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Sunday 16 October 2011

100 80's German Eurodisco & Discofox

Alongside Italian Italodisco, Germany was one of the most prolific producers of a synthpop crossover style of Eurodisco dance music in the 1980s. The sound that emerged from Germany took Eurodisco in several directions.

Dieter Bohlen's productions are perhaps the most internationally recognised, through his success with groups and singers like Modern Talking, C. C. Catch, and Blue System. His sound was lighter, more Europop and very accessible to an International audience. Bohlen's productions popularised the Discofox sound throughout Continental Europe and beyond. The Discofox sound was also very evident in the tracks released on Coconut Records by the likes of Bad Boys Blue.

Likewise, Michael Cretu achieved international success, especially with the recordings of his one time wife Sandra Lauer, who recorded simply as Sandra. Cretu produced a number of other artists including Peter Schilling and Hubert Kah.

Fancy, or Tess, produced a stable of artists and musicians, such as Linda Jo Rizzo and Grant Miller, who made some of the most admired Italo/Eurodisco cuts of the time. Indeed Fancy's own early recordings were produced by Amada Lear's 1970's producer, Anthony Monn. Fancy's later recordings were quite heavily influenced by The Pet Shop Boys sound of the mid to late 80s, many becoming regarded as Hi-NRG classics.

A number of producers and labels made higher BPM Hi-NRG/Spacedsico recordings, bearing a similarity to those of Holland's Michiel Van Der Kuy. The tracks by Mike Mareen, Latin Lover and Fancy fall into this category. Some German artists, in particular The Twins, Micro Chip League and Boytronic, owe much more to synthpop originating with Kraftwerk, and later popularised by British synth pop artists of the early 80s.

Some German producers, notably Jack White and Harold Faltermeyer, exported their Eurodisco production skills to America, where they gained commercial success with a number of American recording artists. I'll visit this topic in a later post.

It is hard to give a simple overview of German Eurodisco from this period, but here are 100 tracks to illustrate some of the breadth of these German artists and their recordings.


