Bläck Fööss

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Bläck Fööss
The Bläck Fööss 2020 in front of the Cologne City Museum (from left to right) Ralph Gusovius, Mirko Bäumer, Bömmel Lückerath, Erry Stoklosa, Pit Hupperten, Hanz Thodam
The Bläck Fööss 2020 in front of the Cologne City Museum

(from left to right) Ralph Gusovius, Mirko Bäumer, Bömmel Lückerath, Erry Stoklosa, Pit Hupperten, Hanz Thodam

General information
origin Cologne
Genre (s) Rock , pop
founding 1970
Website www.blaeckfoeoess.de
Founding members
Thomas "Tommy" Richard Engel (until 1994)
Singing, guitar, percussion
 Ernst "Erry" Josef Stoklosa
Guitar, banjo , mandolin , violin , bouzouki , vocals
 Günther Antonius "Bömmel" Lückerath
Bass , guitar, mandolin
 Hartmut Priess (until 2018)
Singing, guitar, percussion
 Franz Peter Schütten (until 2017)
Piano , accordion, vocals
 Dieter "Joko" Jaenisch  (until 1974, 1977–1980) († 1998)
Current occupation
Mirko Bäumer (since 2017)
Singing, guitar, percussion
 Ernst "Erry" Josef Stoklosa
Guitar, banjo , mandolin , violin , bouzouki , vocals
 Günther Antonius "Bömmel" Lückerath
Hanz Thodam (since 2019)
Vocals, guitar
 Pit Hupperten (since 2017)
Drums , accordion , vocals
 Ralph "Gus" Gusovius (since 1994)
Piano , synthesizer , accordion, vocals
 Andreas Wegener (since 2005)
former members
Keyboard , guitar, vocals
 Wilhelm "Willy" Schnitzler (1980–2005) († 2019)
Keyboard
 Rolf Lammers (1974–1977)
Karl Friedrich "Kafi" Biermann (1995-2016)

The Bläck Fööss ( Kölsch for bare feet ) [ ˈbɭæk ˌføːs ] ( hear ? / I ) are one of the most successful Cologne dialect music groups. Audio file / audio sample

history

Before 1970 the members of the Bläck Fööss played in various Cologne beat groups. Forerunner bands of the Bläck Fööss were Singing End, Stowaways and The Beat Stones. Tommy Engel played with The Luckies and the Black Birds, then drums with the Tony Hendrik Five, before moving to the Stowaways. These bands appeared in the opening act of famous beat groups, such as the Beat Stones on November 6, 1966 at The Who with The Lords in Hall 8 . The Beat Stones released their first single What? Am I in love? in the opening act of the Beach Boys concert on May 17, 1967 in the Cologne sports hall . In September 1968 the Stowaways (with Hartmut Priess, Peter Schütten and Ernst "Erry" Stoklosa) performed at a beat festival in the Sartory halls and won first prize.

At carnival balls, these groups played the hits of the Beatles , the Kinks or the Hollies , but there was also demand for carnival songs . Therefore, it was decided to also sing in Kölsch . Graham Bonney , with whom the band worked in the studio, suggested they record a Cologne track. But the band didn't want to risk their good name as a beat group and invented the name De Bläck Fööss (Die bare feet) as a pseudonym, which was Cologne but also sounded English. The Cologne record company Electrola released their first single Rievkooche-Walzer / Selverhuhzick on October 22, 1970 . Since only 2000 copies of the record were sold, Electrola did not produce any more with the band for the time being.

