Die Ärzte
Encyclopedia
Die Ärzte is a punk
band from Berlin
. Die Ärzte are one of the best-known German punk rock bands and have released over 20 albums. The band consists of guitarist Farin Urlaub
, drummer Bela B.
and bass player Rodrigo González. All three write and perform their songs.
(alias Bela B.) and bassist Hans Runge (alias Sahnie). Bela and Farin had previously played together in the punk
band Soilent Grün, established in 1979 and named after the film Soylent Green
. Their songs included "Popeye", "Spitz wie Lumpi", "FDJ
-Punx", "Erwin", and "Sodomie".
After Soilent Grün broke up in 1982, Bela and Farin decided to form another band. In the first two years (including Sahnie) they mostly played in clubs in their hometown, Berlin. Their first release was a contribution to the sampler 20 schäumende Stimmungshits (rough translation: "20 foamy party hits"), featuring a strong alcohol
theme (for example, the chorus of "Vollmilch" translates as "you drink whiskey, he drinks beer, I drink milk"). In 1983 they won a rock contest in Berlin and with the prize money they recorded their debut EP Uns geht's prima...
("We're doing great..."). Finally Columbia Records
signed them, and they released their first LP Debil
("Moronic") in 1984 then their second Im Schatten der Ärzte
("In the shadow of Die Ärzte") a year later.
After the second album they parted ways with Sahnie due to internal problems. He was replaced by producer Micki Meuser on the third album. Later "The Incredible Hagen" played bass for them until their breakup, although he never became an official member of the band. The third album was also the first time that Farin used distorted guitar
sounds on most of the album, moving the band's sound towards rock
. In 1987 the German Federal Centre for Media Harmful to Young Persons
put the songs "Geschwisterliebe
" ("Sibling love", a song about incest
, from the eponymous album Die Ärzte
), "Claudia hat 'nen Schäferhund" ("Claudia has a German shepherd", about zoophilia
, from Debil
) and "Schlaflied" ("Lullaby
", about a monster coming and eating you after falling asleep, also from Debil) on the German List of Media Harmful to Young People (often called "the Index").
This prohibited the band from performing the songs live or promoting the two albums and, more importantly, shops were prohibited from openly displaying these records on their shelves. At their concerts they circumvented the ban by playing only the music of the prohibited songs, while the audience sang the lyrics. After several trials against shops that still openly sold the records, a lot of shops completely removed Die Ärzte from their stock. The result was a drop in record sales and financial problems for the band. In response they released the best of album Ist das alles?
("Is that all?") with three new songs and the 10" compilation Ab 18
(Adults only) containing all indexed songs and some other songs with controversial, mainly sex-themed lyrics. Although advice not to sell the album to minors was printed on the cover, Ab 18 was also put on the index.
The inner sleeve was put on the index separately because it contained the lyrics. Some tour posters were considered misogynistic
and were also put on the list. They contained a drawing of a tied up and gagged woman called Gwendoline
that was inspired by bondage
artist John Willie
and is the mascot of the band. Since then, Die Ärzte have used a skeleton version of Gwendoline in the artwork of most of their albums.
The following album Das ist nicht die ganze Wahrheit...
("That is not the whole truth...") was even more successful and got into the top 10 of the German album charts. Die Ärzte decided to go out on a high note and split up after doing one last tour and releasing a triple live album, Nach uns die Sintflut ("Devil may care", lit.: "After us the deluge"), later released as a double CD, that became their first number one in the album charts.
nor Bela's Depp Jones were really successful, so in 1993 they decided to reform. They invited former Depp Jones guitarist Rodrigo González, to take over on bass duties. They released the comeback album Die Bestie in Menschengestalt
and the single "Schrei nach Liebe
" (Cry for love), their first song to have political lyrics. It was recorded as a statement against the increasing racism and right wing extremist violence in Germany at that time. The translation of the song's refrain is "Your violence is just a silent cry for love / Your combat boots are craving for tenderness / You never learned to express yourself / And your parents never had time for you / Oh oh oh asshole". The album was more varied than previous releases, including ballad
s, punk
, rock and even a song resembling Volksmusik
. Both the album and single became big hits in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. The follow-up Planet Punk
was also very successful.
