Propaganda (band)
Encyclopedia
Propaganda is a German
synthpop
group
, formed in 1982. They were one of the initial roster of acts signed to Trevor Horn
's ZTT label, between 1984 and 1986, during which they released the critically acclaimed album A Secret Wish
.
, Germany
, in 1982 by Ralf Dörper (a member of the German industrial
band Die Krupps
). As a trio, with artist Andreas Thein and vocalist Susanne Freytag, they made initial recordings in Germany which were deemed for future release in UK, where Ralf Doerper's early experimental recordings had met critical acclaim. With the inclusion of classically trained musician and composer Michael Mertens and singer Claudia Brücken
(who had worked with Freytag in her previous band, The Tripolinas), music-journalist Paul Morley
signed the band to Trevor Horn
's newly-formed ZTT Records
label.
The group relocated to the United Kingdom and released the single "Dr. Mabuse", named after the fictional character
made famous by film maker Fritz Lang
. The single reached number 27 in the UK Singles Chart in April 1984, and number 7 in Germany. The group appeared on various TV shows in the UK, including Channel 4's "The Tube
". Here, as well as performing "Dr. Mabuse", they also gave one of their few performances of a cover version of Throbbing Gristle
's song "Disziplin
".
Before the year was out, Thein had left the band, and with Mertens now filling the gap left by his departure, the band forged ahead with recording their follow-up single and debut album. However both of these were to be delayed as a result of the unexpectedly huge success of ZTT's most famous signing, Frankie Goes to Hollywood
. As the label was still in its infancy, ZTT were forced to spend all their limited resources on promoting and marketing FGTH, and this also meant that Trevor Horn was not available to produce Propaganda's album. Stephen Lipson
, one of Horn's established studio engineers, took his place, but the delay meant that Propaganda's second single, the more pop-oriented "Duel
", didn't surface until April 1985. Perhaps the band's most recognisable release, it was also their highest-charting single in the UK, reaching number 21. The band made their one and only appearance on the flagship BBC music programme "Top of the Pops
" in June of that year. It was also used as the theme music for the World Rally Championship
(WRC) in 2005, the alternate version; "Jewel" having also been used as the theme music for the BBC
's Top Gear RAC Rally
Report programmes in the late 1980s.
In May 1985, with Frankie Goes to Hollywood becoming tax exile
s in Ireland, the band effectively headlined "The Value of Entertainment", a series of showcase gigs of ZTT signings, held at the Ambassadors Theatre in London. The shows also featured Art of Noise (Paul Morley addressing the audience after three dancers had performed to AON tracks), Anne Pigalle
, Andrew Poppy
and Instinct. Propaganda were joined on stage by former Simple Minds
bassist Derek Forbes
and ex-Japan
drummer Steve Jansen
.
. Receiving considerable critical acclaim and some commercial success, it reached number 16 on the UK Album Chart. The album was followed by another single, "p:Machinery
", in August 1985, which only reached number 50 in the UK, but was a bigger hit in France, the Netherlands, Germany and Switzerland. The 12-inch version of this release caused controversy (even within the group) as Paul Morley thought it was a good idea to have the sleeve feature a quote by writer J. G. Ballard
praising the activities of the German terrorist group Red Army Faction
. Ariola
, who distributed ZTT's releases in Germany, refused to carry the 12" as a result, so the quote was changed on the German release to another by Ballard on the aesthetic perfection of German suburbs.
The group spent the rest of the year on their "Outside World" tour, taking in Europe and America. They were joined once again by Derek Forbes on bass, his fellow ex-Simple Minds cohort Brian McGee on drums, and Kevin Armstrong on guitar, with backing tapes used for most of the keyboard parts. In the meantime a remix album, Wishful Thinking, was released in November 1985. Originally intended for the American club market, the album was also released in Europe, but against the wishes of the group themselves. The album peaked at number 82 in the UK. A remixed version of "p:Machinery" was also re-released as a single, only four months after its original release. In the UK, it too failed to make an impact and peaked at no.83, but was more successful in France and Germany.
in 1988, and in 1991 she released a solo album (Love: And a Million Other Things
) for Island Records
.
