“Although they never had much success in America, the Euro-disco group Boney M. were a European phenomenon during the ’70s” (AllMusic) “Fronted by German record producer Frank Farian, the group also included four West Indian vocalists who had been working as session singers in Germany … In October 1978, ‘Rasputin’ became one of the band’s UK Top Ten hits. Their music continues to sell well in Europe, with a compilation hitting the U.K. Top Ten in 1994 … Farian went on to create the late-’80s dance sensation Milli Vanilli.” The band was late-70s mainstay on the UK TV show Top of the Pops.
“Rasputin” (1978) certainly takes a unique approach towards Russian history. Dangerous Minds reports that “the Soviet Union banned the song, which probably didn’t bother Boney M. too much.” The lyrics from the chorus set the tone:
Ra ra Rasputin
Lover of the Russian queen
There was a cat that really was gone
Ra ra Rasputin
Russia’s greatest love machine
It was a shame how he carried on
At the 0:40 mark, the key falls approximately a quarter-step to B minor: an unusual way of working its way out of an intro!
modulationoftheday.home.blog 