Belfast (Boney M. song)

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“Belfast”
Single by Boney M. from the album Love for Sale
Released	19 September, 1977
Format	7" Single
Genre	Pop/Europop/Disco
Length	3.30
Label	Hansa Records (FRG) Atlantic Records (UK) Carrere (FR)
Writer(s)	Drafi Deutscher, Jo Menke, J. Billsbury
Producer	Frank Farian
Boney M. singles chronology
"Ma Baker" (1977) "Belfast" (1977) "Rivers of Babylon" (1978)

"Belfast" is the second single off German band Boney M.'s 1977 album Love for Sale. "Belfast" was the first Boney M. single to feature lead vocals by Marcia Barrett and became their 4th consecutive German chart-topper although it wasn't as successful in the UK as previous singles (it peaked at #8). It remained a popular track in the group's live shows over the years and was re-recorded by Marcia Barrett as a solo track on her album Come Into My Life (2005).

[edit] The Song

Penned by Drafi Deutscher and originally entitled "Londonderry", "Belfast" had been written for Marcia Barrett from her time as a solo artist in the early 1970s. Due to shortage of own material when Boney M. did their first live gigs, Marcia Barrett performed the song which had been a popular live track for her and thereby gave Farian the idea to record it. Due to its rockier feel and political lyrics ("when the hate you have for one another's past"), Farian however wasn't intending to use it for Boney M. in the first place, and instead had his other artist Gilla record a version of it in German which was released on her album Zieh mich aus, December 1976. A German test pressing of Love for Sale excludes the track and indicates that it was only added to the album in the last hour due to Marcia Barrett's insistence. In the US and Canada, the song was never released and was replaced by "Daddy Cool" on the album.

[edit] The Single

The single was backed with "Plantation Boy" in all territories - in Germany, Benelux, France, the UK and Turkey, the singles featured the B-side fading 20 seconds earlier than the album version.

[edit] Sources

• http://www.musiclange.dk

v • d • e Boney M. Studio albums and main compilations (1976 – 1985) Take the Heat Off Me (1976) · Love for Sale (1977) · Nightflight to Venus (1978) · Oceans of Fantasy (1979) – The Magic of Boney M. - 20 Golden Hits (1980) · Children of Paradise - The Greatest Hits of Boney M. - Vol. 2 (1981) · Boonoonoonoos (1981) · Christmas Album (1981) · Ten Thousand Lightyears (1984) · Kalimba de Luna - 16 Happy Songs (1984) · Fantastic Boney M. (1984) · Christmas with Boney M. (1984) · Eye Dance (1985) Main compilations and remix albums (1986 – 2008) The Best of 10 Years - 32 Superhits (1986) · The 20 Greatest Christmas Songs (1986) – Greatest Hits of All Times - Remix '88 (1988) · Greatest Hits of All Times - Remix '89 - Volume II (1989) · The Collection (1991) · Daddy Cool - Star Collection (1991) · The Most Beautiful Christmas Songs of the World (1992) · Gold - 20 Super Hits (1992) – The Greatest Hits (1993) · More Gold - 20 Super Hits Vol. II (1993) · Hit Collection (1996) · Best In Spain (1996) · The Best of Boney M. (1997) – Norske Hits (1998) · Ultimate (1999) · 20th Century Hits (1999) · 25 Jaar Na Daddy Cool (2000) · The Complete Collection (2000) – Their Most Beautiful Ballads (2000) · The Greatest Hits (2001) · The Magic of Boney M. (2006) · Hit Collection (2007) · Christmas With Boney M. (2007) · The Collection (2008) · Rivers Of Babylon (A Best Of Collection) (2008) Main single discography (1975-1990) Baby Do You Wanna Bump (1975) · Daddy Cool (1976) · Sunny (1976) · Ma Baker (1977) · Belfast (1977) · Rivers of Babylon / Brown Girl in the Ring (1978) · Rasputin (1978) · Mary's Boy Child / Oh My Lord (1978) · Hooray! Hooray! It's a Holi-Holiday (1979) · El Lute / Gotta Go Home (1979) · I'm Born Again / Bahama Mama (song) (1979) · I See a Boat on the River / My Friend Jack (1980) · Children of Paradise / Gadda-Da-Vida (1980) · Felicidad (Margherita) (1980) · Malaika / Consuela Biaz (1981) · We Kill the World / Boonoonoonoos (1981)) · Little Drummer Boy / 6 Years of Boney M. Hits (1981) · The Carnival Is Over / Going Back West (1982) · Zion's Daughter (1982) · Jambo - Hakuna Matata (No Problems) (1983) · Somewhere in the World (1984) · Kalimba de Luna (1984) · Happy Song (1984) · My Cherie Amour (1985) · Young Free and Single (1985) · Daddy Cool (Anniversary Recording '86) (1986) · Bang Bang Lulu (1986) · Rivers of Babylon (Remix) / Mary's Boy Child / Oh My Lord (Remix)´ (1988) · Megamix (1988) · The Summer Mega Mix (1989) · Malaika (Lambada Remix) (1989) · Everybody Wants to Dance Like Josephine Baker (1989) · Stories (1990)