Not Rock On

Kristen was the first to use the PayPal donation links! So he or she will receive the promised reward (sooner or later...)! I still have to really move from Wilhelmshaven to Bielefeld. At the moment I am much too busy at work. A colleague who wanted to help me with a truck just fell ill so the planned move this weekend had to be cancelled. So you have to wait a little longer until the first new post from here. CU soon!

Finally I found a new apartment in Bielefeld after a very long search!!!!! Relatively close to my work and the inner city, 60 square meters, kitchen and a nice balcony to the south and a nice green backyard. The rent is not cheap but ok. I have seen a lot of terrible apartments during the last weeks, so I am happy now. I had to live in a hotel since November 1st, so I am glad that I can move out on Sunday. I do not want to think about the final bill, almost a month's salary... The job is developing better every day, more on this soon! Challenging but also very rewarding, great team, new opportunities, I really enjoy it after the long time of unemployment. I had more time for my blog, but I hope you will understand, that I have new priorities now. I can not post as much as a year ago when I had nothing else to do. When I have my archive back at hand I hope to do one post per week, but don't nail me down on that! Before that I have to do a lot of packing up all my stuff and movin...

I reupped some files already, but I can not find every missing link without your help! I am still busy to upload the files again, because my connection is not that reliable. I uploaded a lot of files again! I hope I found all the deleted files. If you stumble upon one that I missed, please leave a comment here, because I can not check the comments in the older posts regularly. There seem to be some problems with Mediafire. I will watch this problem. If Mediafire is down, I will have to reup all those files again to other file hosters.... This will take time. Be patient!

The very fine blog The last Pop Song introduced me to the very fine work of Jamie T . This got me hooked and now I spread the word. A nice combination of DnB and Pop and much more! Jamie T - 4 songs

As I still don't have my records back, you get some more tape recordings. While checking my stuff I found some tapes again I bought in London when I visited Matthias Hanich in 1987, see there. Expect some more of this for the next posts. This is the first. Roddy Frame and his band Aztec Camera played live in Milan/Mailand Italy on November 04 1984. Since I recorded the tape last week I can not get these fantastic tunes out of my head, I am humming Matress and wires all the time, it still is that great! The sound quality is pretty good, I think this is a radio transmission. Here is the tracklist: 01 Matress of wire 02 Introduction 03 Lost outside the tunnel 04 Head is happy, heart's insane 05 Walk out to winter 06 The bugle sounds again 07 The boy wonders 08 We could send letters 09 Backwards and forwards 10 Oblivious 11 All I need is everything 12 Still on fire 13 The back door to heaven 14 The knife 15 The birth of the truth 16 Down the dip 17 Back on board 18 Jump (Van Halen...

Ich suche dringend eine Wohnung in BI. 2ZKB, gerne mit Balkon, möglichst im Westen, Nähe Siggi. Gerne auch mit EBK und Wanne. Bitte alles anbieten! Jeder, der einen kennt, der einen kennt... Allerdings ist es etwas dringend, da ich zum 31.10. aus der Wohngemeinschaftswohnung raus muss, da die aufgelöst wird. Jeder mit Idee einfach unten einen Comment hinterlassen! Ausserdem brauche ich noch ein billiges Auto! Fiesta o. ä. max. 1000 €, mind. 1 Jahr TÜV und ok! Hat sich inzwischen doch beides erledigt!

Today it is Reunification Day in Germany, so it is a day off, that's why you get this post with a connection to then separated Berlin in 1980. Human League, combining electronics with Pop in the late seventies with their albums Travelogue and Reproduction (don't expect links, you can find them anywhere) were really great in trying to sound difficult, while they were POP. This might have it's roots in the two teams in the band. Phil Oakey, the guy with the Blade Runner makeup and Adrian Lyne, who later carried on (get the pun, eh?) with Human League were on the more Pop/Fun side (although Adrian was a bit arty) while Ian Craig-Marsh and Martyn Ware wanted to back the electronic music revolution with the liberation of the proletariat! They tried so with Heaven 17 (The name came, off course, from Clockwork Orange. Now it is easy to find it cheesy, but I think they really meant it!) Fantastic Pop songs, not much impact on the masses concerning the revolution... This posting giv...

