The north winds

The Nordwinds were a German-American vocal group in Bremerhaven in the early 1960s.

Band history

It was originally founded as The Northwinds by Ron (Ronnie) Jenkins, John Ready, Barbara Goeke and Manfred (Manni) Müller. When John Ready has to go back to the USA, Ulrich (Uli) John moves up for him. Barbara Goeke marries and also returns to the USA. Dave Krehbiel comes for them. On December 16, 1961, the group is on German television for the first time (broadcast toi-toi-toi with Peter Frankenfeld ). Shortly thereafter, Ron Jenkins reaches the end of his service term and has to return to the US.

The remaining trio rename themselves Nordwinds. The musicians give each other sounding artist names. Dave Krehbiel becomes Dave Lee, Ulrich John becomes John Ulrik and Manfred Müller calls himself Fred Sorell. In February 1962, the Nordwinds recorded their first single. Instead, the Hank Cochran song A Little Bitty Tear is Germanized to Just a Little Tear from You . At the beginning of 1964, Dave Krehbiel ended his four-year service with the US Air Force and returned to the USA. The band dissolves and will never be reactivated. John Ulrik starts a solo career and brings out 4 singles. On one, the adaptation of Peter Kraus' Black Rose Rosemarie , Ulrich and Müller appear as John + Fred on the B-side, but that remains a one-time affair.

In 1991 the ex-Nordwinds Manfred Müller and Ulrich John reappear as choir singers with Stephan Remmler and take part in a Freddy Quinn Revival record.

Success as a fairground band

Since they knew how to perform catchy German lyrics to catchy, familiar melodies in a pleasing style, their songs were omnipresent as "fairground music". Frequently played titles were e.g. B. South wind , three senores from Peru , being a millionaire , the sun of Mexico , three cangaceiros ride past , Napoli etc.

style

The Nordwinds German hits in English without paying particular attention to the meaning of the original text. So they did z. B. from the happy blond blue-eyed teenager Sheila from the world hit of the same name by Tommy Roe an abandoned Bedouin girl in the desert ( poor little Sheila, you are so alone ... ).

They were happy to use Elvis Presley and others: You belong on the cover picture , Be my talisman were adaptations of Good luck Charme , Take the night train my Darling , I don't fit a golden ring Just a little tear from you , etc. are other songs from this one Area.

In addition, they sang the songs of American pop singers living in Germany (e.g. Chris Howland , Gus Backus ), such as Hämmerchen-Polka, Sauerkraut-Polka, Tom Dooley, Der Schatz im Silbersee, Bonanza, Say, why do you want from me go u. a. m. They also tried their hand at German songs such as B. Hänschen klein or If my Baby comes tonight , the latter an English text with the melody of Horch, what comes in from outside.

The rather kitschy kind of Schlager was with Rote Rosen for Cindy (originally sung by Bobby Darin ), Linda , Sweetheart Guitar , The Guitar and a Horse and the Prairie , Black Rose Rosemarie (originally sung by Peter Kraus ), Hot Sand (originally sung by Mina ) etc. also well represented.