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Rasputin (song)
Encyclopedia
"Rasputin" is a 1978 disco
hit single by the Germany-based pop
and disco
group Boney M., the second single off their hugely successful album Nightflight to Venus
. The song is a semi-biographical song whose subject and namesake is Grigori Rasputin
, a friend and advisor of Tsar Nicholas II of Russia
and his family during the early 20th century. The song variously sensationalizes Rasputin as a playboy, mystical
healer, and political demiurge
.
"Rasputin" is also distinctive for its incorporation of melody lines from a Serbian ("Ruse kose curo imaš") and Turkish
("Üsküdar'a Gider İken / Kâtibim") folk song
, while the spoken line "Oh, those Russians" at the end of the song mimics a line in Eartha Kitt
's recording of "Kâtibim
".
The song references Grigori Rasputin's alleged healing of hemophiliac Tsarevich Alexei of Russia, and how this endeared him to the boy's mother, the Tsarina Alexandra Fyodorovna (former Princess Alix of Hesse). It also claims that Rasputin was Alexandra's paramour ("Ra Ra Rasputin: lover of the Russian queen") and that Rasputin's political power overshadowed that of the Tsar himself. While the song accurately indicates that many unfavorable rumor
s damaged Grigori's reputation, there is no verifiable evidence to suggest that he had an affair
with Alexandra.
The end of the song recounts a modified version of a popular description of the events that culminated in Rasputin's assassination
, as perpetrated by Felix Yusupov
, Vladimir Purishkevich
, and Dmitri Pavlovich of Russia on December 16, 1916 (O.S.). Specifically, the song states that Rasputin's assassins fatally shot him after he survived the poisoning of his wine with a very large dose of cyanide
.
and Switzerland
. It was another number 1 hit for Boney M. in Australia, providing them a second (and last) chart topper in that country (the other one being "Rivers Of Babylon").
Although the song was written and performed in English
(with a smattering of German
- But the kasatschok he danced really wunderbar!), it enjoyed great popularity in the Soviet Union
, and is credited with making Rasputin famous again there, although it was omitted from the Russian pressing of the album and Boney M. were barred from performing the song during their 10 performances in Moscow in December 1978.
During their visit in Poland in 1979, Boney M. performed Rasputin despite being asked not to by communist officials. The show was broadcast on national TV the next day, after the song was edited out of their performance.
The song has been covered by a number of other bands in varying musical styles, perhaps most notably by the Finnish folk metal
band Turisas
. Boiled in Lead
also covered it in a heavy metal version.
The Washington, D.C. based dance/rock band Ra Ra Rasputin takes its name from the song.
The song is included on the Wii
console game Just Dance 2.
The song can be heard being sung in the background at a party in the movie Charlie St. Cloud.
recording in German that followed in November 1978 (without success).
" - most other territories chose "Never Change Lovers in the Middle of the Night". Only the UK pressing had the full 5:32 version, most countries faded it by 5:02, Carrere
(France) already at 4:45. In England, "Painter Man" was issued as an A-side single in February 1979, giving the group a #10 hit. In Canada
, "Rasputin" was the A-side and became a major hit, topping the Canadian RPM magazine Adult Contemporary singles chart for two weeks beginning March 24, 1979, and peaking at #7 on RPMs Top 100 pop singles chart that same week. http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?&file_num=nlc008388.0139&type=1&interval=20&PHPSESSID=ii5n9bckicfkivv9mq77vbvlj3 http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?&file_num=nlc008388.0134a&type=1&interval=20&PHPSESSID=ii5n9bckicfkivv9mq77vbvlj3 Despite the Canadian success, the song failed to chart in the United States
.
by the Finnish folk metal
band Turisas
. It was released on September 21, 2007 through Century Media. It features a cover
of the Boney M
song "Rasputin". According to Warlord Nygard
of Turisas, interviewed in Metal Hammer
magazine he responded with: "There's a ferry route between Finland
and Sweden
where people go to buy cheap booze and get wasted. I was sitting there watching a band playing 70s disco covers. They blasted into "Rasputin," and I realised that it would fit perfectly for Turisas." The band has been playing the cover live for a few years and finally decided to record it because of the very positive feedback by the fans. A music video
was shot as well.