, and began recording new material. Alongside Michael Mertens were the new line-up of American vocalist Betsi Miller, bassist Derek Forbes and drummer Brian McGee (who had both actually joined the band following their split with ZTT in 1986). The result was a new album, released in 1990 called 1234, produced by former Tears For Fears
' associates Ian Stanley
and Chris Hughes
(Miller's future husband). Some of Dörper's lyrics were used and Freytag also made a guest appearance on the album. David Gilmour of Pink Floyd
played guitar on what was to be the second single taken from the album, "Only One Word". Despite the first single from the album, "Heaven Give Me Words", reaching the UK Top 40, the album was not a huge success and peaked at number 36 in the UK. Around this time, Propaganda founders Dörper and Thein (under the moniker Riffifi) scored a European dance hit called "Dr. Acid & Mr House".
, and began working on new material. Several tracks were completed, including one produced by Tim Simenon
and featuring Depeche Mode
's Martin Gore
on guitar. A video for one song, "No Return", was produced in Morocco
and directed by "Keyser Soze
" in December 1998. Two minute clips of it, along with photos of the shoot, were released via the band's official website in early 2000. However, no album materialized, and in January 2002, Brücken announced, "The reunion was worth a try, but did not work out." Later that year, an untitled nine-track CD was leaked via file-sharing networks on the Internet. Track titles were "Ignorance", "Who's The Fool", "Beast Within", "No Return", "To The Future", "Turn To The Sun", "Dream Within A Dream", "Cloud 9" and "Anonymous". "Cloud 9" was later recorded by Brücken and former OMD
member Paul Humphreys
for their act Onetwo
. It first appeared on their 2004 5-track EP Item
; then appeared again in 2007 on their album Instead
, together with the song "Anonymous".
showcase of Trevor Horn's lifetime celebration. In October 2007, the same Propaganda line-up appeared on RTL Germany's The Ultimate Chart Show, and performed an edited version of "Dr. Mabuse". In July 2010, a 2-disc Deluxe Edition of A Secret Wish, containing the varying tracks released on both the original vinyl album, cassette and CD versions, was released to mark the album's 25th anniversary. The release also includes unreleased 12" remixes, demos and previously-unheard songs. The booklet accompanying the release mentions that "At the time of writing, spring 2010, Mertens, Brücken, Freytag and Dörper are back on terms and for the second time since 2000 they are considering working together."
On March 2, 2011 Claudia Brücken performed at Scala in London and was joined by Ralf Dörper and Susanne Freytag for some of the tracks. Thomas Leer was due to perform as well however never made it due to a throat operation. The gig was recorded for later DVD release and also featured Glenn Gregory and Martyn Ware of Heaven 17 and Andy Bell of Erasure. However, in an interview around the same time, Brücken said that Mertens was unwilling to work with her any longer.
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...
synthpop
Synthpop
Synthpop is a genre of popular music that first became prominent in the 1980s, in which the synthesizer is the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s and early 1970s by the use of synthesizers in progressive rock, electronic art rock, disco and particularly the "Kraut rock" of...
group
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
, formed in 1982. They were one of the initial roster of acts signed to Trevor Horn
Trevor Horn
Trevor Charles Horn CBE is an English pop music record producer, songwriter, musician and singer. He was born in Houghton-le-Spring in north-east England....
's ZTT label, between 1984 and 1986, during which they released the critically acclaimed album A Secret Wish
A Secret Wish
- Original 1985 vinyl album release :A – WITHIN# "Dream Within A Dream" – 8:04# "The Murder Of Love" – 5:12# "Jewel" – 3:10# "Duel" – 4:43B – WITHOUT# "p:Machinery" [album mix]" – 3:50# "Sorry For Laughing" – 3:25# "Dr...
.
Early history: 1982-1984
Propaganda was formed in DüsseldorfDüsseldorf
Düsseldorf is the capital city of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and centre of the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region.Düsseldorf is an important international business and financial centre and renowned for its fashion and trade fairs. Located centrally within the European Megalopolis, the...
, Germany
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...
, in 1982 by Ralf Dörper (a member of the German industrial
Industrial music
Industrial music is a style of experimental music that draws on transgressive and provocative themes. The term was coined in the mid-1970s with the founding of Industrial Records by the band Throbbing Gristle, and the creation of the slogan "industrial music for industrial people". In general, the...
band Die Krupps
Die Krupps
Die Krupps is a German industrial rock/EBM band, formed in 1980 by Jürgen Engler and Bernward Malaka in Düsseldorf.-History:Their initial sound throughout the 1980s combined synthesizers with metallic percussion...
