Ma Baker

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This article is about the Boney M. single. For the real mother of gang criminals, see Ma Barker.
"Ma Baker"
Song

"Ma Baker" is a song by German band Boney M. It was the first single of their second album Love for Sale and their third consecutive chart-topper in Germany and their best yet placing in the UK, peaking at #2 (only surpassed by Donna Summer's "I Feel Love") although only a minor single in the US (#96).

The song

Frank Farian's assistant Hans-Jörg Mayer (aka Reyam) had discovered a popular Tunisian folkloric song, "Sidi Mansour" while on holiday, and rewrote the song into a disco track.

The lyrics by Fred Jay were inspired by the story of legendary 1930s outlaw Ma Barker, although the name was changed into "Ma Baker" because "it sounded better".

With a structure similar to Boney M.'s breakthrough single "Daddy Cool" with the same gimmick percussion, alternating answer-back vocals, a spoken mid-part, the song also opened with a snarling "Freeze, I'm Ma Baker, put your hands in the air! Gimme all your money".

Although it has never been officially credited, the voice was done by Linda Blake, the wife of Frank Farian's American friend Bill Swisher who was a soldier in Germany at the time. Bill Swisher also performed the spoken mid-part, announcing a bulletin from the FBI. He was also used on several later Boney M. recordings, including "Rasputin" and "El Lute". Frank Farian re-recorded the song with Milli Vanilli in 1988. Boney M.'s version was remixed the same year, 1993 and again in 1998. The song has been covered a number of times by Banda R-15, Knorkator and others.

The single

In Germany, Benelux, United Kingdom and Yugoslavia, the single came out backed with a cover of The Yardbirds' "Still I'm Sad" which even charted on its own in Sweden (#17). In Germany, the first single pressing came out with a backcover with tour dates and a 4:47 version with a slightly different mix, leaving out the verse line "of one who left no friends", plus it features a longer instrumental outro which can be heard in the 1988 remix. "Still I'm Sad" also fades four seconds later than the album version. This pressing was also released in Yugoslavia. Although the LP cover would also list the timing 4:47 of "Ma Baker", it was the much more common second single mix 4:33 that was included in the album. Subsequent German single pressings featured a picture of Boney M. and their tour crew Black Beauty Circus on the backcover.

In Spain, Brazil, Mexico, France, Canada and the US, the single was backed by "A Woman Can Change a Man". In Japan, the initial pressings (October 1977) had "A Woman Can Change a Man" as the A-side and an alternate shot off the album's controversial chain photo sessions as the cover. It was soon repressed with "Ma Baker" as the correct A-side and the album front cover photo for the artwork.

In Hungary, "Ma Baker" was backed with the follow-up single "Belfast".

Charts

Chart (1977) Peak
Position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[1] 4
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[2] 1
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[3] 1
Canadian RPM Top Singles[4] 50
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[5] 2
France (SNEP)[6] 1
songid field is MANDATORY FOR GERMAN CHARTS 1
Irish Singles Chart[7] 4
Mexico (Mexican Airplay)[8] 1
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[9] 1
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[10] 1
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[11] 2
Norway (VG-lista)[12] 1
Portugal (AFP)[13] 2
South African Chart[14] 2
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[15] 2
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[16] 1
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[17] 1
UK (Official Charts Company)[18] 2
U.S. Billboard Hot 100[19] 96
U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Play[19] 31

1993 Remix

"Ma Baker"
Song

Following the remix of "Brown Girl in the Ring", Farian remixed "Ma Baker" in the summer of 1993. While a modest club hit, it failed to enter the European charts. "Borsalino" and "The Most Wanted Woman" are two dub mixes of the track. The new remix was included in the compilation album More Gold - 20 Super Hits Vol. II in October 1993.

Germany

12"

  • "Ma Baker (Remix '93)" (BMG 74321 15940 1, 1993)

Side A - Gangster

  1. "Ma Baker (Remix '93)" (Bonnie & Clyde mix) - 5:25
  2. "The Most Wanted Woman" - 3:30

Side B - Fashion

  1. "Borsalino (Trainee Mix)" - 4:55
  2. "Ma Baker (Remix '93)" (Radio Edit) - 3:58

CD

  • "Ma Baker (Remix '93)" (BMG 74321 15940 2, 1993)
  1. "Ma Baker (Remix '93)" (Radio Edit) - 3:58
  2. "Ma Baker (Remix '93)" (Bonnie & Clyde mix) - 5:25
  3. "Borsalino (Trainee Mix)" - 4:55
  4. "The Most Wanted Woman" - 3:30

1998 Remix

"Ma Baker"
Song

Late 1998, a new remix of "Ma Baker" by Sash! started to chart as a 12" single. Just as the CD-single was about to follow, it was withdrawn, and a new version appeared, re-titled "Somebody Scream! Ma Baker" featuring Horny United. The single was a Top 30 hit in Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, and even peaked at #6 (2 Weeks) in Finland and #10 in Sweden. When released in the UK in April, it peaked at #22. The accompanying video featured a young woman, kickboxing, training with a gun, the only relation to the original group being her watching the original 1977 video of "Ma Baker" on a TV set.