A limited edition 7" picture vinyl features "The Court of Jarisleif" as b-side.
iTunes edition:
Disco
Disco is a genre of dance music. Disco acts charted high during the mid-1970s, and the genre's popularity peaked during the late 1970s. It had its roots in clubs that catered to African American, gay, psychedelic, and other communities in New York City and Philadelphia during the late 1960s and...
hit single by the Germany-based pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
and disco
Disco
Disco is a genre of dance music. Disco acts charted high during the mid-1970s, and the genre's popularity peaked during the late 1970s. It had its roots in clubs that catered to African American, gay, psychedelic, and other communities in New York City and Philadelphia during the late 1960s and...
group Boney M., the second single off their hugely successful album Nightflight to Venus
Nightflight to Venus
Nightflight to Venus is the third album by the band Boney M, and was released in July 1978.The album became a major success in continental Europe, Scandinavia, and Canada, topping most of the album charts during the second half of 1978 and also became their first UK number one album...
. The song is a semi-biographical song whose subject and namesake is Grigori Rasputin
Grigori Rasputin
Grigori Yefimovich Rasputin was a Russian Orthodox Christian and mystic who is perceived as having influenced the latter days of the Russian Emperor Nicholas II, his wife Alexandra, and their only son Alexei...
, a friend and advisor of Tsar Nicholas II of Russia
Nicholas II of Russia
Nicholas II was the last Emperor of Russia, Grand Prince of Finland, and titular King of Poland. His official short title was Nicholas II, Emperor and Autocrat of All the Russias and he is known as Saint Nicholas the Passion-Bearer by the Russian Orthodox Church.Nicholas II ruled from 1894 until...
and his family during the early 20th century. The song variously sensationalizes Rasputin as a playboy, mystical
Mysticism
Mysticism is the knowledge of, and especially the personal experience of, states of consciousness, i.e. levels of being, beyond normal human perception, including experience and even communion with a supreme being.-Classical origins:...
healer, and political demiurge
Demiurge
The demiurge is a concept from the Platonic, Neopythagorean, Middle Platonic, and Neoplatonic schools of philosophy for an artisan-like figure responsible for the fashioning and maintenance of the physical universe. The term was subsequently adopted by the Gnostics...
.
"Rasputin" is also distinctive for its incorporation of melody lines from a Serbian ("Ruse kose curo imaš") and Turkish
Culture of Turkey
The culture of Turkey combines a largely diverse and heterogeneous set of elements that are derived from the Ottoman, European, Middle Eastern and Central Asian traditions...
("Üsküdar'a Gider İken / Kâtibim") folk song
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
, while the spoken line "Oh, those Russians" at the end of the song mimics a line in Eartha Kitt
Eartha Kitt
Eartha Mae Kitt was an American singer, actress, and cabaret star. She was perhaps best known for her highly distinctive singing style and her 1953 hit recordings of "C'est Si Bon" and the enduring Christmas novelty smash "Santa Baby." Orson Welles once called her the "most exciting woman in the...
's recording of "Kâtibim
Uska Dara
Uska Dara is a 1953 song by Eartha Kitt. It is based on the Turkish folk song Kâtibim about a woman and her secretary traveling to Üsküdar. Eartha Kitt recorded it with Henri René and his orchestra at Manhattan Center, New York City, on March 13, 1953...
".
Subject
Rumor
A rumor or rumour is often viewed as "an unverified account or explanation of events circulating from person to person and pertaining to an object, event, or issue in public concern" However, a review of the research on rumor conducted by Pendleton in 1998 found that research across sociology,...
s damaged Grigori's reputation, there is no verifiable evidence to suggest that he had an affair
Affair
Affair may refer to professional, personal, or public business matters or to a particular business or private activity of a temporary duration, as in family affair, a private affair, or a romantic affair.-Political affair:...
with Alexandra.
The end of the song recounts a modified version of a popular description of the events that culminated in Rasputin's assassination
Assassination
To carry out an assassination is "to murder by a sudden and/or secret attack, often for political reasons." Alternatively, assassination may be defined as "the act of deliberately killing someone, especially a public figure, usually for hire or for political reasons."An assassination may be...
