Dschinghis Khan (song)

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"Dschinghis Khan"
Self-titled song by Dschinghis Khan German vinyl single.jpg
Standard artwork (Jupiter release pictured)
Single by Dschinghis Khan
from the album Dschinghis Khan
LanguageGerman
B-side"Sahara"
Released1979 (1979)
Recorded1979
GenreDisco
LabelJupiter Records
Songwriter(s)
  • Ralph Siegel
  • Bernd Meinunger
Producer(s)Bernd Meinunger
Dschinghis Khan singles chronology
"Dschinghis Khan"
(1979) 		""Moskau""
(1979)
Music videos
"Dschinghis Khan" on YouTube
"Dschinghis Khan (2020)" on YouTube
Eurovision Song Contest 1979 entry
Country
Artist(s)
  • Louis Hendrik Potgieter
  • Wolfgang Heichel
  • Henriette Heichel-Strobel
  • Edina Pop
  • Steve Bender
  • Leslie Mándoki
As
Dschinghis Khan
Language
German
Composer(s)
Ralph Siegel
Lyricist(s)
Bernd Meinunger
Conductor
Norbert Daum
Finals performance
Final result
4th
Final points
86
Entry chronology
◄ "Feuer" (1978)
"Theater" (1980) ►

Dschinghis Khan (German pronunciation: [ˌdʒɪŋɡɪs ˈkaːn]; "Genghis Khan") was the West German entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1979, performed in German by Dschinghis Khan. Cover versions by a number of other artists were subsequently released as singles and album tracks.

Dschinghis Khan version[]

The song was performed ninth on the night, following Switzerland's Peter, Sue & Marc and Pfuri, Gorps & Kniri with "Trödler und Co" and preceding Israel's Milk and Honey with "Hallelujah". At the close of voting it had received 86 points, coming fourth in a field of nineteen.

The song was written and composed by the prolific duo of Ralph Siegel and Bernd Meinunger, and owes a considerable debt to disco music, specifically of the Boney M tradition. As the name suggests, it is in praise of the titular Mongol warrior, with verses extolling his military ("and about his enemies he only laughed / because nobody could resist his strength") and sexual ("and each woman, that he liked / he took into his tent / they said, a woman who did not love him / did not exist anywhere in the world / he fathered seven children in one night") prowess. Indeed, the entirety of his band are the subjects of this paean, being described as exceptional drinkers with a devil-may-care attitude to life ("and the devil gets us early enough").[1]

The song had a lasting success in Japan. In 2014 it was certified gold for 100,000 digital downloads, after first being released digitally in 2006.[2]

Charts[]

Frederik version[]

Finnish singer Frederik covered the song as "Tsingis Khan" in his 1979 album Tsingis Khan, with Finnish lyrics by Juha Vainio. According to the website of Frederik, the composer of the original song, Ralph Siegel, considered the Frederik version to be even better than the original.[9] Siegel offered Frederik to also cover the song "Hadschi Halef Omar", which he did as "Sheikki Ali Hassan" in a 1980 single.

Frederik's version of the song is also used as ring entry theme by Russian boxer Denis "Tsingis Khan" Shafikov.

Berryz Kobo version[]

"Dschinghis Khan"
Berryzjingisukancdonly.jpg
Regular Edition cover
Single by Berryz Kobo
from the album 5 (Five)
LanguageJapanese
B-side"Darling I LOVE YOU" (Berryz Kobo ver.)
ReleasedMarch 12, 2008[10]
Recorded2008
Genre
LabelPiccolo Town
Composer(s)Ralph Siegel
Lyricist(s)
  • Bernd Meinunger
  • Iori Yamamoto
Producer(s)Tsunku
Berryz Kobo singles chronology
"Tsukiatteru no ni Kataomoi"
(2007) 		"Dschinghis Khan"
(2008) 		"Yuke Yuke Monkey Dance"
(2008)
Music videos
"Dschinghis Khan" on YouTube

The Japanese girl idol group Berryz Kobo also released a cover of the song, albeit with toned-down lyrics, which do not make mention to the more explicit details pertaining to war, rape or the consumption of alcoholic beverages found in the 1979 original.

