My friend Jack - Boney M

The Japanese branch of record company Atlantic decided to release 'My friend Jack' as the A-side of this single, whereas 'I see a boat on the river' was the A-side in Europe. The sleeve of this single remained largely the same, with a photograph of the group performing a song. 

Originally 'My friend Jack' was a song released by the English freakbeat group The Smoke in 1967. The song was written by all four members of the group: Geoff Gill, Mal Luker, Zeke Lund and Mick Rowley. The song seems to suggest the use of psychedelic drugs (specifically LSD) in lines such as 'My Friend Jack eats sugar lumps' and suggests traversing the world inside his mind (such as 'Been on a voyage, across an ocean').

When Boney M recorded the song, Zeke Lund was working as a sound engineer for their producer Frank Farian. Presumably he suggested the song for the group. 

My collection: 7" single no. 8433
Found: Discogs.com, received 24 September 2026
Tracks: 'My friend Jack' / 'I see a boat on the river' 

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