This is my original of the first BowWowWow cassette. I bought it in late 1980 in Lüneburg. As you can see from the scans it was in heavy use. For some time this was together with the first two B-52's LPs my early morning wakeup soundtrack. If you hear it, you will understand... Due to the use in Sofia Coppola's movie "Marie Antoinette" they seem to be back, at least in people's minds. BOWWOWWOW - Your cassette pet 1980 Back online! Some links: Official BWW site Private BWW site

So now I have to unclose the mystery of my new place. I moved from Wilhelmshaven to Bielefeld, from one center of the world to another... Well, I didn't really move yet, I still have my flat in Wilhelmshaven, 3 rooms, 70 qm, view to the sea, 5 minutes to the only south beach on the german coast (which I used less than ten times in five years, but now it seems precious...). Now I have two small rooms in a "Wohngemeinschaft" until the end of October. Until then I have to find something new. But it is already better than the first place I had, a very, very tiny appartment in a students home, better than a place in a dorm, but not funny for more than three weeks. At least there are more concerts here than in Wilhelmshaven. In the five years there I saw Götz Alsmann (some nice CDs over at Der Likedeeler ) and Bernd Begemann (search this blog and more to come). Tonight I was at my first concert in Bielefeld (well, actually the second, as I saw Marc Almond & La Magia here in...

Holger Hiller - Ein Bündel Fäulnis in der Grube & Oben im Eck Holger Hiller & Andreas Dorau - Guten Morgen Hose

In the early 80s Rap, Electro (remember StreetSounds?) and scratching were very unusual to a kid living in a small village somewhere in the east of Lower-Saxony. So I had to make my own remixes, mostly created with just two tape decks. Here are the results: Burning Spear - Do the Reggae Bow Wow Wow - W.O.R.K. Afrika Bambaata - Looking for the perfect beat Grandmaster Flash - Wheels of steel Die Toten Hosen - Hip Hop Bommi Bop (ft. Fab Five Freddy) New Order - Confusion CoolJerk remixes 1984 The picture is from early 1990 when my friend Martin Bucholz took some pictures of my models for my application to the University of Winnipeg, that unfortunately failed due to the incompetence of some clerk there, that didn't file my application in the right basket!

This is a special post dedicated to the fantastic Likedeeler , go and check out his site, he has a lot to offer! He has been looking for this LP for a long time, although I am pretty sure that you can grab it at every flea market for 50 Cent. Whatever, here it is. Markus was one of the first superstars of the NDW, propelled by the success of "Ich will Spass". Not much followed, except his appearance in the nice movie "Gib Gas, ich will Spass" with Nena, where they had a nice "steamy" scene together. "Kleine Taschenlampe brenn'" is still a very fine song, although the version featured on the LP is not with Nena, sob.... Unfortunately there is another flaw with this recording. The last track "Schön sind wir sowieso", which is my favorite, didn't want to be recorded. Although the surface of the record looks perfect, it skipped all the time and I have tried it several times! So sorry, but anybody who has a copy of this is welcome to...

As I told you earlier, I had several new posts preproduced. I will throw them at you all in one post, as they all were concerts I taped from the radio, predominantly NDR2 or NDR1 Musik für junge Leute. As I found out during my research, these must have been records sent out by the record companys to the radio stations, as you can sometimes hear some cracks. Some of the concerts have some static noises now and then, but that makes up for authenticity! At least I hope so... Due to the length these are obviously no complete recordings of the concerts, a few tracks are always missing. So I start with an important part of the gloomy early 80s, Bauhaus. I saw them in the Markthalle Hamburg in late 1981, that's were I took the pic, not at the Old Vic in London from February 1982 Bauhaus - London, Old Vic 0282 A different musical area is ploughed by Yazoo (called Yaz in the States due to legal problems with the old time record label of the same name). Perfect SynthPop! I remember lying in ...

Recently I used mp3pro to encode the music I post here to save harddisk space. Many people maybe thought, 96 kbps, that must be crap. Well it isn't really, but on the other hand it doesn't equal normal mp3@192kbps as I told you before. I just found an article on wikipedia that informed me about mp3pro. It says that mp3pro@80kbps equals mp3@128kbps, so mp3pro@96 should equal mp3@160. MP3PRO CAN BE PLAYED ON ANY MP3PLAYER, but only players that support MP3Pro will get a better sound than with normal players, yet it still is very good sound quality! I have already recorded some files for future release in mp3pro@96, I won't change them but in the future I will use standard mp3@192kbps again. I think there will be no big flaws, as these are mostly things I recorded from the radio to cassette. Whatever, these are bootlegs anyway and remember when you bought bootlegs in the 80s! The quality was often much much worse! I have some of that ilk in my collection, but they aren't w...

