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
Studio album by
Boney M.
ReleasedJune 28, 1976
RecordedDecember 1974 – April 1976
Genre
Length36:05
Label
ProducerFrank Farian
Boney M. chronology
Take the Heat Off Me
(1976)		 Love for Sale
(1977)
Singles from Take the Heat off Me
  1. "Baby Do You Wanna Bump"
    Released: February 1975
  2. "Daddy Cool"
    Released: May 31, 1976
  3. "Sunny"
    Released: November 22, 1976
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
Christgau's Record GuideB[2]

Track listing

Side A:

  1. "Daddy Cool" (Frank Farian, George Reyam (Hans-Jörg Mayer)) – 3:29
  2. "Take the Heat Off Me" (Bigazzi, Gianni Bella) – 4:47
  3. "Sunny" (Bobby Hebb) – 4:03
  4. "Baby Do You Wanna Bump" (Zambi (Frank Farian)) – 6:53

Side B:

  1. "No Woman No Cry" (Vincent Ford, Bob Marley) – 4:59
  2. "Fever" (Eddie Cooley, John Davenport) – 4:00
  3. "Got a Man on My Mind" (Frank Farian, Fred Jay) – 3:25
  4. "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
  • Frank Farian – producer
  • Steven Hammer (Stefan Klinkhammer) – arranger, conductor
  • Recorded at Union Studios, Munich and Europasound Studios, Frankfurt

Release history

CD releases
  • Germany 1994: BMG 74321 21271 2.
  • EU & US 2007: Sony BMG 88697-08260-2. Bonus tracks: "New York City" – 3:30, "Perfect" – 3:16.

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 CertificationCertified 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.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References
  1. Take the Heat off Me at AllMusic
  2. 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.
  3. "Gold Records All The Way". Billboard. January 22, 1977. Retrieved November 13, 2018.
  4. "Gold/Silver Record Chart". Billboard. December 26, 1974. Retrieved November 13, 2018.
  5. "Boney M" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved August 28, 2013.
  6. "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Boney M.; 'Take the Head Of Me')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved April 9, 2020.
  7. "IFPIHK Gold Disc Award − 1978". IFPI Hong Kong. Retrieved April 25, 2018.
  8. "No Bones To Make" (PDF). Cash Box. October 15, 1977. p. 55. Retrieved November 29, 2019 – via American Radio History.
  9. "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.
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