Mary's Boy Child – Oh My Lord

1978 single by Boney M. This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.Find sources: "Mary's Boy Child – Oh My Lord" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (March 2014) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

"Mary's Boy Child / Oh My Lord"Single by Boney M.B-side"Dancing in the Streets"Released24 November 1978RecordedOctober 1978Genre Christmas eurodisco Length5:43 (7" version)5:40 (French 7" version)5:22 (Spanish 7" version)6:18 (12" version)Label Hansa (FRG) Sire (US/CAN) Atlantic (AUS/UK) Songwriters Jester Hairston Frank Farian Fred Jay Hela Lorin ProducerFrank FarianBoney M. singles chronology

"Rasputin" (1978)

"Mary's Boy Child / Oh My Lord" (1978)

"Painter Man" (1979) Music video"Boney M. - Mary's Boy Child (Officical Video)" on YouTube

"Mary's Boy Child / Oh My Lord" is a 1978 Christmas single by Boney M., a cover of Harry Belafonte's 1956 hit "Mary's Boy Child", put in a medley with the new song "Oh My Lord". The single had its premiere on 2 November 1978 on the German TV-show Starparade (Episode 44) which aired on ZDF. It topped the UK Singles Chart for four weeks and became Christmas number one in the UK, spending eight weeks in the charts. It has sold 1.89 million units as of November 2015. It was the second single for the group in the UK's all-time best selling singles list. The song was later included as a 5:10 edit leaving out the third verse and with a shortened "Oh My Lord" in the group's Christmas Album, issued in 1981. In the United States, the track reached number 85 on the Billboard Hot 100, Boney M's last of four singles to chart there. In 2017, it experienced a resurgence and peaked at number 89 on the Holiday 100. In certain areas of the U.S., the medley can sometimes be heard during the Thanksgiving/Christmas holiday season on radio stations which change to temporary all-Christmas music formats.

[edit] A promotional gatefold single (Hansa, 15 816 AT, Germany) backed with "Never Change Lovers in the Middle of the Night" (from Nightflight to Venus) was released shortly before the commercial single which had a new track on the B-side "Dancing in the Streets". Different edits were issued in various countries. In Spain and France, the third verse (Now Joseph and his wife Mary came to Bethlehem that night ...) was excised, while the French mix of "Oh My Lord" was a different mix. The full-length 6:18 mix appeared as the B-side of the 12" single "Dancing in the Streets".[citation needed]

[edit] Two music videos were produced to promote the single. One featured the band in a white room wearing white furry coats, while the second, made to promote the 1988 remix featured the band once again dressed in white with a nativity scene.

[edit] After Christmas, Hansa Records flipped the single and released it with "Dancing in the Streets" on the A-side. The non-album track was sung solely by the group's producer Frank Farian, singing the chorus in multi-dubbed falsetto vocals and singing the verse in his deep voice. The mix that came out on the B-side of "Mary's Boy Child" in the UK and US was an early version with shriller falsetto vocals and no answer-back chorus vocals in the verses. Despite the lack of success, the track was chosen as the one to launch Boney M. in the USA which remained the only territory the group had yet to conquer. The group did a promotional tour in April 1979 and also lip-synced the track at important TV shows such as Soul Train but the single stalled at number 105 on the Pop chart and fared only slightly better on the R&B chart (number 75).

[edit] 7" singles

"Mary's Boy Child / Oh My Lord" – 5:43 / "Dancing in the Streets" (Farian) – 3:57 (Hansa Int. 100 075–100, Germany) "Mary's Boy Child / Oh My Lord" – 5:43 / "Dancing in the Streets" – 3:43 (Atlantic K 11221, UK) (Sire 1036, USA) "Dancing in the Streets" – 3:57 / "Mary's Boy Child / Oh My Lord" – 5:43 (Hansa Int. 100 075–100, Germany) "Dancing in the Streets" – 3:57 / "Motherless Child" (Farian / Mitchell) – 4:33 (Durium DE 3047, Italy) "Dancing in the Streets" – 3:55 / "Never Change Lovers in the Middle of the Night" – 5:01 (Sire 1038, USA) 12" single

"Dancing in the Streets" – 6:18 / "Mary's Boy Child / Oh My Lord" – 6:18 (Hansa Int. 600 009–212, Germany) "Dancing in the Streets" – 6:18 / "Never Change Lovers in the Middle of the Night" – 5:01 (Sire SRD 1040, USA)

[edit]

Chart (1978–1979)

Peakposition

Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)

3

Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)

4

Finland (Suomen Virallinen)

5

Germany (Official German Charts)

