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Initially performing as the vocalist for the Stripes, Nena assembled her own group after they disbanded, bringing in Carlo Karges (guitar), Uwe Fahrenkrog-Petersen (keyboards), Jürgen Dehmel (bass) and Rolf Brendel (drums) to form her band. In their home country, Nena found immediate success with her debut single, "Nur Geträumt," which was a number one hit in 1982.
But it was with their next single, "99 Luftballons" in 1983 that Nena was to shoot to international fame, with the song quickly becoming a worldwide hit, recording an english-language version to spread her music to new audiences. The song reached number one in the UK and number two in the US charts, becoming one of the best known German pop songs of all time.
However, despite the success, the band's popularity quickly declined, with Nena embarking on a solo career in 1989. Nena released albums regularly throughout the 90s, writing songs herself and with co-authors, taking a break between performing due to becoming pregnant. Her music remained an exciting blend of the Beatles rock & roll with her recognisable punk edge. During this time she became a frequent face on German TV on various variety shows.
In 2001, she released a progressive electronica-influenced album, "Chokmah," but it failed to make any real success. Yet Nena was to again make inroads in the modern music scene, with her 20th anniversary live album, "Feat. Nena: Live," becoming a runaway success, reminiscent of her meteoric rise to fame after her 1983 single. Her following album, 2005's "Willst Du Mit Mir Gehn," continued to prove to be successful, becoming certified Platinum and appealing to a new audience with her heavy rock sound. Nena continued to establish her music through a 2009 covers album, a greatest hits record released in 2010 and her 2012 album "Du Bist Gut", continuing to appeal to a wide audience. Her performances have remained energetic, drawing large numbers of fans.
Prior to the earliest incarnation of Alphaville, founders lead singer Marian Gold and keyboard player Berhard Lloyd were members of the multimedia arts collective, the Nelson Community. The pair subsequently formed the live band Chinchilla Green, before Lloyd and second keyboardist Frank Mertens invited Gold to be vocalist of Alphaville. Originally formed under the moniker “Forever Young” in 1982, in 1983 the group secured a record deal with WEA, and by 1984 the name Alphaville had been chosen, named after the Jean-Luc Godard film of the same name.
Alphaville’s debut single “Big in Japan” was released in 1994 becoming a worldwide hit single, and topping the charts in Germany, Greece, Sweden, Turkey, and Venezuela. The single paved the way for Alphaville’s debut album “Forever Young”, which earned widespread popular reviews, topping the charts in both Norway and Sweden. The album’s subsequent singles were “Sounds Like a Melody” and “Forever Young”, both of which became top European successes despite failing to make an impression in the U.S.
Mertens departed the group after the release and was replaced by Ricky Echolette, who earned his first credit on Alphaville’s sophomore album “Afternoons in Utopia”. Issued by Warner/Atlantic in June 1986, the record host over 25 guest musicians, and was marked by utopian and cosmic themes. Led by the singles “Dance with Me”, “Universal Daddy”, and “Jerusalem”, the album earned positive reviews and charted at No. 13 on the German Album Chart. The full-length “The Breathtaking Blue” appeared in 1989 spawning the singles “Romeos” and “Mysteries of Love”. It would be five years before Alphaville released any original material with the single “Fools” ahead of the full-length “Prostitute” released in 1994.
Following another short hiatus, Alphaville returned to release “Salvation”, appropriately named as it represented a resurgence in the band’s success. Waving a salutary hanky to the experimental aesthetic of their previous albums, “Salvation” saw a return to snythpop, notably on the singles “Wishful Thinking”, “Flame”, and “Soul Messiah”. Following the release of the live album “Stark Naked and Absolutely Live” in 2000, it was 13 years before Alphaville’s sixth studio album “Catching Ray on Giant” found its release, which was led by the single “I Die for You Today”.
Born Kim Smith, the daughter of the Vernons Girls’ Reginald Smith or Marty Wilde, Kim Wilde completed a foundation course at St Albans College of Art & Design before signing with RAK Records in 1980. The singer’s debut single “Kids in America” arrived a year later in 1981 and earned Wilde instant success. “Kids in America” debuted at No. Two on the UK’s Singles Chart and reached the Top Five in a host of other countries including France, Germany and Australia. The single paved the way for Wilde’s eponymous debut album, which peaked in the Top Three of the UK Albums Chart and spawned the further singles “Chequered Love” and “Water on Glass”.
Wilde’s 1982 album “Select” was another successful album, aided by the singles “Cambodia” and “View from a Bridge”, which both became chart-topping singles in France. The singer’s third album “Catch as Catch Can” was a comparative failure and Wilde subsequently left RAK Records and inked a deal with MCA in 1984.
The singer-songwriter’s debut for MCA arrived in 1984 entitled “Teases & Dares” and whilst it didn’t perform well in the UK, it earned a positive response and chart listing throughout the rest of Europe. Led by the single “Schoolgirl”, “Another Step” was issued in 1986, which spawned the surprise hit “You Keep Me Hangin’ On”. The reinvention of The Supremes classic hit became a No. Two single in both the UK and Australia, and in 1987 became a rare U.S. No. 1 Hit Single.
