The Lords (German band): Difference between revisions
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{{Infobox musical artist <!-- For groups; see Wikipedia:WikiProject_Musicians --> |
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| name = The Lords |
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| background = group_or_band |
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| alias = |
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| origin = [[Düsseldorf]], [[Germany]] |
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| genre = [[Skiffle]], [[Beat music|Beat]], [[Glam rock]] |
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| years_active = 1959–1971<br>1976–present |
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| associated_acts = |
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| website = [http://www.thelords.de/ www.thelords.de] |
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| current_members = Leo Lietz<br>Bernd Zamulo<br>Philippe Seminara<br>Jupp Bauer |
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| past_members = Knud Kuntze<br>Ulli Günther † 1999<br>Werner Faus<br>Rainer Petry<br>Charly Terstappen<br>Peter "Max" Donath |
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}} |
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'''The Lords''' were the most long-living and successful beat band of West Germany. The band's main headquarter was [[Düsseldorf]]/[[North Rhine-Westphalia]]. No other German band was so active during more than 40 years. |
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== Classic line-up == |
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In 1964 their bassist Knud Kuntze ("[[Lord Knud]]") (*18 March 1944) had to leave the band due to an accident. He then started a career as a prominent German radio DJ. In 1965, the classic line-up of The Lords consisted of Ulli Günther (vocals), Bernd Zamulo (bass), Leo Lietz (guitar), Rainer Petry (guitar) and Max Donath (drums). This classic line-up existed until 1971, which marks the end of the classic and most successful period of the band. |
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== History == |
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=== 1959-1971: classic period === |
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In 1959, The Lords started out as a [[skiffle]] band in [[Berlin]] using partly [[custom-made instrument]]s. In 1964 when [[Beatlemania]] and the [[British Invasion]] swept across the world, they turned into "Germany's First Beat Music Act" and developed their classic style for which they are still known in Germany today. In the period from 1965 until 1969 they had 11 hits in West German pop charts. Their first hit single from 1964 was ''[[Shakin' All Over]]'' (originally recorded by [[Johnny Kidd & The Pirates]] in 1960). Their other hits included the blues traditional ''[[Poor Boy Blues|Poor Boy]]'' in 1965, ''[[Poison Ivy (song)|Poison Ivy]]'' in 1965 (originally by [[The Coasters]], 1959), the Baptist traditional ''[[Gloryland (album)|Gloryland]]'' in 1967, and ''[[Rockin' pneumonia]]'' in 1967 (probably originally by [[Larry Williams]]). They also appeared as supporting act of [[The Kinks]] and [[The Who]] on German tours of the two English bands, and performed on the contemporary TV music program ''[[Beat-Club]]'' several times. These ''Beat-Club'' performances are still repeated on German TV well into the 2000s, being largely responsible for today's classic image of The Lords back then. Their 1960s cover versions of ''Shakin' all over'', ''Poison Ivy'', and ''Gloryland'' still get much more airtime on German radio today compared to the original, earlier, or later recordings of these songs by English and American performers whose versions are therefore comparably unknown in Germany. |
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===1971: Break-up and best ofs=== |
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In 1971 the original formation of The Lords disbanded. The original recordings of their singles, later often re-recorded by the band, were issued on CD as the double CD box ''The Original Singles-Collection/The A & B-Sides'' in 1999, beside which the CD version of their 1972 best-of album ''The LORDS 1964-1971'' remains a decent seller, while ''Shakin' all over '70'' (1970) and ''The Lords - The Very Best'' (1992) like most of their albums after 1971 are more recent, technologically updated re-recordings of their classic songs instead. |
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=== 1976-today: reformation === |
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From 1976 onwards, The Lords re-formed to play together until far into the 1990s with different line-ups, mostly as a nostalgia live band playing their old hits on 60s festivals and TV shows, every few years re-recording technologically updated versions of their songs. Especially "Lord Leo" Lietz has become sort of a bandleader since they have become mostly a 1960s nostalgia act, representing them and still giving the most interviews of all current band members. |
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Singer of The Lords, Lord Ulli died in a Potsdam hospital on 13 October 1999, after having a breakdown while performing on stage on 9 October 1999 during a concert of their 40 years anniversary tour. |
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Since 2000 The Lords have re-united once again, in 2002 and 2009 they released two new albums. |
