(December 24, 2004)
Why didn’t you perform your own solo version of “Mary’s Boy Child” in the ZDF Carmin Nebel Weihnachtsshow instead of the original Boney M. version?
Liz: “I wanted to do my own solo version, but the producers of the show wanted the Boney M. version. As I did all the vocals they didn’t see why I shouldn’t sing the original hit version, so I did. And of course we did “O Tannenbaum” accapella. Did you see the Christmas show? Yesterday we did a show in Budapest, and I wasn’t able to see it. We came home this morning”
When was this show recorded?
Liz: “It was recorded last week”.
You met Frank Farian recently. What do you know about his plans for Boney M.’s 30th Anniversary? Can we expect a reunion of the original members?
Liz: “Yes, we met. Actually I don’t know much about his plans for that. He did mention it, but I don’t know what he’s up to. He had other reasons too to come to England, and he’s in a legal battle now with Maizie. I think he’s got her by the tail, and Maizie has him by the tail, but I don’t know much about it. I think Frank wanted to see me simply to see what I was doing and what I was up to. We didn’t discuss serious matters or future plans.
Marcia contacted me to ask me for a reunion earlier this year. I told her I had to think about it. We were offered a lot of money to do a tour with the original Boney M. A while later I wrote Marcia a letter in which I explained that I wasn’t ready for it. I don’t blame anyone for what happened in the past, only myself. I don’t even blame Frank Farian anymore. I made mistakes myself. I don’t want to make the same mistakes again; therefore I don’t want to tour with Bobby and Maizie anymore. Besides that, because of the current problems between Frank and Maizie it seems very unlikely that she will appear on a 30th anniversary show.
I wouldn’t mind to do something with Marcia, because we did the vocals for Boney M., but that’s not interesting enough for promoters. They want the original line up.”
When the original line up split, you finally ended with a line up with Maizie Williams and a girl named Celena Duncan and a dancer…. How came that to be?
Liz: “This was after the split of the original formation in 1986. The story goes back with Bobby, Maizie and Marcia, who did a tour with another Dutch girl in 1987 who couldn’t sing, but looked like me. Bobby had contracts for a tour in France, but then shortly before the tour, Marcia was upset for some reasons, and she quit. So Bobby had a problem, because there was no singer. Bobby phoned Thomas asking me to help him out for this tour, because he already signed the contracts. It was shortly after my daughter Adero was born (she was born in May, and Bobby phoned somewhere in July, I think). So I did this tour with Maizie, Bobby and a girl named Celena Duncan.
I arranged contracts for a tour in Scandinavia, and then Bobby and the other girl didn’t show up, so I had to find another girl and a dancer. Together with Maizie I formed a line up with Celena Duncan and a dancer.
There were plans for a new Boney M. album with Charly Prick in Belgium, which Bobby arranged. They first wanted to do this without me, and then they asked me to come back, which was the start of “No One Will Force You”. It ended up with me doing all the lead and backing vocals, and problems developed. So this ended up to become my first solo album. “No One Will Force You was originally indented” to become a Boney M. album.
Shortly after that the plan for the ’88 remix reunion came, and Marcia and Bobby rejoined.”
What are your plans for the New Year?
Liz: “First of all we want to have the new album “Let It Be” officially released. I think the album is good. I see don’t see it pure as a gospel album, because of the music and the rhythms. Of course, all the songs are about Jesus, but the music and arrangements are not pure gospel. I would like to call it an Inspirational album instead of gospel album. I hope this album gives strength to people, even if they don’t believe in God. And for the rest…. We’ll see what happens. We also shot a video clip of “Let It Be” and we think about releasing a DVD. I hope to please all the fans.
Liz, thank you for this conversation.
Liz: “Thank you for calling me. I want to wish you and all the fans a merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Thanks for all your support.”
By: Casper Janssen / Official Liz Mitchell Fanclub
