The 20 Greatest Christmas Songs

The 20 Greatest Christmas Songs
Compilation album by Boney M.
Released	November 1986
Recorded	1981, 1984, 1986
Genre	R&B, Christmas, Euro disco
Length	56:23
Label	Hansa Records (EU)
Producer	Frank Farian
Boney M. chronology
The Best of 10 Years – 32 Superhits (1986) The 20 Greatest Christmas Songs (1986) Greatest Hits of All Times – Remix '88 (1988)

Die 20 Schönsten Weihnachtslieder Der Welt
Compilation album by Boney M.
Released	November 1986

Happy Christmas
Compilation album by Boney M.
Released	November 1991

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[1]

The 20 Greatest Christmas Songs is a compilation/remix album by Boney M.. In 1986 producer Frank Farian took the master tapes from 1981's Christmas Album, added six recordings by Liz Mitchell, Reggie Tsiboe and two session singers from 1984, remixed them and created Die 20 schönsten Weihnachtslieder der Welt, internationally released as The 20 Greatest Christmas Songs. The 1986 version of the Boney M. Christmas album has since been re-issued as Happy Christmas (1991), The Most Beautiful Christmas Songs of the World (1992), A Wonderful Christmas Time (1998) and Christmas Party (1998 and 2003).

Track listing

Side A

1. "Christmas Medley ("Silent Night, Holy Night" / "Snow Falls Over the Ground" / "Hear Ye the Message" / "Sweet Bells") (Traditional, Farian, Jay) - 7:51
   • Full-length version including the previously unreleased "Sweet Bells". Features Amy & Elaine Goff singing the first verse of "Silent Night, Holy Night" in German - instead of Liz Mitchell singing the first verse in English.
2. "Oh Christmas Tree" ("O Tannenbaum") (Traditional, Farian) - 2:54
3. "Hark the Herald Angels Sing" (Felix Mendelssohn, Charles Wesley, Farian) - 3:03
4. "Zion's Daughter" (George Frideric Handel, Traditional, Farian, Jay, Rulofs) - 3:50
5. "The First Noel" (Traditional) - 3:03
6. "Oh Come All Ye Faithful" (John Francis Wade, Farian) - 3:41
7. "Petit Papa Noël" (Martinet, Vincy) - 1:41
8. "Darkness Is Falling" (Jay, Rulofs) - 3:02

Side B

1. "Joy to the World" (Lowell Mason, Isaac Watts) - 2:32
2. "White Christmas" (Irving Berlin) - 3:21
   • Edited version
3. "Jingle Bells" (James Lord Pierpont, Farian) - 3:28
4. "Feliz Navidad" (José Feliciano) - 2:21
5. "When a Child Is Born" (Jay, Zacar) - 3:19
6. "Little Drummer Boy" (Katherine K. Davis, Henry Onorati, Harry Simeone) - 4:21
7. "Mary's Boy Child - Oh My Lord" (Jester Hairston, Farian) - 5:09
   • Edited version
8. "Auld Lang Syne" (Robert Burns, Traditional) - 2:34

Personnel

• Liz Mitchell - lead vocals (except trk. A2, A5, A6, B1, B8), backing vocals
• Marcia Barrett - backing vocals (track B3, B4, B7)
• Frank Farian - backing vocals
• Reggie Tsiboe - lead vocals, backing vocals (tracks A2, A5, A6, B1 & B8)
• London Christmas Choir - choir (tracks A1, A5, A7, A8, B2, B5 & B6)
• Amy & Elaine Goff - lead- and backing vocals (tracks A1, A2, A3, A5, A6, B1 & B8)
• London Philharmonic Orchestra - orchestra

Production

• Frank Farian - producer, remixer

Release history

• Germany 1986: Die 20 schönsten Weihnachtslieder der Welt Hansa Records 208 018-630, LP
• EU 1986: The 20 Greatest Christmas Songs Hansa 208 116-320, LP
• EU 1986: The 20 Greatest Christmas Songs Hansa 258 116-200, CD
• Germany 1991: Happy Christmas BMG-Ariola/Ariola Express 295 603-200, CD

Sources and external links

• Rate Your Music, detailed discography
• Discogs.com, detailed discography
• Allmusic, biography, discography etc.

