Ten Thousand Lightyears


Ten Thousand Lightyears is the seventh studio album by Boney M. and the first to feature new member Reggie Tsiboe, who had taken over Bobby Farrell's role as the band's leading man in early 1982. The first single to emerge from new recording sessions in 1982 was a cover version of The Seekers' 1965 hit "The Carnival Is Over" backed with a cover of Jimmy Cliff's "Going Back West" in June 1982. "The Carnival Is Over" had an ominous ring to its title, and indeed would become the first Boney M. single not to enter the German Top 20, peaking at a disappointing #41. This prompted Hansa to send out a new mix of "Going Back West", promoting this as the A-side instead.
After a break in the spring of 1983 when Liz Mitchell gave birth to her second child, and Marcia Barrett recorded demos with Eddy Grant, the band issued "Jambo - Hakuna Matata " backed with a new remix of "African Moon" from the Boonoonoonoos album. In Spain and Portugal, the single emerged with the original 1981 mix of "African Moon". The Iberian 12" singles furthermore included the full 7:44 mix of "Jambo" and another 1983 recording, "I Need A Babysitter", unavailable elsewhere. "Jambo" was originally intended to be the lead single for the seventh Boney M. album scheduled for release in the Autumn of 1983, but due to the poor performance of the single both "Jambo" and "Babysitter" were omitted from the album, and the project postponed for another six months.
During the winter of 1983/1984, new recordings were made, and the album was then given a whole new approach. It was supposed have been a continuation of the ethno-African themes, both musically and lyrically, of 1981's Boonoonoonoos, but after the miscalculation with "Jambo", most of the new tracks which ultimately ended up as the side A suite were given a science fiction theme, and the album title Ten Thousand Lightyears was chosen. Launched with a ZDF TV-special, the album was finally released in May 1984 and was also Boney M.'s debut on the new Compact Disc format.
The single chosen to promote the finished album was the ballad "Somewhere In The World"; it became the fourth consecutive Boney M. single not to reach the German Top 40. What was carefully planned to be a triumphant comeback after a three-year-long absence on the European charts turned out to be the band's and producer Frank Farian's biggest commercial failure to date. Even though the album peaked at number 23 in the German album charts, it performed badly elsewhere, and the second single "Living Like A Moviestar" was cancelled.

Repackaged version

In the summer of 1984, Reggie Tsiboe and Liz Mitchell began recording a second Christmas album with session singers Amy and Elaine Goff. For reasons unknown, Marcia Barrett was not invited, and her vocal role in Boney M. was now drastically diminishing. These sessions yielded six new titles: "Hark The Herald Angels Sing", "The First Noel", "Joy To The World", "Auld Lang Syne", "Oh Christmas Tree" and "Oh Come All Ye Faithful". These sessions were put on hold when Farian heard Tony Esposito's hit single "Kalimba de Luna" and decided to record a version for the German market with Reggie Tsiboe on lead vocals.
The omission of Liz and Marcia on vocals, and their absence in the first video version indicates it was supposed to have been a Reggie Tsiboe solo track, but ended being released as a Boney M. track in August 1984, returning the group to the German Top 20 for the first time in nearly three years. A new version of 10.000 Lightyears was released in September, adding the track to Side 2, whilst Carrere released the album in France with the title Kalimba De Luna.

Release

A promotional white-label album in a white sleeve with the album logo and song credits was released on Hansa LP 206 318-000, featuring several different mixes, the title track even featuring a third verse which was cut off the released version. Furthermore, "The Alibama" featured lead vocals by co-writer Sandy Davis and most likely slipped out by accident. The promo version is often mistaken as a Reggie Tsiboe lead.

A second promotional package was released in a gatefold plastic sleeve containing the commercial LP with a poster, a sheet with all the song lyrics plus a booklet with an essay about the album by Hans-Jörg Mayer and an interview with Frank Farian. The 12" single "Somewhere in the World" was inserted in the other side of the gatefold sleeve. Both promotional versions are sought-after items for Boney M. collectors.

