Nightflight to Venus

Nightflight to Venus
Studio album by Boney M.
Released July 28, 1978
Recorded October 1977 – May 1978
Genre Euro disco, rhythm and blues, reggae
Length 44:37
Label Atlantic (UK)
Sire Records (USA)
Hansa Records (FRG)
Producer Frank Farian
Boney M. chronology
Love for Sale
(1977)		 Nightflight to Venus
(1978)		 Oceans of Fantasy
(1979)
Singles from Nightflight of Venus
  1. "Rivers of Babylon"/"Brown Girl in the Ring"
    Released: 3 April 1978 (US), 14 April 1978 (UK)
  2. "Rasputin"
    Released: 28 August 1978
  3. "Painter Man"
    Released: 1979
  4. "Voodoonight"
    Released: 1979
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[1]

Nightflight to Venus is the third album by the band Boney M., and was released in July 1978. The album became a major success in continental Europe, Scandinavia, and Canada, topping most of the album charts during the second half of 1978 and also became their first UK number one album. Nightflight to Venus includes their worldwide hits "Rivers of Babylon" and "Brown Girl in the Ring", a double A-sided single that topped the UK singles chart and has sold over 2 million copies there.[2] The follow-up was another Boney M. classic, "Rasputin", in most countries also a double A-side coupled with "Painter Man", a cover of a 1966 hit by the band The Creation. In the UK, "Rasputin" and "Painter Man" were released separately as A-sides by Atlantic Records, both reaching the Top 10. "Rivers of Babylon", which peaked at No. 30 on The Billboard Hot 100, became their biggest US hit.

In Europe and most other parts of the world the album was followed in November 1978 by the Christmas single, "Mary's Boy Child/Oh My Lord" backed with "Dancing in the Streets", another chart topper – selling over 1.86 million copies in the UK alone. Upon its original 1978 release, these two tracks did not appear on Nightflight to Venus, but they were included on later CD releases of the album.

There were four different pressings of the original Hansa Records vinyl LP, all with slightly altered edits of the tracks. The most significant difference was the length of the title track "Nightflight to Venus". On the very first German pressing it was 7:09 minutes, making the segued medley with the also extended "Rasputin" 13:48 in total, the second pressing 5:55, the third 4:58 and the final and also the one appearing on the UK and US editions 4:46. The timings given here are those of the 1994 and 2007 CD re-issues.

Track listing

Side A

  1. "Nightflight to Venus" (Frank Farian, Fred Jay, Dietmar Kawohl) – 4:46
  2. "Rasputin" (Frank Farian, Fred Jay, George Reyam (Hans-Jörg Mayer)) – 5:57
  3. "Painter Man" (Eddie Phillips, Kenny Pickett) – 3:10
  4. "He Was a Steppenwolf" (Frank Farian, Fred Jay, Stefan Klinkhammer) – 6:51
  5. "King of the Road" (Roger Miller) – 2:35

Side B

  1. "Rivers of Babylon" (Brent Dowe, Trevor McNaughton, Frank Farian, George Reyam) – 4:18
  2. "Voodoonight" (Giorgio Sgarbi) – 3:31
  3. "Brown Girl in the Ring" (Traditional; arranged by Frank Farian) – 4:02
  4. "Never Change Lovers in the Middle of the Night" (Mats Björklund, Keith Forsey, Fred Jay) – 5:32
  5. "Heart of Gold" (Neil Young) – 4:00

Personnel

Production

Release history

CD releases

Single releases


UK
7"

12"


US
7"

12"


Germany
7"

12"

Charts

Album
Year Chart Position
1978 UK albums chart 1[3]
Norway album chart 1
Single
Year Single Chart Position Wks on chart
1978 "Rivers of Babylon/Brown Girl in the Ring" UK single chart 1 40
"Rivers of Babylon" US Billboard Pop chart 30
Norway's single chart 1 27
"Rasputin" UK single chart 2
Norway's single chart 10 3
1979 "Painter Man" UK single chart 10 6

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/Sales
Canada (Music Canada)[4] 5× Platinum 500,000^
Germany (BVMI)[5] 2× Platinum 1,000,000^
Hong Kong (IFPI Hong Kong)[6] Platinum 15,000*
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[7] Platinum 100,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[8] Platinum 300,000^

*sales figures based on certification alone
^shipments figures based on certification alone

References

  1. ↑ Allmusic review
  2. ↑ Official Charts Company
  3. ↑ "Number 1 Albums – 1970s". The Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on 9 February 2008. Retrieved 24 June 2011.
  4. ↑ "Canadian album certifications – Boney M – Nightflight to Venus". Music Canada.
  5. ↑ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Boney M; 'Nightflight to Venus')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie.
  6. ↑ "IFPIHK Gold Disc Award − 1979". IFPI Hong Kong.
  7. ↑ "Sólo Éxitos 1959–2002 Año A Año: Certificados 1979–1990" (in Spanish). Iberautor Promociones Culturales. ISBN 8480486392.
  8. ↑ "British album certifications – Boney M – Nightflight to Venus". British Phonographic Industry. Enter Nightflight to Venus in the field Keywords. Select Title in the field Search by. Select album in the field By Format. Select Platinum in the field By Award. Click Search
Preceded by
Saturday Night Fever (Soundtrack)		 UK Albums Chart number one album
9 September 1978 – 30 September 1978 		Succeeded by
Grease (Soundtrack)
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