1

Ireland (Irish Singles Chart)

1

Netherlands (Single Top 100)

2

New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)

8

Norway (VG-lista)

2

Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)

1

Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)

1

UK Singles (Official Charts Company)

1

US Billboard Hot 100

85

Chart (2015)

Peakposition

Ireland (IRMA)

47

Chart (2016)

Peakposition

[edit]

Region

Certification Certified units/sales

Australia (ARIA)

Gold

35,000‡

Denmark (IFPI Danmark)

2× Platinum

180,000‡

France

—

100,000

Germany (BVMI)

Gold

1,000,000

Netherlands (NVPI)

Gold

100,000^

New Zealand (RMNZ)

Platinum

30,000‡

United Kingdom (BPI)

Platinum

1,885,274

Summaries

Benelux

—

200,000

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

[edit] "Rivers of Babylon (Remix)"/"Mary's Boy Child / Oh My Lord (Remix)"Single by Boney M.from the album Greatest Hits of All Times – Remix '88 A-side "Rivers of Babylon (Remix)" "Mary's Boy Child / Oh My Lord (Remix)" ReleasedOctober 1988GenreR&B, discoLabelHansa (FRG)ProducerFrank FarianBoney M. singles chronology

"Bang Bang Lulu" (1986)

"Rivers of Babylon (Remix)" / "Mary's Boy Child / Oh My Lord (Remix)" (1988)

"Megamix" (1988)

"Rivers of Babylon/"Mary's Boy Child / Oh My Lord" is a 1988 remix single by German band Boney M., issued to launch the group's reunion, having been split since their 10th anniversary, 1986. The double A-side single contained new mixes of the band's two very most successful single releases ever. Although their remix album sold well, the single failed to chart.

[edit] "Christmas Mega Mix"Single by Boney M.from the album The Most Beautiful Christmas Songs of the World ReleasedNovember 1992GenreR&B, discoLabelHansa (FRG)ProducerFrank FarianBoney M. singles chronology

"Stories" (1990)

"Christmas Mega Mix" (1992)

"Mega Mix" (1992)

"Christmas Mega Mix" is a 1992 remix single by German band Boney M., issued to launch a new edition of their Christmas album, The Most Beautiful Christmas Songs of the World. The Christmas Mega Mix was in fact just another name for a new remix of "Mary's Boy Child - Oh My Lord". In the UK, the new mix was put on the B-side of their "Mega Mix" single.

Releases[edit] 7" single

"Mary's Boy Child/Oh My Lord" (radio version) – 3:58 / "Zion's Daughter" – 3:50 (Hansa 74321 11933 7–100, Germany) CD

1. "Mary's Boy Child/Oh My Lord" (radio version) – 3:58 / 2. "Zion's Daughter" – 3:50 / 3. "When a Child Is Born" – 3:19 / 4. "Mary's Boy Child/Oh My Lord" (long version) – 5:09 (Hansa 74321 11933 2–211, Germany)

Charts[edit]

Chart (1988)

Peakposition

UK Singles (OCC)

52

[edit] The song has been covered by the Australian pop band The Eclectics featuring Jared Lerner; Johnny Mathis in 1982; Anne Murray in 1988; and on Glee in the episode "Previously Unaired Christmas" from the fifth season.

The magic of "Mary's Boy Child – Oh My Lord" lies in its seamless blend of a reverent carol with the disco‑era flair that defined Boney M. When the track burst onto the UK charts in 1978, it offered a fresh, dance‑floor‑ready take on a traditional hymn, making it instantly appealing to both churchgoers and clubbers. Its upbeat rhythm and lush harmonies give the song a timeless bounce that still feels contemporary, which is why it re‑appears on radio rotations and Spotify playlists every December. The medley’s structure—starting with the familiar, gentle verses before launching into the exuberant "Oh My Lord" chorus—creates a lift that mirrors the festive mood, encouraging listeners to sing along and even get up for a cheeky kitchen dance.

If you want to add the track to a Christmas collection, consider the format that matches your listening habits. The original 7" single offers the classic 5‑minute‑plus edit, perfect for nostalgic vinyl fans who appreciate the warm analogue tone of 1970s pressings. For streaming or digital playlists, the remastered version found on most major platforms provides a cleaner mix without sacrificing the original’s vibrant strings and backing vocals. DJs looking for a longer groove should seek out the 12" extended cut, which runs over six minutes and gives extra room for a seamless set transition. Keep an eye on compilations that bundle the B‑side "Dancing in the Streets"—it’s a fun bonus that showcases the group’s versatile festive catalogue.