The piece Drink but a met , recorded in September 1971 in Cologne's Cornet Studios, was produced by Heinz Gietz and initially rejected by the record companies because they preferred English texts. Gietz, who left Electrola in 1966 and founded his own record label Cornet Records, had a distribution agreement with BASF and in 1972 released the title, which became an instant hit with the public. Cornet Records produced two long-playing records with the Bläck Fööss, in 1974 Op bläcke Fööss noh Kölle and in 1975 Lück wie ich un du . The group's success in the halls and in regional record sales encouraged Electrola in 1976 to offer the band a new record deal. Soon the group was in great demand at carnival meetings and balls, only the conservative carnival societies were initially irritated by the appearance of the group: long-haired, in jeans and barefoot, in order to do justice to the new band name (which was later given up because of the risk of injury from broken glass ), the Bläck Fööss appeared with electric guitars and portable amplifiers at traditional carnival events.

repertoire

From the 1970s, the Bläck Fööss developed through imaginative and humorous titles with catchy melodies into musical superstars of the Cologne Carnival. With over 100 titles, they became the main buyers of songs by the composer Hans Knipp about the Cologne milieu, the Rhenish mentality and glimpses behind the scenes of petty bourgeois everyday life. Contact was first made with Knipp in 1970, when the group was still unknown. In 1973 he wrote Mer losse d'r Dom en Kölle, one of the hymns of the Cologne carnival. Originally intended as a criticism of the city of Cologne's redevelopment policy (the title is an allusion to the well-known phrase Leave the Church in the Village ), the piece is often interpreted as an homage to Cologne Cathedral . In Long Saturday en d'r City from 1977 the group sang about the experience of a shopping Saturday with small children. With his titles for the Bläck Fööss such as Ming eetste Fründin (1976), Buuredanz (1977), Mer bruche none (1998) or our family tree (2000), Knipp was guided by the artistic diversity of the band. They reached the German hit parade for the first time with Katrin via the adored service in a Hamburg restaurant (January 1985; place 25), the following France, France (July 1985; place 9) became their biggest hit parade to date with 190,000 records sold. Five of their long-playing records made it into the German top ten .

The group has a stylistically diverse repertoire that goes far beyond the carnival songs , a mixture of hits , pop music , jazz , blues , rock music , rock & roll , disco , funk or reggae as well as scribble singing . In addition, some standard dances are represented on the older records, such as Samba ( Wenn de Sonn schön schingk ; 1974), Tango ( Damenwahl em Stammlokal ; 1976) or Cha-Cha-Cha ( Kaffeebud ; 1978). Some songs by Bläck Fööss are cover versions , the originals of which come from Ladysmith Black Mambazo , the Beatles, the Hollies, Neil Young , Willi Ostermann or Herbert Grönemeyer . The group was produced by Werner Dies from 1973 until his death in 2003 .

The Bläck Fööss also deal with serious topics such as the song Edelweißpiraten , which tells of the fate of the Cologne Edelweißpiraten in the “ Third Reich ” or the song Feschers Köbes about the revolt against the arbitrary rule of the Archbishop in the year 1074. With titles like Sirtaki or Unser Genealogy , the group repeatedly takes a position against xenophobia , which they underlined through their performances in 1992 and 2012 at the concert against right-wing violence, Arsch huh, Zäng ussenander .

Authorship

In addition to Hans Knipp, until the 1990s v. a. Reiner Hömig many songs for the Bläck Fööss. Hartmut Priess was named as the sole author of the band's own compositions in the first few years. Only from the 1977 album Links eröm - rächs eröm were the respective authors fully identified on the records.

Members

Tommy Engel (front man from 1970 to 1994)
"Kafi" Biermann (front man from 1995 to 2016)

In the 50 years of its existence (since 1970) the Bläck Fööss have made some personnel changes. At the beginning of the eighties, keyboardist Willy Schnitzler replaced his predecessor Dieter “Joko” Jaenisch, who had been with the group from 1974 to 1977 with one interruption. During this time, Rolf Lammers played the keyboards, who later became known as a studio musician and member of the band LSE .

The most spectacular change took place in 1994, when the front man Tommy Engel separated from the group after lengthy, mainly artistic differences. Since then he has performed solo. Engel's successor was "Kafi" Biermann. In the course of the line-up, the Bläck Fööss were expanded to include the drummer and singer Ralph “Gus” Gusovius, who had previously worked as a studio musician for a long time . After the 2005 session, Willy Schnitzler left the group because he could no longer play the keyboard and accordion due to osteoarthritis in his hands. He was killed in a car accident in June 2019 in Hungary , where he now lives. His successor is Andreas Wegener, who as a professional musician has already worked with various well-known musicians.