This single release marks the group's first cover song to be slotted as an a-side in a single. There are two versions to this single, a limited edition with a DVD (PKCP-5112~3) and a regular edition (PKCP-5114 – first pressing containing a photo card and a ticket for a raffle to attend an event promoting the single).[11]

The song was used as the main song to the group's musical, Dschinghis Khan ~Wa ga Tsurugi, Nessa wo Some yo~ (ジンギスカン～わが剣、熱砂を染めよ～), running through January 2008.[12]

The single debuted at number 4 in the Oricon Daily Singles Chart and ranked 5th for the week.[13]

It was Berryz' highest selling single until the release of "Motto Zutto Issho ni Itakatta / ROCK Erotic" in 2013.

In 2009, the single was released in Thailand. It became one of the top songs of the year, ranking 26th in the Channel V Thailand's Asian Top 50 Year-End Chart of 2009.

Track listings[]

CD single[]

CD[11][]
  1. Dschinghis Khan (ジンギスカン, Jingisukan)
  2. Darling I LOVE YOU (Berryz Kobo ver.) (ダーリン I LOVE YOU (Berryz工房 ver.), Dārin I LOVE YOU (Berryz Kōbō ver.))
  3. ジンギスカン (Instrumental)
Limited Edition DVD[14][]
  1. ジンギスカン (Dance Shot Ver.)

Single V[15][]

  1. ジンギスカン (Video Clip)
  2. ジンギスカン (Close-up Ver.)
  3. Making-of Video (メイキング映像, Meikingu Eizō)

Charts[]

Chart (2008) Peak
position 		Weeks
on chart 		Sales
First
week 		Total
Japan (Oricon Daily Singles Chart) 4
Japan (Oricon Weekly Singles Chart) 5 8[16] 30,667[13] 37,096

Awards[]

Japan Cable Awards[]

The Japan Cable Awards are sponsored by the National Cable Music Broadcasters Association (全国有線音楽放送協会, Zenkoku Yūsen Ongaku Hōsō Kyōkai).

Year Nominee / work Award Result
2008 "Dschinghis Khan" by Berryz Kobo Cable Music Award[16] Won
Grand Prix* Nominated

* awarded to the most requested song of the year on the cable radio

Dschinghis Khan × Berryz Kobo single[]

"Dschinghis Khan Tartar Mix"
Dschinghis Khan×Berryz Kobo Dschinghis Khan Tartar Mix Regular Edition (PKCP-5122) cover.jpg
CD single cover
Single by Dschinghis Khan×Berryz Kobo
Language
  • Japanese
  • German
ReleasedSeptember 17, 2008 (2008-09-17) (CD single)
November 25, 2008 (2008-11-25) (Single V)
Recorded2008
Genre
  • J-pop
  • Eurobeat
LabelPiccolo Town
Composer(s)Ralph Siegel
Lyricist(s)
  • Bernd Meinunger
  • Iori Yamamoto
Producer(s)Tsunku
Music videos
"Dschinghis Khan Tartar Mix" on YouTube "Dschinghis Khan Tartar Mix (Beta Ver.)" on YouTube

"Dschinghis Khan Tartar Mix" (ジンギスカン　タルタルミックス) is a single by the collaboration unit Dschinghis Khan×Berryz Kobo (ジンギスカン×Berryz工房). It was released on September 17, 2008, following the success of Berryz Kobo's version. The title track "Dschinghis Khan Tartar Mix" featured a mix of both groups' vocal tracks. The music video for the new song had Berryz Kobo digitally put into a video of an old Dschinghis Khan's performance, so that the two groups seemed to appear together at the ZDF-Hitparade television show.

The single debuted in the Oricon Weekly Singles Chart at number 35, staying in the list for 3 weeks.[17]

Charts[]

Chart (2008) Peak
position 		Weeks
on chart 		Sales
First
week 		Total
Japan (Oricon Weekly Singles Chart) 35 3[18] 2,847[17]

Track Listings[]

CD single[]

  1. Dschinghis Khan Tartar Mix (ジンギスカン タルタルミックス)
  2. Dschinghis Khan (Berryz Kobo Ver.) (ジンギスカン (Berryz工房 Ver.))
  3. Dschinghis Khan (Dschinghis Khan Original Ver.) (ジンギスカン (ジンギスカン オリジナル Ver.))

