Daddy Cool (Boney M. song)

"Daddy Cool"
Single by Boney M.
from the album Take The Heat Off Me
Released	31 May 1976
Format	7" Single, 12" Single
Genre	Euro disco
Length	3:28
Label	Hansa Records (FRG) Atlantic Records (UK) Atco Records (US)
Writer(s)	Farian, Reyam
Producer	Frank Farian
Boney M. singles chronology
"Baby Do You Wanna Bump" (1975) "Daddy Cool" (1976) "Sunny" (1976)

"Daddy Cool - Anniversary Recording '86"
Single by Boney M.
Released	February 1986
Format	7" Single, 12" Single
Genre	Synthpop/dance
Length	5:18 (7" mix) 9:07 (12" mix)
Label	Hansa Records (FRG)
Producer	Frank Farian
Boney M. singles chronology
"Young, Free and Single" (1985) "Daddy Cool (Anniversary Recording '86)" (1986) "Bang Bang Lulu" (1986)

"Daddy Cool '99"
Single by Boney M.
from the album 20th Century Hits
Released	August 26, 1999
Format	12" Single, CD Single
Genre	Dance
Label	BMG Records (FRG)
Producer	Frank Farian
Boney M. singles chronology
"Ma Baker (Boney M. vs. Sash!)" (1998) "Daddy Cool '99" (1999) "Hooray! Hooray! (Caribbean Night Fever)" (1999)

"Daddy Cool 2001"
Single by Boney M.
from the album The Greatest Hits
Released	December 2001
Format	CD single
Genre	Dance
Label	BMG Records (UK)
Producer	Frank Farian
Boney M. singles chronology
"Sunny (Remix)" (2001) "Daddy Cool 2001" (2001) "Sunny (Mousse T. Remix)" (2006)

"Daddy Cool" is a song recorded by euro disco band Boney M. and included on their debut album Take The Heat Off Me. It was a 1976 hit and a staple in disco music and Boney M.'s first UK hit. It reached #6 in the UK charts and #65 in the United States Billboard Hot 100. The single also topped the German charts.

It was the second Boney M. single, released in May 1976 without making any major impact at first. It wasn't until a spectacular performance on the Musikladen TV show in September that the single became a hit, topping most European charts, reaching #6 in the UK and even charting in the US and reaching the top 20 in Canada. It proved to be the major European breakthrough of the band.

The song

"Daddy Cool" was a novelty gimmick record with an unusual, percussive intro by producer Frank Farian doing rhythmic 'tic-tic-tic's and playing on his teeth with a pencil. Farian's characteristic deep voice sings: "She's crazy like a fool..." and is answered by the bright voices of Liz Mitchell and Marcia Barrett: "...what about it Daddy Cool". The bass riff kicks in and builds to the instrumental theme followed by the repetitive, nursery rhyme-like verse and chorus twice. The song breaks-down into a spoken passage by Farian before it goes back into the bass riff and repeats the verse and chorus for the last time. With its slightly hypnotic, repetitive bassline and strings and likewise repetitive, bright female vocals, the track is highly typical of mid-seventies "Munich disco".

The single

Originally, Hansa Records wanted Boney M.'s cover of Bob Marley's "No Woman, No Cry" as the A-side of the single but Farian - seeing that his own song was the clear winner when testing both tracks in his discothèque in Saarbrücken – managed to persuade the record company to have it his way. In the US, Hungary and Japan (where the single wasn't released until November), the single was backed by the album track "Lovin' or Leavin'", in East Germany the record was released in 1977, backed by their next hit "Sunny". The Belgium released 7" has a rare B-side version of "No Woman, No Cry" as the track does not fade out at the end but has a hard ending and thus runs slightly longer 5:03 instead the common 4:58. This rare version has so far not been released on cd.

1986 anniversary recording

Boney M.'s 10th anniversary was celebrated with a TV special and the album The Best of 10 Years - 32 Superhits. The original plans of releasing another single ("Dreadlock Holiday") from the group's final album Eye Dance were cancelled, instead producer Frank Farian recorded a brand-new synthpop version of Boney M.'s 1976 breakthrough single "Daddy Cool" in a special "anniversary recording", featuring rap parts, and new instrumental parts reminiscent of New Order's synth style of the era. The single, however, proved a resounding flop and Boney M.'s worst-selling single. Interestingly, the dub B-side "B.M.A.G.O." appeared in a longer version on the 7" than on the 12" single. The 12" single also included an edit version of "Daddy Cool" which was not credited on the cover. The 7" version appears on The Collection (disc 2, track 1).