). As a trio, with artist Andreas Thein and vocalist Susanne Freytag, they made initial recordings in Germany which were deemed for future release in UK, where Ralf Doerper's early experimental recordings had met critical acclaim. With the inclusion of classically trained musician and composer Michael Mertens and singer Claudia Brücken
Claudia Brücken
Claudia Brücken is a German singer who fronted the synthpop groups Propaganda and Act. Since 1996 she has been working with OMD member Paul Humphreys, first without a name, since 2004 as Onetwo...
(who had worked with Freytag in her previous band, The Tripolinas), music-journalist Paul Morley
Paul Morley
Paul Morley is an English journalist, who wrote for the New Musical Express from 1977 to 1983, during one of its most successful periods, and has since written for a wide range of publications...
signed the band to Trevor Horn
Trevor Horn
Trevor Charles Horn CBE is an English pop music record producer, songwriter, musician and singer. He was born in Houghton-le-Spring in north-east England....
's newly-formed ZTT Records
ZTT Records
ZTT Records is a record label founded in 1983 by NME journalist Paul Morley, record producer Trevor Horn, and businesswoman Jill Sinclair. The label's name was also printed as "Zang Tumb Tuum" and "Zang Tuum Tumb" on various releases....
label.
The group relocated to the United Kingdom and released the single "Dr. Mabuse", named after the fictional character
Doctor Mabuse
Doctor Mabuse is a fictional character created by Norbert Jacques in the novel Dr. Mabuse, der Spieler, and made famous by the three movies director Fritz Lang made about the character; see Dr. Mabuse the Gambler. Although the character was designed deliberately to mimic pulp magazine-style...
made famous by film maker Fritz Lang
Fritz Lang
Friedrich Christian Anton "Fritz" Lang was an Austrian-American filmmaker, screenwriter, and occasional film producer and actor. One of the best known émigrés from Germany's school of Expressionism, he was dubbed the "Master of Darkness" by the British Film Institute...
. The single reached number 27 in the UK Singles Chart in April 1984, and number 7 in Germany. The group appeared on various TV shows in the UK, including Channel 4's "The Tube
The Tube (TV series)
The Tube was an innovative United Kingdom pop/rock music television programme, which ran for five seasons, from 5 November 1982 until 1987...
". Here, as well as performing "Dr. Mabuse", they also gave one of their few performances of a cover version of Throbbing Gristle
Throbbing Gristle
Throbbing Gristle were an English industrial, avant-garde music and visual arts group that evolved from the performance art group COUM Transmissions...
's song "Disziplin
Discipline (Throbbing Gristle single)
-Single:45 RPM 12" with 2 live versions of the song "Discipline" recorded in Berlin and Manchester. Center labels are cream with black printing. Glossy picture sleeve of TG group stood outside ex-Nazi Ministry of Propaganda in Berlin on front and Val Denham holding Hitler Youth dagger centre back....
".
Before the year was out, Thein had left the band, and with Mertens now filling the gap left by his departure, the band forged ahead with recording their follow-up single and debut album. However both of these were to be delayed as a result of the unexpectedly huge success of ZTT's most famous signing, Frankie Goes to Hollywood
Frankie Goes to Hollywood
Frankie Goes to Hollywood were a British dance-pop band popular in the mid-1980s. The group was fronted by Holly Johnson , with Paul Rutherford , Peter Gill , Mark O'Toole , and Brian Nash .The group's debut single "Relax" was banned by the BBC in 1984 while at number six in the charts and...
. As the label was still in its infancy, ZTT were forced to spend all their limited resources on promoting and marketing FGTH, and this also meant that Trevor Horn was not available to produce Propaganda's album. Stephen Lipson
Stephen Lipson
Stephen J. Lipson is a musician and producer who has worked with numerous artists, including Frankie Goes to Hollywood, Cher, Grace Jones, Paul McCartney, Pet Shop Boys, Take That, Simple Minds, Lindisfarne, and Annie Lennox....