Single V[]

  1. Dschinghis Khan Tartar Mix (ジンギスカン タルタルミックス)
  2. Dschinghis Khan Tartar Mix (β Ver.) (ジンギスカン タルタルミックス(β Ver.))
  3. Making Eizō (メイキング映像, "Making-of")

Other covers[]

  • Swedish dansband Vikingarna released a Swedish-language version of the song, "Djingis Khan", on the 1979 album Kramgoa låtar 7[19] and as a 1979 single with "Annie's sång" acting as B-side. They also scored a Svensktoppen hit with the song for 10 weeks between 24 June-26 August 1979, including topping the chart.[20]
  • Spanish singer Iván published a version with unrelated lyrics under the title "Sin Amor" (1979).
  • Hong Kong Cantopop singer George Lam released a Cantonese cover of the song "Cheng Ji Si Han" (成吉思汗),[21] which is included in his 1979 album Choice (抉擇).
  • In Chile, the musical group Malibú published a version in Spanish, called "Genghis Khan" (1979).
  • A Thai language version of this song was released by the Thai band in 1979.[22]
  • "Yidden", a cover with unrelated Yiddish lyrics, first recorded by Mordechai Ben David in 1986, is a popular Jewish line dance.[23]
  • Another version of this song was performed by Die Apokalyptischen Reiter on the Dschinghis Khan EP (1998).
  • The Korean dance/hip-hop group Koyote have also made a cover of the song, "Aja! Aja!" (아자! 아자!), which appears on their 2007 compilation album Dance Best and 9.5.
  • A spoof version of this song is routinely performed by the comedy group Blondon Boys, in the Chilean variety late show Morandé con Compañía. It's called "Somos heterosexuales por opción" ("We are heterosexual by choice").

References[]

  1. ^ "Dschinghis Khan" lyrics, Diggiloo.net
  2. ^ レコード協会調べ 4月度有料音楽配信認定 [Record Association Investigation: April Digital Music Download Certifications]. RIAJ (in Japanese). May 20, 2014. Retrieved May 20, 2014.
  3. ^ "Dschinghis Khan – Dschinghis Khan" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 29 October 2021.
  4. ^ "Dschinghis Khan – Dschinghis Khan" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 29 October 2021.
  5. ^ "Dschinghis Khan – Dschinghis Khan". VG-lista. Retrieved 29 October 2021.
  6. ^ "Dschinghis Khan – Dschinghis Khan". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 29 October 2021.
  7. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Dschinghis Khan – Dschinghis Khan". GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 29 October 2021.
  8. ^ "Top 100 Single-Jahrescharts" (in German). Offizielle Deutsche Charts. 1979. Retrieved 29 October 2021.
  9. ^ And it has stayed as an ever green hit in Finland. Bio, Frederik official website(in Finnish)
  10. ^ "Berryz工房『写真満載★タイ・バンコクの初ライブを密着レポート！』-ORICON STYLE ミュージック" (in Japanese). Oricon. 2010-04-29. Retrieved 2012-03-11.
  11. ^ a b ジンギスカン, Berryz工房 Archived February 26, 2008, at the Wayback Machine, Piccolotown
  12. ^ "Berryz工房、モンゴル菓子を手土産に舞台応援！" (in Japanese). Oricon. 2007-12-26. Retrieved 2012-03-11.
  13. ^ a b "Oricon CD single Weekly Ranking - ORICON STYLE Ranking (2008-03-24)" (in Japanese). Oricon Inc. Retrieved 2012-02-17.
  14. ^ ジンギスカン, Berryz工房, HMV Japan
  15. ^ [ジンギスカン], Berryz工房, Piccolotown
  16. ^ a b "ジンギスカン Ｂｅｒｒｙｚ工房のプロフィールならオリコン芸能人事典-ORICON STYLE" [Berryz Kobo's Oricon profile] (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved 2012-02-17.
  17. ^ a b "Oricon CD Single Weekly Ranking - ORICON STYLE Ranking (2008-09-29)" (in Japanese). Oricon Inc. Retrieved 2012-02-17.
  18. ^ "ジンギスカン タルタルミックス ジンギスカン×Ｂｅｒｒｙｚ工房のプロフィールならオリコン芸能人事典-ORICON STYLE" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved 2012-02-17.
  19. ^ "Kramgoa låtar 7" (in Swedish). Svensk mediedatabas. 1979. Retrieved 28 April 2011.
  20. ^ "Svensktoppen". Sveriges Radio. 1979. Retrieved 3 May 2011.
  21. ^ [1]
  22. ^ "German Classics: Dschinghis Khan - The Royal Sprites". Eurocovers. April 16, 2011.
  23. ^ Goldstein, Yoni (August 22, 2018). "rom Yoni's Desk: The only Yiddish word I needed to know". The Canadian Jewish News.

External links[]

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