, as perpetrated by Felix Yusupov
Felix Yusupov
Prince Felix Felixovich Yusupov, Count Sumarokov-Elston , was best known for participating in the murder of Grigori Rasputin, the faith healer who was said to have influenced decisions of Tsar Nicholas II and Tsaritsa Alexandra Feodorovna.-Biography:...
, Vladimir Purishkevich
Vladimir Purishkevich
Vladimir Mitrofanovich Purishkevich , was a Russian politician before the Bolshevik revolution, noted for his monarchist and antisemitic views...
, and Dmitri Pavlovich of Russia on December 16, 1916 (O.S.). Specifically, the song states that Rasputin's assassins fatally shot him after he survived the poisoning of his wine with a very large dose of cyanide
Cyanide
A cyanide is a chemical compound that contains the cyano group, -C≡N, which consists of a carbon atom triple-bonded to a nitrogen atom. Cyanides most commonly refer to salts of the anion CN−. Most cyanides are highly toxic....
.
Reception and legacy
The song rose to the top of the charts in Germany and Austria, and went to #2 in the United KingdomUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
. It was another number 1 hit for Boney M. in Australia, providing them a second (and last) chart topper in that country (the other one being "Rivers Of Babylon").
Although the song was written and performed in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
(with a smattering of German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
- But the kasatschok he danced really wunderbar!), it enjoyed great popularity in the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
, and is credited with making Rasputin famous again there, although it was omitted from the Russian pressing of the album and Boney M. were barred from performing the song during their 10 performances in Moscow in December 1978.
During their visit in Poland in 1979, Boney M. performed Rasputin despite being asked not to by communist officials. The show was broadcast on national TV the next day, after the song was edited out of their performance.
The song has been covered by a number of other bands in varying musical styles, perhaps most notably by the Finnish folk metal
Folk metal
Folk metal is a sub-genre of heavy metal music that developed in Europe during the 1990s. As the name suggests, the genre is a fusion of heavy metal with traditional folk music...
band Turisas
Turisas
Turisas is a Finnish folk metal band from Hämeenlinna. It was founded in 1997 by Mathias Nygård and Jussi Wickström and named after an ancient Finnish God of war....
. Boiled in Lead
Boiled in Lead
Boiled in Lead is a world music band from Minneapolis, Minnesota. They formed in 1983, going through a number of membership changes over the years...
also covered it in a heavy metal version.
The Washington, D.C. based dance/rock band Ra Ra Rasputin takes its name from the song.
The song is included on the Wii
Wii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
console game Just Dance 2.
The song can be heard being sung in the background at a party in the movie Charlie St. Cloud.
Versions
The album pressings of Nightflight to Venus features the title track segued into "Rasputin". Initial LP pressings include the full-length 6:40 version of "Rasputin", most notable for an instrumental interlude in the 3rd verse between the lines "though he was a brute, they just fell into his arms" and "Then one night some men of higher standing ..." that was later cut out. The second LP pressing featured a 6:03 version, subsequent pressings a 5:51 version. Boney M.'s single edit is completely different from the edit used for Frank Farian's GillaGilla
Gilla is an Austrian singer from the late 1970s disco era.-History:Gilla was discovered by German producer Frank Farian who got her signed to Hansa Records in 1974...
recording in German that followed in November 1978 (without success).
The single
The German and Benelux pressings were backed with "Painter ManPainter Man
Painter Man is a song by the music group, The Creation. The song was the group's second, and most successful, single."Painter Man" was later covered by the 1970s pop group Boney M., and reached number 10 in the UK single charts in 1979...
" - most other territories chose "Never Change Lovers in the Middle of the Night". Only the UK pressing had the full 5:32 version, most countries faded it by 5:02, Carrere
Carrere
Carrere was a French record label which specialized in euro disco and pop. Claude Carrere was the founder. He started working with Annie Chancel in 1962 and renamed her Sheila, who remained his sole artist for a while. He set up Carrere Productions and the records were distributed by Philips...