Releases

7" Single

• ""Daddy Cool (Anniversary Recording '86)" - (Farian, Reyam, Farian, Bischof) 5:18 / "B.M.A.G.O." (Farian) - 4:10 (Hansa Records 107 994-100, 1986)

12" Single

• "Daddy Cool (Anniversary Recording '86)" Special Club Mix - 7:45 / Special Club Dub - 5:50 / "B.M.A.G.O." - 3:15 (Hansa 607 994-213, 1986)

Boney M. 2000 version

Following the successful Sash! and Horny United remixes of "Ma Baker", Frank Farian remixed "Daddy Cool" as a follow-up single. An all-new line-up Boney M. 2000 featuring three young girls and rapper Mobi T. was featured in the video and also announced to front a forthcoming remix album. This decision was not popular with the group's fan base, and Farian subsequently dropped the idea. "Daddy Cool" could not match the success of its predecessor, peaking only at #47 in the German charts.

2001 Remix

UK 2001 remix to support the album The Greatest Hits. Remixed by Jewel & Stone, the single peaked at #47 in the UK charts.

Advertising

During the 2000's, the tune of "Daddy Cool" was used in an advert for the GSi version of the Vauxhall Zafira MPV.

Cover versions

• The song was covered by Lakis Tzordaneli in 1979, in Greek under the title "Pes mou pote pou".
• The song was covered by Montreal artist QRN in 1999 and released as an industrial-kitsch version both on radio and on the second volume of the Studio 54 disco compilation.
• The song was also covered by Placebo and appeared on the bonus disc of their special edition release of the album Sleeping with Ghosts in 2003.
• The song was also covered by Swedish child pop duo Peaches in 2004.
• It was covered by the Mini-Pops on their self-titled album in 1981.
• The song was also covered by Latvian trio Melo-M featuring vocals by original Boney M. singer Maizie Williams on their 2007 album Singalongs..
• The song was also covered by Massalia Dj's, Erwan & Rubra featuring vocals by Original Boney M singer and french vocalist. The song was remixed by one of the best commercial electro-house producers in Poland - Zoot.

Fans of Liverpool FC created a chant based on the song's chorus for winger Harry Kewell, replacing "Daddy, Daddy Cool" with "Harry, Harry Kewell", during his period at the club from 2003-2008. This chant was also adopted by his former club, Galatasaray and is now sung by his current club's supporters Melbourne Victory.

"Doin’ Fine"

• A disco/dance/pop composition which was written in October 2005 and includes samples of the strings from "Daddy Cool" was released in 2006, and again in 2008. The main string loop from the chorus as well as string hooks from the verses are interwoven into the musical arrangement and feature quite prominently in the new song. The song was recorded twice, the first time in 2006 by Australian singer, Peter Wilson and the second in 2008 by iconic Disco legend, Amanda Lear. Wilson's version was first released in April 2007 on the Klone Records album, Mad About The Boy 15 (CDKOPY172) as an extended club mix, entitled, "Doin’ Fine (Daddy's Cool 12" Mix)". Seen as a tribute to Boney M and well received by fans, it subsequently peaked at Number 1 on the Euro NRG dance charts in August 2007. A radio length mix followed in October 2007 on Wilson’s debut album, Follow Me (CDKOPY175). Lear's version, recorded in November 2008, was released in 2009 as part of her studio album, "Brief Encounters" which she recently announced on French television.
• Both Wilson and Lear’s versions are produced by Nathan Thomas and Carl M Cox of British production team PMG (Prolific Media Group) Productions, the same people behind 80’s singer and X Factor mentor Sinitta’s pop comeback.
• The song is credited as being written by Carl M Cox/Nathan Thomas/Baz Qureshi/Chris Rudall/Peter Wilson/Chris Richards/Frank Farian/George Reyam and published by First Degree Music (BACS)/Copyright Control/In Demand Music/Sony ATV Music Ltd.

Charts (Boney M. version)

Chart (1976)	Peak Position
Eurochart Hot 100	1
Norway Singles Chart	1
Sweden Singles Chart	1
UK Singles Chart	6
U.S. Billboard Hot 100	65
Canadian Singles Chart	18

Sources

• http://www.musiclange.com