In January 2017, Mirko Bäumer succeeded the singer Kafi Biermann. Founding member Peter Schütten also left the group at the end of February 2017. His successor was Pit Hupperten. Bassist Hartmut Priess said goodbye to the Fööss on New Year's Eve 2018; his successor is Hanz Thodam.

In 2019 the guitarist "Bömmel" Lückerath suffered a stroke after a carnival performance and had to take a break for several months; since then the band has been supported by guitarist Christoph Granderath.

  • Hartmut Priess and "Bömmel" Lückerath

  • Ralph Gusovius

  • Peter Schütten

  • Erry Stoklosa

Collaboration with other artists

Over the years, the band has worked with many studio musicians and has also performed on stage with other Cologne artists.

  • In 1973 the group played the theme song to the animated series Wickie and the Strong Men .
  • In 1974 the group recorded the final song of the Hobbythek .
  • In 1981 the Cologne rock musician, roadie and friend of the Bläck Fööss sang King Size Dick on the record Wenn et jöck… two songs, as well as Morje, Morje
  • In 1990 there was an appearance with Ladysmith Black Mambazo.
  • In the 1990s, the Bläck Fööss occasionally brought the Schäl Sick Brass Band onto the stage.
  • In 2000 they re-recorded their first big hit drink together with the singer Daddy Dee in a version called Zick Zick eröm .
  • In 2002 the Bläck Fööss were accompanied by the Cologne Caledonian Pipe Band in the song Du… (bes die Stadt) , which is based on the piece Highland Cathedral .
  • Occasionally the Bläck Fööss appear with other Cologne bands, such as B. the horns .

Discography

Albums

year title Top ranking, total weeks, awardChartsChart placements
(Year, title, rankings, weeks, awards, notes) 		Remarks
DE DE
1977 Left eröm - rächs eröm DE7th
gold
gold

(9 weeks)DE
1978 Mer han 'a lid DE3 (8 weeks)
DE
1979 Us Johreszigge DE10 (7 weeks)
DE
1980 D'r Rhing erop - D'r Rhing eraf DE12 (17 weeks)
DE
Live at the Tanzbrunnen DE4 (5 weeks)
DE
1981 If et jöck ... then weed et zick ... DE15 (7 weeks)
DE
1982 Morje, Morje DE35 (9 weeks)
DE
1983 Always wigger DE25 (17 weeks)
DE
1984 Me kläve am laäve DE12 (17 weeks)
DE
1985 Merry Christmas DE16 (20 weeks)
DE
1986 Two things Fööss DE65 (1 week)
DE
1989 Live in the Millowitsch Theater DE7 (15 weeks)
DE
1990 It was 20 years ago now DE27 (13 weeks)
DE
1993 A capella DE31 (8 weeks)
DE
1994 Rheinhotel DE71 (8 weeks)
DE
1998 Have a nice Weekend DE89 (2 weeks)
DE
2000 30 years of Bläck Fööss Live DE27 (10 weeks)
DE
2001 Best of Bläck Fööss ... for the party DE54 (2 weeks)
DE
2002 K-BF 33 DE27 (6 weeks)
DE
2006 Do laach et Hätz, do jrins die Fott DE99 (1 week)
DE
2010 40 years of Bläck Fööss Live DE79 (2 weeks)
DE
2016 Freedom alaaf DE57 (1 week)
DE
2018 Su beautiful as eye-blinding DE65 (1 week)
DE

More albums

  • 1974: Op bläcke Fööss noh Kölle
  • 1975: Luck like me and you
  • 1976: With us doheim
  • 1985: Em richtije Veedel
  • 1987: Pänz, Pänz, Pänz
  • 1987: finally free!
  • 1988: Mer losse d'r Cathedral in Kölle
  • 1988: What do you have in the sack?
  • 1990: Live
  • 1991: Nothing is really bad
  • 1995: homesickness for Cologne
  • 1996: Roxy
  • 1997: Luck like me and you
  • 1998: En d'r Südstadt jeiht et Leech aan
  • 2000: Loss mer us frustrate
  • 2003: Best of… to dream
  • 2003: Christmas in Cologne
  • 2004: Rut & Wiess
  • 2005: Usjebomb
  • 2007: Best of… to the dance!
  • 2008: Jommer noh Hus or should mer stay?
  • 2009: As the Zick forgives ...
  • 2011: Everything for love
  • 2014: Best of ... for et Hätz

