Overview

Formed in 1986, The London Boys consisted of Edem Ephraim and Dennis Fuller fronting for their producer and songwriter Ralf-René Maué (but not in the Milli-Vanilli way because Edem and Dennis sing their own tunes). As accomplished dancers, Ephraim and Fuller quickly made a name for themselves across Europe thanks to their high energy performances and eurodisco beats.

The 1989 album "The Twelve Commandments of Dance" reached number 2 in the UK charts and is probably their best known work. This review however covers the lesser-known 1995 album "Hallelujah Hits" released shortly before the untimely demise of Ephraim and Fuller in a car accident. "Hallelujah Hits" is an unusual crossover album fusing traditional gospel compositions with eurodance beats.

Tracklisting

1. Gospel Train to London

Opening with a quick snatch of Bach-inspired organ, this track, which went on to become a single quickly escalates into a high-energy rendition medley of gospel classics "Oh Happy Day" before slipping into "He's got the whole world in His hands" a quick rap interlude followed by "Michael Row the Boat Ashore" and finishing with "Nobody Knows". The uptempo beat and unbridled joy of the Ephraim, Fuller and their backing choir is infectious and will have you tapping along. 4 out of 5.

Best lyric:
Ride, ride, ride come on and
Ride the gospel train to
London!

2. Kumbaya

A synth opening somewhat reminiscent of Vangelis' Chariots of Fire blends seamlessly into a disco-themed Kumbaya. Although any beaver, cub, scout or girl guide will be able to sing along with this one, I bet they have never heard Kumbaya like this before. Another infectiously jolly eurodance track. 4 out of 5.

Best lyric:
Kumbaya, my Lord
Kumbaya!

3. Lay Down Your Body

A tinkling synth merges with Ephraim and Fuller singing lay down your body before breaking into 2Unlimited style organs and then relaxing back into the reprise. The chorus breaks into something musically reminiscent of a western barfight soundtrack before the hardcore synth leaps in again with a solo. This track just should not work with so many different references and influences and yet it all merges brilliantly to create something unique. 3.5 out of 5.

Best lyric:
Lay down your body
down by the river side

4. Wade in the Water

This track opens with all the hallmarks of early hip hop and is much more relaxed than the tracks that go before it. Again the lyrics, sung by a gospel choir, are a chorus of a classic gospel track instructing the listener to wade in the water. This track also sounds less euro-influenced than its predecessors and would not have been amiss on the multitude of dance compilations available in the mid-nineties. An above average 3.5 out of 5.

Best lyric:
Wade in the Water
God's gonna trouble the water

5. Hallelujah Hits Part II

A return to outright disco, ha-ha-hallelujah hits are burning is another gospel medley merging "Amazing Grace" replete with techno keyboards into "Over in the Glory Land" before another rap break in the middle third. And then onto "Glory Glory Hallelujah", "When the Saints go Marching in" and (bizarrely) "Auld Lang Syne"! Isaac Newton's hymn never sounded so cool. 4 out of 5.

Best lyric:
Amazing grace how sweet the sound
that saved a wretch like me

6. Go Down Moses

For a lightweight band, Go Down Moses is a bit of a shock, dealing as it does with the Middle East conflict and the effect that the fighting has on the everyday person. The verses are spoken over a mellow beat and subtle synth before breaking into the chorus of Go Down Moses. Essentially a plea for peace in Israel, this song is my favourite on the album and proves that maybe Ephraim and Fuller were not just bubblegum pop eurodisco divas... 4.5 out of 5.

Best lyric:
I see the Israelites and a child that cries
And the Martyrs of the P.L.O.
And an old man by the Wailing Wall
Who's seen it all before...

7. Joshua Fit the Battle of Jericho

A Jean Michelle Jarre inspired opening quickly breaks into happy house dance complete with the essential euro laser zapping sound effect and a joyful rendition of "Joshua fit the Battle of Jericho" by the gospel choir. Fuller then comes in with a ragga-inspired rap about the futility of extended conflict. Another classic toe-tapper 4.5 out of 5.

Best lyric:
Irie is the living in a white bread world
But the cry of mental slavery can't be overheard
Gotta pump it, pump it, pump it
Gotta pump up the bass!
Let the ragga rock an' rumble
Gonna tear down this place

8. Swing Low, Sweet Chariot

Another change of tempo, this version of a choir-classic could be an eighties pop track with bouncy keyboard and Bomb the Bass style drumbeat. The gospel choir sing the words everyone knows, interspersed with lines from what sounds like a sample of a Martin Luther King sermon. Nothing like a rugby terrace singalong. 3.5 out of 5.

Best lyric:
Now sometimes I'm up and sometimes I'm down
...Coming for to carry me home...
But then still my soul feels heavenly bound
...Coming for to carry me home...

9. Rock My Soul

A whispered rock my soul chant melts into more eurodance complete with tubular bells before the choir picks up with yet another classic gospel song. The verse sung by Ephraim is oddly distorted making him sound miles away as he trades lines with the choir about the future life of a christian believer. Because this track goes on a little longer than it should 3 out of 5.

Best lyric:
Rock! Rock and roll away all the stones
My soul! Is a little piece of heaven
Rock! Rock and roll away all the stones
My soul! Is a piece of heaven

10. Go Tell it on the Mountain

More quintessential 90s synth work over a Banarama-style female chorus of Go! melds into a spoken pseudo-sermon by Ephraim. The chorus is much slower than previous tracks, as the choir sings "Go Tell it on the Mountain" before another spoken verse; unlike rap however, Ephraim's verses sound a little more like a poetry recitation! 3 out of 5.

Best lyric:
A prisoner of this pleasure dome
A witness of the greed
The sands are finally running out
And soon we shall be free.

Conclusion

I love this album because of the puzzle that it presents to the listener just by its existence. Back in 1998, The London Boys released an album which enjoyed popular success across Europe, reaching number 4 in the UK charts. For whatever reason Ephraim and Fuller "reformed" in 1996, changed their name to "The New London Boys" and committed career suicide by releasing an album guaranteed to upset theists, atheists and agnostics by mixing classic "sacred" gospel choruses with eurodisco beats. Even the usual pop star trick of dying to sell more records seems to have failed for Fuller and Ephraim as despite being killed in a tragic car accident in 1996 (along with Ephraim's wife and another DJ) as "Hallelujah Hits" did not chart.

One of the other reasons I love this album is the joyous abandon demonstrated by Fuller, Ephraim and the choir as they belt out choruses that everyone knows. I have played this album (or portions thereof) to a number of people and they have all involuntarily sung along (including my wife!), carried away by the infectious rhythms and memorable lyrics. I often find my kids wandering the house singing snatches of these tunes and the album is rapidly replacing Anberlin and Burlap to Cashmere (see my other reviews) as the most requested when out in my car!

Hallelujah Hits is an example of 90s dance and eurodisco at its very best: high tempo beats, catchy tunes and singalong choruses. Although quite hard to come by these days (my copy had to come from Germany), I would recommend this album to anyone even remotely interested in dance music or genuinely unusual music mixes.

Links

The London Boys on Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London_boys
London Boys fanpage: http://members.dslextreme.com/users/mrv/london_boys/londonboyshome.htm
Burlap to Cashmere review: http://cd.ciao.co.uk/Anybody_Out_There_Burlap_To_Cashmere__Review_5835589
Anberlin review: http://cd.ciao.co.uk/Cities_Anberlin__Review_5844219

© ben-lloyd 2009. This review may appear on other websites under the same user name.