The success of the single propelled Wilde to popularity and her subsequent album “Close” spent close to eight months in the UK Albums chart. The release led to the singer opening for Michael Jackson on his Bad World Tour, and after the release of “Love Moves” in 1990, Wilde became the opening act for David Bowie on his European tour.
After collaborating with Rick Nowels to produce the album “Love Is” in 1992, and releasing her first compilation album “The Singles Collection 1981-1993”, Wilde embarked on an extensive world tour including gigs in Australia and Japan. The new millennium brought an ’80’s revival tour alongside Paul Young, The Human League and Howard Jones, and after signing a new record deal with EMI, Wilde released her 10th studio album “Never Say Never” in 2006. The singer-songwriter has subsequently released the albums “Come Out and Play” in 2010, “Snapshots” in 2011, and the Christmas themed “Wilde Winter Songbook” in 2013.
The group’s name was actually taken from a reference in the “A Clockwork Orange” novel (The Heaven Seventeen was the name of a fictional pop band within the story), but before Ian Craig Marsh and Martyn Ware founded this group they clocked in time as two of the three core members of the New Wave act Human League. During their formative stages The Human League weren’t exactly viewed as a New Wave band (at least in the general sense), but were rather associated with experimental electronica and at times punk.
The Human Leagues‘ lead singer Paul Oakley wanted to take a step in a more pop oriented direction, while Marsh and Ware wanted to work with the sound they had been developing on their 1st two albums. The rift between the members only grew with time and by 1980 Marsh and Ware left the Human league to form Heaven 17. The line up for their new project was completed once photographer Glenn Gregory filled the vacancy for vocalist. Their early recordings were characterized by heavy use of drum machines and analog synthesizers, but also included contributions by session musicians, integrating the sounds of more traditional instrumentation such as the grand piano.
Heaven 17 crashed into the public’s attention with their catchy, but lyrically controversial debut single “(We Don’t Need This) Fascist Groove Thang”. The track was pulled from BBC Radio 1’s rotation on account of it’s politically left overtones; however, many of those that managed to get ahold of it latched on and eagerly anticipated the band’s next offerings.
The wait was answered in September 1981 with the release of their studio debut “Penthouse and Pavement”, while the album was by no means a commercial hit, it sold modestly well and established a devout cult following. It has since been recognized as a crucial artifact of the synth pop genre and has gone on to appear in the book, “1001 Albums You Must Listen to Before You Die”.
The group still struggled to make it into the UK top 40 with their follow up single “Let Me Go”, but went well beyond their mark with the release of the track “Temptation”. This single climbed to no. 2 on the UK Singles chart and set the stage for their breakthrough sophomore album “The Luxury Gap”. The album included an additional three hit singles “Crushed By the Wheels of Industry”, “Let Me Go”, and “Come Live With Me” and eventually reached platinum status within the UK.
Heaven 17 never managed to achieve the commercial success they touched with their 2nd studio album; however, they were still going strong with their 3rd full length release “How Men Are”. It peaked on the UK Albums Chart at no. 12, went Gold and also introduced a modified sound for the group, emphasizing acoustic instruments and string sections into their previously synth dominated mix.
Also during this time Heaven 17 were immersed in the work of their production company B.E.F. (British Electronic Foundation), putting out cover albums such as “Music of Quality & Distinction Volume One” and helping produce Tina Turner’s classic version of the song “Let’s Stay Together” (which has been attributed to reviving her career).
In 1986 Heaven 17 made their concert debut on the UK pop/rock music program, the Tube and the following November released their 4th studio album “Pleasure One”. Though the album charted in the UK top 100 ranking at no. 86, it was a significant drop from their previous no. 12 position, which they achieved with “How Men Are”. Their 1988 follow up “Teddy Bear, Duke & Psycho” did not do any better on the UK charts; however, it landed at no. 46 on the German Albums Chart and featured the western guitar influenced single “The Ballad of Go Go Brown”.
Heaven 17 released only 1 studio album in the 1990s, “Bigger Than America”. The album did not garner commercial success, but it did earn favorable reviews with the critics, in particular their standout single “Designing Heaven”. Ware spent the majority of this decade operating the production company BEF and producing albums for the likes of Marc Almond, Erasure, and Terence Tent D’Arby.
The band’s follow up “Before After” came out in 2005 through Ninthwave Records and did reasonably well on a commercial level, peaking at no. 6 on the Billboard Magazine Club Play Charts. The next Heaven 17 release “Naked as Advertised” was their 1st release not to include Marsh and was a compilation of reworked Heaven 17 and Human League songs. The band still continues to release material and tour on occasion.
"We Built this City on Rock and Roll". Possibly one the most memorable hooks of the 80s. I have yet to meet a person who is not familiar with this song. And if you are not, then I probably don't want to meet you.
