City (Band)

DDR - year charts

Title

Q: rock lexicon of the GDR

City is a German music group. The band was founded in 1972 in East Berlin and received his breakthrough with their title at the window. At first they called themselves City Rock Band or City Band Berlin.

History

City was founded in 1972 by Fritz Puppel (guitar ) and Klaus Selmke (drums) in Berlin- Prenzlauer Berg as City Band Berlin. They expanded the band around

  • Ingo Doering ( bass),
  • Frank Pfeiffer (vocals) and
  • Andreas Pieper (flute).

In 1974 a reshuffle of the band, because Puppel, who taught as a lecturer at the School of Music Friedrichshain, was unhappy with the members of the band.

The first single release of the band in the DDR record label Amiga was also carried out in 1975. Their breakthrough in the music scene they had in 1977 with the title of the window. In 1978, the eponymous LP. In the Federal Republic of Germany and in Greece they received gold records. There was a further reshuffle of the band.

  • Rüdiger Barton came from Magdeburg as a keyboard player ( went to Silly later)
  • Gisbert Piatkowski (formerly Magdeburg, later to NO 55, Modern Soul Band ) joined as guitarist.

With this line appeared the English-language LP Dreamer, which was produced by Jack Rieley of the Beach Boys. Outside Germany, the album was released as Dreamland. It was the first East German record that it war.Als designed for the English market in 1981 led to internal tensions in the band, Gogow and Piatkowski left the band and formed NO 55 Gogows item was no longer occupied, as it was felt not finding an equivalent replacement. Without bass and without hair with City by the 80s, which also alluded to the low growth of hair of some City - members: During this time, the slogan was born. In some songs, a bass line, and other effects were (also string sounds ) with a keyboard.

Manfred Hennig ( formerly Babylon, POND and elephant) came in 1982 for Barton, who moved to Silly. After this reshuffle Puppel again took over the guitar. With the lyrics of their 1987 released LP Casablanca she broke some taboos, including the ambiguous titles such as Susann and wall to wall. In September 1989, the City musician belonged prior to the turn of the initiators of the resolution of rock musicians and songwriters for more freedom in the GDR.

After the turn Puppel and Krahl founded the record label K & P Music, as announced by the new freedom demise of the former Ostbands. This label produced, among others, André Herzberg ( Pankow ), carat and germination time.

Since 1992 Gogow again belongs to the band. Since then, he again plays violin and bass. 1995 Hennig returned back after a break to City. From 1998 City occurred together with Silly, where Krahl the vocals of Tamara Danz took over.

Hits

The greatest success of City is the song at the window, which was sold worldwide more than 10 million times. Your first Western LP City ( in the GDR: the window ) with a 17 -minute-long version of this song it has so far to half a million copies sold. It is the largest ever success of DDR songs in western Germany. Even today, he appeared there on in most classic playlists and is regarded as dance floor filler. The lyrics of this song based on a poem by Hildegard Maria Rauchfuß, but one stanza of Krahl was sung by mistake twice. The title was originally for the album production due to its length and the violin, she was not at that time an understanding of rock music, not planned by Amiga and not desirable. Since Amiga City always turned four hours for studio productions and was available after recording still time remaining, Gogow Helmar Federowski asked, in addition to take another one of her pieces. Under the condition that it be used only for personal use and not to bring to the public, was recorded live at the window. On the same day Gogow went to the editor of the beat box and asked him to play the title on the radio. Thereafter, the record stores were stormed, for a single that did not exist. Thus, it managed City that Amiga used the recording to press a single from this album.

The song was composed by Henry Casablanca Hübchen.

Discography ( albums)

191392
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