Take the Heat off Me
Take the Heat Off Me is the debut album by Euro-Caribbean group Boney M. The album became a major seller in Europe, specifically in the Nordic countries (number 1 in Sweden and Finland, number 2 in Norway), but in the USA the album just missed the album chart. Tracks include the hits "Daddy Cool" (number 1 in eight European countries, number 65 on the Billboard Hot 100, number 11 on the U.S. Club Play Singles chart), "Sunny" (top 5 in many European countries) and the debut single "Baby Do You Wanna Bump".
Take the Heat Off Me | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | June 28, 1976 | |||
Recorded | December 1974 – April 1976 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 36:05 | |||
Label | ||||
Producer | Frank Farian | |||
Boney M. chronology | ||||
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Singles from Take the Heat off Me | ||||
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Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | |
Christgau's Record Guide | B[2] |
Track listing
Side A:
- "Daddy Cool" (Frank Farian, George Reyam (Hans-Jörg Mayer)) – 3:29
- "Take the Heat Off Me" (Bigazzi, Gianni Bella) – 4:47
- "Sunny" (Bobby Hebb) – 4:03
- "Baby Do You Wanna Bump" (Zambi (Frank Farian)) – 6:53
Side B:
- "No Woman No Cry" (Vincent Ford, Bob Marley) – 4:59
- "Fever" (Eddie Cooley, John Davenport) – 4:00
- "Got a Man on My Mind" (Frank Farian, Fred Jay) – 3:25
- "Lovin' Or Leavin'" (Frank Farian, Fred Jay) – 4:29
Alternative album editions
- UK & US – track A4: "Help Help" (Farian) – 6:05.
Additional information
Producer Frank Farian was in a hurry to capitalize on the sudden success of "Daddy Cool" and put together the first Boney M. album quickly, made possible by the use of cover versions and by reusing already existing recordings.
While "Baby Do You Wanna Bump" was reworked from Prince Buster's "Al Capone" (although credited to Farian's alias 'Zambi'), "Sunny", "No Woman No Cry" and "Fever" are cover versions of well-known tracks, albeit rearranged. The title track "Take the Heat off Me" is also a cover, of the 1974 Italian hit "Nessuno mai" ("No one ever") by Italian artist Marcella Bella.
Versions of three tracks had previously been released by another Farian produced artist Gilla in German, "Take the Heat off Me" ("Mir ist kein weg zu weit"), "Lovin' or Leavin'" ("Lieben und frei sein") and the UK/US exclusive "Help, Help" ("Ich brenne"), the last of which Gilla also recorded in English. Gilla would furthermore record German versions of "Sunny" and "No Woman No Cry", using the same backing tracks. The B-side of the single "Sunny", the non-album track "New York City", also recycles Gilla, in fact two of her tracks: "Tu Es" (English version "Why Don't You Do It") and "Ich brenne" ("Help, Help!"). "Got a Man on My Mind" was rewritten from Farian's "Am Samstagabend", the B-side of his 1976 hit single "Rocky".
"Daddy Cool" is in fact the only truly original track on the album.
Personnel
- Liz Mitchell – lead vocals (tracks A3, B1, B2 & B3), backing vocals
- Marcia Barrett – lead vocals (tracks A2 & B4), backing vocals
- Frank Farian – lead vocals (track A4), backing vocals
- The Rhythm Machine – musicians
- Gary Unwin – bass guitar
- Keith Forsey – drums
- Nick Woodland – guitar
- Thor Baldursson – keyboards
Production
Release history
- UK: Atlantic Records K 50314
- US: Atco Records Atco (LP) SD 36–143
- Germany: Hansa Records 27 573 OT
CD releases
Single releases
Germany
7"
- "Baby Do Wanna Bump" (Part I) – 3:35 / "Baby Do You Wanna Bump" (Part II) – 3:00 (Hansa Records 13 834 AT, 1975)
- "Daddy Cool" – 3:27 / "No Woman No Cry" – 4:59 (Hansa 16 959 AT, 1976)
- "Sunny" – 4:01 / "New York City" (Farian) – 3:42 (Hansa 17 459 AT, 1976)
- Marcia Barrett: "Take the Heat off Me" – 4:46 / "Lovin' or Leavin'" – 4:30 (Hansa 11 326 AT, 1977)
- Liz Mitchell: "Got a Man on My Mind" – 3:13 / "Perfect" (Magaron / Flaverny) – 3:14 (Hansa 11 327 AT, 1977)
