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Dschinghis Khan (song)
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Wikipedia article
{{Infobox song
| name = Dschinghis Khan
| cover = Self-titled song by Dschinghis Khan German vinyl single.jpg
| caption = Standard artwork '(Jupiter release pictured)'
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = Dschinghis Khan
| album = Dschinghis Khan
| language = German
| B-side = Sahara
Desert Land
| released =
| recorded = 1979
| studio = Olympia Studios Munich
| genre = Disco
| length = 2:59
| label = Jupiter Records
| writer =
| producer = Ralph Siegel
| next_title = "Moskau"
| next_year = 1979
| misc =
}}
"'Dschinghis Khan'" (; "Genghis Khan") is a song by German disco group Dschinghis Khan. It was the entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1979 and released as the first single from the group's debut album, 'Dschinghis Khan' (1979). It was a number one hit in West Germany, and a top 10 hit also in Austria, Finland, Norway and Switzerland. Cover versions by a number of other artists were subsequently released as singles and album tracks.
Background and release
"Dschinghis Khan" was performed ninth on the night, following 's Peter, Sue & Marc and Pfuri, Gorps & Kniri with "Trdler und Co" and preceding '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").[http://www.diggiloo.net/?1979de "Dschinghis Khan" lyrics], Diggiloo.net
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.
In 2020, the Dschinghis Khan lineup led by Wolfgang Heichel and Stefan Track re-recorded the song and filmed its music video in Mongolia, featuring Heichel interacting with a Mongolian tribe.
Track listings
Charts
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Frederik version
{{Infobox song
| name = Tsingis Khan
| cover = Frederik - Tsingis Khan.jpg
| caption =
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = Frederik
| album = Tsingis Khan
| language = Finnish
| B-side = Linda, Linda
| released =
| recorded = 1979
| studio =
| genre = Disco
| length = 3:00
| label = Finnlevy
| writer =
| producer =
| prev_title = Sano ett pidt musta
| prev_year = 1978
| next_title = "Ii (Siell on se joki)"
| next_year = 1979
| misc =
}}
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.And it has stayed as an ever green hit in Finland. [http://www.frederik.fi/?page=bio Bio], Frederik official website Siegel offered Frederik to also cover the song "Hadschi Halef Omar", which he did as "Sheikki Ali Hassan" in a 1980 single. "Tsingis Khan" peaked at No. 14 on the Finnish Singles Chart and was certified Gold.
Frederik's version of the song is also used as ring entry theme by Russian boxer Denis "Tsingis Khan" Shafikov.
Track listing
Charts
Berryz Kobo version
{{Infobox song
| name = Dschinghis Khan
| cover = Berryzjingisukancdonly.jpg
| alt =
| caption = Regular Edition cover
| type = single
| artist = Berryz Kobo
| album = 5 (Five)
| B-side = "Darling I Love You" (Berryz Kobo ver.)
| released = March 12, 2008
| language = Japanese
| recorded = 2008
| studio =
| genre =
| length = 3:11
| label = Piccolo Town
| composer = Ralph Siegel
| lyricist =
| producer = Tsunku
| prev_title = Tsukiatteru no ni Kataomoi
| prev_year = 2007
| next_title = Yuke Yuke Monkey Dance
| next_year = 2008
| misc =
}}
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).[http://www.up-front-works.jp/discography/piccolotown/05/s_16/index.html , Berryz] , Piccolotown
The song was used as the main song to the group's musical, , running through January 2008.
The single debuted at number 4 in the Oricon Daily Singles Chart and ranked 5th for the week. It was Berryz Kobo's 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
Charts
Awards
Japan Cable AwardsThe Japan Cable Awards are sponsored by the .
|-
| align="center" rowspan="2"| 2008
| align="center" rowspan="2"| "Dschinghis Khan" by Berryz Kobo
| align="center"| Cable Music Award
|
|-
| align="center"| Grand Prix*
|
Dschinghis Khan Berryz Kobo single
is a single by the collaboration unit . It was released on September 17, 2008, following the success of Berryz Kobo's version. The title track "Dschinghis Khan Tartar Mix" features a mix of both groups' vocal tracks. The single also includes both Berryz Kobo and Dschinghis Khan's versions. The music video for the new song had Berryz Kobo digitally placed into a video of an old Dschinghis Khan performance, so that the two groups seem to appear together at the ZDF-Hitparade television show.
The single peaked at No. 35 on Oricon's weekly singles chart, staying in the list for three weeks.
Track listings
Charts
Other covers
* Swedish dansband Vikingarna released a Swedish-language version of the song, "Djingis Khan", on the 1979 album 'Kramgoa ltar 7' and as a 1979 single with "Annie's sng" 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.
* Spanish singer Ivn 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" , which is included in his 1979 album 'Choice' .
* In Chile, the musical group Malib published a version in Spanish, called "Genghis Khan" (1979).
* A Thai language version of this song was released by the Thai band Royal Sprites in 1979.
* "Yidden", a cover with unrelated Yiddish lyrics, first recorded by Mordechai Ben David in 1986, is a popular Jewish line dance.
* 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!" , 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 'Morand con Compaa'. It's called "Somos heterosexuales por opcin" ("We are heterosexual by choice").
References
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