(France) already at 4:45. In England, "Painter Man" was issued as an A-side single in February 1979, giving the group a #10 hit. In Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, "Rasputin" was the A-side and became a major hit, topping the Canadian RPM magazine Adult Contemporary singles chart for two weeks beginning March 24, 1979, and peaking at #7 on RPMs Top 100 pop singles chart that same week. http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?&file_num=nlc008388.0139&type=1&interval=20&PHPSESSID=ii5n9bckicfkivv9mq77vbvlj3 http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?&file_num=nlc008388.0134a&type=1&interval=20&PHPSESSID=ii5n9bckicfkivv9mq77vbvlj3 Despite the Canadian success, the song failed to chart in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Turisas version
"Rasputin" is the second singleSingle (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
by the Finnish folk metal
Folk metal
Folk metal is a sub-genre of heavy metal music that developed in Europe during the 1990s. As the name suggests, the genre is a fusion of heavy metal with traditional folk music...
band Turisas
Turisas
Turisas is a Finnish folk metal band from Hämeenlinna. It was founded in 1997 by Mathias Nygård and Jussi Wickström and named after an ancient Finnish God of war....
. It was released on September 21, 2007 through Century Media. It features a cover
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of the Boney M
Boney M
Boney M. is a Eurodisco group created by German record producer Frank Farian. Originally based in Germany, the four original members of the group's official line-up were Jamaicans Liz Mitchell and Marcia Barrett, Maizie Williams from Montserrat and Bobby Farrell from Aruba...
song "Rasputin". According to Warlord Nygard
Mathias Nygård
Mathias Nygård, also known as his stage name Warlord Nygård, is one of the founders of Finnish Viking metal/folk metal band Turisas, along with Jussi Wickström, in 1997. He is the main vocalist of the band, but also deals with programming and playing keyboards/orchestral elements when performing in...
of Turisas, interviewed in Metal Hammer
Metal Hammer
Metal Hammer is a monthly heavy metal music magazine published in the United Kingdom by Future Publishing, and in several other countries by different publishers. Metal Hammer articles feature both mainstream bands and more unusual acts from the whole spectrum of heavy metal music...
magazine he responded with: "There's a ferry route between Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
and Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
where people go to buy cheap booze and get wasted. I was sitting there watching a band playing 70s disco covers. They blasted into "Rasputin," and I realised that it would fit perfectly for Turisas." The band has been playing the cover live for a few years and finally decided to record it because of the very positive feedback by the fans. A music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
was shot as well.
Track listing
- "Rasputin" – 3:56
- "Battle Metal" – 4:23
A limited edition 7" picture vinyl features "The Court of Jarisleif" as b-side.
iTunes edition
- "Rasputin" – 3:53
- "Rasputin (Heavy Demo Version)" – 3:53
- "Rasputin (Instrumental)" – 3:51
Personnel
- Mathias NygårdMathias NygårdMathias Nygård, also known as his stage name Warlord Nygård, is one of the founders of Finnish Viking metal/folk metal band Turisas, along with Jussi Wickström, in 1997. He is the main vocalist of the band, but also deals with programming and playing keyboards/orchestral elements when performing in...
– vocals, orchestral programming and keyboards - Jussi WickströmJussi WickströmJussi Wickström , is a heavy metal guitarist. He formed the Finnish Viking/Folk metal band Turisas, along with 'Warlord' Mathias Nygård, in 1997. He is the band's only guitarist, and has performed bass guitar, acoustic guitar and double bass on their albums.-Discography:-External links:**]...
– guitar - Tude LehtonenTude LehtonenTuomas "Tude" Lehtonen , is the drummer of the Folk metal band Turisas. He lives in Hämeenlinna, Finland.-Discography:-External links:*] profile]*...
– drums and percussion - Olli VänskäOlli VänskäOlli Vänskä is the violinist of Folk metal band Turisas. He lives in Helsinki. Vänskä first appeared on the debut album Battle Metal as a session musician and played as a touring band member until 2007, when he was officially added to the line-up...
– violin - Hannes HormaHannes HormaHannes "Hanu" Horma was the bass guitarist of the folk metal band Turisas. He lives in Hämeenlinna, Finland. Hanu appeared on Turisas' debut album Battle Metal as a backing vocalist - he was known to them as his own band used the same practice studio...
– bass - Lisko – accordion
External links
- Top Ten Things About "Rasputin" By Boney M stylus magazine, October 31, 2007.
- Rasputin music video at MySpaceTV.com