Boney M

[4getmenot]

What does the M stand for?

[teegeeteegee]

hi this is taken from the boney m website.

so as you see at the bottom the m means nothing.

So let's start with the Boney M. name - plucked by Frank Farian straight from the TV screen in Germany where the popular Australian crime drama series Boney was showing. The show itself was based on books by crime writer Arthur Upfield and the visual allegory for Farian was perfect: the character Boney (an abbreviation of Bonaparte) was James Laurenson, a blacked-up, fair-haired white actor with blue eyes playing the character of Detective Inspector Napoleon 'Boney' Bonaparte, supposedly part Aboriginal, part white, carrying out investigations across Australia. And in front of the screen was Farian, a white man singing what sounded like a black song with a rich black voice, rather embarrassed by the fact that he was really a white man in vocal disguise! We are perhaps fortunate he never considered stretching to the lengths of his tv inspiration but instead used his better judgment to breathe life into a band that properly reflected his sound and truly became the personification of his vast talent. As for the "M." - we're not sure - any suggestions you send us will be investigated!

[4getmenot]

Brilliant, I shall have to make up my own M then :-)

[THAIBUS]

The M stands for Music

[Dudley]

Way back in the late 1950s there was a Rock'n'Roll hit single called Boney Moroney by Larry Williams. Maybe it was something to do with that.

[brachiopod]

"Miming"

[brachiopod]

"Manufactured"

[brachiopod]

Sorry, just to elucidate further on teegeeteegee's answer;

Frank Farian was the vocal of 'Boney M' - having composed and recorded "Daddy Cool" (their first single) before 'Boney M' the group were even formed.
As producer, composer and manager, all he required was their image to front his 'band' - with quirky front-man Bobby Farrell apparently 'singing'.
It was made out to be big news at the time (but no real shock I assure you!) - when, later, it was exposed that Farrell didn't actually sing.

Strangely enough, Farian went on to manufa... err.. I mean produce 80's duo Milli Vanilli. And would you believe it!? They never sang on their (first) records either !!!!!

[Richard Spud]

"M" is for "Manky Hair" on Bobby Farrell the very anoying front mime

[blackpoolmac]

Munters

[IbanezGuitar]

Misguided