Novelty Song Friday #15 — “Daddy Cool,” by Boney M.

My x-boyfriend is the one who directed me to the video. He was convinced that Bobby Farrell of Boney M. was the prototype for Prince as far as fashion goes. When I saw this video, I had to wonder also. Beware, the song is an earworm!

Per wikipedia:
Boney M. is a Euro-Caribbean vocal group created by German record producer Frank Farian. Originally based in West Germany, the four original members of the group’s official line-up were Liz Mitchell and Marcia Barrett from Jamaica, Maizi Williams from Montserrat, and Bobby Farrell, a performing artist from Aruba. The group was formed in 1976 and achieved popularity during the disco era of the late 1970s. Since the 1980s, various line-ups of the band have performed with different personnel.

The band has sold around 100 million records worldwide and is known for international hits such as “Daddy Cool“, “Ma Baker”, “Sunny”, “Rasputin”, “Mary’s Boy Child – Oh My Lord” and “Rivers of Babylon“.

“Daddy Cool” is a song recorded by Boney M. and included on their debut album, “Take the Heat off Me.” It was a 1976 hit and a staple of disco music, and became Boney M.’s first United Kingdom hit. It was the second Boney M. single, released in 1976, without making any major impact at first. After a spectacular performance on the Musikladen TV show in September the single became a hit, topping most European charts. It reached number six in the United Kingdom charts and number 65 in the United States Billboard Hot 100. The single also topped the German charts and reached the Top 20 in Canada. It proved to be the major European breakthrough of the band.

“Daddy Cool” was a novelty gimmick record with an unusual, percussive intro by producer Frank Farian doing rhythmic tic-tic-tics and playing on his teeth with a pencil. Farian also sang all male voice parts (Bobby Farrell always danced to full playback). His characteristic deep voice sings: “She’s crazy like a fool…” and is answered by the bright voices of Liz Mitchell and Marcia Barrett: “…wild about Daddy Cool”. This line has been misheard by listeners as “…what about Daddy Cool”, so much that the band started singing it that way during live performances. The bass riff kicks in and builds to the instrumental theme followed by the repetitive, nursery rhyme-like verse and chorus twice.

She’s crazy like a fool
Wild about Daddy Cool

She’s crazy like a fool
Wild about Daddy Cool
I’m crazy like a fool
Wild about Daddy Cool

Daddy, Daddy Cool
Daddy, Daddy Cool
Daddy, Daddy Cool
Daddy, Daddy Cool

She’s crazy like a fool
Wild about Daddy Cool
I’m crazy like a fool
Wild about Daddy Cool

Daddy, Daddy Cool
Daddy, Daddy Cool
Daddy, Daddy Cool
Daddy, Daddy Cool

She’s crazy about her Daddy
Oh, she believes in him
She loves her Daddy

She’s crazy like a fool
Wild about Daddy Cool
I’m crazy like a fool
Wild about Daddy Cool

Daddy, Daddy Cool
Daddy, Daddy Cool
Daddy, Daddy Cool
Daddy, Daddy Cool
Songwriters: Frank Farian / George Reyam