Far Corporation

Far Corporation

Company type	Music group
Industry	Music
Founded	1985
Founder	Frank Farian
Defunct	1994
Headquarters	United Kingdom
Area served	International
Key people	Frank Farian, Robin McAuley, Henry Gorman, Curt Cress, Peter Bold, Bobby Kimball, David Paich, Steve Lukather
Products	Music albums and singles

Far Corporation was an international music group assembled by the German producer Frank Farian, who is also recognized for creating Boney M. and Milli Vanilli. The band's name originated from "Frank Farian Corporation" and was initially established to record a charitable rendition of Paul Simon's "Mother and Child Reunion", which achieved top 10 status across multiple European charts. The ensemble included artists from Barclay James Harvest, Toto, Boney M, and Force Majeure.

History

Far Corporation gained prominence primarily through their cover of "Stairway to Heaven", notable for being the first version to enter music charts since Led Zeppelin never issued the song as a single. Their interpretation climbed to #89 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in October 1986, reached #8 on the UK Singles Chart, secured #9 in Ireland, attained #16 in South Africa, and peaked at #23 in Australia. The group featured key performers such as vocalists Robin McAuley and Henry Gorman; drummers Curt Cress and Peter Bold; alongside three members from Toto: Bobby Kimball, David Paich, and Steve Lukather. Their initial album, Division One (1985, IMP/ATCO Records), also included a cover of Free's "Fire and Water."

To promote their music, they performed a playback session on the German ZDF television program "Rockpop," an event attended by Robert Plant, who complimented McAuley's vocal performance. Additionally, rehearsal clips were utilized in Puma sportswear advertisements featuring the Austrian band Opus's hit "Live is Life," which created an impression that Far Corporation was performing live.

A follow-up album titled Advantage was prepared for release in 1987, with singles such as "One by One" and a rendition of Cockney Rebel's "Sebastian." However, neither single charted successfully, resulting in the album being shelved. In 1989, their song "She's Back Again" appeared on the soundtrack for the German TV series "Blaues Blut." Previously unreleased recordings from this era later emerged as duets performed by Bobby Kimball on Jayne Collins's Ambush in the Night (1989) and Milli Vanilli's The Moment of Truth (1991). Most of these tracks—excluding "One by One"—were reworked with fresh material for 1994’s Solitude (MCI-BMG), which featured guitarist Scott Gorham of Thin Lizzy and 21 Guns; this album also contained a cover of 21 Guns' "Just a Wish." Released to celebrate Farian's 25 years as a producer, Solitude did not achieve comparable commercial success to their earlier work.

Division One (1985)

1. "Stairway to Heaven" (Led Zeppelin cover) – 9:34
2. "You Are the Woman" – 4:33
3. "One of Your Lovers" – 3:44
4. "Live Inside Your Dreams" – 3:32
5. "Johnny, Don't Go the Distance" – 6:34
6. "Fire and Water" (Free cover) – 3:55
7. "If You Could See You Through My Eyes" – 3:48
8. "No One Else Will Do" – 3:30
9. "Rock 'N' Roll Connection" – 3:36

Advantage (1987) - Unreleased album

1. "One by One" – 4:24
2. "Sebastian" (Cockney Rebel cover) – 6:03
3. "You Never Have to Say You Love Me" – 3:40
4. "She's Back Again" – 4:18
5. "Make Believe" (> Jayne Collins, 1989)
6. "Big Brother" (> The Real Milli Vanilli, 1991)
7. "No Alibi" (> John Davis (singer), 1990)
8. "Full Moon" – 4:05
9. "Hole In The Air"
10. "Solitude"

Solitude (1994)

1. "Rainy Days" – 4:40
2. "She's Back Again" – 4:18
3. "Solitude" – 4:52
4. "You Never Have to Say You Love Me" – 3:21
5. "Full Moon" – 4:05
6. "Rikki Don't Lose That Number" (Steely Dan cover) – 4:10
7. "Just a Wish" (21 Guns cover) – 4:15
8. "Hole in the Air" – 3:38
9. "Sebastian" (Cockney Rebel cover) – 6:03
10. "You Change My Life" – 3:55
11. (Bonus Track) "One of Your Lovers [Remix '94]" – 3:49
12. (Bonus Track) "Stairway to Heaven [Remix '94]" – 8:46

External links

• Far Corporation at MusicMight