In 1996 they wanted to make an EP just about hair, however, they wrote too many songs for an EP and it became their next album, Le Frisur
. It was not as successful as its predecessors. Also during this year, as well as touring in their own right, they also supported Kiss
— a dream come true for Bela and Rod. In 1998 their single "Männer sind Schweine
" (Men are pigs) became their first number 1 single in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, with the album 13
also being number 1 in Germany and Switzerland. After a lot of promotion and touring that year, they decided to take a break and also to never again play "Männer sind Schweine" during concerts, due in part to its huge chart success, which in turn attracted remakes, e.g. "Frauen sind Schweine" (Women are pigs).
("Stop feeling so generous, invisible one!", lit.: "Down with the generosity trousers, invisible one!"), and two top 10 singles. For the third single from the album they released the 30-second-song Yoko Ono
, which, according to the Guinness Book of Records, is the shortest single ever released (with a videoclip)—another example of their sense of humour. During their tour in 2001 they sold the limited edition album 5, 6, 7, 8 - Bullenstaat!
("5,6,7,8 - Police State!") consisting of short punk songs that were written and recorded with the previous years full length album published a year before, and with some cover songs that were published in 1995 (another tour only EP).
After that they again took a break: Bela did some acting and Farin recorded his first solo album Endlich Urlaub!
("Urlaub at last!", or "Holiday at last!"). In late 2002 they did an MTV Unplugged
session in a school auditorium with the school's band (Albert Schweitzer Gymnasium, Hamburg, Germany) which they released under the title Rock'n'Roll Realschule (in allusion to the Ramones
' song and the film Rock 'n' Roll High School
). The following year they released a new two-CD album, Geräusch
("Noise"). In December 2003 a live DVD was recorded and published the following year.
While the band was on another break, Farin released another solo album Am Ende der Sonne
("At the end of the Sun"). In 2005 a new version of the album Debil was released under the name Devil containing the original track listings plus some B-sides
and previously unreleased bonus material. The album can now be sold legally, since all the tracks have been removed from the Index. In 2006, Bela B made a solo album, Bingo
. On 2 November 2007, Die Ärzte released their latest album, Jazz ist anders
("Jazz is nothing like this", lit. "Jazz is different"), which was preceded by the single Junge
("Boy"). Junge was shown for the first time on MTV TRL Germany on 14 September 2007. The album was followed by two tours, in winter 2007 and summer 2008.
After they played a few concerts in 2009, they took the longest break since the reunion. In april 2011 they toured under the pseudonym „Laternen-Joe“.
Die Ärzte announced for the 13th April 2012 a new studio album and a tour from May to August.
which does not correspond to any real language construct, intended as a play on the heavy metal umlaut
. Furthermore each dot is symbolic for one of the three members. This can be represented in Unicode: die ä̇rzte. "Die Ärzte", with two dots, is correct German orthography
and not related to the heavy metal umlaut in any way.
They also often call themselves "Die beste Band der Welt" ("The best band in the world") in jest due to them wondering why they have so many fans.
They often change their band name for just a few days. For example they called themselves "Die Köche" ("The cooks") to promote their 2007 album "Jazz ist anders
" ("Jazz is different"). By adopting new names, Die Ärzte are able to avoid attracting large crowds, allowing them to hold small concerts.
an countries. Die Ärzte are largely unknown outside of these countries, aside from descendants of German nationals abroad as well as many students. The band considered releasing an album in English in the mid-1990s, but they dropped the idea. In 2002 they did a short tour in Japan and released a compilation of their last albums there, and in 2004 they did a short tour in South America. Today they are one of the highest grossing live acts in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
band from Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
. Die Ärzte are one of the best-known German punk rock bands and have released over 20 albums. The band consists of guitarist Farin Urlaub
Farin Urlaub
Jan Ulrich Max Vetter, better known as Farin Urlaub was born on 27 October 1963 in West Berlin, Germany. He is best known as the guitarist/vocalist for the German punk rock band Die Ärzte...
, drummer Bela B.
Bela B.
Dirk Felsenheimer , better known under his stage name Bela B., is a German musician, singer and songwriter. He is best known for being the drummer and one of the singers in the German band Die Ärzte. In 2006 he released his first solo album entitled Bingo. Bela B...
and bass player Rodrigo González. All three write and perform their songs.
Early years
Die Ärzte were formed in 1982 by Jan Vetter (alias Farin Urlaub, a pun on the expression "Fahr in Urlaub", meaning "Go on vacation"), Dirk FelsenheimerBela B.