, one of Horn's established studio engineers, took his place, but the delay meant that Propaganda's second single, the more pop-oriented "Duel
Duel (song)
"Duel" is the second single by German pop group Propaganda and was included on their first album A Secret Wish.Released in the United Kingdom in April 1985, it became their most successful single in the UK, reaching no. 21...
", didn't surface until April 1985. Perhaps the band's most recognisable release, it was also their highest-charting single in the UK, reaching number 21. The band made their one and only appearance on the flagship BBC music programme "Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops, also known as TOTP, is a British music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly from 1 January 1964 to 30 July 2006. After 25 December 2006 it became a radio program, now hosted by Tony Blackburn...
" in June of that year. It was also used as the theme music for the World Rally Championship
World Rally Championship
The World Rally Championship is a rallying series organised by the FIA, culminating with a champion driver and manufacturer. The driver's world championship and manufacturer's world championship are separate championships, but based on the same point system. The series currently consists of 13...
(WRC) in 2005, the alternate version; "Jewel" having also been used as the theme music for the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
's Top Gear RAC Rally
Rally GB
Wales Rally GB is the largest and most high profile motor rally in the United Kingdom. It is a round of the FIA World Rally Championship and was formerly a round of the MSA British Rally Championship and is based in and around the city of Cardiff in Wales...
Report programmes in the late 1980s.
In May 1985, with Frankie Goes to Hollywood becoming tax exile
Tax exile
A tax exile is one who chooses to leave a country with a high tax burden and instead to reside in a foreign nation or jurisdiction which takes a lower portion of earnings. Going into tax exile is a means of tax mitigation or avoidance.-Legal status:...
s in Ireland, the band effectively headlined "The Value of Entertainment", a series of showcase gigs of ZTT signings, held at the Ambassadors Theatre in London. The shows also featured Art of Noise (Paul Morley addressing the audience after three dancers had performed to AON tracks), Anne Pigalle
Anne Pigalle
Anne Pigalle is a singer and multimedia artist .-Biography:She grew up in Paris, moved to London, and has performed all over the world, including Europe, Japan, America, Mexico, Timbuktu in Africa.In 1985, she released the album Everything Could Be So Perfect with Trevor Horn on ZTT Records, and...
, Andrew Poppy
Andrew Poppy
Andrew Poppy is an English composer, pianist, and record producer.-Biography:From 1974 to 1979 he studied music at Royal Holloway College and Goldsmiths College University of London, studying piano with Susan Bradshaw and earning a B.M...
and Instinct. Propaganda were joined on stage by former Simple Minds
Simple Minds
Simple Minds are a Scottish rock band who achieved worldwide popularity from the mid-1980s to the early 1990s. The band produced a handful of critically acclaimed albums in the early 1980s and best known for their #1 US, Canada and Netherlands hit single "Don't You ", from the soundtrack of the...
bassist Derek Forbes
Derek Forbes
Derek Forbes is a Scottish bassist and sometime guitarist, best known for his work with Simple Minds .His departure from the band was due to stylistic musical differences with the rest of the band during the...
and ex-Japan
Japan (band)
Japan were a British New Wave group, formed in 1974 in Catford, South London. The band achieved success in the late 1970s and early 1980s, when they were often associated with the burgeoning New Romantic fashion movement .- History :The band began as a group of friends...
drummer Steve Jansen
Steve Jansen
Steve Jansen is an English drummer, percussionist, singer and composer. He was educated at Catford Boys' School, Catford, South East London, where he failed academically, leaving at 16....
.
First album
The first week of July 1985 finally saw the release of the band's debut album, A Secret WishA Secret Wish
- Original 1985 vinyl album release :A – WITHIN# "Dream Within A Dream" – 8:04# "The Murder Of Love" – 5:12# "Jewel" – 3:10# "Duel" – 4:43B – WITHOUT# "p:Machinery" [album mix]" – 3:50# "Sorry For Laughing" – 3:25# "Dr...
. Receiving considerable critical acclaim and some commercial success, it reached number 16 on the UK Album Chart. The album was followed by another single, "p:Machinery
P:Machinery
"p:Machinery" is the third single by German New Wave/synthpop band Propaganda, released in 1985. The song is taken from their debut album A Secret Wish. The song was a mild hit charting in various countries across Europe, but was most successful in France and Italy, hitting the top 10 and peaking...
