The first Boney M.'s visit to Moscow (December 1978) was not only a musical sensation of that time. The scandals that periodically arose around arts of the group in the West, also reached the capital of the then USSR.
For example, Boney M.'s second album "Love For Sale" (1977) was banned in the UK, USA and some other countries. Reason for the ban: the provocative design of the album, on the cover of which Bobby Farrell enmeshes the completely naked soloists of the group in gold chains. To return the hot novelty to the shelves of music stores, the album had to be urgently repackaged in a protective case with a neutral picture. Then, in the same 1977, on the radio stations in Northern Ireland, their "political manifesto" - the song "Belfast" (about the violence that then reigned in Ulster) was removed from the rotation. Two years later, the superhit "El Lute" was banned in several countries. The Song was dedicated to the revolt of the "Spanish Robin Hood" Eleuterio Sánchez Rodriguez against judicial arbitrariness and the system of state violence during the reign of General Franco.
The "epidemic of prohibitions" also accompanied the group during their Moscow tour. Firstly, the artists were unpleasantly surprised by the fact that the audience at the concerts was strictly forbidden to express their emotions. The most active fans of Boney M.'s music, who tried to stand to greet their idols in the Rossiya concert hall (SCCH), were quickly "neutralized" by people in civilian clothes. At best case, the "guilty" were strictly ordered to immediately sit down in their place, and at worst case, the KGB officers simply expelled them from the premises of the State Central Concert Hall.
Secondly, from the repertoire prepared for performance in Moscow, the Soviet officials removed the highly respected by the public superhit "Rasputin". The story of the "holy intriguer" Rasputin, who played a fatal role in the fate of pre-revolutionary Russia, was very talentedly presented in the lyrics of the group's song, and a vivid, memorable melody based on ethnic motives greatly increased the impact on the audience. Despite the essentially kitschy content of the hit, Frank Farian and his team managed to masterfully reproduce the "ferment in the minds" that reigned on the eve of the collapse of the Russian Empire. The text of the song is a kind of "digest" of the publications of the Petrograd press of that period. Often, facts and speculations was coexist very well on the pages of one and the same publication.
Today it is very funny to read the opuses of "pundits" spreading devastating articles about "blatant trampling on history" in the song by Boney M. Although the very fact that these people undertook to check the dance hit for "historical accuracy" looks caricatured and speaks of their pathological inadequacy.
For all these critics, to begin with, it would be nice to come to a consensus themselves on the more than confusing and mystical fate of Rasputin. Until now, this remains the subject of fierce controversy among historians, philosophers, religious leaders, journalists and ordinary amateurs. Just look at the "war of amendments" in the Russian-language section of Wikipedia dedicated to Rasputin. Some declare him a saint, others - the viceroy of the devil, a lecher and a charlatan. The same passions periodically flare up around a song written many years ago by Frank Farian and Fred Jay. The mega hit "Rasputin", which became a pop classic thanks to Boney M., still generates a storm of various emotions - from complete rejection to absolute delight.
However, in 1978, the Soviet censors were of little concern for historical accuracy. They found fault only with the last phrase of the song, considering it "politically incorrect" - "Oh those russians ..." However, they officially explained the ban on the performance of the song with "historical reasons".
RASPUTIN (lyrics)
(F.Farian/Reyam/F.Jay - Far Music)
Their lived a certain man
In Russia long ago
He was big and strong in his
eyes a flaming glow
Most people looked at him
With terror and with fear
But to Moscow chicks he was
such a lovely dear
He could preach the
bible like a preacher
Full of extasy and fire
But he also was the kind of teacher
Woman would desire.
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.
He ruled the Russianland
And never mind the Czar
But the Kasatschok he
danced really wunderbar
All affairs of state
He was the man to please
But he was real great when he
hand a girl to squeeze
For the queen he was no wheeler dealer
Though she heard the thing's he'd done
She believed he was a holy healer
Who would heal her son.
Ra-Ra-Rasputin
lover of the Russian queen
...
But when his drinkin' and lusting
and his hunger for power
Became know to more and more people
The demans to do something
about this outrageous man
became
Louder and louder
Hey
hey
hey...
This man just gotta go
Declared his enemies
But the ladies begged don't
you try to do it please
No doubt this Rasputin
Had lots of hidden charmes
Though he was a brute they
just fell into his arms
Then one night some men
of higher standing
Set a trap they're not do blame
Come to visit us they kept demanding
And he really came.
Ra-Ra-Rasputin
Lover of the Russian queen
They put some poison into his wine.
Ra-Ra-Rasputin
Russia's greatest love-machine
He drank it all and said: "I feel fine."
Ra-Ra-Rasputin
lover of the Russian queen
They didn't quit
they wanted his head
Ra-Ra-Rasputin Russia's
greatest love-machine
And so they shot him till he was dead.
Oh
those Russians
Первый приезд Boney M. в Москву (декабрь 1978) стал не только музыкальной сенсацией того времени. Скандалы, которые периодически возникали вокруг творчества группы на Западе, докатились и до столицы тогдашнего СССР.