Dirk Felsenheimer , better known under his stage name Bela B., is a German musician, singer and songwriter. He is best known for being the drummer and one of the singers in the German band Die Ärzte. In 2006 he released his first solo album entitled Bingo. Bela B...
(alias Bela B.) and bassist Hans Runge (alias Sahnie). Bela and Farin had previously played together in the punk
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
band Soilent Grün, established in 1979 and named after the film Soylent Green
Soylent Green
Soylent Green is a 1973 American science fiction film directed by Richard Fleischer. Starring Charlton Heston, the film overlays the police procedural and science fiction genres as it depicts the investigation into the murder of a wealthy businessman in a dystopian future suffering from pollution,...
. Their songs included "Popeye", "Spitz wie Lumpi", "FDJ
Free German Youth
The Free German Youth, also known as the FDJ , was the official socialist youth movement of the German Democratic Republic and the Socialist Unity Party of Germany....
-Punx", "Erwin", and "Sodomie".
After Soilent Grün broke up in 1982, Bela and Farin decided to form another band. In the first two years (including Sahnie) they mostly played in clubs in their hometown, Berlin. Their first release was a contribution to the sampler 20 schäumende Stimmungshits (rough translation: "20 foamy party hits"), featuring a strong alcohol
Alcohol
In chemistry, an alcohol is an organic compound in which the hydroxy functional group is bound to a carbon atom. In particular, this carbon center should be saturated, having single bonds to three other atoms....
theme (for example, the chorus of "Vollmilch" translates as "you drink whiskey, he drinks beer, I drink milk"). In 1983 they won a rock contest in Berlin and with the prize money they recorded their debut EP Uns geht's prima...
Uns geht's prima...
Uns geht's prima... [We're doing great...] is the first album by Die Ärzte. After 1983's EP "Zu schön, um wahr zu sein!" it was their second release and raised attention when the German Red Cross initiated a lawsuit against the use of their emblem on the album's cover...
("We're doing great..."). Finally Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
signed them, and they released their first LP Debil
Debil
Debil is the first full-length studio album by Die Ärzte, released in 1984, following the EPs Zu schön, um wahr zu sein! and Uns geht's prima.... The songs "Paul" and "Zu spät" were released as singles, without being successful initially...
("Moronic") in 1984 then their second Im Schatten der Ärzte
Im Schatten der Ärzte
Im Schatten der Ärzte is the third album by Die Ärzte.-Track listing:# "Du willst mich küssen" – 3:08# "Dein Vampyr" – 3:20# ".....
("In the shadow of Die Ärzte") a year later.
After the second album they parted ways with Sahnie due to internal problems. He was replaced by producer Micki Meuser on the third album. Later "The Incredible Hagen" played bass for them until their breakup, although he never became an official member of the band. The third album was also the first time that Farin used distorted 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...
sounds on most of the album, moving the band's sound towards 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...
. In 1987 the German Federal Centre for Media Harmful to Young Persons
Bundesprüfstelle für jugendgefährdende Medien
The Federal Department for Media Harmful to Young Persons is an upper-level German federal agency subordinate to the Federal Ministry of Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth. It is responsible for examining media works allegedly harmful to young people and entering these onto an...
put the songs "Geschwisterliebe
Geschwisterliebe
"Geschwisterliebe" is a controversial song by German punk band Die Ärzte from the album Die Ärzte. It deals with incest and was added to the German List of Media Harmful to Young People in 1987 and is still in the index....
" ("Sibling love", a song about incest
Incest
Incest is sexual intercourse between close relatives that is usually illegal in the jurisdiction where it takes place and/or is conventionally considered a taboo. The term may apply to sexual activities between: individuals of close "blood relationship"; members of the same household; step...
, from the eponymous album Die Ärzte
Die Ärzte (album)
Die Ärzte is the fourth album by German punk band Die Ärzte. "Geschwisterliebe", and with it the whole album, was put in German List of Media Harmful to Young People on January 27, 1987.This was the first album recorded since Sahnie left the band...
), "Claudia hat 'nen Schäferhund" ("Claudia has a German shepherd", about zoophilia
Zoophilia
Zoophilia, from the Greek ζῷον and φιλία is the practice of sex between humans and non-human animals , or a preference or fixation on such practice...
, from Debil
Debil
Debil is the first full-length studio album by Die Ärzte, released in 1984, following the EPs Zu schön, um wahr zu sein! and Uns geht's prima.... The songs "Paul" and "Zu spät" were released as singles, without being successful initially...