", in August 1985, which only reached number 50 in the UK, but was a bigger hit in France, the Netherlands, Germany and Switzerland. The 12-inch version of this release caused controversy (even within the group) as Paul Morley thought it was a good idea to have the sleeve feature a quote by writer J. G. Ballard
J. G. Ballard
James Graham Ballard was an English novelist, short story writer, and prominent member of the New Wave movement in science fiction...
praising the activities of the German terrorist group Red Army Faction
Red Army Faction
The radicalized were, like many in the New Left, influenced by:* Sociological developments, pressure within the educational system in and outside Europe and the U.S...
. Ariola
Ariola Records
Ariola Records is a German record label. As of the late 1980s, it was a subsidiary label of BMG which in turn has since become a part of the international media conglomerate Sony Music Entertainment...
, who distributed ZTT's releases in Germany, refused to carry the 12" as a result, so the quote was changed on the German release to another by Ballard on the aesthetic perfection of German suburbs.
The group spent the rest of the year on their "Outside World" tour, taking in Europe and America. They were joined once again by Derek Forbes on bass, his fellow ex-Simple Minds cohort Brian McGee on drums, and Kevin Armstrong on guitar, with backing tapes used for most of the keyboard parts. In the meantime a remix album, Wishful Thinking, was released in November 1985. Originally intended for the American club market, the album was also released in Europe, but against the wishes of the group themselves. The album peaked at number 82 in the UK. A remixed version of "p:Machinery" was also re-released as a single, only four months after its original release. In the UK, it too failed to make an impact and peaked at no.83, but was more successful in France and Germany.
Split
After making a second appearance on The Tube in January 1986, things went quiet for Propaganda. In late 1985, their management had introduced them to the London based music lawyer Brian Carr of Compton Carr, who had helped to win the case of Johnny Rotten (Sex Pistols) vs. his management. Carr explained to the group that under their current contracts with ZTT, the members of the group could go on making records for the rest of their lives and never make any money from them. Based on this information the band asked ZTT to renegotiate the contracts, which the company declined. Soon afterwards Claudia Brücken left Propaganda to pursue a solo career, remaining signed to ZTT. After a protracted legal battle, which saw the remaining members of Propaganda under an injunction by ZTT for fourteen months, they were finally released from their contract to ZTT in a hurried out-of-court settlement in the summer of 1987. Claudia Brücken formed the duo Act with Thomas LeerThomas Leer
Thomas Leer is a British musician who as well as releasing a number of albums and singles in his own right, was also one half of the 1980s electropop band Act...
in 1988, and in 1991 she released a solo album (Love: And a Million Other Things
Love: And a Million Other Things
Love: And a Million Other Things is Claudia Brücken's only solo album, released in February 1991 and produced by Pascal Gabriel and Steve Nye....
) for Island Records
Island Records
Island Records is a record label that was founded by Chris Blackwell in Jamaica. It was based in the United Kingdom for many years and is now owned by Universal Music Group...
.
New line-up
In 1988, the band (initially still including Ralf Dörper and Susanne Freytag) signed to Virgin RecordsVirgin Records
Virgin Records is a British record label founded by English entrepreneur Richard Branson, Simon Draper, and Nik Powell in 1972. The company grew to be a worldwide music phenomenon, with platinum performers such as Roy Orbison, Devo, Genesis, Keith Richards, Janet Jackson, Culture Club, Lenny...
, and began recording new material. Alongside Michael Mertens were the new line-up of American vocalist Betsi Miller, bassist Derek Forbes and drummer Brian McGee (who had both actually joined the band following their split with ZTT in 1986). The result was a new album, released in 1990 called 1234, produced by former Tears For Fears
Tears for Fears
Tears for Fears are an English new wave band formed in the early 1980s by Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith.Founded after the dissolution of their first band, the mod-influenced Graduate, they were initially associated with the New Wave synthesiser bands of the early 1980s but later branched out into...
' associates Ian Stanley
Ian Stanley
Ian Stanley is an English musician, songwriter and record producer...
and Chris Hughes
Chris Hughes (record producer)
Chris Hughes is a music producer and a former drummer for Adam and the Ants....