After a long time of unemployment (hence the PayPal links, where nobody felt the urge to send anything) I finally have a new job! This means that you have to look forward to even longer breaks until something new appears on this blog. I have already scanned several Tapes and LPs for future use, but new releases may take some time, still you can ask for requests. For a start here is something by Fad Gadget. The 12" "Collapsing new people" and a concert from 29.03.1984 in the Markthalle Hamburg, that was later broadcast on the radio. I was there, but this time I didn't take a camera. Fad Gadget - Collapsing new people 12" Fad Gadget - Live Hamburg, Markthalle 29.03.1984 The next file I post is by the fantastic Kevin Rowland and his Dexy's Midnight Runners, a concert on Rockpalast on german TV on April fourth 1983. Dexy's Midnight Runners - Live Rockpalast 03.04.1983 Too-Rye-Ay was one of the records of the summer of 82 but I actually only bought it on Feb....

I just found a nice blog, that features a nice 80s roundup year by year and also lots of interesting music from South Africa and all over the world with very nice and personal offerings. Any major dude with half a heart He seems to be missing comments (where do I know that from?), so people rush over there and leave your marks, he seems to be a really nice guy!

This is a concert recording I have very fond memories of. I had to go to Hamburg for a medical examination after my motorcycle accident. I found some nice records that day, the Glaxo Babies , Dexy's, The Cure and Depeche Mode. To top this there was a concert by ABC in town that night. Unfortunately I didn't have a ticket. Nevertheless I went there, although it was sold out. I actually found someone who had been let down by his date and gave me a ticket and even for free! There were even some "celebrities" there: I saw Diedrich Diederichsen and Kid P., how much further can you get for a kid from the villages, THOSE were heroes in the 80s : People that had problems asking Tina for a date, but mocking about the german voice of Jerry Lewis (it was Georg Thomalla if you might want to ask. There must be this famous soundbite where Kid P. (Andreas Banaski) asks for George SSomalla (or did he just listen to this being asked?) Anyway : Kid P. war immer grosszügig! (Sei...

As I promised yesterday here is a (or rather the other) famous band from Düsseldorf, Kraftwerk can take it. This is ZK. A punk band with little experience on their instruments, but the will to perform. They really started the sub-genre of Fun-Punk, later completely and fantastically occupied by Die Ärzte! They only released two singles and two LPs and here you get the Lps, unfortunately I don't own the singles. ZK - Eddie's Salon 1981 ZK - Leichen pflastern ihren Weg 1982 There is relatively little info on the web, which astonished me. You find something here . You can buy a collection here . And you can find the third single by Die Toten Hosen, the band that grew from ZK on 7 inch Punk . You have to search on the site, cause somehow the direct link doesn't want to duplicate. Probably it may not be online anymore and I did not make copy... I remember, the church where hey shot the video for Bommerlunder had to be re-consecrated after the shooting, featurin...

Since I started that online tracking device last year in June now more than 100,000 people have visited my blog, a few thousand did before. That feels nice, combined with the number of downloads, many hundreds for some files. I don't want to become complaining like in my last post (NOBODY felt inclined to add to my costs), but some aid would be nice. To celebrate the 100,000th visitor I wanted to post something special: The KLF aka The JAMs aka The Justified Ancients of MuMu I bought 1987 by The JAMs on July 7th 1988 in a record shop in Braunschweig, Gabi's Plattenkiste. I came there often and digged down in the crates. This wasn't even there, it was already sorted out and in a box on the floor, together with the 12" All you need is love, ready to be shipped back to the company. I could talk the clerk to selling me the records anyway, although officially she had to send the records back to the company. Unfortunately Bill Drummond and Jim Cauty had decided to ...

Hey, if you find something here that you like, that's what I'm here for, but I'm not Google or Microsoft, you are FREE to leave your comments as a small reward, just to inform ME what YOU want. Comments don't seem to be that rewarding for the senders, but the recipients really appreciate them! Otherwise you can donate via PayPal through this little PayPal button you see above each post now. In German it says "Spenden" which means "donate" in English. I do not know if the button will be translated to your language automatically, but I hope some of you will use it! The first entry will receive a special prize! You can dream about what it would be, but I will sure depart of something very valuable! If you have any extra money, ...any dollar, Euro or yen is welcome to keep me paying for the DSL bandwidth to keep this site alive! Please post your comments, or what you want you want to find here! A little quiz: Do you spot every artist in this ensemble? Th...

You find it here!

Here is something new again! We just entered the 90s on Not Rock on, so here is Hip-Hop from the early 80s! In my post on John Cale I already mentioned Alan Bangs, famous night-talker on the german airwaves. He worked for BFBS, the radio service for british troops in Germany and also for German TV on Rockpalast. His show was always very personal, and always very informative. He knew how to combine personal interest with what the people would want to hear. In this special night he had guests, I think he did not know what to exactly expect from them. AFRIKA BAMBAATAA (sometimes spelled Bambaata, but I could not find out exactly when he changed it) was on the Wheels of Steel (aka turntables) at BFBS HQ in February 1983. I asked them for the exact date, but did not receive an answer yet. Alan Bangs was obviously not able to cope with the energy Bam, IKC and Mr. Biggs had to offer. I am a bit unsure about the identity of IKC, he says he was part of Funky Four + One. If I misheard it,...