EU

12"

  • Boney M. / Horny United Feat. Boney M. - "Ma Baker" / "Somebody Scream - Ma Baker" (2 x 12", Logic Records/Lautstark/BMG 74321 64561 1, 1999)

Side A

  1. Boney M. "Ma Baker" (Extended Vocal Edit) - 5:26

Side B

  1. Boney M. "Ma Baker" (Disco Dub Edit) - 5:35

Side C

  1. Horny United "Somebody Scream - Ma Baker" (Massive Mix) - 7:30
  2. Horny United "Somebody Scream - Ma Baker" (Screamless Mix) - 6:16

Side D

  1. Horny United "Somebody Scream - Ma Baker" (Full Vocal Mix)
  2. Horny United "Somebody Scream - Ma Baker" (Ma Baker House Mix)

CD

  • Boney M vs. Sash!: "Ma Baker" (BMG 74321 63942 2, 1998)
  1. "Ma Baker" (Tokapi Radio Edit) - 3:24
  2. "Ma Baker" (Original Edit) - 3:35
  3. "Ma Baker" (Extended Vocal Edit) - 5:26
  4. "Ma Baker" (Disco Dub Edit) - 5:35
  • Boney M. vs. Sash!/Horny United Featuring Boney M.: "Ma Baker"/"Somebody Scream" (BMG 74321 64561 2, 1999)
  1. Boney M. vs. Sash! "Ma Baker" (Extended Radio Edit) - 4:54
  2. Boney M. vs. Sash! "Ma Baker" (Disco Dub Edit) (5:32)
  3. Horny United Featuring Boney M. "Somebody Scream (Ma Baker)" (Radio Edit) (Oliver Wallner, Re-Run) - 4:17
  4. Horny United Featuring Boney M. "Somebody Scream (Ma Baker)" (Massive Mix) (Oliver Wallner, Re-Run) - 6:59

UK

12"

  • Boney M. vs. Horny United "Ma Baker/Somebody Scream" (Logic Records 74321 65387 1, 1999)

Side A

  1. "Ma Baker" (Club Mix by Horny United)

Side B

  1. "Somebody Scream" (Beatroute Star Bar Mix by DJ Slammer & Mark Bambach)
  2. "Somebody Scream" (Cosmic People Mix)

CD

  • Boney M. vs. Horny United "Ma Baker/Somebody Scream" (Logic Records 74321 65387 2, 1999)
  1. "Somebody Scream" (Radio Edit) - 3:06
  2. "Ma Baker" (Sash! Radio Edit) - 3:27
  3. "Somebody Scream" (Massive Club mix) - 7:31
  4. "Ma Baker" (Sash! 12" Mix) - 4:55

Charts

Chart (1998-1999) Peak
Position
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[20] 19
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[21] 24
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[22] 23
Canadian RPM Dance[23] 4
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[24] 6
France (SNEP)[25] 11
Invalid chart entered Germany2 28
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[26] 26
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[27] 9
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[28] 10
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[29] 21
UK (Official Charts Company) 22

References

  1. ^ Danyel Smith, ed. (1977). Billboard 22 october 1977. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved 10 July 2013.
  2. ^ "Boney M. – Ma Baker" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
  3. ^ "Boney M. – Ma Baker" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  4. ^ "Ma Baker in Canadian Top Singles Chart". Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 10 July 2013.
  5. ^ Danyel Smith, ed. (1977). Billboard 29 october 1977. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved 10 July 2013.
  6. ^ "Toutes les Chansons N° 1 des Années 70" (in French). Infodisc.fr. 2 June 2013. Retrieved 2 June 2013.
  7. ^ "Ma Baker in Irish Chart". IRMA. Retrieved 2 June 2013. Only one result when searching "Ma Baker"
  8. ^ Danyel Smith, ed. (1978). Billboard 14 january 1978. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved 10 July 2013.
  9. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Boney M" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40.
  10. ^ "Boney M. – Ma Baker" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  11. ^ "Boney M. – Ma Baker". Top 40 Singles.
  12. ^ "Boney M. – Ma Baker". VG-lista.
  13. ^ Danyel Smith, ed. (1979). Billboard 17 december 1977. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved 10 July 2013.
  14. ^ John Samson. "Ma Baker in South African Chart". Retrieved 2 June 2013.
  15. ^ Danyel Smith, ed. (1977). Billboard 12 november 1977. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved 10 July 2013.
  16. ^ "Boney M. – Ma Baker". Singles Top 100.
  17. ^ "Boney M. – Ma Baker". Swiss Singles Chart.
  18. ^ "1977 Top 40 Official UK Singles Archive - 30th July 1977". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2 June 2013.
  19. ^ a b "Love for Sale awards on Allmusic". Allmusic. Retrieved 2 June 2013.
  20. ^ "Boney M. vs. Sash! – Ma Baker" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
  21. ^ "Boney M. vs. Sash! – Ma Baker" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  22. ^ "Boney M. vs. Sash! – Ma Baker" (in French). Ultratop 50.
  23. ^ "Ma Baker in Canadian Dance Chart". Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 10 July 2013.
  24. ^ "Boney M. vs. Sash!: Ma Baker" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat.
  25. ^ "Boney M. – Ma Baker '99" (in French). Les classement single.
  26. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Boney M vs Sash!" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40.
  27. ^ "Boney M. / Horny United – Ma Baker / Somebody Scream". Top 40 Singles.
  28. ^ "Boney M. vs. Sash! – Ma Baker". Singles Top 100.
  29. ^ "Boney M. vs. Sash! – Ma Baker". Swiss Singles Chart.

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ma_Baker&oldid=603800651"