) and "Schlaflied" ("Lullaby
Lullaby
A lullaby is a soothing song, usually sung to young children before they go to sleep, with the intention of speeding that process. As a result they are often simple and repetitive. Lullabies can be found in every culture and since the ancient period....
", about a monster coming and eating you after falling asleep, also from Debil) on the German List of Media Harmful to Young People (often called "the Index").
This prohibited the band from performing the songs live or promoting the two albums and, more importantly, shops were prohibited from openly displaying these records on their shelves. At their concerts they circumvented the ban by playing only the music of the prohibited songs, while the audience sang the lyrics. After several trials against shops that still openly sold the records, a lot of shops completely removed Die Ärzte from their stock. The result was a drop in record sales and financial problems for the band. In response they released the best of album Ist das alles?
Ist das alles?
"Ist das alles?" [Is that all?] is a punk song by Die Ärzte. It was the fourth track and the second single from their 1986 album Die Ärzte.An early, unreleased version of the song, written in 1983, was titled "Omakiller" ....
("Is that all?") with three new songs and the 10" compilation Ab 18
Ab 18
Ab 18 [Over 18] is the sixth album by Die Ärzte. It is an EP compilation of which three songs were put in the German List of Media Harmful to Young People. The album was indexed on December 10....
(Adults only) containing all indexed songs and some other songs with controversial, mainly sex-themed lyrics. Although advice not to sell the album to minors was printed on the cover, Ab 18 was also put on the index.
The inner sleeve was put on the index separately because it contained the lyrics. Some tour posters were considered misogynistic
Misogyny
Misogyny is the hatred or dislike of women or girls. Philogyny, meaning fondness, love or admiration towards women, is the antonym of misogyny. The term misandry is the term for men that is parallel to misogyny...
and were also put on the list. They contained a drawing of a tied up and gagged woman called Gwendoline
Sweet Gwendoline
Sweet Gwendoline is the main female character in the works of bondage artist John Willie, published largely in the 1950s and 60s, and possibly the most famous bondage icon after Bettie Page...
that was inspired by bondage
Bondage (BDSM)
Bondage is the use of restraints for the sexual pleasure of the parties involved. It may be used in its own right, as in the case of rope bondage and breast bondage, or as part of sexual activity or BDSM activity.- Private bondage :...
artist John Willie
John Willie
John Alexander Scott Coutts , better known as John Willie, was a pioneering fetish photographer, illustrator, and bondage artist.- Life and work :...
and is the mascot of the band. Since then, Die Ärzte have used a skeleton version of Gwendoline in the artwork of most of their albums.
The following album Das ist nicht die ganze Wahrheit...
Das ist nicht die ganze Wahrheit...
Das ist nicht die ganze Wahrheit... [That's not the whole truth...] is the seventh album by Die Ärzte. It was the last studio album before the band's 5-year hiatus...
("That is not the whole truth...") was even more successful and got into the top 10 of the German album charts. Die Ärzte decided to go out on a high note and split up after doing one last tour and releasing a triple live album, Nach uns die Sintflut ("Devil may care", lit.: "After us the deluge"), later released as a double CD, that became their first number one in the album charts.
Reunion
Neither Farin's new band King KøngKing Køng
King Køng was an unsuccessful German alternative rock band established in 1989 and officially declared defunct in 1999, though its last album was released in 1992...
nor Bela's Depp Jones were really successful, so in 1993 they decided to reform. They invited former Depp Jones guitarist Rodrigo González, to take over on bass duties. They released the comeback album Die Bestie in Menschengestalt
Die Bestie in Menschengestalt
Die Bestie in Menschengestalt is the tenth album by German Punk rock band Die Ärzte, counting Uns geht's prima... as their first album...
and the single "Schrei nach Liebe
Schrei nach Liebe
"Schrei nach Liebe" is a punk song by Die Ärzte. It is the second track and the first single from their 1993 album Die Bestie in Menschengestalt. It is one of the best known political anthems and anti-fascist songs in Germany....
" (Cry for love), their first song to have political lyrics. It was recorded as a statement against the increasing racism and right wing extremist violence in Germany at that time. The translation of the song's refrain is "Your violence is just a silent cry for love / Your combat boots are craving for tenderness / You never learned to express yourself / And your parents never had time for you / Oh oh oh asshole". The album was more varied than previous releases, including ballad
Ballad
A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of British and Irish popular poetry and song from the later medieval period until the 19th century and used extensively across Europe and later the Americas, Australia and North Africa. Many...
s, punk
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
, rock and even a song resembling Volksmusik
Volksmusik
Volksmusik is the common umbrella designation of a number of related styles of traditional music from the Alpine regions of Germany, Austria, Switzerland and South Tyrol...
