Nightflight to Venus

by Boney M.

Overview

This 1978 album finds producer/Svengali Frank Farian starting to push his pop-disco attraction Boney M. into new and interesting musical territory. The songs are still very much disco tracks with an emphasis on bubblegum pop hooks, but Farian works some interesting musical flavors into the mix: "Painter Man" (a cover of a track by mod rockers Creation) effectively pits a series of heavy, distorted hard rock guitar riffs against its danceable beat, and "Brown Girl in the Ring" adds some distinctive steel drums into its rhythmic calypso-pop mixture. However, the oddest and most unusual and interesting combination of musical elements arrives with "Rasputin," a tribute to the legendary Russian historical figure that uses balalaikas to create its textured rhythm guitar hook. Nightflight to Venus also spawned a major international hit with "Rivers of Babylon," which mixes religious lyrics and a folk song melody with a pronounced beat to create an instantly accessible pop hymn. The other tracks include a few less than colorful moments ("Never Change Lovers in the Middle of the Night" could have been performed by any disco outfit), but Nightflight to Venus is an overall success thanks to the group's strong harmonies and the slick production from Farian, which keeps everything moving at a fast clip. The end result is one of the strongest albums in the Boney M. catalog, and a treat for anyone who likes dance music that is sugary sweet. ~ Donald A. Guarisco

Product Details

Release Date:	05/12/2017
Label:	Sony Music
UPC:	0889854092511
Rank:	33302

Tracks

1. Nightflight to Venus
2. Rasputin
3. Painter Man
4. He Was a Steppenwolf
5. King of the Road
6. Rivers of Babylon
7. Voodoonight
8. Brown Girl in the Ring
9. Never Change Lovers in the Middle of the Night
10. Heart of Gold

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Boney M.   Primary Artist
Keith Forsey   Drums
Gary Unwin   Bass
Liz Mitchell   Vocals
Nick Woodland   Guitar
Mats Bjoerklund   Guitar
Bobby Farrell   Vocals
Marcia Barrett   Vocals
Walter Rab   Drums,Trumpet
Maizie Williams   Vocals

Technical Credits

Christian Kolonovits   Arranger
Keith Forsey   Composer
Frank Farian   Composer,Producer
Roger Miller   Composer
Eddie Phillips   Composer
Fred Jay   Composer
Davide Sgarbi   Composer
Neil Young   Composer
Michael Cretu   Arranger
Mats Bjoerklund   Composer,Arranger
Johan Daansen   Arranger
Hartmut Pfannmueller   Engineer
Stefan Klinkhammer   Arranger,Composer
Kenny Pickett   Composer
Fred Schreier   Engineer
Dietmar Kawohl   Composer
George Reyam   Composer
John Lund   Engineer