Brown Girl in the Ring (song)

"Brown Girl in the Ring" is a traditional children's song to the islands of the West Indies. Originally part of the children's game of the same name, thought to have originated in Jamaica, its lyrics instruct the game's performance: a girl enters the ring, formed by children holding hands, and performs a dance.

The song became internationally known when it was recorded by Euro-Caribbean vocal group Boney M. in 1978. Originally it was the B-side of their hit "Rivers of Babylon" but soon became a hit in its own right. The song had previously been recorded in 1975 by the group Malcolm's Locks, leading to a dispute over royalties. Bahamian musician Exuma also recorded a version of the song in 1972. The Boney M. version was remixed in 1993 by Frank Farian.

Origin

Children play ring games in many parts of the world, especially during their pre-teen years. In ''There's a Brown Girl in the Ring, an anthology of Eastern Caribbean song games'' by Alan Lomax, J.D. Elder and Bess Lomax Hawes, it is suggested that ring games are a children's precursor to adult courtship.

Boney M. recording (1978)

Arguably the most popular version of the song, Boney M.'s recording was originally the B-side to the group's number-one hit single "Rivers of Babylon" (1978). In July 1978, following ten weeks in UK Top Ten, five of them at number one, "Rivers of Babylon" slipped to number 18 and then to 20, when radio stations flipped the single. Airplay for "Brown Girl in the Ring" resulted in a happy chart reversal, with the single re-entering the Top Ten, where it would spend an additional nine weeks, peaking at number two in September. Liz Mitchell had previously recorded the song in 1975 with the group ''Malcolm's Locks'', as the B-side of their single "Caribbean Rock". Mitchell's ex-boyfriend Malcolm Magaron was the group's lead singer. Arranger Peter Herbolzheimer accused Frank Farian of stealing his arrangement for the song, for which Farian claimed credit on the single. The court case ran for more than 20 years in Germany.

The early single version (1st pressing) released on the Diamond CD box-set in 2015 includes the full-length 4:18 version. The single mix is also slightly different from the album version: the latter makes use of steel drums on the outro riff of the song whereas the single mix does not. The four-minute single hit version (2nd pressing) has yet to appear on CD (as of July 2018). Rivers of Babylon/Brown Girl in the Ring single is the sixth best-selling single of all time in the UK with sales of 2 million.

1993 remix

Following the successful sales of the compilation album '' Gold – 20 Super Hits'', Frank Farian remixed "Brown Girl in the Ring" for a single release, April 1993, with new lead vocals by Liz Mitchell. The single reached number seven in Denmark and 38 in the UK, while failing to chart in Germany. The single also included a new remix of "The Calendar Song". A "rap version" with vocals from Marlon B was the B-side to most versions of the 1993 remix single.

Other versions

Children's musician Raffi sings the song on his 1987 ''Everything Grows'' album.

Releases

12" single
* "Brown Girl in the Ring (Remix '93)" (MCI/BMG 74321 13705 1, 1993)
Side A
# "Brown Girl in the Ring" (Funny Girl Club Mix) – 5:45
# "The Calendar Song (January, February, March...)" (Remix '93) – 3:24
Side B
# "Brown Girl in the Ring" (Club Mix – Rap Version) – 5:45
# "Brown Girl in the Ring" (Radio Version) – 3:58

CD

* "Brown Girl in the Ring (Remix '93)" (MCI/BMG 74321 13705 2, 1993)
# "Brown Girl in the Ring" (Radio Version) – 3:58
# "Brown Girl in the Ring" (Funny Girl Club Mix) – 5:45
# "Brown Girl in the Ring" (Club Mix – Rap Version) – 5:45
# "The Calendar Song (January, February, March...)" (Remix '93) – 3:24

Recordings

* Lord Invader, a calypsonian

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