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== Style and reputation == |
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Rather than a serious music band, The Lords were more of a slapstick and comedy troupe especially on stage, probably akin to bands like [[The Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band]] in England at the time (and indeed [[Johnny Kidd & The Pirates]] whose ''Shakin' all over'' The Lords covered and which became their first hit single), overdoing the contemporary moptop hairstyle by making it look like a stereotypical Medieval haircut as portrayed in the modern comic [[Prince Valiant]], taking the formal suit fashion introduced by [[The Beatles]] and turning them into waiters' clothing, and dancing like a girl group such as the 1920s [[Tiller Girls]] on stage. However, when looking at many rock and pop bands from the era, the level of musical skill is at least as good as most, and better than some. When viewing performances from the mid 60s, they appear to have been playing live on TV appearances in an era when it was almost a given that acts would play to a recording. |
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This rather lighthearted attitude led to a rivalry with Hamburg-based band [[The Rattles]] and especially their bandleader and producer [[Achim Reichel]] who took the contemporary British Invasion-influenced music played by both bands more seriously, obviously holding The Lords not in very high regard for their silly antics. |
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Beside their clownesqueries looked down upon by more ambitious proto-[[Krautrock]] artists such as [[Reichel]], there was a notorious rumor that singer of The Lords, Ulli Günther ("Lord Ulli") spoke not a single word of English even though it was the language he sang in, and that therefore his German accent was much thicker than was usual in the German-produced but English-sung music scene at the time. |
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Towards the end of the 1960s, the band was increasingly influenced by psychedelia and brought more social commentary, serious or satirical, into their lyrics, effectually turning from a British Invasion-influenced pop band into a progressive ''Krautrock'' group. However, nothing of this development remained after the breakup of their classic line-up in 1971, nor did the 1976 re-formation go back to suits and slapstick. Instead, since their re-formation they foster more of a rough rocker and teddy boy image both in their instrumentation, arrangements, and their clothing, now appearing in jeans clothing and sunglasses, comparable to the new style 1970s [[glam rock]] band [[Slade]] took on during the 1980s, even though today The Lords often perform to playbacks of their old singles when on TV while dressed up in their new style. |
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==Album discography== |
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*1965 ''In Black and White - In Beat and Sweet'' |
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*1966 ''The Lords II - Shakin' All Over'' |
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*1967 ''Some Folks by the Lords'' |
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*1968 ''Good side of June'' |
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*1968 ''Deutschlands Beatband Nr. 1 Die Volksplatte'' |
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*1969 ''Ulleogamaxbe'' |
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*1970 ''Shakin' all over '70'' |
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*1971 ''Inside out'' |
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*1972 ''The Lords 1964-1971'' |
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*1979 ''Birthday Album - 15 years'' |
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*1984 ''20 Jahre Lords'' |
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*1988 ''The Lords '88'' |
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*1989 ''Stormy'' |
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*1992 ''The Lords - The Very Best'' |
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*1999 ''The Original Singles-Collection/The A & B-Sides'' |
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*1999 ''Live 1999'' |
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*2002 ''Spitfire Lace'' |
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*2009 ''Lords 50'' |
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==External links== |
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* [http://www.musicmight.com/artist/germany/berlin/the+lords Profile] at [[MusicMight]] |
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* [http://www.thelords.de/ Official Site] {{de-icon}} |
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Lords, The (Germany)}} |
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[[Category:Beat groups]] |
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[[Category:German rock music groups]] |
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[[Category:Musical groups established in 1959]] |
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[[Category:Musical groups from Düsseldorf]] |
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[[cs:The Lords]] |
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[[de:The Lords]] |
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[[ro:The Lords]] |
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