Сначала в Великобритании, США и некоторых других странах был запрещён к продаже LP Boney M. "Love For Sale" (из-за вызывающего оформления альбома, на обложке которого Бобби Фаррэлл опутывает золотыми цепями полностью обнажённых солисток группы). Чтобы вернуть горячую новинку на прилавки музыкальных магазинов, пришлось срочно переупаковывать альбом в защитный кофр с нейтральной картинкой. Затем, в том же 1977 году, на радиостанциях Северной Ирландии изъяли из ротации их "политический манифест" - песню "Belfast" (о насилии, царившем тогда в Ольстере). Двумя годами позже в нескольких странах был запрещён суперхит "El Lute", посвящённый бунту "испанского Робин Гуда" Элеутерио Санчеса Родригеса против судебного произвола и системы государственного насилия во времена правления генерала Франко.
"Эпидемия запретов" сопровождала группу и во время московских гастролей. Во-первых, артисты были неприятно удивлены тем фактом, что зрителям на концертах строжайше запрещалось выражать свои эмоции. Особо "ретивых" фанов музыки Boney M., пытавшихся стоя приветствовать своих кумиров в зале "Россия", быстро "нейтрализовывали" люди в штатском. В лучшем случае, "провинившимся" строго приказывали немедленно сесть на своё место, а в худшем, сотрудники КГБ просто выдворяли их из помещения ГЦКЗ.
Во-вторых, из репертуара, подготовленного для исполнения в Москве, советские чиновники удалили весьма почитаемый публикой суперхит "Rasputin".
История "святого интригана" Распутина, сыгравшего роковую роль в судьбе дореволюционной России, была очень талантливо изложена в тексте песни группы, а яркая запоминающаяся мелодия, основанная на этнических мотивах, многократно усиливала воздействие на аудиторию. Несмотря на китчевое, по сути, содержание хита, Фрэнку Фариану и его команде удалось мастерски воспроизвести "брожение в умах", царившее в преддверии краха Российской империи. Текст песни представляет своеобразный "дайджест" публикаций петроградской прессы того периода. Часто факты и домыслы прекрасно уживались рядом на страницах одного и того же издания.
Сегодня очень забавно читать опусы "учёных мужей", распространяющих разгромные статьи о "вопиющем попрании истории" в песне Boney M. Хотя уже сам факт того, что эти люди взялись проверять танцевальный хит на предмет "исторической достоверности" выглядит карикатурно и говорит об их патологической неадекватности. Всем этим критикам, для начала, неплохо было бы самим прийти к консенсусу относительно более чем запутанной и мистической судьбы Распутина. До сих пор это остаётся предметом ожесточённых споров среди историков, философов, религиозных деятелей, журналистов и обычных дилетантов. Достаточно взглянуть на историю бесконечных правок в русскоязычном разделе Википедии, посвящённом Распутину. Одни объявляют его святым, другие - наместником дьявола, развратником и шарлатаном. Такие же страсти периодически разгораются и вокруг песни, написанной много лет назад Фрэнком Фарианом и Фрэдом Джэем. Мегахит "Rasputin", ставший классикой в исполнении Boney M., до сих пор порождает бурю разнообразных эмоций - от полного неприятия до абсолютного восторга.
Впрочем, в 1978 году историческая достоверность мало заботила советских партийных функционеров от культуры. Они придрались лишь к последней фразе песни, сочтя её "неполиткорректной" - "Oh those russians..." ("Ох эти русские..."). Впрочем, официально запрет на исполнение песни они объяснили "историческими причинами".
RASPUTIN (lyrics)
(F.Farian/Reyam/F.Jay - Far Music)
Their lived a certain man
In Russia long ago
He was big and strong in his
eyes a flaming glow
Most people looked at him
With terror and with fear
But to Moscow chicks he was
such a lovely dear
He could preach the
bible like a preacher
Full of extasy and fire
But he also was the kind of teacher
Woman would desire.
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.
He ruled the Russianland
And never mind the Czar
But the Kasatschok he
danced really wunderbar
All affairs of state
He was the man to please
But he was real great when he
hand a girl to squeeze
For the queen he was no wheeler dealer
Though she heard the thing's he'd done
She believed he was a holy healer
Who would heal her son.
Ra-Ra-Rasputin
lover of the Russian queen
...
But when his drinkin' and lusting
and his hunger for power
Became know to more and more people
The demans to do something
about this outrageous man
became
Louder and louder
Hey
hey
hey...
This man just gotta go
Declared his enemies
But the ladies begged don't
you try to do it please
No doubt this Rasputin
Had lots of hidden charmes
Though he was a brute they
just fell into his arms
Then one night some men
of higher standing
Set a trap they're not do blame
Come to visit us they kept demanding
And he really came.
Ra-Ra-Rasputin
Lover of the Russian queen
They put some poison into his wine.
Ra-Ra-Rasputin
Russia's greatest love-machine
He drank it all and said: "I feel fine."
Ra-Ra-Rasputin
lover of the Russian queen
They didn't quit
they wanted his head
Ra-Ra-Rasputin Russia's
greatest love-machine
And so they shot him till he was dead.
Oh
those Russians
Photos:
1.Rasputin
2-5.Boney M. in Moscow (1978)
Video: Boney M. "Rasputin"
(C) FAR Music/MCI
FFFclub
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