Singles

year Title
album 		Top ranking, total weeks, awardChartsChart placements
(Year, title, album , rankings, weeks, awards, notes) 		Remarks
DE DE
1970 Drink a mead
 DE79 (3 weeks)
DE
B-side of the single: I drink a bottle of
chart entry only in 2009
1973 Mer losse d'r Dom en Kölle
Op bläcke Fööss noh Kölle 		DE95 (3 weeks)
DE
B-side: In our Veedel
chart entry only 2009
1985 Katrin
Mir yawn on laave 		DE25 (13 weeks)
DE
B-side: Surfing on the Fühlinger See
France France
Nice presents 		DE9 (15 weeks)
DE
B-side: Le Mont St. Michel
Bye, Bye My Love
Nice presents 		DE27 (15 weeks)
DE
B-side: SDI (Mir hevven af)
1986 Party service
two things Fööss 		DE67 (2 weeks)
DE
B-side: Drachenfels
1989 Men in the
Millowitsch Theater in 1989 		DE23 (17 weeks)
DE
B-side: Represents vüür
1991 Moni was crying
Nix es ömesöns 		DE93 (1 week)
DE
B-side: Moni cried (Live)
2007 Ävver please please met jeföhl
Jommer noh Hus ... or should mer stay? 		DE84 (1 week)
DE
2010 He deit et wih un do deit et wih
everything for love 		DE22 (8 weeks)
DE
2011 I han e hate for Cologne
everything for love 		DE81 (2 weeks)
DE

More singles

  • 1970: Rievkooche Waltz / Selverhuhzick
  • 1974: Leev Linda Lou / Whiskey Double for Old Wabbel
  • 1975: Loss d'r Kopp nit hang / De Mama is already fighting against a child
  • 1975: Lück like me and you / The 3 vun d'r line 2
  • 1975: Pänz, Pänz, Pänz / Einmol em Johr
  • 1976: Women's choice at the regular pub / Et Spain-Leed
  • 1976: My best girlfriend / I krij'e beer and you krij'e beer
  • 1977: Sirtaki / Rita Schnell
  • 1977: Loss mer jet schunkele / Long Saturday en d'r City
  • 1978: Danz girl Danz / Et jitt no big sorrow
  • 1978: Coffee Bud / Ascension Day
  • 1978: Weia Oweia / I have a lid
  • 1979: Familijedaach / Trek still ens that dress ahn
  • 1980: Indian crawl nit / Anglerleed
  • 1980: Flipper / MSMonika
  • 1981: Schäler Schäng / Kölsche Bröck
  • 1982: Schötzefess / Heimweh en Kölle
  • 1983: Roller coaster / Polterovend
  • 1984: Huusmeister Kaczmarek / Sporthall
  • 1986: Neña / Herman The German
  • 1987: You bes too beautiful / Kölle am Rhing
  • 1987: Baby I Love You / Loss m'r jon
  • 1987: Weekly plan / Wochemaat en Kölle, weekly plan (DKF version)
  • 1990: Dovun ich sulang (Tanzbrunnen) / Dä Wing vun Kölle am Rhing
  • 1990: Bläck Fööss Band / Dat Wasser vun Kölle
  • 1990: Danz Bläck Fööss Danz / Maiwiese (instrumental)
  • 1992: Tarzan / pensioner
  • 1993: she loves you / come give me your hand / love your enemies
  • 1994: Rheinhotel
  • 1994: Kumm widder home
  • 1996: When et Leech usjing em Roxy
  • 1996: Do han sen en d'r Ärm jenomme
  • 1998: Fastelovendstrumm
  • 1998: an afterlife
  • 2000: Zick zick eröm (drink a met 2000)
  • 2013: Cologne Leechter

