24 Jun 2024 16:12:52
While there's a lull in the action in Germany does anybody have a favourite modern German song or band?
My own nomination is "Big in Japan" by Alphaville. Haunting and beautiful about 2 young lovers trying ( and failing) to give up their heroin addiction. In the top 50 best ever songs for me. Just brilliant! ??????.
24 Jun 2024 16:29:45
By the way Ed 1 do you recognise the Liverpool connection to this hit mate?
{Ed001's Note - I have no idea mate, I don't know the song or group at all sorry.}
24 Jun 2024 16:44:00
Rommell and the raider's for me.
Tanks for the memories a classic ?.
24 Jun 2024 17:37:26
Winds of Change by The Scotpions is a great number too!
24 Jun 2024 18:21:08
Good shout Rogie. I did like Kraftwerk but eventually all their songs started to sound the same. Do you remember Nena and 99 Red Balloons? Or, going back a bit Heinz Burt, old style rock and roll who did Eddie Duane type songs back in the 60s and 70s I think?
24 Jun 2024 18:15:57
Ed 1 Big in Japan were a Liverpool Punk Bank who’s members only went on to success after they split up and joined other bands, the most famous member probably being Holly Johnson. Marion Gold, vocalist of Alphaville saw BIJ perform ( not sure if in Liverpool or Germany) and the name inspired the lyrics.
Holly Johnson had never heard of them until their song displaced Relax as number 1!
{Ed001's Note - punk isn't my thing so I had never heard of them either. Interesting stuff though Stokey.}
24 Jun 2024 18:55:07
Rammstein.
24 Jun 2024 18:55:44
David Hasselhoff was big in Germany.
24 Jun 2024 19:07:41
He was MYWDT. yes 99 Red Balloons. was "Da Da Da" by Trio back in 1982 a Ferman group?
Could be wrong.
24 Jun 2024 19:18:09
I do love music that 'breaks the boundaries'. The Model by Kraftwerk to me was one of those. A superb German band who brought the electro stuff onto the scene. Watch them play this song live on Youtube. Still great.
24 Jun 2024 19:37:48
Another 98 red balloons. Just what this site needs ??????????.
{Ed001's Note - that would be 99 too many....}
24 Jun 2024 19:55:13
Used to work in Germany back in the 70s, hot summer nights in Bremen city square, cold beers and free live music from the likes on John miles, Peter framton and many others. Absolute bliss.
24 Jun 2024 20:02:05
I'm treading carefully here! Probably the most ground-breaking and influential (to me) song that I've ever heard was White Noise by the Irish punk band Stiff Little Fingers. Released late 70's, it was widely derided at the time as a racist rant by people who didn't get the irony of it. I 'got it' straight away - it was Irish guys equating the prejudice that they were suffering to other ethnic minorities also suffering the same in England. When people finally twigged - it was later described as 'the most offensive anti-racist song ever written'.
I won't post the lyrics here. But, suffice to say, this song shaped my future feelings to be driven by empathy to others as a young man growing up in a nasty racist society.
Music can be very powerful.
24 Jun 2024 20:15:30
There's enough trouble with one red balloon on this site being negative, without 99 of them stokey ?.
24 Jun 2024 20:32:23
A good song though, and that nana was well fit.
24 Jun 2024 20:55:23
SLF were great. another grrat obscure band were Double "Captain Of Her Heart"
Absolute one off.
24 Jun 2024 21:07:31
Oh Ed1 come on cup cake ?????.
24 Jun 2024 23:10:14
Ed1 is like the English var officials he only let's you see and be heard if he likes you or takes backhanders ??.
25 Jun 2024 09:56:55
Got Alphaville on 12 inch single back in the day Stokey. I might have a listen at 8 tonight while there's "a lull in the action" ?.
25 Jun 2024 11:49:57
All interesting ( and very funny posts ) posts. RV I have fond memories of Germany, spent a lot of time there, before and after the fall of the wall., Been to all the big cities Berlin, Hamburg, Munster, Munich, Nuremberg, and around Bavaria, Coblenz and Coburg.
Last year Passau and Regensburg on the Danube cruise. Still got a chunk of Berlin Wall wrapped up in my shed. Got arrested with my first wife ( German and French teacher (at Friedrichstrasse Station, detained for about 4 hours and questioned about a book I’d bought at checkpoint Charlie about escapes into the West and foolishly forgot was in my rucksack until it was too late.
Questioned in perfect English by an East German officer who asked my occupation and when I told him asked what type of Police Officer I was. When I told him Uniform Constable he smiled and said “Ah yes, the Bobby on the beat”. Very courteous and professional. When I got home I told my Inspector and to comply with Standing Orders had to submit a General Report to Special Branch as part of a debrief.
I’ll never forget when we crossed the border into East Germany the tannoy blaring out “Welcome to the German Democratic Republic “ whilst armed guards with ferocious dogs searched the train. Then the night journey back to the West through big cities I’ll lit and with no advertising or bright lights at all, largely deserted like there was a curfew.
But you know what? I’m still here and they’re all gone! ????.
25 Jun 2024 17:20:00
Legless, very interesting post about “White Noise”, a bitter but great song. Reminded me of how Morrisey was always getting into trouble for alledged rascism until he set the record straight with another of my favourite songs “English Blood, Irish Heart. I disagree entirely with its sentiments but heard him sing it at the GMEX in Manchester in 2004 I think. Just captivated by it and his charisma on stage. Mind you, although a genius he’s as mad as a box of frogs….
I guess Stiff Little Fingers might have been influenced by the Anglo Irish satirist Jonathon Swift (of Gullivers Travel fame ) when in 1729 he wrote “A Modest Proposal “ about the solution to an Irish famine which was to eat the children and serve them to the English aristocracy. It was met with outrage by the establishment who didn’t see it for what it was, sustained and powerful irony ….
25 Jun 2024 18:12:22
I knew you'd 'get it' too Stokey!