I remember this record being Number 1 for weeks in 1978 and the ‘B’ side of the single ‘Brown Girl In The Ring’ also being in the charts at the same time with some people not realising that they were on the same record and buying two copies for each of the songs rather than buying one and turning it over!
Back in 1978, I was ten years old and Boney M seemed to be everywhere and on everything! They were on the Saturday Night Seaside Specials on BBC 1 and on ‘Top Of The Pops’ and on every tv channel, radio and juke box as well.
What I really love about the ‘Rivers Of Babylon’ is that the words are actually ‘borrowed’ from Psalm 137 in the King James Bible and that ‘Brown Girl In the Ring’ was also ‘borrowed’ from a traditional Jamaican Children’s song. The thing that I really love about ‘Boney M’ is the often bizarre subject matter of their songs like ‘Rasputin’ and ‘Ma Baker’ as well as ‘Belfast’ and ‘Night Flights to Venus’ and the wonderful sound and production values means that their records are truly wonderful. A manufactured band and the brain child of German producer Frank Farian they produced some great songs including ‘The Rivers Of Babylon’ which was one of the biggest selling singles of all time in the UK!
Now listen to the song….
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