Video albums

  • 2003: Best of ... New Year's Eve Party (DVD)

Awards

  • The Bläck Fööss were awarded the Willi Ostermann Medal in 1981.
  • In 1989 they received the Rheinlandtaler .
  • The band members "Kafi" Biermann, "Bömmel" Lückerath and Hartmut Priess received the "Kulturkamelle" of the Cologne Carnival Festival Committee in 2007 for their voluntary commitment to Cologne schools to introduce local children to Cologne music .
  • In 2015 the Bläck Fööss received the Franz-Peter-Kürten Award

literature

  • Matthias Becker (ed.): Bläck Fööss - schwatz op wiess: 124 songs in words and pictures; Texts, backgrounds, comments, Kölsch lexicon, chronicle, discography . Gerig-Musikverlage, De Bläck-Fööss-Musikverlag, Bergisch Gladbach-Bensberg 2000; ISBN 3-87252-312-0 .
  • Bläck Fööss: Et Wohrzeichen vun Kölle - fans and prominent Cologne personalities describe the Bläck Fööss phenomenon from "outside" - from the audience's point of view , 176 pages, 400 images, after work Unique Books, Cologne, ISBN 978-3-939214-01- 4 .

Web links

Commons : Bläck Fööss  - Collection of images

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b The silent Fooss es fott
  2. ↑ Walter K. Schulz: When the Fööss learned to walk , 2010, p. 45
  3. ↑ Tommy Engel / Bernd Imgrund: You bes Kölle. 2012, no p.
  4. ↑ Walter K. Schulz: When the Fööss learned to walk , 2010, p. 113
  5. ↑ Including samplers from secondary use, there were even 2.8 million; WDR interview with producer Werner Dies, broadcast on February 4, 2012
  6. ↑ Tommy Engel : You bes Kölle . Kiepenheuer & Witsch , 2012, ISBN 978-3-462-03827-9 , pp. 180 : “Reiner [Hömig] was my friend and, alongside Hans Knipp, a very important author for the Fööss. He created the »Kaffebud« and the »Schötzefess«, among others. "
  7. ↑ Credits from Reiner Hömig to the Bläck Fööss on discogs.com
  8. ↑ Tommy Engel: Engel, Bengel, Botzestengel . Kiepenheuer & Witsch, 1991, ISBN 3-462-02128-1 , pp. 103 : “The question remains why Hartmut Priess always appeared as an author on the first albums. Explanation: Hartmut was the only one registered with GEMA at the time. That only changed later when we all became members of GEMA. Because until then I had always been told that there would be more points or a larger payout from the GEMA pot if only one band member is registered as an author ... "
  9. ↑ Carsten Heidböhmer: The long-time keyboard player of the Bläck Fööss dies in a traffic accident in Hungary. In: stern.de . July 1, 2019, accessed July 1, 2019 .
  10. ↑ Norbert Ramme: Change of staff at the Cologne band: Kafi Biermann stops with the Bläck Fööss. In: ksta.de. February 10, 2016, accessed June 27, 2017 .
  11. ↑ Farewell with tears 10,000 celebrated Peter Schütten at the Laughing Cologne Arena . express.de.
  12. ↑ see also Thorsten Moeck: Successor has already been determined: Hartmut Priess is leaving the Cologne band "Bläck Fööss" . In: Kölnische Rundschau . ( rundschau-online.de [accessed on August 1, 2018]).
  13. ↑ Bastian Ebel, Daniela Decker: Cologne Carnival: The Bömmel sensation! Fööss veteran makes a spectacular decision. January 7, 2020, accessed on June 11, 2020 (German).
  14. ↑ a b Chart sources: DE
  15. ↑ Awards for music sales: DE
  16. ↑ This double CD is a new edition of the recordings released by Cornett from 1971 to 1975, plus ten High German recordings that de Bläck Fööß made for Cornett as the Blattschuß Trio in 1975.
  17. ↑ Franz Peter Kürten Award: Rhein-Kreis Neuss honored the Bläck Fööss. In: rhein-kreis-neuss.de. Retrieved March 29, 2017 .