. Both the album and single became big hits in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. The follow-up Planet Punk
Planet Punk
Planet Punk is an album released by Die Ärzte on 18 September 1995. According to the band's autobiography, Die Ärzte guitarist Farin Urlaub considers Planet Punk to be their best album.-Track listing:-Personnel:*Farin Urlaub - guitar, vocals...
was also very successful.
In 1996 they wanted to make an EP just about hair, however, they wrote too many songs for an EP and it became their next album, Le Frisur
Le Frisur
Le Frisur is a concept album by Die Ärzte. It was released on May 24, 1996, and is entirely about hair...
. It was not as successful as its predecessors. Also during this year, as well as touring in their own right, they also supported Kiss
KISS (band)
Kiss is an American rock band formed in New York City in January 1973. Well-known for its members' face paint and flamboyant stage outfits, the group rose to prominence in the mid to late 1970s on the basis of their elaborate live performances, which featured fire breathing, blood spitting,...
— a dream come true for Bela and Rod. In 1998 their single "Männer sind Schweine
Männer sind Schweine
"Männer sind Schweine" is a pop/rock song by Die Ärzte. It's the thirteenth track from their 1998 album 13. The tongue-in-cheek lyrics are based on the cliché of men always wanting sex, warning girls not to fall for their false promises of true love.- Ein Schwein namens Männer :Ein Schwein namens...
" (Men are pigs) became their first number 1 single in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, with the album 13
13 (Die Ärzte album)
13 is the eighth studio album by Die Ärzte, counting "Debil" as the first, released on May 25, 1998. It is their most successful album. The 13th track, "Männer sind Schweine", is their most successful single....
also being number 1 in Germany and Switzerland. After a lot of promotion and touring that year, they decided to take a break and also to never again play "Männer sind Schweine" during concerts, due in part to its huge chart success, which in turn attracted remakes, e.g. "Frauen sind Schweine" (Women are pigs).
Recent years
In 2000 they came back with the album, Runter mit den Spendierhosen, Unsichtbarer!Runter mit den Spendierhosen, Unsichtbarer!
Runter mit den Spendierhosen, Unsichtbarer! is a studio album by Die Ärzte. The package of the album is a plush pocket.- Album title :...
("Stop feeling so generous, invisible one!", lit.: "Down with the generosity trousers, invisible one!"), and two top 10 singles. For the third single from the album they released the 30-second-song Yoko Ono
Yoko Ono (song)
"Yoko Ono" is a song by the German punk band Die Ärzte. It's the thirteenth track and the third single from their 2000 album Runter mit den Spendierhosen, Unsichtbarer!. It was released on March 5, 2001. A notable aspect of the single is that it is the shortest single ever released, with a runtime...
, which, according to the Guinness Book of Records, is the shortest single ever released (with a videoclip)—another example of their sense of humour. During their tour in 2001 they sold the limited edition album 5, 6, 7, 8 - Bullenstaat!
5, 6, 7, 8 - Bullenstaat!
5, 6, 7, 8 – Bullenstaat! [5, 6, 7, 8 – Cop state!] is an album by Die Ärzte. It was sold at concerts. Now the album is available as a digital download for free on Die Ärzte's site...
("5,6,7,8 - Police State!") consisting of short punk songs that were written and recorded with the previous years full length album published a year before, and with some cover songs that were published in 1995 (another tour only EP).
After that they again took a break: Bela did some acting and Farin recorded his first solo album Endlich Urlaub!
Endlich Urlaub!
Endlich Urlaub! is the first solo album of the German singer Farin Urlaub , released in 2001. It shows the typical humour and music style fans of Die Ärzte are used to but is also very diverse and seems even a bit experimental...
("Urlaub at last!", or "Holiday at last!"). In late 2002 they did an MTV Unplugged
MTV Unplugged
MTV Unplugged is a TV series showcasing many popular musical artists usually playing acoustic instruments. The show has received the George Foster Peabody Award and 3 Primetime Emmy nominations among many accolades.-Unplugged:...
session in a school auditorium with the school's band (Albert Schweitzer Gymnasium, Hamburg, Germany) which they released under the title Rock'n'Roll Realschule (in allusion to the Ramones
Ramones
The Ramones were an American rock band that formed in the New York City neighborhood of Forest Hills, Queens, in 1974. They are often cited as the first punk rock group...
