Sonntag, 15. Oktober 2023

Schroeder - Hurra! (1984) - R.I.P. Frank Hocker!

Frank Hocker, Schroeder´s great guitar player, died last Friday - thanks a lot for all the music and rest in peace!

The band probably originated with members of the music projects "Die jeilen Träumer" and "Zarah Zylinder". The political rock clown band first appeared in 1975 under the name "Uli Hundt and Schroeder", and was renamed shortly afterwards as Schroeder Roadshow. They offered biting ironic and political texts as well as an eclectic musical style. The band attacked more or less everything, including themselves.

Musically their main focus was saxophone-heavy rock, but with elements from many other styles. Political messages were ambiguous, though the band were on the political left. They also wrote ballads, such as "Tanz mit mir hinaus" and "Wir sind die Brüder der romantischen Verlierer". They worked with Wolf Maahn as producer, Wolfgang Niedecken, and Christian Wagner (solo producer).

One studio album is called "Live in Tokyo", although they have never appeared in Tokyo.

When Uli Hundt and Rich Schwab left in 1984, the band cut the "Roadshow" from their name. They also appeared twice in the "Rockpalast": in 1982 as Schroeder Roadshow, and in 1985 as Schroeder.

Through all the changes in the band they continued to be active on the political rock festival scene. One of the biggest of these was the 1986 festival in Burglengenfeld, against the atomic reprocessing plant in Wackersdorf; in front of 120,000 spectators the band lined up in two parts, some performing as "Die Firma" and the others as "Uli Hundt und die Betablocker".

Then the band went quiet, recording no more LPs, until the comic artist Brösel's "Werner" comic was brought to life when he lined up with his Horex Motorbike "Red Porsche Killer" on a specially closed motorway against the Porsche of his friend. Then the recording of the band's appearance at the accompanying festival, in front of 200,000 spectators, became Schroeder's last album, and their last appearance was a year later at Werner's Revival party - until their late revival in 2008 which saw the release of another studio album.

Schroeder - Hurra! (1984)
(128 kbps, front cover included)

10 Kommentare:

REBOSOLA hat gesagt…

Hallo, ich liebe Schroeder, habe die Platten und habe immer Hurra gesucht als mp3. Jetzt finde ich Hurra, bin aber ein Jahr zu spät. Habe ich eine Chance für einen intakten Link? Und hat jemand einen Bootleg?

zero hat gesagt…

Of course, here´s a fresh link. A better mp3 rip would be great, if you have the possibilities... Best wishes!

Anonym hat gesagt…

Can you please provide new links for Hurra and Wir lieben das Land? Looking everywhere for these two albums!! Many thanks!!

zero hat gesagt…

Now there´s a fresh link for this one. "Wir lieben das Land" will follow later...

Anonym hat gesagt…

Many thanks!!!

zero hat gesagt…

You are welcome!

Anonym hat gesagt…

Thank you so much! One of my absolute favorite records ever made.

zero hat gesagt…

You are welcome. It´s also one of my favourite polit rock albums of the 1980s...

Anonym hat gesagt…

Sorry, I felt tempted to correct some of the facts and provide somer more information …
The political rock clown band originated with members of the music projects Hoffmann and Zarah Zylinder [Die jeilen Träumer came much later, in 1980]. The band first appeared in 1976 under the name Uli Hundt und Schroeder, and was renamed shortly afterwards as Schroeder Roadshow. They offered biting ironic and political lyrics as well as an eclectic musical style. The band attacked more or less everything, including themselves.

Musically their main focus was 2-guitars- and saxophone-heavy rock, but with elements from many other styles. Political messages were ambiguous, though the band were on the political left [see »Anarchy in Germoney«, 1978]. They also wrote ballads, such as »Asche in den Wind« and »Die Brüder der romantischen Verlierer«. They worked with Wolf Maahn as co-producer for the »Wir lieben das Land« album in 1982, and Rockpalast director Christian Wagner, who produced bass player Rich Schwab’s two solo albums in 1980 and 1982. Schwab produced Uli Hundt und die Betablocker’s »Schweinehundt« solo album in 1982, recorded and presented live with members of the Zeltinger Band and Dunkelziffer.

One Schroeder Roadshow studio album is called "Live in Tokyo", although they have never appeared in Tokyo. Unfortunately their early low budget studio albums hardly convey the brute energy and disrespectful humour of their anarchic live performances, which in more than 1,200 mostly sold out concerts seldom lasted less than two and a half hours.

When Uli Hundt and Rich Schwab left in 1983, the band cut the Roadshow from their name. They also appeared twice in the "Rockpalast": in 1981 as Schroeder Roadshow, and in 1983 as Schroeder.

Through all the changes in the band they continued to be active on the political rock festival scene. One of the biggest of these was the 1986 festival in Burglengenfeld, against the atomic reprocessing plant in Wackersdorf; in front of 120,000 spectators the band lined up in two parts, some performing as Die Firma and the others as Uli Hundt und der Waahnsinn.

Then the band went quiet, recording no more LPs, until the comic artist Brösel's "Werner" comic was brought to life when he lined up with his Horex Motorbike "Red Porsche Killer" on a specially closed motorway against the Porsche of his friend. Then the recording of the band's appearance at the accompanying festival, in front of 200,000 spectators, became Schroeder's last album, and their last appearance was a year later at Werner's Revival party - until their late revival in 2008 which saw the release of another studio album, »Hinterhof der Träume«.
Uli Hundt published the »Placebo« solo album in 1985, Rich Schwab toured and recorded with Alex Oriental Experience and the Richard Bargel Blues Band in 1985–1986. Singer Gerd »Jächt« Köster and Frank Hocker founded The Piano Has Been Drinking in 1989, and from 1992 until Hocker’s untimely death toured and recorded as Köster | Hocker, writing and singing in the local dialect of their hometown Cologne, Germany. Besides Frank joined Wolfgang Niedecken’s Complizen for his »Leopardefell« album in 1995.
In 2016 Rich Schwab published the Rich Choice solo album »Everybody’s Dancing« and since then brings out a series of »music for unfilmed movies« instrumental albums under the moniker of Caurey.
In 2022 he joined forces again with Schroeder guitarist/singer Gerty Beracz, writing and producing new songs (in English), and under the little while published »Do What You Love«. All these were produced in Schwab’s home studio.
Best wishes to y'all – Rich

zero hat gesagt…

Thanks a lot to Anonym/Rich (?) for all the background information and correcting some of my faults. It´s great to have all these knowledge about the band and the involved musicians for further postings.

Even as a long time follower and visitor of many concerts of Schroeder (Roadshow) and Uli Hundt, a lot of the infos are new to me. Thank you and all the best!

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