I just updated my post on the Thirteen Moons, fantastic musicians from Sweden. Have a look at it here , where you find the first two LPs. EVERYBODY HAS TO KNOW THE THIRTEEN MOONS! Their music is very special, but I hope you will like it! As a bonus you get the (unfortunately) last album by the Thirteen Moons, "You will find mercy on these roads", dedicated to Olof Palme. Thirteen Moons - You will find mercy on these roads mp3Pro@96kbps

I just found this video by cb shaw The 80's lover,great! Based around Soft Cell's "Tainted love" he shows and plays many 80s classics. Great fun! There are more great videos on you tube at his cbshawchannel.

Something new on Not Rock On! Here are the 90s! This is a request from Alexei Luthor over at Difficult listening , the blog with the fastest speed of postings I have seen yet! Well worth a visit, lots of 4AD and much, much more, growing every minute. I don't know much about Shades of Rhythm , three guys (Kevin Lancaster, Nick Slater & Rayan Hepburn) released this fine Techno CD on ZTT, Trevor Horn and Paul Morley's label. You can find out a little more on their My Space . I found it in a bargain bin in 92, interesting cover, ZTT, ok bought. When I listened to it I was very pleased, good beats, cool sounds, bomb! Enjoy it on a large sound system, or ask your neighbors to go away for a while. I haven't listened to this for years, but at the moment it is hard not to jump around listening to this CD. Early 90s electronic, not too hard, good for the club and the living room, there is even a saxophone. From My Space: S/O/R are still doing shows around the world, please ch...

I recently found this very fine band from Hamburg. Great POP! music in a 80's style, check them out, then buy their records! The Dance Inc. . From here you can enter a flash site where you can find some mp3s, their blog and their My Space!

Looking at my last posts, you find some live recordings and here is another one, recorded in May 1982 (I think). The event were the "Münchener Rocktage" (Munich Rock days) with several german New Wave bands. I recorded this from the radio, but on a cheap tape, sound is ok. Liaisons Dangereuses play their classic "Los ninos del parque", Die Krupps bang on steel and (mainly) synths for "Goldfinger" and "Wahre Arbeit wahrer Lohn". Peter Hein & Family 5 played in public for the first time. A Latin version of the Fehlfarben classic "Es geht voran" and "Muff Gruff" show him in a angry mood, ranting about how bad Fehlfarben were and how bad the NDW-bands that went to the charts were... Two songs each by Trio "Yaya", "Los Paul!" and Östro 430 "16!, "Ich bin ganz normal". Side two of the tape was taken by short sets by bands from Hannover: Der moderne Man "Blaue Matrosen, Der Sandman, Am Bag...

Hello, I'm back again. Other things to do, some trouble with my internet provider, such were things that kept me from posting. My first "new" post is a fantastic live performance by the great John Cale from March 7th 1983 in the Markthalle in Hamburg. Just him solo with his guitar and piano, very intense, but also very charming as he was in pretty good mood, joked with the audience and seemed to have a good time himself. Until then I had only heard very little by John Cale, but after this concert I was hooked. I have seen him a few times since then, mostly solo but 2003 he played a free open-air in Oldenburg with a band. The sound quality is pretty good as it was later broadcasted on NDR 2. John Cale live 07.03.1983, Markthalle Hamburg part 1 John Cale live 07.03.1983, Markthalle Hamburg part 2 The second post is a performance John Cale gave in the studios of BFBS in Cologne on February 5th 1984 in Alan Bangs' show Nightflight. It's not the complete show, only a ...

As I will be away for a while here are the missing episodes of this wonderful series of compilations that really shows the diversity of 80s Indie music. All CD rips 192 kb, tracklists in the comments. I had to split most in two parts as they were slightly over 100 MB. Part 1 is on RS, part 2 is on Mediafire. Indie Scene 1981 file 1 Indie Scene 1981 file 2 Indie Scene 1982 file 1 Indie Scene 1982 file 2 Indie Scene 1983 file 1 Indie Scene 1983 file 2 Indie Scene 1984 file 1 Indie Scene 1984 file 2 Indie Scene 1985 file 1 Indie Scene 1985 file 2 Indie Scene 1986 You find 1977 + 78 here and 1979 + 80 here