' song and the film Rock 'n' Roll High School
Rock 'n' Roll High School
Rock 'n' Roll High School is a 1979 musical comedy film produced by Roger Corman, directed by Allan Arkush, and featuring the Ramones.The film starred P. J. Soles, Vince Van Patten, and Clint Howard...
). The following year they released a new two-CD album, Geräusch
Geräusch
Geräusch is a studio album by Die Ärzte. The album was sold on two CDs, which look like LPs. The package is designed, using upside-down techniques, to make it difficult to decide which of the covers is the front....
("Noise"). In December 2003 a live DVD was recorded and published the following year.
While the band was on another break, Farin released another solo album Am Ende der Sonne
Am Ende der Sonne
Am Ende der Sonne is the second solo album of the German musician Farin Urlaub, released in 2005. The title translates to At Sun's end.-Track listing:All songs written by Farin Urlaub.# "Mehr" – 3:14...
("At the end of the Sun"). In 2005 a new version of the album Debil was released under the name Devil containing the original track listings plus some B-sides
B-Sides
B-Sides is an iTunes-exclusive album from the Coventry Trio The Enemy, consisting of ten songs that were B-sides to the single releases from their debut album We'll Live and Die in These Towns.-Track list:#Fear Killed the Youth of Our Nation...
and previously unreleased bonus material. The album can now be sold legally, since all the tracks have been removed from the Index. In 2006, Bela B made a solo album, Bingo
Bingo (album)
Bingo is the first solo album of the German singer Bela B., released in 2006.The song "Lee Hazlewood & das erste Lied des Tages" is also featured on the Lee Hazlewood album, Cake or Death as "The First Song of the Day".-Track listing:...
. On 2 November 2007, Die Ärzte released their latest album, Jazz ist anders
Jazz ist anders
Jazz ist anders is Die Ärzte's eleventh full-length studio album since Debil. It was released on 2 November 2007. The album has a bonus-EP with three songs about Die Ärzte and a hidden track. This is the first album after Debil that Die Ärzte produced alone. The cover is a reference to the most...
("Jazz is nothing like this", lit. "Jazz is different"), which was preceded by the single Junge
Junge
Junge is a song by Die Ärzte.It's the sixth track and the first single from their 2007 album Jazz ist anders.It debuted on the radio on 31 August 2007....
("Boy"). Junge was shown for the first time on MTV TRL Germany on 14 September 2007. The album was followed by two tours, in winter 2007 and summer 2008.
After they played a few concerts in 2009, they took the longest break since the reunion. In april 2011 they toured under the pseudonym „Laternen-Joe“.
Die Ärzte announced for the 13th April 2012 a new studio album and a tour from May to August.
Band name
On their 2003 album Geräusch, they spell their name with three dots over the a in ärzte, a diacriticDiacritic
A diacritic is a glyph added to a letter, or basic glyph. The term derives from the Greek διακριτικός . Diacritic is both an adjective and a noun, whereas diacritical is only an adjective. Some diacritical marks, such as the acute and grave are often called accents...
which does not correspond to any real language construct, intended as a play on the heavy metal umlaut
Heavy metal umlaut
A metal umlaut is a diaeresis that is sometimes used gratuitously or decoratively over letters in the names of hard rock or heavy metal bands—for example those of Mötley Crüe and Motörhead...
. Furthermore each dot is symbolic for one of the three members. This can be represented in Unicode: die ä̇rzte. "Die Ärzte", with two dots, is correct German orthography
Orthography
The orthography of a language specifies a standardized way of using a specific writing system to write the language. Where more than one writing system is used for a language, for example Kurdish, Uyghur, Serbian or Inuktitut, there can be more than one orthography...
and not related to the heavy metal umlaut in any way.
They also often call themselves "Die beste Band der Welt" ("The best band in the world") in jest due to them wondering why they have so many fans.
They often change their band name for just a few days. For example they called themselves "Die Köche" ("The cooks") to promote their 2007 album "Jazz ist anders
Jazz ist anders
Jazz ist anders is Die Ärzte's eleventh full-length studio album since Debil. It was released on 2 November 2007. The album has a bonus-EP with three songs about Die Ärzte and a hidden track. This is the first album after Debil that Die Ärzte produced alone. The cover is a reference to the most...