(Miller's future husband). Some of Dörper's lyrics were used and Freytag also made a guest appearance on the album. David Gilmour of Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd were an English rock band that achieved worldwide success with their progressive and psychedelic rock music. Their work is marked by the use of philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows. Pink Floyd are one of the most commercially...
played guitar on what was to be the second single taken from the album, "Only One Word". Despite the first single from the album, "Heaven Give Me Words", reaching the UK Top 40, the album was not a huge success and peaked at number 36 in the UK. Around this time, Propaganda founders Dörper and Thein (under the moniker Riffifi) scored a European dance hit called "Dr. Acid & Mr House".
Reunion and second split
In 1998, Mertens, Brücken and Freytag reunited, signed an options deal with East West RecordsEast West Records
East West Records is an American record label, owned by Warner Music Group, and operates under WMG's Independent Label Group.-History:...
, and began working on new material. Several tracks were completed, including one produced by Tim Simenon
Tim Simenon
Tim Simenon is a musician, composer, record producer, and label boss, most famous for his work as Bomb the Bass.-Debut:Tim Simenon's music career began aproper in the mid 1980s, DJing at London's Wag Club...
and featuring Depeche Mode
Depeche Mode
Depeche Mode are an English electronic music band formed in 1980 in Basildon, Essex. The group's original line-up consisted of Dave Gahan , Martin Gore , Andy Fletcher and Vince Clarke...
's Martin Gore
Martin Gore
Martin Lee Gore is an English songwriter, lyricist, singer, guitarist, keyboardist, remixer and DJ. He is a founding member of Depeche Mode and has written the vast majority of their songs...
on guitar. A video for one song, "No Return", was produced in Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
and directed by "Keyser Soze
Keyser Söze
Keyser Söze is a fictional character in the 1995 film The Usual Suspects, written by Christopher McQuarrie and directed by Bryan Singer. According to Roger "Verbal" Kint, Söze is a crimelord whose ruthlessness and influence have acquired a legendary, even mythical, status among police and criminals...
" in December 1998. Two minute clips of it, along with photos of the shoot, were released via the band's official website in early 2000. However, no album materialized, and in January 2002, Brücken announced, "The reunion was worth a try, but did not work out." Later that year, an untitled nine-track CD was leaked via file-sharing networks on the Internet. Track titles were "Ignorance", "Who's The Fool", "Beast Within", "No Return", "To The Future", "Turn To The Sun", "Dream Within A Dream", "Cloud 9" and "Anonymous". "Cloud 9" was later recorded by Brücken and former OMD
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark are a synthpop group whose founding members are originally from the Wirral Peninsula, England...
member Paul Humphreys
Paul Humphreys
Paul Humphreys is a British musician.-Life and career:He is best known as a member of synth pop group Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark , which he founded with Andy McCluskey in 1978.He grew up on the Wirral Peninsula in North West England, during which time he developed his interest in German...
for their act Onetwo
Onetwo (band)
Onetwo is a synth pop group formed in 2000 by singer Claudia Brücken and keyboardist/singer Paul Humphreys . Their collaboration had no name until 2004....
. It first appeared on their 2004 5-track EP Item
Item (EP)
Item is the first release of Onetwo, and also the first release on the There label. It contains five songs; the last song is a reprise of the first track, "Sister".-Releases:...
; then appeared again in 2007 on their album Instead
Instead (album)
Instead is the first album by synthpop duo Onetwo. It was released as a CD and as a download. The album contains two covers: Pink Floyd's "Have a Cigar" and Cat Power's "I Don't Blame You".-CD: There / TTCDX004:...
, together with the song "Anonymous".
Recent activity
In early 2005, Propaganda, now comprising Suzanne Freytag and Michael Mertens, started to release new material on the German independent label Amontillado Music. In November 2004, the original Propaganda line-up with Brücken and Dörper but without Thein performed "Dr. Mabuse" at the Wembley ArenaWembley Arena
Wembley Arena is an indoor arena, at Wembley, in the London Borough of Brent. The building is opposite Wembley Stadium.-History:...
showcase of Trevor Horn's lifetime celebration. In October 2007, the same Propaganda line-up appeared on RTL Germany's The Ultimate Chart Show, and performed an edited version of "Dr. Mabuse". In July 2010, a 2-disc Deluxe Edition of A Secret Wish, containing the varying tracks released on both the original vinyl album, cassette and CD versions, was released to mark the album's 25th anniversary. The release also includes unreleased 12" remixes, demos and previously-unheard songs. The booklet accompanying the release mentions that "At the time of writing, spring 2010, Mertens, Brücken, Freytag and Dörper are back on terms and for the second time since 2000 they are considering working together."