Boney M. Liz Mitchell Marcia Barrett Maizie Williams Bobby Farrell Reggie Tsiboe Studio albums and main compilations (1976–1985) Take the Heat off Me (1976) Love for Sale (1977) Nightflight to Venus (1978) Oceans of Fantasy (1979) The Magic of Boney M. - 20 Golden Hits (1980) Children of Paradise - The Greatest Hits of Boney M. - Vol. 2 (1981) Boonoonoonoos (1981) Christmas Album (1981) Ten Thousand Lightyears (1984) Kalimba de Luna - 16 Happy Songs (1984) Fantastic Boney M. (1984) Christmas with Boney M. (1984) Eye Dance (1985) Main compilations and remix albums (1986–present) The Best of 10 Years - 32 Superhits (1986) The 20 Greatest Christmas Songs (1986) Greatest Hits of All Times - Remix '88 (1988) Ma Baker (1989) Greatest Hits of All Times - Remix '89 - Volume II (1989) The Collection (1991) Daddy Cool - Star Collection (1991) The Most Beautiful Christmas Songs of the World (1992) Gold - 20 Super Hits (1992) The Greatest Hits (1993) More Gold - 20 Super Hits Vol. II (1993) Hit Collection (1996) Best in Spain (1996) The Best of Boney M. (1997) Norske Hits (1998) Ultimate (1999) 20th Century Hits (1999) 25 Jaar Na Daddy Cool (2000) The Complete Collection (2000) Their Most Beautiful Ballads (2000) The Greatest Hits (2001) The Magic of Boney M. (2006) Hit Collection (2007) Christmas With Boney M. (2007) The Collection (2008) Rivers of Babylon (A Best of Collection) (2008) Ultimate Boney M. - Long Versions & Rarities, Volume 1 (2008) Christmas Time (2008) The Complete Boney M. (2008) In the Mix (2008) The Magic of Boney M. - The Danish Collection (2008) Ultimate Boney M. - Long Versions & Rarities, Volume 2 (2009) Let It All Be Music - The Party Album (2009) Ultimate Boney M. - Long Versions & Rarities, Volume 3 (2009) Main single discography "Baby Do You Wanna Bump" (1975) "Daddy Cool" (1976) "Sunny" (1976) "Ma Baker" (1977) "Belfast" (1977) "Rivers of Babylon"/"Brown Girl in the Ring" (1978) "Rasputin" (1978) "Mary's Boy Child – Oh My Lord" (1978) "Painter Man" (1979) "Hooray! Hooray! It's a Holi-Holiday" (1979) "El Lute"/"Gotta Go Home" (1979) "I'm Born Again"/"Bahama Mama" (1979) "I See a Boat on the River"/"My Friend Jack" (1980) "Children of Paradise"/"Gadda-Da-Vida" (1980) "Felicidad (Margherita)" (1980) "Malaika"/"Consuela Biaz" (1981) "We Kill the World"/"Boonoonoonoos" (1981) "The Little Drummer Boy"/"6 Years of Boney M. Hits" (1981) "The Carnival Is Over"/"Going Back West" (1982) "Zion's Daughter" (1982) "Jambo - Hakuna Matata (No Problems)" (1983) "Somewhere in the World" (1984) "Kalimba de Luna" (1984) "Happy Song" (1984) "My Cherie Amour" (1985) "Young, Free and Single" (1985) "Daddy Cool (Anniversary Recording '86)" (1986) "Bang Bang Lulu" (1986) "Rivers of Babylon (Remix)"/"Mary's Boy Child – Oh My Lord (Remix)" (1988) "Megamix" (1988) "The Summer Mega Mix" (1989) "Malaika (Lambada Remix)" (1989) "Everybody Wants to Dance Like Josephine Baker" (1989) "Stories" (1990) "Christmas Mega Mix" (1992) "Megamix" (1992) "Brown Girl in the Ring (Remix)" (1993) "Ma Baker (Remix)" (1993) "Papa Chico" (1994) "Somebody Scream - Ma Baker" (1998) "Daddy Cool '99" (1999) "Hooray! Hooray! (Caribbean Night Fever)" (1999) "Sunny (Remix)" (2000) "Daddy Cool 2001" (2001) "Sunny (Mousse T. Remix)" (2006) "Felicidad America (Obama-Obama)" (2009) Book

References