Kalimba de Luna – 16 Happy Songs | ||||
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Compilation album by Boney M. | ||||
Released | November 1984 | |||
Recorded | 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984 | |||
Genre | Reggae, Euro disco, R&B | |||
Length | 53:48 | |||
Label | Hansa Records (FRG) | |||
Producer | Frank Farian | |||
Boney M. chronology | ||||
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Alternative cover | ||||
The French LP cover art
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Singles from Kalimba de Luna – 16 Happy Songs | ||||
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Allmusic |
Kalimba de Luna – 16 Happy Songs is a compilation album by Boney M. released in late 1984. On the strength of two carbon-copy cover versions, "Kalimba de Luna" (Germany #17, 22 weeks - originally by Tony Esposito) and "Happy Song" (Germany #7, 16 weeks - original version by Baby's Gang) which gave Boney M. their first Top 20 hits in Germany in three years, this compilation was rush-released in November 1984. Besides the 12" versions of the two singles, the latter marking Bobby Farrell's return to the band but neither featuring Liz Mitchell or Marcia Barrett, the compilation includes 3-minute edits of tracks from albums Boonoonoonoos and Ten Thousand Lightyears as well as non-album singles "Children Of Paradise"/"Gadda Da Vida" (1980), "Felicidad (Margherita)" (1981), "Going Back West" (1982) and "Jambo - Hakuna Matata (No Problems)" (1983), as well as a new remix of "Calendar Song" from the Oceans Of Fantasy album. Just like in the case of 1980 compilation The Magic Of Boney M. - 20 Golden Hits, many of these edits were to re-surface on a number of hits compilations in the future, the latest being 2007 Sony-BMG release Hit Collection.
The "Happy Song" single was originally released under the name 'Boney M. with Bobby Farrell & the School-Rebels' and this compilation as 'Boney M. with Bobby Farrell'.
The artwork was a replica of that which Carrere (France) had used for their release of the Ten Thousand Lightyears album which had been renamed "Kalimba de Luna" - and the Carrere edition of Kalimba de Luna – 16 Happy Songs therefore was released with an alternative cover.
On August 31, 2007, the album has been remastered as part of the Boney M. re-issues series on Sony BMG and the song selection has been revised, leaving out the dublets from Ten Thousand Lightyears and Boonoonoonoos, instead seeing the original full-length single versions of "Going Back West", "Children Of Paradise" and "Gadda Da Vida" making their debut on CD for the first time. The CD also includes the 1993 songs, recorded by Liz Mitchell for "More Gold". The original suggestion to also include the original single edit of "Ribbons Of Blue" as well as Liz Mitchell's 1991 single "Mocking Bird" / "Tropical Fever" was rejected so the album was trimmed to 14 songs, and the sub-title "16 Happy Songs" subsequently dropped.