City (band)
Encyclopedia
City is a German
rock band
, formed in East Berlin
in 1972, best known for the song "Am Fenster" (At The Window or by the window) from its 1978 first album.
The band was founded as the City Band Berlin by Fritz Puppel (guitar
), Klaus Selmke (drums
), Ingo Doering (bass guitar
), Klaus Witte (keyboards
), Frank Pfeiffer (vocals
) and Andreas Pieper (flute
). The lineup changed frequently in the band's early years, but stabilized by 1976, with Puppel and Selmke joined by Bulgaria
n violinist and bassist Georgi Gogow and vocalist-guitarist Toni Krahl. They changed their name to City Rock Band and eventually to simply City.
City toured extensively in East Germany, and was given the opportunity to record an album in 1978. The eponymous City showcased the band's guitar-driven rock
; several songs are parables, such as "Der King vom Prenzlauer Berg" (The King Of Prenzlauer Berg
), about a young man who gets into too many fights; and "Meister aller Klassen" (Masters Of All Classes"), about cocky motorcyclists whose desire for speed ends in tragedy.
The band's greatest commercial success, however, was the atypical folk rock
-influenced "Am Fenster" (At the Window), which arose from a jam session in the studio when Gogow began to play on his violin. It eventually coalesced into a three-part, 17-minute piece (as well as a four-minute version for radio play). An immediate hit in East Germany, it also became successful in West Germany
and was an enormous success in countries such as Greece
. Following the song's success, City sold half a million copies.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
rock band
Rock Band
Rock Band is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems, published by MTV Games and Electronic Arts. It is the first title in the Rock Band series. The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions were released in the United States on November 20, 2007, while the PlayStation 2 version was...
, formed in East Berlin
East Berlin
East Berlin was the name given to the eastern part of Berlin between 1949 and 1990. It consisted of the Soviet sector of Berlin that was established in 1945. The American, British and French sectors became West Berlin, a part strongly associated with West Germany but a free city...
in 1972, best known for the song "Am Fenster" (At The Window or by the window) from its 1978 first album.
The band was founded as the City Band Berlin by Fritz Puppel (guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
), Klaus Selmke (drums
Drum kit
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
), Ingo Doering (bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
), Klaus Witte (keyboards
Keyboard instrument
A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
), Frank Pfeiffer (vocals
Singing
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
) and Andreas Pieper (flute
Flute
The flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening...
). The lineup changed frequently in the band's early years, but stabilized by 1976, with Puppel and Selmke joined by Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
n violinist and bassist Georgi Gogow and vocalist-guitarist Toni Krahl. They changed their name to City Rock Band and eventually to simply City.
City toured extensively in East Germany, and was given the opportunity to record an album in 1978. The eponymous City showcased the band's guitar-driven rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
; several songs are parables, such as "Der King vom Prenzlauer Berg" (The King Of Prenzlauer Berg
Prenzlauer Berg
Prenzlauer Berg is a locality of Berlin, in the borough of Pankow.Until 2001, Prenzlauer Berg was a borough of Berlin; in that year it was included in the borough of Pankow....
), about a young man who gets into too many fights; and "Meister aller Klassen" (Masters Of All Classes"), about cocky motorcyclists whose desire for speed ends in tragedy.
The band's greatest commercial success, however, was the atypical folk rock
Folk rock
Folk rock is a musical genre combining elements of folk music and rock music. In its earliest and narrowest sense, the term referred to a genre that arose in the United States and the UK around the mid-1960s...
-influenced "Am Fenster" (At the Window), which arose from a jam session in the studio when Gogow began to play on his violin. It eventually coalesced into a three-part, 17-minute piece (as well as a four-minute version for radio play). An immediate hit in East Germany, it also became successful in West Germany
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
and was an enormous success in countries such as Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
. Following the song's success, City sold half a million copies.
Discography
- 1978 Am Fenster (At The Window; released in West GermanyWest GermanyWest Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
as City) - 1979 Der Tätowierte (The Tattooed Man; released in West Germany as City II)
- 1980 Dreamer (English languageEnglish languageEnglish is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
album, released in West Germany as Dreamland) - 1983 Unter der Haut (Under The Skin)
- 1985 Feuer im Eis (Fire in Ice)
- 1987 Casablanca
- 1990 Keine Angst (No Fear)
- 1991 Rock aus Deutschland Ost Vol. 11 – City, die Erfolge 1977–1987 (Compilation albumCompilation albumA compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
) - 1992 The Best of City (Compilation albumCompilation albumA compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
) - 1997 Rauchzeichen (Smoke Signals)
- 1997 Am Fenster (Platinum Edition)
- 2002 Am Fenster 2
- 2003 Das Weihnachtsfest der Rockmusik (Album with KeimzeitKeimzeitKeimzeit is a German musical band formed in 1979 in Lütte near Potsdam, GDR . Originally called Jogger, they changed their name to Keimzeit in 1982....
) (Christmas Festival Of Rock Music) - 2004 Silberstreif am Horizont (Silver Line On The Horizon)
- 2007 Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!