UK
7"
- "Baby Do Wanna Bump" (Part I) – 3:35 / "Baby Do You Wanna Bump" (Part II) – 3:00 (Creole Records CR 119, 1975)
- "Daddy Cool" – 3:27 / "No Woman No Cry" – 4:59 (Atlantic Records K10827, 1976)
- "Sunny" – 4:01 / "New York City" (Farian / Klinkhammer / Reyam) – 3:42 (Atlantic K10892, 1976)
12"
- "Daddy Cool" – 3:27 / "No Woman No Cry" – 5:03 (Atlantic K10827, 1976)
- "Baby Do Wanna Bump" (Part I) – 3:35 / "Baby Do You Wanna Bump" (Part II) – 3:00 (Creole CR 12119, 1978)
US
7"
- "Baby Do Wanna Bump" (Part I) – 3:35 / "Baby Do You Wanna Bump" (Part II) – 3:00 (Music America International 4001 A, 1976)
- "Daddy Cool" – 3:27 / "Lovin' Or Leavin'" – 4:31 (Atco Records 7063, 1976)
- "Sunny" – 4:01 / "New York City" – 3:42 (Atco 7080, 1976)
10"
- "Baby Do You Wanna Bump" – 7:42 / "Baby Do You Wanna Bump" – 7:42 (Music America International 4001 C BW, 1976)
Charts
- Album
Year | Chart | Position | Wks on chart |
---|---|---|---|
1977 | UK albums chart | 40 | 5 |
1976 | Norway's album chart | 2 | 45 |
Sweden's album chart | 1 | 23 | |
Finland's album chart | 1 | 50 | |
Austria's album chart | 6 | 36 |
- Single
Year | Single | Chart | Position | Wks on chart |
---|---|---|---|---|
1976 | "Baby Do You Wanna Bump" | Netherlands' single chart | 14 | 6 |
Belgium's single chart | 8 | 7 | ||
"Daddy Cool" | UK single chart | 6 | 13 | |
US single chart | 65 | 5 | ||
US Hot Dance Club Play | 11 | |||
Norway's single chart | 1 | 36 | ||
Sweden's single chart | 1 | 19 | ||
Finland's single chart | 2 | |||
Germany's single chart | 1 | 28 | ||
France's single chart | 1 | 24 | ||
Netherlands' single chart | 3 | 12 | ||
Belgium's single chart | 1 | 14 | ||
Switzerland's single chart | 1 | 20 | ||
Austria's single chart | 1 | 28 | ||
Italy's single chart | 3 | |||
Spain's single chart | 1 | 23 | ||
South Africa's single chart | 2 | 19 | ||
1977 | New Zealand's single chart | 15 | 9 | |
"Sunny" | UK single chart | 3 | 10 | |
Ireland's single chart | 4 | 10 | ||
Norway's single chart | 4 | 19 | ||
Sweden's single chart | 11 | 12 | ||
Finland's single chart | 6 | |||
Belgium's single chart | 1 | 11 | ||
Spain's single chart | 5 | 16 | ||
Japan's single chart | 41 | 40 | ||
New Zealand's single chart | 17 | 20 |
Certifications
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Denmark (IFPI Denmark)[3] | Silver | 25,000[4] |
Finland (Musiikkituottajat)[5] | Gold | 26,259[5] |
Germany (BVMI)[6] | Gold | 250,000^ |
Hong Kong (IFPI Hong Kong)[7] | Platinum | 20,000* |
Sweden (GLF)[8] | Platinum | 100,000^ |
United Kingdom (BPI)[9] | Silver | 60,000^ |
*sales figures based on certification alone |
References
- Take the Heat off Me at AllMusic
- Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: B". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved February 22, 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.
- "Gold Records All The Way". Billboard. January 22, 1977. Retrieved November 13, 2018.
- "Gold/Silver Record Chart". Billboard. December 26, 1974. Retrieved November 13, 2018.
- "Boney M" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved August 28, 2013.
- "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Boney M.; 'Take the Head Of Me')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved April 9, 2020.
- "IFPIHK Gold Disc Award − 1978". IFPI Hong Kong. Retrieved April 25, 2018.
- "No Bones To Make" (PDF). Cash Box. October 15, 1977. p. 55. Retrieved November 29, 2019 – via American Radio History.
- "British album certifications – Boney M. – Take the Heat off Me". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved November 17, 2018. Select albums in the Format field. Select Silver in the Certification field. Type Take the Heat off Me in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
External links
- Rate Your Music, detailed discography
- Take the Heat off Me at Discogs (list of releases)