" ("Jazz is different"). By adopting new names, Die Ärzte are able to avoid attracting large crowds, allowing them to hold small concerts.
International reception
The band has been very popular in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, while also enjoying some success in other Northern EuropeNorthern Europe
Northern Europe is the northern part or region of Europe. Northern Europe typically refers to the seven countries in the northern part of the European subcontinent which includes Denmark, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Finland and Sweden...
an countries. Die Ärzte are largely unknown outside of these countries, aside from descendants of German nationals abroad as well as many students. The band considered releasing an album in English in the mid-1990s, but they dropped the idea. In 2002 they did a short tour in Japan and released a compilation of their last albums there, and in 2004 they did a short tour in South America. Today they are one of the highest grossing live acts in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
Discography
Studio albums- DebilDebilDebil is the first full-length studio album by Die Ärzte, released in 1984, following the EPs Zu schön, um wahr zu sein! and Uns geht's prima.... The songs "Paul" and "Zu spät" were released as singles, without being successful initially...
(1984) - Im Schatten der ÄrzteIm Schatten der ÄrzteIm Schatten der Ärzte is the third album by Die Ärzte.-Track listing:# "Du willst mich küssen" – 3:08# "Dein Vampyr" – 3:20# ".....
(1985) - Die ÄrzteDie Ärzte (album)Die Ärzte is the fourth album by German punk band Die Ärzte. "Geschwisterliebe", and with it the whole album, was put in German List of Media Harmful to Young People on January 27, 1987.This was the first album recorded since Sahnie left the band...
(1986) - Das ist nicht die ganze Wahrheit...Das ist nicht die ganze Wahrheit...Das ist nicht die ganze Wahrheit... [That's not the whole truth...] is the seventh album by Die Ärzte. It was the last studio album before the band's 5-year hiatus...
(1988) - Die Bestie in MenschengestaltDie Bestie in MenschengestaltDie Bestie in Menschengestalt is the tenth album by German Punk rock band Die Ärzte, counting Uns geht's prima... as their first album...
(1993) - Planet PunkPlanet PunkPlanet Punk is an album released by Die Ärzte on 18 September 1995. According to the band's autobiography, Die Ärzte guitarist Farin Urlaub considers Planet Punk to be their best album.-Track listing:-Personnel:*Farin Urlaub - guitar, vocals...
(1995) - Le FrisurLe FrisurLe Frisur is a concept album by Die Ärzte. It was released on May 24, 1996, and is entirely about hair...
(1996) - 1313 (Die Ärzte album)13 is the eighth studio album by Die Ärzte, counting "Debil" as the first, released on May 25, 1998. It is their most successful album. The 13th track, "Männer sind Schweine", is their most successful single....
(1998) - Runter mit den Spendierhosen, Unsichtbarer!Runter mit den Spendierhosen, Unsichtbarer!Runter mit den Spendierhosen, Unsichtbarer! is a studio album by Die Ärzte. The package of the album is a plush pocket.- Album title :...
(2000) - GeräuschGeräuschGeräusch is a studio album by Die Ärzte. The album was sold on two CDs, which look like LPs. The package is designed, using upside-down techniques, to make it difficult to decide which of the covers is the front....
(2003) - Jazz ist andersJazz ist andersJazz ist anders is Die Ärzte's eleventh full-length studio album since Debil. It was released on 2 November 2007. The album has a bonus-EP with three songs about Die Ärzte and a hidden track. This is the first album after Debil that Die Ärzte produced alone. The cover is a reference to the most...