Of course, Starship is the band responsible for this 80s classic and the many others they have blessed us with over the years. Seeing Starship is one of my most memorable live music experiences. They were just fantastic, and their live performance was a real testament to their musical craft.
Having seen the band a few times since then and very recently, the line up has changed but despite this, the chemistry between members, new and old, never flounders, which is so refreshing to see. Mickey Thomas does a fantastic job of fronting Starship solo these days and still commands the stage with the same presence he did 25 years ago.
I will never tire of hearing "We Built This City" live, along with other hit records such as "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now" and "Sara", and neither will other fans. As long as they continue to play, then I will continue to jump aboard that 'Starship'.
lhulbert1
Proving that new wave, as achingly eighties as it was, wasn’t just a genre for the English-speaking world, Nena broke through in 1983 with her classic pop track ’99 Luftballons’; the song went to number two on the U.S. charts and fared similarly across the German’s home continent, but she did indeed go on to re-record it in English the following year, just for the benefit of our ignorance of other languages. You can probably chalk her up as a one hit wonder, though, outside of her home country at least; her original, eponymous band broke up in 1987, with Nena herself then going on to have modest success across Europe in her own right, continuing to release solo records to this day. In 2002, the celebration of her twentieth anniversary in music helped her to return to serious prominence in her native Germany, with a new DVD reaching platinum status. Her popularity over there continues to this day, with an arena run across the country planned for later this year; as usual, she’ll be joined by her live band to run through choice cuts from her fifteen albums to date. In 2004, she made a rare appearance in the UK, playing ’99 Luftballons’ both in German and English at Shepherd’s Bush Empire with Howard Jones; she’s not been back since, so jumping on a plane might be your best bet for the foreseeable future.
Joeg_67
Thirty-two years is a very long time to be in a band, even if you have a long list of singles, albums and success along the way. It doesn’t seem to be a problem for the German dream pop veterans, Alphaville, whom people know them for their debut smash hit, “Big in Japan”, which took the charts by storm in 1984. They take to the stage as the houselights go down and the blue lights go up. Their entrancing synthesizers and vocoders make you feel as though you are floating through space, and a very colourful space at that. It is no secret that Alphaville know exactly what they are doing as they play through their synth laden classics, “Red Rose”, “Romeos”, “Fools” and of course their hit, “Forever Young”, which resurfaced in the charts five years ago when indie pop band Youth Group reprised and recorded it, only for it to go on to feature as a recurring love theme for the characters, Ryan and Marissa in season three on the TV drama series The O.C. It doesn’t end there though, as it was featured in the 1989 movie, Listen to Me, and a high school prom-related scene in the 2004 film, Napoleon Dynamite. There is a moment of transcendence as they sing this nostalgic classic. It is the peak of the set when the old fans and the new fans join together to sing in breathtaking harmony, followed by a loud cheer from the audience. It is no surprise from the audience’ reaction as to why this band are still doing what they do best.
Lannistaar
It’s probably not unreasonable to say that Kim Wilde was one of the iconic pop figures of the eighties; after her signature track, ‘Kids in America’, introduced her to the world in 1981, she’d go on to channel the new eave stylings of the decade in a manner that proved so successful that she actually managed to sell in excess of ten million records worldwide. Her best-selling record, Close, came at the close of that decade, proving that her appeal spanned it from start to finish, although once the nineties swung around, her commercial viability had unmistakably begun to wane. In 2006, after an absence of almost a decade, she released the appropriately-titled Never Say Never, and has continued to record since, releasing her latest, the Christmas-themed Wilde Winter Wonderland, in 2013. She still performs live, too, and not just, as became notorious a couple of years ago, drunkenly on the train, either; that incident, though, might actually have been the spark for her to tour the UK late last December, with a trio of Christmas shows comprising her first shows in the country for thirty years. She’s making a couple of festival appearances this summer, too, marking a comeback to the live scene for one of Britain’s most successful pop exports.
Joeg_67
Heaven 17, a new wave synthpop band out of the UK. Two of the original members were in the Human League! Not automatically a head turner as far as music goes but I was interested enough to see their concert when they played as a duo.
Immediately I realized this was not the synthpop I expected. They were lively, upbeat, very eighties pop. This was not gothic or low in tone. It was a fun band having fun with synthetic music and vocals. Their lead vocalist, Glenn Gregory, was lively, upbeat, and had clear fun with the music and the fans without hesitation. It was a wonderful start to a wonderful live show. Then the bass came in. What a wonderful sound and bass riff. I am an amateur bass player and as soon as I heard what they were doing with bass I was floored.
I could not believe a band like this was putting so much funk into their music, synthetic or otherwise. They kept up the tempo and the pace. They kept up the fun. The audience was into it and loving it. They used a variety of sounds and instruments to create unique sounds and a fun show for all involved. I would highly recommend seeing a show by Heaven 17 to anyone that is remotely interested in doing so.
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