NOT THE LOVING KIND, The Twins (Hansa, 1983) 
FACE TO FACE - HEART TO HEART, The Twins (Hansa, 1983) 
SLICE ME NICE/COME INSIDE, Fancy (Metronome, 1984) 
CHINESE EYES, Fancy (Metronome, 1984) 
YOU’RE MY HEART YOU’RE MY SOUL, Modern Talking (Hansa, 1984) 
HOT SUN ON VIDEO, Venus (Coconut, 1985) 
DANCIN’ IN THE DARK, Mike Mareen (Night ‘N Day, 1985) 
PARTY BOY, Sean Heyden (Polydor, 1985) 
ROMANTIC VIDEO, New Romance (Polydor, 1985) 
CHECK IT OUT/IN SHOCK, Fancy (Metronome, 1985) 
GODDESS OF LOVE, Soif De La Vie (Uff Zick, 1985) 
LIGHT A LIGHT, Peppermint (Fellow Music, 1985) 
FOR YOUR LOVE, Airplay (Coconut, 1985) 
I CAN LOSE MY HEART TONIGHT, C. C. Catch (Hansa, 1985) 
FANTASY, Lian Ross (ZYX, 1985) 
RIDE MY BIKE, Nóvé (Italoheat, 1985) 
YOU CAN WIN IF YOU WANT, Modern Talking (Hansa, 1985) 
TOUCH IN THE NIGHT, Silent Circle (Blow Up, 1985) 
SUMMERTIME HOT NIGHTS FEVER, Electric Theatre (Metronome, 1985) 
I NEED A MAN, Secret Star (Transparent, 1985) 
TIME TO SAY GOODBYE, Arabesque (ZYX, 1985) 
FLY ME HIGH, Linda Jo Rizzo (EMI, 1985) 
NIGHTFLIGHT, Jack’s Project (Ariola, 1985) 
COLDER THAN ICE/RED FOR LOVE, Grant Miller (ZYX, 1985) 
MADONNA’S EYES, Jayne Collins (Hansa, 1985) 
MY DELIGHT, Solid Strangers (ZYX, 1985) 
MALICE AND VICE, Mozzart (Metronome, 1985) 
ANOTHER BOY IN TOWN, Two Girls (Transparent, 1985) 
SECRET EYES, L’Affair (ZYX, 1985) 
SCRATCH MY NAME, Creative Connection (Chic, 1985) 
CASANOVA ACTION, Latin Lover (Soundshop, 1985) 
TAKE ME AND YOU’LL WIN (WUNDERBAR), Kay Franzes (Polydor, 1985) 
BOLERO (HOLD ME IN YOUR ARMS AGAIN), Fancy (Metronome, 1985) 
TOUCH BY TOUCH, Joy (OK Musica, 1985) 
HERE I AM, MIke Mareen (Night ‘N Day, 1985) 
HEAVEN IN YOUR EYES, Mike Weyman (DA, 1986) 
KING OF HEARTS, Martinique (ZYX, 1986) 
DIAL MY NUMBER, The Back Bag (Transparent, 1986) 
PARADISE, Dance Department (ZYX, 1986) 
BROTHER LOUIE, Modern Talking (Hansa, 1986) 
IMAGINATION, Ringo (ZYX, 1986) 
THIS LOVE, Two Nations (ZYX, 1986) 
YOU’RE MY FIRST, YOU’RE MY LAST, Linda Jo Rizzo (ZYX, 1986) 
JUMP IN, One Of Them (Polydor, 1986) 
YOU SET MY HEART ON FIRE, Elvin (Bellaphon, 1986) 
FREEDOM (DIE ANTWORT), Jeannie (ZYX, 1986) 
IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT, Sandra (Virgin, 1986) 
(YOU’RE) MY LOVE, (YOU’RE) MY LIFE, Patty Ryan (ZYX, 1986) 
DON’T LOSE YOUR HEART TONIGHT, Joy Peters (ZYX, 1986) 
IT’S UP TO YOU, Lian Ross (Arrow, 1986)
LADY OF ICE, Fancy (Metronome, 1986)
SHY SHY SUGARMAN, Jack’s Project (Ariola, 1986) 
I’M ALIVE TONIGHT, Grant Miller (ZYX, 1986) 
LOVE SPY, Mike Mareen (Night ‘N Day, 1986) 
KILLER MACHINE, Laser Cowboys (Italoheat, 1986) 
DO YOU REALLY NEED ME, Si Si Caps (Night ‘N Day, 1986) 
VISION (OF THE NIGHT),  Solid Strangers (ZYX, 1986) 
I’M ON FIRE, Salico (Italoheat 1986) 
HOW ARE YOU, DJ’s Project (Night ‘N Day, 1986) 
MAGIC NIGHTS/ONCE IN THE NIGHT, Zara Thustra (Weytron, 1986) 
LASER LIGHT, Latin Lover (Italoheat, 1986) 
AGENT OF LIBERTY, Mike Mareen (Night ‘N Day, 1986) 
HEARTFLASH (TONIGHT), Linda Jo Rizzo (ZYX, 1987) 
GIVE ME THE NIGHT, Facts & Fiction (ZYX, 1985) 
ELECTRICA SALSA, Off (ZYX, 1987) 
DR LOVE, Latin Lover (Italoheat, 1987) 
NERVOUS, Triple G (ZYX, 1987) 
LOVE PLAYS TRICKS, Charlie Glass (ZYX, 1987) 
WINGS OF LOVE/CALIFORNIA TRAIN, Grant Miller (ZYX, 1987) 
PLASTIC AGE, Interface (ZYX, 1987) 
PERFUME OF LOVE, Scala (ZYX, 1987) 
VISION OF LOVE, DJ’s Project (ZYX, 1987) 
LATIN FIRE, Fancy (Metronome, 1987) 
IN 100 YEARS, Modern Talking (Hansa, 1987) 
UNDER COVER LOVER, T. Ark (ZYX, 1987) 
SLAVE TO LOVE, Sammy Allen (Night ‘N Day, 1987) 
COME BACK AND STAY, Bad Boys Blue (Coconut, 1987) 
I AM ALIVE, Saphir (EMI, 1987) 
ROADRUNNER, U.K. (Night ‘N Day, 1987) 
REACH OUT, Lian Ross (Chic, 1987) 
BOYS BOYS BOYS, Call It Heaven (DA, 1987) 
FLAMES OF LOVE/BODYGUARD, Fancy (Metronome, 1987) 
PERFECT LOVE, Linda Jo Rizzo (ZYX, 1987) 
FANTASTIC LIFE, Martinique (Power, 1987) 
STOP WATCH KILLER, Boys Next Door (Metronome, 1988) 
DIRTY JOB, Sweet Connection (Blow Up, 1988) 
ONLY ONE NIGHT/DON’T LEAVE TONIGHT, The Hurricanes (ZYX, 1988) 
DON’T LET ME DOWN, Boytronic (Metronome, 1988) 
NEED YOU PASSION, Sweet Connection (Blow Up, 1988) 
LADY ECSTACY, MIke Mareen (Night ‘N Day, 1988) 
HEAVEN CAN WAIT, Sandra (Virgin, 1988) 
FANTASY BOY, New Baccara (Belaphon, 1988) 
UNDER MY SKIN, Blue System (Hansa, 1988) 
BREAKAWAY, Grant Miller (ZYX, 1988) 
(CARMEN) DANGER IN HER EYES, Deborah Sasson & MCL (8ighty 8ight, 1988) 
THE DIFFERENT STORY (A WORLD OF LUST AND CRIME), Peter Schilling (WEA, 1988) 
SOLDIER, Thomas Anders (Teldec, 1989) 
SO MANY PEOPLE,  Hubert Kah (Blow Up, 1989) 
HEART TO HEART, Sweet Connection (Polydor, 1989) 
PASSION AND PAIN, Deborah Sasson (Westside, 1989)