Mary's Boy Child - Oh My Lord

Infobox Single
Name = Mary's Boy Child / Oh My Lord


Artist = Boney M
Released = 27. November 1978
Format = 7" single, 12" single
Recorded = November 1978
Genre = Pop, Disco
Length = 5:29 (7" version) 5:40 (French 7" version) 5:22 (Spanish 7" version) 6:18 (12" version)
Label = Hansa Records (FRG)
Sire Records (USA)
Atlantic Records (AUS)
Writer = Jester Hairston, Frank Farian, Fred Jay, Lorin
Producer = Frank Farian
Last single = "Rasputin"
(1978)
This single = "Mary's Boy Child / Oh My Lord"
(1978)
Next single = "Painter Man"
(1979)

"Mary's Boy Child" is a 1978 Christmas single for Boney M., a cover of Harry Belafonte's 1956 hit, put in medley with the new song "Oh My Lord" (Farian / Jay). The single was recorded in a hurry early November, included in the group's live set and rushed out at the end of the month, topping the UK charts for four weeks during its eight week stay in the charts, and becoming the second single for the group in the all-time best selling singles charts. The song was later included in the group's "Christmas Album", 1981.

In the United States, the track reached #85 in the Billboard Hot 100, Boney M's last of four singles to chart; despite its chart position, the medley is an airplay favorite in the United States during the Thanksgiving/Christmas holiday season on radio stations which change to temporary all-Christmas music formats.

The Single

A promotional gatefold single (15 816 AT) backed with "Never Change Lovers in the Middle of the Night" (from "Nightflight to Venus") was released shortly before the commercial single which had a new track on the B-side "Dancing in the Streets". Different edits were issued in various countries. In Spain and France, the 3rd verse ("Now Joseph and his wife Mary came to Bethlehem that night ...") had been cut out, the French mix of "Oh My Lord" was a different mix. A 4:29 edit surfaced on the 1980 compilation "The Magic of Boney M. - 20 Golden Hits", possibly the originally intended single edit. The full-length 6:18 mix appeared as the B-side of the 12" single "Dancing in the Streets".

Dancing in the Streets

After Christmas, Hansa Records flipped the single and released it with "Dancing in the Streets" on the A-side. The non-album track was sung solely by the group's producer Frank Farian, singing the chorus in multi-dubbed falsetto vocals and singing the verse in his deep voice. The mix that came out on the B-side of "Mary's Boy Child" in the UK and US was an early version with shriller falsetto vocals and no answer-back chorus vocals in the verses. Despite the lack of success, the track was chosen as the one to launch Boney M. in the USA which remained the only territory the group had yet to conquer. The group did a promotional tour in April 1979 and also lip-synced the track at important TV shows Soul Train but the single stalled at #105 in the Pop charts and fared only slightly better in the R&B charts (#75).

Releases

7" Singles
* "Mary's Boy Child / Oh My Lord" (5:29) / "Dancing in the Streets" (Farian) (3:57)(Hansa Int. 100 075-100, Germany)
* "Mary's Boy Child / Oh My Lord" (5:29) / "Dancing in the Streets" (3:43) (Atlantic K 11221, UK) (Sire 1036, USA)
* "Dancing in the Streets" (3:57) / "Mary's Boy Child / Oh My Lord" (5:29) (Hansa Int. 100 075-100, Germany)
* "Dancing in the Streets" (3:57) / "Motherless Child" (Farian / Mitchell) (4:33) (Durium DE 3047, Italy)
* "Dancing in the Streets" (3:55) / "Never Change Lovers in the Middle of the Night" (5:01) (Sire 1038, USA)

12" Single
* "Dancing in the Streets" (6:18) / "Mary's Boy Child / Oh My Lord" (6:18) (Hansa Int. 600 009-212, Germany)
* "Dancing in the Streets" (6:18) / "Never Change Lovers in the Middle of the Night" (5:01) (Sire SRD 1040, USA)Infobox Single
Name = Rivers of Babylon" (Remix) / "Mary's Boy Child / Oh My Lord" (Remix)


Artist = Boney M.
from Album = Greatest Hits of All Times - Remix '88
Released = October, 1988
Format = 7" single, 12" single, CD-single
Genre = Pop, Disco
Label = Hansa Records (FRG)
Producer = Frank Farian
Last single = "Bang Bang Lulu" (1986)
This single = "Rivers of Babylon (Remix) / Mary's Boy Child / Oh My Lord (Remix)"
(1988)
Next single = "Megamix"
(1988)

1988 Remix

"Rivers of Babylon" / "Mary's Boy Child / Oh My Lord" is a 1988 remix single by German band Boney M., issued to launch the group's reunion, having been split since their 10th anniversary, 1986. The double-A-side single contained new mixes of the band's two very most successful single releases ever. Although their remix album sold well, the single failed to chart.

Infobox Single
Name = Christmas Mega Mix


Artist = Boney M.
from Album = The Most Beautiful Christmas Songs of the World
Released = November, 1992
Format = 7" single, CD-single
Genre = Pop, Disco
Label = Hansa Records (FRG)
Producer = Frank Farian
Last single = "Stories" (1990)
This single = "Christmas Mega Mix"
(1992)
Next single = "Megamix"
(1992)

Christmas Mega Mix

"Christmas Mega Mix" is a 1992 remix single by German band Boney M., issued to launch a new edition of their Christmas album, "The Most Beautiful Christmas Songs of the World". The Christmas Mega Mix was in fact just another name for a new remix of "Mary's Boy Child - Oh My Lord". In the UK, the new mix was put on the B-side of their "Megamix" single.

7" Single
*Mary´s Boy Child/Oh My Lord (Radio Version) - 3:58 / Zion´s Daughter - 3:50 (Hansa 74321 11933 7-100, Germany)

CD
*1. Mary´s Boy Child/Oh My Lord (Radio Version) - 3:58 / 2. Zion´s Daughter - 3:50 / 3. When A Child Is Born - 3:19 / 4. Mary´s Boy Child/Oh My Lord (Long Version) - 5:09(Hansa 74321 11933 2-211, Germany)

ources

*http://www.musiclange.com
*http://rateyourmusic.com/artist/boney_m_
*http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary%27s_Boy_Child