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Das Model

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This article is about the Kraftwerk song. For other uses, see Model (disambiguation).

"Das Model"
Song
B-side

"Das Model" (spelling on all releases of the album up to the 2009 remaster: "Das Modell"; English version title: "The Model") is a song recorded by the German group Kraftwerk in 1978, written by musicians Ralf Hütter and Karl Bartos, with artist Emil Schult collaborating on the lyrics. It is featured on the album, Die Mensch-Maschine (English version title: The Man-Machine).

First released as a 7" single in Germany (B-side: "Neonlicht"), under its English translation the song was eventually included on the B-side of the "Computer Love" single released in 1981, which reached no. 36 in the UK charts. When radio DJs started playing the B-side, EMI re-issued the single in 1981—apparently against the band's wishes—with "The Model" as the A-side. It reached no. 1 in February 1982 and spent a total of 21 weeks in the top 75 of the UK Singles Chart.[4]

Chart performance

Chart (1978) Peak
position
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[5] 43
US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play[6] 39
Chart (1982) Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[7] 33
Invalid chart entered Germany2 7
Ireland (IRMA)[8] 4
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[5] 41
UK Singles (OCC)[9] 1

Certifications and sales

Region Certification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[10] Gold 500,000^

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Cover versions

Both the German and English versions of the song have been covered by many artists, including Snakefinger, Hikashu, Big Black, and Robert.[11]

Rammstein cover

"Das Model"
Song
from the album Raritäten (1994-2012)
B-side
  • "Kokain"
  • "Alter Mann"

German band Rammstein covered the German version of "Das Model" in 1997 as "Das Modell". It was released as a non-album single.

"Das Modell" is introduced by a French phrase spoken by film editor Mathilde Bonnefoy:[12] "Mesdames et messieurs, nous avons l'honneur ce soir, de vous présenter la nouvelle collection de Rammstein" which translates to "Ladies and Gentlemen, tonight we have the honour of presenting you with Rammstein's new collection".

The single contains three non-album tracks taken from the Sehnsucht recording sessions. In the special version of "Alter Mann", Bobo (Christiane Hebold) sings alongside Till Lindemann in the chorus. Also included is the computer game "Asche zu Asche" for Microsoft Windows.

Live versions

Despite being a single, "Das Modell" has only been played live once, on 23 October 1998 in St. Louis, MO, USA, during the Family Values Tour.[13] It had a shortened intro and outro, making it one of the few Rammstein songs to be shortened instead of extended when played live. The second song Kokain was also played in concerts two or three times. Moreover, Flake Lorenz stated it was a difficult song to put across live.[14]

Track listings

Promo CD

  • Germany: Motor Music / 569 029-2
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Das Modell"Ralf Hütter, Karl Bartos, Emil Schult4:46
2."Kokain"Rammstein3:09

Enhanced CD

  • Germany: Motor Music / 569 029-2
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Das Modell"Hütter, Bartos, Schult4:46
2."Kokain"Rammstein3:09
3."Alter Mann" (special version) (featuring Bobo)Rammstein4:22
4."Rammstein Computerspiel für Windows" (Rammstein computer game for Windows)n/an/a
  • "Das Modell" was re-released in 2010 as a digital download, but the video game is currently not available for download.

Chart performance

Weekly charts
Chart (1997–1998) Peak
position
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[15] 18
Invalid chart entered Germany2 5
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[16] 41
Year-end charts
Chart (1998) Position
Germany (GfK Entertainment)[17] 96

See also

References

  1. ^ Reynolds, Simon (2009). Rip It Up and Start Again: Postpunk 1978–1984. Faber and Faber. ISBN 978-0-5712-5227-5. A few weeks later, another song from 1978 — Kraftwerk's 'The Model', the catchiest song on The Man-Machine — was released as a single and, as if to proclaim the Düsseldorf group's ancestral centrality for synthpop, promptly soared to number 1
  2. ^ "Kraftwerk International Discography: Germany". Archived from the original on 6 February 2006..
  3. ^ "Kraftwerk International Discography: Great Britain". Archived from the original on 6 February 2006..
  4. ^ "Kraftwerk". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 26 June 2013.
  5. ^ a b "Kraftwerk – The Model" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 20 July 2013.
  6. ^ "Kraftwerk – Awards". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved 20 July 2013.
  7. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 170. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  8. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – The Model". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 20 July 2013.
  9. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 22 July 2013.
  10. ^ "British single certifications – Kraftwerk – Computer Love/The Model". British Phonographic Industry. Select singles in the Format field. Select Gold in the Certification field. Type Computer Love/The Model in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
  11. ^ Bussy, Pascal (2004). Kraftwerk: Man, Machine and Music. SAF. p. 106. Being their most accessible song it has been covered on a number of occasions by other artists. A notable early version being by long-time Residents' collaborator Snakefinger (Philip Lithman). Other versions include one by the Japanese band Hikashu, a rock version by Big Black on their Songs About Fucking LP and the French female singer Robert who recorded a version in German.
  12. ^ "Rammstein – Das Modell (CD, Maxi, Enh)". Discogs. Retrieved 22 April 2009.
  13. ^ "Rammstein – RammsteinNicCage.com – Concert Info – St. Louis, MO, USA – October 23, 1998". RammsteinNicCage.com. Retrieved 23 April 2009.
  14. ^ Williams, Jeremy. "Press: Rammstein Chat with Flake". Herzeleid.com. Retrieved 20 July 2013.
  15. ^ "Rammstein – Das Modell" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 20 July 2013.
  16. ^ "Rammstein – Das Modell". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 20 July 2013.
  17. ^ "Jahrescharts – 1998" (in German). Offiziellecharts.de. GfK Entertainment Charts. Archived from the original on 9 May 2015.
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