possibilities and proving that Boney M was more than just a plastic band as often critized those days by the press. Although Reggie sang lead on "Barbarella Fortuneteller", both he and Marcia were relegated to being backing singers only.