On March 2, 2011 Claudia Brücken performed at Scala in London and was joined by Ralf Dörper and Susanne Freytag for some of the tracks. Thomas Leer was due to perform as well however never made it due to a throat operation. The gig was recorded for later DVD release and also featured Glenn Gregory and Martyn Ware of Heaven 17 and Andy Bell of Erasure. However, in an interview around the same time, Brücken said that Mertens was unwilling to work with her any longer.
Studio albums
| Year | Album details | Peak Chart Positions | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK |
NZ Recording Industry Association of New Zealand The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand... |
SE Sverigetopplistan Sverigetopplistan, earlier known as Topplistan and Hitlistan and other names, is since October 2007 the Swedish national record chart, based on sales data from Swedish Recording Industry Association .... |
NL MegaCharts MegaCharts is responsible for the composition and exploitation of a broad collection of official charts in the Netherlands, of which the Mega Top 50 and the Mega Album Top 100 are the most known ones. Mega Charts also provides information to the Stichting Nederlandse Top 40, of which the Dutch Top... |
ITA | ||
| 1985 | A Secret Wish A Secret Wish - Original 1985 vinyl album release :A – WITHIN# "Dream Within A Dream" – 8:04# "The Murder Of Love" – 5:12# "Jewel" – 3:10# "Duel" – 4:43B – WITHOUT# "p:Machinery" [album mix]" – 3:50# "Sorry For Laughing" – 3:25# "Dr... (1st Studio Album)
|
16 | 21 | 25 | 5 | 16 |
| 1985 | Wishful Thinking (Remix Album)
|
82 | - | - | 64 | - |
| 1990 | 1234 (2nd Studio Album)
Virgin Records Virgin Records is a British record label founded by English entrepreneur Richard Branson, Simon Draper, and Nik Powell in 1972. The company grew to be a worldwide music phenomenon, with platinum performers such as Roy Orbison, Devo, Genesis, Keith Richards, Janet Jackson, Culture Club, Lenny... |
46 | - | 21 | 45 | - |
| 2010 | A Secret Wish A Secret Wish - Original 1985 vinyl album release :A – WITHIN# "Dream Within A Dream" – 8:04# "The Murder Of Love" – 5:12# "Jewel" – 3:10# "Duel" – 4:43B – WITHOUT# "p:Machinery" [album mix]" – 3:50# "Sorry For Laughing" – 3:25# "Dr... (Deluxe Edition) |
92 | - | - | - | - |
Singles
| Release date | Song | UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
DEU 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... 100 |
NLD Netherlands The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders... 40 |
FRA France The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France... |
CHE Switzerland Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition.... |
ARG Argentina Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires... |
ITA |
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| "Dr. Mabuse" | 27 | 7 | 14 | |||||
| "Duel Duel (song) "Duel" is the second single by German pop group Propaganda and was included on their first album A Secret Wish.Released in the United Kingdom in April 1985, it became their most successful single in the UK, reaching no. 21... " |
21 | 30 | 5 | 2 | ||||
| "p:Machinery P:Machinery "p:Machinery" is the third single by German New Wave/synthpop band Propaganda, released in 1985. The song is taken from their debut album A Secret Wish. The song was a mild hit charting in various countries across Europe, but was most successful in France and Italy, hitting the top 10 and peaking... " |
50 | 26 | 12 | 10 | 29 | 5 | ||
| "p:Machinery (Reactivated)" | 83 | 16 | 24 | |||||
| "Heaven Give Me Words" | 36 | 40 | ||||||
| "Only One Word" | 71 | |||||||
| "How Much Love" | ||||||||
| "Wound in My Heart" | 1 | |||||||
| "p:Machinery (anniversary reissue)" | ||||||||
| "Valley of the Machine Gods" | ||||||||
External links
- P-Fan.de - extensive Propaganda fan site
- Amontillado Music - current label
- Zang Tuum Tumb and all that