The Carnival Is Over

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“The Carnival Is Over”

single cover

Single by The Seekers

B-side

"We Shall Not Be Moved"

Released

1965

Format

7" 45rpm

folk rock

Columbia

The Seekers singles chronology

"A World of Our Own"

"The Carnival Is Over"
(1965)

"Morningtown Ride"
(1965)

"The Carnival Is Over" was written by Tom Springfield for the Australian group The Seekers, and The Seekers close their concerts with the song. At its peak, the song was selling 93,000 copies per day and is No 30 of the biggest selling singles of all time in the United Kingdom.

"The Carnival Is Over", being sung by The Seekers, has also become a tradition to close some of the special events within Australia.

"The Carnival Is Over" was sung, by The Seekers Athol Guy, Keith Potger and Bruce Woodley (with singer Julie Anthony taking the place of Judith Durham), at the end of the Expo '88 closing ceremony.

The Seekers were supposed to have sung "The Carnival Is Over" at the end of the closing ceremony for the Sydney Olympic Games, except that Judith Durham had broken her hip and was not able to take part, so the song was cancelled for the Sydney Olympics — however, the Seekers sang the song at the conclusion of the 2000 Summer Paralympics, with Judith Durham seated in a wheelchair.

The tradition of the song's being sung at conclusions of special celebrations in Australia is so well known that the cast of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation comedy series The Games, which was about the forthcoming Sydney 2000 Olympics, imitated the group singing "The Carnival Is Over" at the 'closing ceremony' of 'their' version of the Sydney Olympic Games.

"The Carnival Is Over" was covered by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds on their 1986 album Kicking Against The Pricks. This cover of the song featured in the final episode and scene of the Australian TV Series Underbelly, based on the Melbourne gangland killings when Senior Contsable Steve Owen arrested Carl Williams for murder.

1 The music
2 Boney M. version
3 Sources
4 References

[edit] The music

The tune is taken from a Russian folk song Stenka Razin (or "Volga, Volga mat' rodnaya" or "Iz-za ostrova na strezhen" (Из-за острова на стрежень))^{[citation needed]}. The song became popular in Russia as early as 1890s.^[1]. It was performed by the Osipov State Russian Folk Orchestra (balalaikas and domras) during their 1967 tour of Australia. The tune is also used in a Dutch hymn "Vol Vervachting Blijf Ik Uitzien".

[edit] Boney M. version

“The Carnival Is Over" /
"Going Back West”

Single by Boney M.

Released

June 1982

Format

7" single, 12" single

Recorded

1982

Boney M. singles chronology

"Litte Drummer Boy / 6 Years of Boney M. Hits" (1981)

"The Carnival Is Over / Going Back West" (1982)

"Zion's Daughter"
(1982)

"The Carnival Is Over (Goodbye True Lover)" / "Going Back West" is a double A-side single by German band Boney M.. It replaced a cancelled third single release of a re-recording of the song "Jimmy" from the group's latest album Boonoonoonoos. "The Carnival Is Over" was the first single release after dancer Bobby Farrell's departure and introduced new male singer Reggie Tsiboe in the line-up. Despite reaching #11 in the Swiss charts, the single was widely considered Boney M.'s first flop. After a string of 16 consecutive Top 20 singles in Germany, the single only climbed to #41 after a second pressing with a remix of "Going Back West" as the main A-side was sent out. "Going Back West", however, would become a hit single in South Africa where the group's popularity remained high in the early 80s. Boney M. would use the double A-side format in this period, typically with the A1 being the song intended for radio and A2 being more squarely aimed at discos. The sides would usually be switched on the accompanying 12" single.

[edit] The Carnival Is Over (Goodbye True Lover)

Boney M.'s version of The Seekers' song was done in a low-key ballad arrangement and featured Liz Mitchell on lead vocal. An original verse by producer Frank Farian and lyricist Catherine Courage was added to introduce Reggie Tsiboe as a vocalist. In the early mix of the single, Liz Mitchell sings the answer-back line "Kiss me again" as opposed to the final mix where she sings "Our love is true". An edit was released in the UK and Japan where a part of the intro had been cut out. The Carnival Is Over was never included in any studio album by Boney M. and didn't appear on a compilation until 2000 when it was included on 25 Jaar Na Daddy Cool. The single edit was added as a bonus track to the remastered 2007 edition of Ten Thousand Lightyears.

[edit] Going Back West

The first song with new member Reggie Tsiboe on lead vocals was an uptempo cover version of a Jimmy Cliff track. An early mix had only vocal group La Mama (Cathy Bartney, Patricia Shockley, Madeleine Davis) on backing vocals. Several later mixes were released with Liz Mitchell's vocals added to the backing vocals and also producer Frank Farian singing a couple of lines. The 12" version was coupled with an edit of the track Silly Confusion off Boonoonoonoos.

[edit] Releases

7" Singles

"The Carnival Is Over (Goodbye True Lover)" - 4:49 / "Going Back West" (Early mix) - 4:05 (Hansa 104 475-100, Germany)
"Going Back West" (Remix) - 4:15 / "The Carnival Is Over" - 4:49 (Hansa 104 475-100, Germany)
"The Carnival Is Over (Goodbye True Lover)" (edit) - 4:20 / "Going Back West" (Remix) - 4:15 (Atlantic A 9973, UK)
"Going Back West" (Remix) - 4:15 / "The Carnival Is Over" (edit) - 4:20 (Atlantic P-1693, Japan)

12" Singles

A1 "Going Back West" - 5:00 / A2 "Silly Confusion" (Farian, Kawohl, Björklund, Baierl, Courage) - 4:05 / B "The Carnival Is Over" - 4:52 (Hansa 600 633-213, Germany)

Preceded by "Get off of My Cloud" by Rolling Stones	UK number one single "The Carnival Is Over" by The Seekers November 25, 1965 (3 weeks)	Succeeded by "Day Tripper"/"We Can Work It Out" by The Beatles