2019-10-10 14:32:42流浪阿狗
老歌亂談(947)Going Back West
德國歌手兼詞曲作家Frank Farian在1974年底推出了一首跳舞歌曲《Baby Do You Wanna Bump》，並在歌曲中以他低沉的聲音重複唱出「Do you do you wanna bump?」這句歌詞。當歌曲在荷蘭和比利時開始走紅，次年 (1975)，Frank Farian決定僱用幾位表演者，在電視節目中作為歌曲的演唱者，這三女一男即是Boney M.這個合唱團體組成的由來。
frank farian & Boney M.
從團體成立到1979，Boney M.有多首風行世界的歌曲，像是《Daddy Cool》(1976)、《Belfast》(1977)、《Rasputin》&《Rivers of Babylon》(1978)及《Gotta Go Home》《Bahama Mama》(1979)等，可說是該團的全盛時期。1982，團體中的唯一男生Bobby Farrell和老闆Frank Farian的關係搞不好，離開了Boney M. (雖然1984又重回樂團，但兩年後樂團又正式解散了。)，而樂團立即找了另位男生Reggie Tsobie來替代他。
此首《Going Back West》為黑人歌手Jimmy Cliff於1971首錄發行，Boney M.在1984翻唱，並收錄在專輯《Kalimba de Luna – 16 Happy Songs》中，主唱者即為頂替Bobby Farrell的Reggie Tsobie。
Bobby Farrell
說到Bobby Farrell，他算是舞蹈和表演藝術家。在Boney M.期間，他在唱歌上幾乎沒有貢獻，有些歌曲像是《Daddy Cool》的低音部份，還是由老闆Frank Farian幕後操刀，Farrell只是對嘴罷了，但無可否認，Farrell像猴子般的跳舞，也確是Boney M.舞台表演的一個亮點。據Farrell的女兒後來陳述，Farrell曾向Farian索取10萬馬克，但被要求簽署一份文件，致Boney M.解散後，無法取得肖像權、版權費等任何費用，一度還得靠社會福利渡日。好在Boney M.這個團名並未在全世界註冊，Farrell還可以「Bobby Farrell's Boney M.」的名稱在某些國家巡演。2010，Farrell在俄國聖彼得堡的一間旅館因心臟病過世，享年61。
延伸閱讀：
亂談(47) Rivers of Babylon
I was born and raised in the ghetto
Talk with me and you'll knowI wasn't satisfied, with living on the side
I started looking around, for a possibility
Listen to my story, of what became of me
I met a businessman
Who said he had some friends back east
So why don't you come along
Well we can help you at least
We'll make you into a big star
By playing your guitar
But the joke was on me
They left me flat to see
Going back west
Yes I know I'll make out alright
Going back west
Where my music's playing all night
Going back west (going back west)
I think I'll do alright
Going back west
Yes I know I'll make out alright
Going back west
Where my music's playing all night
Going back west (going back west)
I think I'll do alright
Struggling for recognition, identity and respect
I got a lot of promises
They told me not to fret
So we will stand by you
If the going gets rough
But when I started thinking
They didn't even bluff
'Bout a year has come and gone
And left me standing here
Thinking how it could have been
For still I ain't nowhere
They surely took me for a ride
Trampled on my pride
But I hold my head up high
Got no more tears to cry
Going back west
Yes I know I'll make out alright
Going back west
Where my music's playing all night
Going back west (going back west)
I think I'll do alright
Going back west
Yes I know I'll make out alright
Going back west
Where my music's playing all night
Going back west (going back west)
I think I'll do alright
Going back west
Yes I know I'll make out alright
Going back west
Where my music's playing all night