Song Review : Rasputin of Boney M. (1978) "Nostalgia song" and Upbeat Disco sound

When I grow old, I always remind my childhood memories through the old songs.

Nostalgia songs evoke my feelings of sentimental longing for the past. They could bring back my memories of a certain time or place.

Nostalgia songs often have lyrics that reference specific events, people, or places from the past, and they may use instrumentation or production techniques that were popular in a previous era.

For me at the eighty era, Rasputin of Bonnie M. was my another nostalgia song in the disco time.

Source: wikipedia

The song "Rasputin" is a 1978 single by the group Boney M, released as the follow-up to their hit single "Rivers of Babylon." The song was written by Frank Farian, Fred Jay, and George Reyam, and it tells the story of Grigori Rasputin, the Russian mystic and advisor to the royal family during the early 20th century.

Rasputin was known for his controversial and mysterious influence on the royal family, and the song paints a colorful and exaggerated portrait of his life. It describes him as a "mad monk" with "magical powers" who was able to "heal the wounds" of the royal family's son, the Tsarevich Alexei, who suffered from hemophilia.

The song also mentions Rasputin's reputation for being a womanizer and for having a "devilish plan" to take over Russia.

Despite its historical inaccuracies, the song became a massive hit, reaching the top of the charts in many countries and selling millions of copies worldwide. It is known for its catchy and upbeat disco sound, and its memorable chorus, which includes the lines

"Oh, Rasputin, Russia's greatest love machine / It was a shame how you carried on."

To this day, "Rasputin" remains one of Boney M's most popular and enduring songs, and it has been covered and sampled by numerous artists over the years.

It is a true classic of disco music and my beloved piece of nostalgia song.

Prepared by
Dr. Sutthi Suntharanurak
020123