(2007)
Awards
| Year | Presenter | Awards | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | Bravo Otto | Rock-Gruppe in Gold | |
| 1995 | Bravo Otto | Band Rock in Silber | |
| Echo | Gruppe des Jahres national | ||
| 1996 | Comet | Video National: Rod loves You | |
| Bravo Otto | Band Rock in Bronze | ||
| Echo | Gruppe des Jahres national | ||
| Echo | Erfolgreichste nationaler Song des Jahres: Ein Song namens Schunder | ||
| 1997 | Echo | Nationaler Newcomer des Jahres - Rod loves You | |
| 1998 | Bravo Otto | Band Rock in Bronze | |
| 1999 | Echo | Musikvideo des Jahres national: Männer sind Schweine Männer sind Schweine "Männer sind Schweine" is a pop/rock song by Die Ärzte. It's the thirteenth track from their 1998 album 13. The tongue-in-cheek lyrics are based on the cliché of men always wanting sex, warning girls not to fall for their false promises of true love.- Ein Schwein namens Männer :Ein Schwein namens... |
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| Echo | Gruppe des Jahres national: 13 13 (Die Ärzte album) 13 is the eighth studio album by Die Ärzte, counting "Debil" as the first, released on May 25, 1998. It is their most successful album. The 13th track, "Männer sind Schweine", is their most successful single.... |
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| Echo | Erfolgreichster nationaler Song des Jahres: Männer sind Schweine Männer sind Schweine "Männer sind Schweine" is a pop/rock song by Die Ärzte. It's the thirteenth track from their 1998 album 13. The tongue-in-cheek lyrics are based on the cliché of men always wanting sex, warning girls not to fall for their false promises of true love.- Ein Schwein namens Männer :Ein Schwein namens... |
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| 2001 | Echo | Videoclip national: Manchmal haben Frauen... Manchmal haben Frauen... "Manchmal haben Frauen..." is a song by Die Ärzte. It is the eleventh track and the second single from their 2000 album Runter mit den Spendierhosen, Unsichtbarer!. It is about a man who meets a drunken man in a bar who tells him something that's unbelievable for him - sometimes women like a... |
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| Comet | Beste Rockband | ||
| Comet | Act national | ||
| Comet | VIVA ZWEI Zuschauercomet | ||
| Comet | Video national: Manchmal haben Frauen... Manchmal haben Frauen... "Manchmal haben Frauen..." is a song by Die Ärzte. It is the eleventh track and the second single from their 2000 album Runter mit den Spendierhosen, Unsichtbarer!. It is about a man who meets a drunken man in a bar who tells him something that's unbelievable for him - sometimes women like a... |
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| 2003 | MTV Europe Music Awards MTV Europe Music Awards The MTV Europe Music Awards were established in 1994 by MTV Networks Europe to celebrate the most popular music videos in Europe. Originally beginning as an alternative to the American MTV Video Music Awards, the MTV Europe Music Awards is today a popular celebration of what MTV viewers consider... |
Bester deutscher Act | |
| 2004 | Comet | Bestes Video: Unrockbar Unrockbar "Unrockbar" is a punk song by Die Ärzte. It's the first track on CD2 and the first single from their 2003 album Geräusch. It's about a man, whose girlfriend doesn't like rock.... |
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| 2005 | Echo | Musik-DVD-Produktion national/international: Die Band, die sie Pferd nannten Die Band, die sie Pferd nannten - Jenseits der Grenze des Zumutbaren :The Jenseits der Grenze des Zumutbaren was the thirty sixth concert tour by Die Ärzte. The tour supported their tenth studio album, Geräusch.- Tour dates :... |
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| Echo | Bester Live-Act | ||
| 2007 | 1Live Krone | Lebenswerk | |
| 2008 | World Music Award | World's Best Selling German Artist | |
| 1Live Krone | Beste Single: Junge Junge Junge is a song by Die Ärzte.It's the sixth track and the first single from their 2007 album Jazz ist anders.It debuted on the radio on 31 August 2007.... |
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| Echo | Gruppe des Jahres - Rock/Alternative National | ||
| Comet | Album des Jahres: Jazz ist anders Jazz ist anders Jazz ist anders is Die Ärzte's eleventh full-length studio album since Debil. It was released on 2 November 2007. The album has a bonus-EP with three songs about Die Ärzte and a hidden track. This is the first album after Debil that Die Ärzte produced alone. The cover is a reference to the most... |
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| Comet | Bester Live Act | ||
| MTV Europe Music Awards | Bester deutscher Act | ||
| 2009 | Echo | Bester Rock/Alternative/Heavy Metal national: Jazz ist anders Jazz ist anders Jazz ist anders is Die Ärzte's eleventh full-length studio album since Debil. It was released on 2 November 2007. The album has a bonus-EP with three songs about Die Ärzte and a hidden track. This is the first album after Debil that Die Ärzte produced alone. The cover is a reference to the most... |
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| Comet | Bester Song: Lasse redn Lasse redn "Lasse redn" [Let 'em talk] is a song by the German rock band, Die Ärzte. It is the fourth track and the third single released from their 2007 album Jazz ist anders... |
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| Comet | Bester Liveact |