Background

The second version of the Boonoonoonoos track "Jimmy" included on Ten Thousand Lightyears had originally been recorded in early 1982, as Atlantic Records UK planned to release it as the follow-up to single "We Kill The World ". The record company recognised the commercial potential of the track, but felt that it would benefit from an up-tempo arrangement. When the re-recorded version was delivered to them, they had, however, lost interest in the band, and 1982's "The Carnival Is Over" became the final Boney M. single to be issued by the Atlantic Records label.
The updated version of "Jimmy" was then offered to Precious Wilson for her second solo album, she too turned it down and it instead ended up as the penultimate track on album Ten Thousand Lightyears.

The cover version of Tommy Roe's 1969 hit "Dizzy" was originally planned to be released as a duet single with Frank Farian and singer Sandy Davis which never happened. An unreleased extended 12" club mix also exists.

A remixed version of the rare 1983 recording "Babysitter" was released as a B-side to the 1992 "Megamix" CD-single, an alternate, previously unreleased mix was released on the 2007 CD re-issue of Ten Thousand Lightyears.

Track listing

Hansa LP 206 200-620

Side A:
  1. "Exodus " - 5:19
  2. "Wild Planet" - 4:06
  3. "Future World" - 3:48
  4. "Where Did You Go?" - 4:09
  5. "10.000 Lightyears" - 4:32
  6. "I Feel Good" - 3:05


Side B:
  1. "Somewhere in the World" - 4:38
  2. "Bel Ami" 3:12
  3. "Living Like a Moviestar" - 3:04
  4. "Dizzy" - 3:28
  5. "The Alibama" - 3:11
  6. "Jimmy" - 3:02
  7. * New Version 1982
  8. "Barbarella Fortuneteller" - 2:58

    Alternate album editions

Hansa Promotional White-label LP 206 318-000

Side A:
  1. "Exodus " - 4:48
  2. * Alternate mix
  3. "Wild Planet" - 3:57
  4. * Alternate mix
  5. "Future World" - 4:09
  6. * Alternate mix
  7. "Where Did You Go?" - 4:09
  8. "10.000 Lightyears" - 4:17 ´
  9. * Alternate mix with extra verse
  10. "I Feel Good" - 2:15
  11. * Alternate, abridged mix
Side B:
  1. "Somewhere in the World" - 4:30
  2. * Alternate mix
  3. "Bel Ami" 3:12
  4. "Living Like a Moviestar" - 3:04
  5. "Dizzy" - 3:46
  6. * Alternate mix
  7. "The Alibama" - 4:06
  8. * Alternate mix with Sandy Davis on lead vocals
  9. "Jimmy" - 3:02
  10. * New Version 1982
  11. "Barbarella Fortuneteller" - 2:05
  12. * Abridged mix


Hansa 206 555-620

Side A


Side B:
  1. "Kalimba De Luna" - 3:16
  2. * Edited Single Version
  3. "Somewhere in the World" - 3:10
  4. * Edited Single Version
  5. "Bel Ami" 3:12
  6. "Living Like a Moviestar" - 3:04
  7. "Dizzy" - 3:28
  8. "The Alibama" - 3:11
  9. "Jimmy" - 3:02
  10. * New Version 1982
  11. "Barbarella Fortuneteller" - 2:58


Kalimba de Luna Carrere 66.189

Side A


Side B:
  1. "Kalimba De Luna" - 6:53
  2. * Slightly abridged 12" Version
  3. "Somewhere in the World" - 4:38
  4. "Bel Ami" 3:12
  5. "Living Like a Moviestar" - 3:04
  6. "Dizzy" - 3:28
  7. "The Alibama" - 3:11
  8. "Barbarella Fortuneteller" - 2:58

    Personnel

UK

7"
Germany

7"
12"