Joy Unlimited
| Joy Unlimited | |
|---|---|
| General information | |
| origin | Mannheim , Germany |
| Genre (s) | Progressive rock , Krautrock |
| founding | 1969 |
| resolution | around 1977 |
| Founding members | |
| Roland Heck | |
| Klaus Nagel | |
| Albin Metz (†) | |
| Hans W. Herkenne | |
Guitar, bass |
Dieter Kindl (until 1974) |
| Joy (†) (until 1971) | |
| Last occupation | |
Keyboard |
Roland Heck |
Guitar, recorder , percussion
|
Klaus Nagel |
Bass, trumpet, valve trombone |
Albin Metz (†) |
Drums |
Hans W. Herkenne |
guitar |
Hans Lingenfelder (from 1974) |
Vocals, bass, guitar, percussion |
Joschi Dinier (from 1974) |
Saxophone , flute, recorder |
Gerd Köthe (†) (from 1970) |
| former members | |
Vocals, guitar |
Ken Traylor (1971–1974) |
Joy Unlimited from Mannheim existed from 1969 to 1977 and played predominantly progressive rock with light jazz influences.
history
precursor
Joy Unlimited was preceded by Joy & The Hit Kids , who played pop and beat since 1966 . The singer called herself Joy and later became known as Joy Fleming . Several singles by Joy & The Hit Kids were released, but no LP. In 1969 the group renamed itself Joy Unlimited to mark their move to more sophisticated music. Both group names are printed on some of her Polydor singles from the transition period in order to gradually familiarize the listeners with the change of direction and name. Even as Hit Kids and well into the seventies, they had many live appearances on radio and television, among others. a. in the talent shed of the Südwestfunk .
Foundation / LP Overground
The first line-up of Joy Unlimited included Roland Heck as keyboardist and musical head, Klaus Nagel as guitarist, flautist and manager, Albin Metz on trumpet, valve trombone and bass, Hans W. Herkenne on drums, Dieter Kindl on guitar and on Bass and Joy as a singer. The group's first LP, Overground from 1970, was still very much in the sixties. It appeared in the UK under the title Turbulence and in the US simply as Joy Unlimited , each with a completely different cover . Shortly after the release, the saxophonist and flautist Gerd Köthe joined the band, who, alongside Roland Heck, would develop into the band's second musical head.
LP butterflies
A new step in the artistic development of Joy Unlimited was the composition and recording of the ballet music Butterflies for the Stadttheater Bonn . The ballet - played live for weeks at every performance - was a great success, not only because of the demanding workmanship, but also because of the imaginative modern choreography by Lothar Höfgen, a student of Maurice Béjart . Many parts of butterflies were made a. used in a television show that was centered around Joy Unlimited and SWF singer and choreographer Lester Wilson (from the original lineup of Hair ). When the record deal with Polydor expired, Joy Unlimited signed with the newly founded BASF label. The first LP from the new contract partners, Butterflies , did not come out on the BASF label itself in 1971, but on their sub-label Pilz , directed by Rolf-Ulrich Kaiser . The music is a bold mixture of ballet music, progressive sounds, blues , jazz , etc. It is about the transformation from caterpillar to butterfly in three sections, which is a symbol of human development. Around the same time - during an SDR radio recording on June 29, 1971 - the original version of the well-known Neckarbrücken Blues was created . In the same year 1971, singer and guitarist Ken Traylor , who had lived in Germany since 1967, joined the group as a new member, because Joy wanted to tackle a solo career. The short-lived line-up with both singers played at some concerts and festivals and complemented each other well. A little later, Joy left the group and from then on called herself Joy Fleming. When she left, it was agreed that the name Joy Unlimited would continue to be used unchanged, also because it had established itself in the meantime and stood for a certain style of music.
LP Reflections
Then Joy Unlimited received another commission for a large full-length ballet composition, this time from the Nationaltheater Mannheim . Elementary opposites and basic situations of life were summarized under the title Reflections . The ballet was played live over two seasons in the Nationaltheater Mannheim, and the house ballet ensemble danced. The success of the performances was overwhelming. The LP with this work was recorded in 1973 and published as Reflections on BASF in the same year . A sequence from the flute solo The search for father time ran for several years as the title melody for aspects .
LP Minne
When Ken Traylor and Dieter Kindl wanted to turn to other tasks, Joschi Dinier and Hans Lingenfelder came as their successors. In the meantime, the choreographer and dancer Lothar Höfgen had been hired to head the Mannheim Ballet Formation at the National Theater there. So he, who had already been the initiator and source of ideas for Butterflies in Bonn, immediately contacted Joy Unlimited in order to repeat a similar success at his new place of work. Together with the band, he developed the idea of bringing a work on the stage about the diverse faces of love based on the immortal texts by Walther von der Vogelweide . The order was officially awarded in 1974. Joy Unlimited played the performances live, this time not directly on the stage, but to the side of the gallery. The ballet ran for two seasons. The accompanying LP was recorded in 1974 and appeared in 1975 as Minne auf BASF, sung in Middle High German.
Late period
Another major order followed was a somewhat exotic joint project for the Bundesgartenschau in Mannheim in 1975 with the Kurpfälzisches Kammerorchester and a huge mass choir of over 500 people, which was to be presented at the opening. The musical basis was a composition by a master from the Mannheim School ( Mozart's time); the work became pretty bombastic and was very well received. Played at the opening of the garden show, it was broadcast by the SWF, in the audience sat a. a. Walter Scheel . At around the same time, Badenia-Verlag granted the rights to some radio and publishing productions by Joy Unlimited to a Milan-based label. The resulting LP Instrumental impressions was only released in Italy and did not attract large circles. It contained purely instrumental pieces. In 1977, another LP of a similar style was released, also only in Italy: Soul, Rock and Bossa Nova . Around the same year, Joy Unlimited broke up in friendship.
Discography
LPs
- 1970: Overground (Polydor)
- 1971: butterflies (mushroom)
- 1973: Reflections (BASF)
- 1975: Minne (BASF)
- around 1975: Instrumental Impressions (Devega)
- 1977: Soul, Rock And Bossa Nova (Fonit Cetra)
Singles
- 1969: Feelin '/ I Just Made Up My Mind (Polydor)
- 1970: Take Me to the Pilot / It's Not Alright (Polydor)
- 1970: Jubeldown / Helpless Child (Polydor)
- 1971: Silvergun / Peace Train (BASF)
- 1972: Early Morning Moanin / Proud Angelina (mushroom)
Web links
- Joy Unlimited at Discogs (English)
Individual evidence
- ↑ Interview with Hans Herkenne and Joy Fleming about Joy & The Hit Kids and Joy Unlimited in SWR2 broadcast from Saturday, September 20, 2008, 10-11pm
- ↑ Booklet of the CD Butterflies
- ↑ Booklet of the CD Butterflies
- ↑ Booklet of the CD Butterflies
- ↑ Booklet of the CD Reflections (2007)
- ↑ Booklet of the CD Minne
- ↑ Booklet of the CD Minne