Background

By the end of 1966, the Hep Stars had achieved ten top-10 hits in Sweden, while simultaneously enjoying their fifth number-1 single "Consolation", which was the fourth composition written by a member of the group.^[4][5] They had by now accounted to 10% of all record sales in the country, with specifically Benny Andersson, who composed most of their singles, enjoying the royalties.^[6] It was also around this time that the Hep Stars had decided that they wanted to star in a movie, in similar fashion to the Beatles A Hard Days Night and Help!.^[7] A person outside of the group decided that the majority of the film were to be shot in Nairobi, the capital city of Kenya.^[8] The group started traveling to Kenya without a screenplay, with drummer Christer Petterson admitting that a coherent screenplay first was attempted aboard the airplane.^[8]

After arriving at Embakasi Airport (later renamed to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport), the group continued to film their projected movie during the morning hours. Their knowledge of "Malaika" was entirely coincidental, as during their stay at a hotel in the capital, the Hep Stars were eating dinner and were suddenly approached by a chef, who worked in the hotel restaurant.^[8] Having heard the statement that the Hep Stars were "the Swedish Beatles", he brought a guitar and started playing the song for them, much to their liking.^[8] After finishing shooting the Kenyan parts of their movie, the group traveled back to Sweden, and entered Europafilm Studios in April to record "Malaika" with Gert Palmcrantz producing.^[9]

Release

Liking the song, the single was released the same month, becoming their first single released in 1967. It was issued by their record label Olga Records with the catalogue number SO 38.^[10] The B-side was the Andersson composition "It's Nice to Be Back", which was intended as the closing song for the Hep Stars movie, upon their return to Stockholm.^[8] "It's Nice to Be Back" would later receive a Swedish translation titled "Min Egen Stad" ("My Own Town") recorded by Anni-Frid Lyngstad, who alongside Andersson was a member of ABBA.^[11] The original pressing, which was made in Germany intended for Swedish import credits Fadhili William as the writer of it, making it one of the earliest recordings of the song to do so.

The single first entered Kvällstoppen on 9 May 1967 at a position of number 4.^[12] The following week it had climbed all the way to number 1, a position it would prove to hold for five consecutive week.^[12] On 20 June it had descended to number 2, staying there for three weeks.^[12] On 11 July, it hit number 5 for one week, before descending to number 7, where it would stay for three weeks.^[12] On 8 August, it was at number 8 before traveling to number 9 the following week, a position it hold for one week.^[12] On 22 August, it descended to number 10, before exiting the top-10 for the first time on 29 August, where it was noted at number 15.^[12] "Malaika" was last seen on the chart on 5 September at a position of number 16.^[12] In total, "Malaika" spent 18 weeks on the chart, of which sixteen were in the top-10, ten were in the top-5 and five were at number 1.^[13] The single was also successful on Tio i Topp, where it reached number 6, spending two weeks on the chart.^[14][15] It was the only fully African language-song to reach number one on a Swedish chart.

Personnel

• Svenne Hedlund – lead vocals
• Janne Frisk – guitar, harmony vocals
• Lennart Hegland – bass guitar, harmony vocals
• Benny Andersson – piano, harmony vocals
• Christer Petterson – drums, harmony vocals

It is unclear who plays the flute solo on the recording.

Charts

Personnel

• Lead Vocal: Liz Mitchell
• Backing Vocals: Liz Mitchell, Marcia Barrett, Frank Farian, La Mama (Cathy Bartney, Patricia Shockley, Madeleine Davis).

Releases

7" Single

• "Malaika" (Original single mix) - 4:30 / "Consuela Biaz" (Early version) - 5:05 (Hansa 103 350–100, Germany)
• "Malaika" (Single remix) - 5:02 / "Consuela Biaz" (Single remix) - 4:57 (Hansa 103 350–100, Germany)
• "Malaika" (Single remix) - 5:02 / "Consuela Biaz" (Unedited single remix) - 5:20 (Pepita SPSK 70518, Hungary)

12" Single

• "Malaika" (Long Version) - 5:42 / "Consuela Biaz" (Single remix) - 4:57 (Hansa 600 400–213, Germany)

Charts

1989 Remix

"Malaika (Lambada Remix)" is a 1989 single by German band Boney M., the only single taken from their remix album Greatest Hits of All Times - Remix '89 - Volume II. Although sampling bits of the original 1981 recording, it was more a re-recording than a remix since lead singer Liz Mitchell recorded new vocals for it, being the only member present on this recording since the other three original members Marcia Barrett, Bobby Farrell, Maizie Williams who had teamed up with singer Madeleine Davis had been fired by their producer Frank Farian.

Germany
7"

• "Malaika" (Lambada Remix) - 2:59 / "Baby Do You Wanna Bump" (Remix for the 90s) - 3:35 (Hansa 112 809–100, 1989)

12"

• "Malaika" (Lambada Remix - Long Version) - 5:02 / "Baby Do You Wanna Bump" (Remix for the 90s) - 3:50 / "Happy Song" (French Kiss Remix) - 5:17 / "Malaika" (Lambada Remix - Radio Version) - 2:59 (Hansa 612 809–213, 1989)

CD

• "Malaika" (Lambada Remix - Long Version) - 5:02 / "Baby Do You Wanna Bump" (Remix for the 90s) - 3:50 / "Happy Song" (French Kiss Remix) - 5:17 / "Malaika" (Lambada Remix - Radio Version) - 2:59 (Hansa 612 809–213, 1989)