Montanablue | |
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 | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Cologne, Germany |
| Genres | Alternative rock, new wave |
| Years active | 1985–1991 |
| Labels | WEA, Pinpoint Records, BMG |
| Past members | William Lee Self Leon Kieven Jiri Douda Jürgen Dahmen Stephan Rath |
| Website | www |
Montanablue was a rock band formed in 1985 in Cologne, Germany by Leon Kieven (Bass), Jiri Douda (Drums) and William Lee Self (guitar, vocals). [1] [2]
Montanablue recorded an EP of material with Rainer Assman meant for release on Normal records until the German television producer and music publisher Harold Goldbach heard the recordings and promised the band he could secure them a major label contract. After an appearance on the German Musik Convoy television show (a first for an unsigned act) and an opening slot on John Cales 1985 German tour the band were signed to WEA and almost immediately began recording their debut album with renowned German producer Conny Plank. [3] The resulting "Compliments and Roses" album was released in Europe and received fantastic reviews making Montanablue a critic's favorite in Germany and Benelux. The album includes contributions from Blaine L. Reininger and from Jürgen Dahmen who would become the bands permanent keyboardist. David Hudson produced a video for the "What She Needs" EP/single. Unfortunately being the critic's darlings did not translate into the kind of sales WEA had imagined and after releasing 2 more EP's on WEA and most importantly after the death of Conny Plank in 1987 the band lost any leverage it may have had and were dropped by WEA and Harold Goldbach. The band felt relieved, after having been burdened with such expectations from the outset and began work on a new album with German producer and musician Arno Steffen. After entering into a licensing agreement with Pinpoint Records and signing with the publisher Kick the band released their second full studio album "Chained To An Elephant". Once again the album and its singles (including "Zeb And LuLu" (a song Reininger penned especially for the band) received great reviews and airplay, but sales remained sluggish. Pinpoint released a live album titled "A Showcase Of Manly Delights" recorded by Thomas Stern (Einstürzende Neubauten, Nick Cave) from the band's 1989 tour with Blaine Reininger. Montanablue and Reininger toured together during this period, incorporating Reiningers material into their own set. [4] These shows were very successful and the 500-1000 seat venues were inevitably sold out. The band parted ways with Pinpoint and were picked up by Choldwig Musik/BMG for what was to be their final LP "We Always Are Where We Go" recorded at the Conny Plank studio by Thomas Stern and Ingo Kraus, released in 1991. The band dissolved shortly thereafter.
Tone Float is the debut and only LP by the German band Organisation zur Verwirklichung gemeinsamer Musikkonzepte (Organisation). Organisation is best remembered for having the two founders of Kraftwerk as members, Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider-Esleben, which they did after the album's release and band's disbandment.
Konrad "Conny" Plank was a German record producer and musician. He is known for his innovative work as a sound engineer and producer in Germany's krautrock and kosmische music scene in the 1970s. Plank was involved in releases by Neu!, Kraftwerk, Cluster, Harmonia, Ash Ra Tempel, Guru Guru, Kraan, and other German groups of the era. He later produced for new wave acts such as D.A.F., Eurythmics and Ultravox. As a billed performer, Plank also formed the group Moebius & Plank, releasing 5 albums between 1979 and 1986.
Neu! were a West German krautrock band formed in Düsseldorf in 1971 by Klaus Dinger and Michael Rother following their departure from Kraftwerk. The group's albums were produced by Conny Plank, who has been regarded as the group's "hidden member". They released three albums in their initial incarnation—Neu! (1972), Neu! 2 (1973), and Neu! 75 (1975)—before disbanding in 1975. They briefly reunited in the mid-1980s.
Neu! is the debut album by German krautrock band Neu!. It was released in 1972 by Brain Records. It was the first album recorded by the duo of Michael Rother and Klaus Dinger after leaving Kraftwerk in 1971. They continued to work with producer Konrad "Conny" Plank, who had also worked on the Kraftwerk recording sessions.
Neu! 75 is the third studio album by the krautrock band Neu!. It was recorded and mixed at Conny Plank's studio between December 1974 and January 1975. It was released in 1975 by Brain Records, and officially reissued on CD on 29 May 2001 by Astralwerks in the US and by Grönland Records in the UK.
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Moebius & Plank was a German electronic music duo consisting of musicians Dieter Moebius and Conny Plank. They recorded three albums between 1979 and 1986 as well as two additional albums, one a collaboration with Mani Neumeier and the other with Mayo Thompson. Plank died of cancer in 1987. Their final two albums were released posthumously in 1995 and 1998 respectively
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