Frank Farian is dead. The well-known German producer and former pop singer died on January 23, 2024 at the age of 82. To mark the occasion, we’re listening through ten songs that he wrote and/or produced – from Boney M. to Meat Loaf to Milli Vanilli.
1 “Rasputin” – Boney M.
Farian co-wrote this Boney M. classic from 1978 with George Reyam and Fred Jay. It was released as the second single from the album “Nightflight to Venus” “There lived a certain man in Russia long ago / He was big and strong, in his eyes a flaming glow / Most people look at him with terror and with fear / But to Moscow “chicks he was such a lovely dear” – not only the hook, but also the lyrics were quite impressive.
2 “Keep On Running” – Milli Vanilli
Frank Farian was the sole songwriter and producer of “Keep On Running”. The song was sung… sorry: the song was published in 1990 by Milli Vanilli. We know how the story ended: The world found out that Rob & Fab didn’t sing themselves. It was to be the duo’s last single.
3 “Please Don’t Go” – No Mercy
Do you still remember No Mercy? That’s right, the Latino pop band with the gelled hair and the hit pop catchy tune with the flamenco guitar that is played up and down on VIVA. “Please Don’t Go” was co-written by Farian and he also produced the number.
4 “Daddy Cool” – Boney M.
Another Boney M classic. Farian co-wrote and produced it with George Reyam. “Daddy Cool” was released in 1976 as the second Boney M single. The B-side: The Bob Marley song “No Woman, No Cry”
5 “Girl You Know It’s True” – Milli Vanilli
In 1988, Frank Farian came across the song “Girl You Know It’s True”, which was originally sung by the US band Numax. Farian decided to use the song for his new music project Milli Vanilli. It became the first single from the infamous playback duo – and became a mega success in the charts. 1st place in Germany and Austria, 2nd place in the USA (!) and Switzerland and at least 3rd place in Great Britain – a hype was born and Farian was probably richer by a number of producer royalties.
6 “Rivers Of Babylon” – Boney M.
Of course, when you talk about Boney M., you also have to talk about “Rivers of Babylon”. The song, originally sung by the Jamaican band The Melodians, is based on passages from the Bible and contrasts the lyrical demands with the Schunkel sound. The British especially loved it and pushed the song to number 1 in the UK charts. To date, Boney M’s version of “Rivers of Babylon” remains one of the best-selling singles in the UK
7 “Rock’n’Roll Mercenaries” – Meat Loaf
Frank Farian could not only play disco and hits, but also dramatic pop music. In 1986 he produced the Meat Loaf album “Blind Before I Stop” and even sang backing vocals on one song, “Rock’n’Roll Mercenaries.”
8th “Jump over your shadow, Tommy” – Frank Farian
Farian appeared as a pop singer in the 1970s under his own name. One of his hits is the piece “Jump over your shadow Tommy”, which can be seen here in a 1976 ZDF Hitparde version.
9 “Brown Girl In The Ring” – Boney M.
Boney M. again, another catchy tune. The song “Brown Girl In The Ring” is based on a traditional children’s song from the West Indies. In the version written and produced by Farian – he combined reggae, calypso and disco sound – it became a classic.
10 “Rocky” – Frank Farian
Finally, we want to dedicate ourselves to another solo piece by Farian. “Rocky” was released on the album of the same name in 1976 – and is not about Sylvester Stallone, but about a woman. “Rocky, I’ve never loved before / I don’t know if I can handle it / ‘Cause there’s more to it / Than a flirt and a few rings,” Farian sings.