Rasputin remake - not Boney M

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Hi, I'm trying to find a song that was played fairly frequently on a modern rock radio station (Live 105 in S.F.) in the late 80s, possibly up through 1990.

It was about Rasputin, but I don't think it was the Rasputin song by Boney M because it sounded more modern (hollow and detached, a kind of Depeche Mode vibe), less 1970s disco-y. But it had pretty much the same lyrics and song structure. Oh, and the "singer"/narrater of the song I'm looking for sounded whiter than Barney Sumner, so I don't think it's just a Boney M remix.

I did a search on ilm and the www, so please don't jump on me if it's been covered already.

― Melinda Mess-injure, Saturday, 27 August 2005 22:06 (twenty years ago)

The only cover of Rasputin I could find reference to on Allmusic was by James Last. That might be what you want.

― William Bloody Swygart (mrswygart), Saturday, 27 August 2005 22:17 (twenty years ago)

Thanks! Hah hah, I see you wrote about it on Stylus.

I think I'm wrong now -- it's probably just a remake, an update from the 1978 version.

― Melinda Mess-injure, Saturday, 27 August 2005 22:39 (twenty years ago)

Duh, what I meant to say that what I'm looking for is probably just a remix, not a remake.

― Melinda Mess-injure, Saturday, 27 August 2005 22:41 (twenty years ago)

There's a Finnish version of Rasputin sung by a guy called Frederik, and I've also heard a Russian version in a Riga nightclub, but these obviously aren't what you're looking for. Is Rasputin even a Boney M original?

― Tuomas (Tuomas), Saturday, 27 August 2005 22:46 (twenty years ago)

Was it by (the Depeche-like) I Start Counting? I've definitely got the 12-inch single, and I think that's who does it.

― xhuxk, Saturday, 27 August 2005 22:50 (twenty years ago)

The I Start Counting one is a mixup of "Rawhide" and "Rasputin" called "Ra Ra Rawhide".

― OleM (OleM), Saturday, 27 August 2005 23:14 (twenty years ago)

again, not absolutely positive (and i'm not where i can check it right now), but i'm pretty sure the i start counting 12-inch i own has both that medley and a straight "rasputin" cover

― xhuxk, Saturday, 27 August 2005 23:32 (twenty years ago)

*checks Mute online discography*

Indeed that one exists. You appear to have the limited edition 12", as opposed to the regular one.

― OleM (OleM), Saturday, 27 August 2005 23:50 (twenty years ago)

three weeks pass...

gilla a german singer produced again by frank farian was issue as well it was a total copy production and vocal s but sung in german

― karen mc farrland, Sunday, 18 September 2005 02:29 (twenty years ago)

eight months pass...

"Rasputin" is also the title of a song by an underground, gothic band, Johnny Hollow.

― [email protected] (fogg1966), Monday, 12 June 2006 18:32 (twenty years ago)

Yay, cheers to everyone who answered!

I believe it's the "Ra-ra-rawhide" one. I'm going to ask a DJ who grew up listening to Steve Masters on 105.3 if he has a copy of this song.

― Melinda Mess-injure (Melinda Mess-injure), Tuesday, 13 June 2006 03:16 (twenty years ago)

> i'm pretty sure the i start counting 12-inch i own has both that medley and a straight "rasputin" cover <

I'm looking at my copy of the I Start Counting 12" now, and I was wrong about the straight "Rasputin" cover. A side is "Ra! Ra! Rawhide"; B side is "Seventeen Pens" and "John Arlott." Catalog # is 12 Mute 81; release date is 1988. Speed is 45 RPM. The first Ra! on the cover is painted like an American flag; the scond Ra! is red with hammers and sickles inside. Quote on the back is from John F. Kennedy: "Communism is the wave of the future." And the entire song lyric, mixing "Rasputin" with "Rawhide," is on the back as well.

― xhuxk (xheddy), Tuesday, 13 June 2006 11:37 (twenty years ago)

B side is "Seventeen Pens" and "John Arlott."

A song about John Arlott - how cool is that!

― Dadaismus (Dada), Tuesday, 13 June 2006 11:46 (twenty years ago)

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