Showing posts with label Propaganda. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Propaganda. Show all posts

Wednesday, November 25, 2015

Retrovision: Propaganda- Duel

"Duel" was one of the most successful single released for the German band Propaganda which was released 30 years ago. The song was taken from their debut album 'A Secret Wish' which was released through ZTT. The song reached #21 which brought them their only appearance on TotP. The song was covered by Sophie Ellis Baxtor in 2007. 


Saturday, January 31, 2015

Best of 1985- The Album List

The year 1985 was the year of big charity concerts and records. Following up on the release of "Do They Know It’s Christmas Time" from 1984, the big Live Aid concert was organised by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure to raise funds for relief of the ongoing Ethiopian famine. The event was held simultaneously at Wembley Stadium in London, UK, and John F. Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, US. Also inspired by Band Aid, USA for Africa band project released "We Are the World", a song written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie. 
Among the best selling albums this year was Dire Straits’ album Brothers in Arms which at the same time was the first ever album to be released on CD. Jennifer Rush had the best selling single in the UK with "The Power of Love" while in the USA, Madonna and George Michael both solo and with Wham! ruled the charts. 
With 1985 New Wave completely faded, knocked out by guitar-driven rock most notably by the Jangle rock which in this period of time was popularized as College rock with R.E.M. and The Smiths paving the way. On the other hand, Electronic music was transforming into new rhythms with the emerging Chicago house and Detroit techno that would give hits in the years to come.


Monday, November 12, 2012

Claudia Brücken Celebrates the History of Pop with 'The Lost are Found'

Claudia Brücken's brand new 'The Lost are Found' is out now. On this album she has worked with famed producer Stephen Hague (New Order, Pet Shop Boys, OMD, Robbie Robertson) on an exhilarating collection of intensely atmospheric songs by other people. These ‘other people’ are some of the favourite writers and artists of both Claudia and Stephen, expressing their particular obsession with the history of the pop song. Some might say it is definitely up there with the classic albums Claudia has been involved with from Propaganda’s 'A Secret Wish' to Onetwo’s 'Instead'. 
The album is both a celebration of the mood, majesty and mystery of a great pop song, and also a journey along an imaginary coast line of an imaginary country, a soundtrack to a view out to sea, and the thoughts of what lies ahead. 
 'The Lost are Found' is available on record in a limited edition of 500. The first 200 of these will be individually numbered and signed for extra specialness by Claudia Brücken and Stephen Hague and be available to buy only through our web site. 

Wednesday, August 8, 2012

The Best of Propaganda on ZTT announced for September.

After the successful reissue of Propaganda's second album 'Wishful Thinking' this year, one more record is to be released from the ZTT music factory. The brand new compilation is entitled 'Noise And Girls Come Out To Play: A Compact Introduction To Propaganda'. The compilation features classics, rarities and noise-shots from their essential records as well as Propaganda's studio sessions during the years spent taping at 'Sarm Studios', 1983 to 1986. The compilation is announced for release on September 3, 2012 and it is available on pre-order. 

Monday, February 20, 2012

Lost Videos: Act- Snobbery and Decay

"Snobbery and Decay" was the first single for Act, a short lived collaboration between Propaganda vocalist, Claudia Brücken and cult favourite Electro pioneer, Thomas Leer. The single also featured a cover of "I'd Be Surprisingly Good for You" from the musical Evita. The song was released by ZTT Records and it also appeared on their only album Laughter Tears & Rage from the year 1988.

   

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Claudia Brücken's Combined

Zang Tuum Tumb will release Claudia Brücken's retrospective album, the story so far of Claudia Brücken’s life in pop. This compilation album is entitled 'Combined' and it presents eight of of Claudia's classic recordings including Propaganda's "Dr Mabuse" and "p:Machinery", as well as the best collaborations with Martin L. Gore, Thomas Leer, Paul Humphreys her 2005 duet with Andy Bell and many more.


The album also includes four brand new works: "Night School" and "Thank You" –two brand new solo tracks co-written with and produced by Stephen Hague and "This is Not America" – dueting the David Bowie classic with Paul Rutherford and "In Dreams", Roy Orbison's Blue Velvet soundtrack gem in collaboration with Andrew Poppy.
The album is set to be released on February 7, 2011. Check out the gorgeous new video for "Thank You", click to the catalogue section for the full track list, and to the Zang Tuum Shop to pre-order.

http://www.ztt.com

Friday, July 23, 2010

Propaganda's 'A Secret Wish' Reissued

The highly influential debut album from German synthpop outfit Propaganda 1985’s 'A Secret Wish' has been reissued again, this time appearing in a 25th anniversary 2CD edition featuring six previously unreleased tracks plus the rare 20-minute cassette mix of “Duel.” The deluxe edition of 'A Secret Wish' features the original nine-track album plus six cassette- and vinyl-only mixes on one disc, and a second disc with 11 more tracks, including previously unreleased mixes of “Dr. Mabuse” and “Sorry for Laughing” by label chiefs Trevor Horn and Paul Morley, respectively.

Read more about it plus the track listing:
http://www.slicingupeyeballs.com/2010/07/06/propaganda-a-secret-wish-reissue-tracklist-ztt-records/

(All images are copyrighted by their respective copyright owners)

Thursday, March 26, 2009

Propaganda

Propaganda was a German New Wave group from Düsseldorf which was formed in 1982. During 1984 and 1985 they released three singles and one album. Beside Kraftwerk, Aplhaville and Nena they are one of the few German New Wave groups that have gained commercial success outside Germany.

Propaganda was formed in Düsseldorf in the early 80’s by a former Krupps member Ralf Dörper. He decided to go on with new musical ventures and left his group. Ralf’s new project also involved new musical partners, Andreas Thein, a part- time DJ and their mutual friend Suzanne Freytag who was recruited as a vocalist. Propaganda was born and as a trio they began recording music. Their first musical venture was the cover of a song “Disziplin” which was originally performed by Throbbing Gristle which also gave them a TV airing. “Disciplin”, tough was never released as a single because Gristle refused to allow it.
Following the whole “Disziplin” project the band took new members, musician and composer Michael Mertnes and 19 year old vocalist Claudia Brücken. The band moved to UK and it was signed to ZTT records label. The new Propaganda line up was marketed as a twisted hellish version of Abba leaving Mertens in the background as the invisible fifth member. "Dr.Mabuse" was released in 1984 and short time after Thein left the group not satisfied with the record company which delayed the release of the Propaganda material.

1985 saw the release of Propaganda’s most successful single “Duel” which reached no 21 in the UK charts as well as the release of their debut album “A Secret Wish”. After their second appearance on ‘The Tube’ things went quiet for Propaganda, Claudia Brücken left the group in 1986 and the remaining members of the group took ZTT to court to release them from their contract.

In 1988 a new Propaganda line up gathered and began recording new material. Alongside Michael Mertens were the new line-up vocalist Betsi Miller, bassist Derek Forbes and drummer Brian McGee. The result was a new contract with Virgin and a new album release. The album ‘1234’was released in 1990 as well as the single “Heaven Give Me Words” which actually sounded more like Wilson Phillips than the old Propaganda material. It did not get much airplay either.
 
The original line-up of Propaganda met once more in 1998 with a new deal to record a new album which was never released until some songs from the album leaked via file sharing networks. In 2005 Mertens and Freytag resurrected the name Propaganda again while Claudia Brücken teamed up with Paul Humphreys of OMD for the Onetwo musical project.

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