Tears for Fears

Tears for Fears

Tears for Fears are an English new wave band formed in 1981 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 synthesizer bands of the early 80s but later branched out into mainstream rock and pop, which led to international chart success. Tears for Fears achieved their first taste of success with their third single, “Mad World”, which reached no. 3 in the UK in November 1982. Their first album, The Hurting, was released in March 1983. For this LP (and the next), keyboardist Read more…

By , ago
a-ha band

A-ha

a-ha was a Norwegian band formed in Oslo in 1982. The band was founded by Morten Harket (vocals), Magne Furuholmen (keyboards) and Pål Waaktaar (guitars). A-ha group initially rose to fame during the mid-1980s after being discovered by musician and producer John Ratcliff, and had continued global success in the 90s and 2000s.     A-ha achieved their biggest success with their debut album, Hunting High and Low, in 1985. That album peaked at number 1 in their native Norway, number 2 in the UK, and number 15 on the U.S. Billboard album chart; yielded two international number-one singles, “Take Read more…

By , ago
Camouflage Band

Camouflage

Camouflage is a German new wave trio consisting of lead singer Marcus Meyn, Heiko Maile and Oliver Kreyssig. Their only Billboard Hot 100 hit was “The Great Commandment” which climbed to No. 59 in 1988, though it did spend three weeks at No. 1 on the US dance chart. They also had two additional minor dance hits in 1989.     In 1983, Heiko Maile, Marcus Meyn, Oliver Kreyssig, and Martin Kähling, four friends from Bietigheim-Bissingen, Germany, formed the band Licenced Technology. Soon after Martin Kähling left the remaining three members renamed themselves “Camouflage”, inspired by a Yellow Magic Orchestra Read more…

By , ago
Nena band

Nena

Nena (Gabriele Susanne Kerner) is a German singer and actress who rose to international fame in 1983 with the New German Wave song “99 Luftballons.” In 1984, she re-recorded this song in English as “99 Red Balloons.” Nena was also the name of the band with whom she released the song. With the re-recording and subsequent release of some of her old songs, her career re-emerged in 2002. In 1981, Nena and her then-boyfriend Rolf Brendel moved to West Berlin, where they met future band members, guitarist Carlo Karges, keyboard player Uwe Fahrenkrog-Petersen, and bass player Jürgen Dehmel. Together, they Read more…

By , ago
Alphaville

Alphaville

Alphaville is a German synthpop group which gained popularity in the 80s. The founding members were lead singer Marian Gold, Bernhard Lloyd and Frank Mertens. The band was at first named “Forever Young” before changing to “Alphaville”. They achieved chart success with the singles, “Big in Japan”, “Jet Set”, Dance With Me, and “Forever Young”.     Alphaville formed in early 1982, when Marian Gold and Bernhard Lloyd met at the music project Nelson Community. Many months later, Frank Mertens joined the project. Together they wrote Forever Young and recorded their first demo. In 1984 Alphaville released their debut single, Read more…

By , ago
Bros Goss Brothers

Bros

Bros was a British band active in the late 80s and early 90s, consisting of twin brothers Matt Goss and Luke Goss, and Craig Logan. Formed in 1986, they were managed by former Pet Shop Boys manager Tom Watkins.     Their first single, “I Owe You Nothing”, was released in 1987 on CBS Records and entered the UK charts at number 88, with promotional work being carried out to advertise the band. The second, “When Will I Be Famous?”, became their breakthrough hit by reaching number two in the UK Top 40 chart.     Their first album, Push Read more…

By , ago
Fancy (Manfred Alois Perilano) singer

Fancy

Fancy (Manfred Alois Perilano) is a German Italo disco singer who was very popular in the mid to late 1980s. He first recorded in the German schlager style under the name of Tess Teiges before having his first hit as Fancy called “Slice Me Nice” in 1984. He was successful in the dance charts, topping Billboards dance chart three times. Since then, Fancy has continued with his hit making and has been in Germany’s media control “Musikmarkt Top 20” Single Charts eight times. In Spain, Fancy’s Hit Single “Bolero” soared to Number One and held the position for six months. Read more…

By , ago
Den Harrow

Den Harrow

Den Harrow was an Italian new wave project fronted by Stefano Zandri an italian fashion model from Milan. The name Den Harrow was conceived by the project’s producers Turatti and Chieregato, who based it on the Italian word denaro (money). Stefano Zandri uses the name Den Harrow as his stage name Den Harrow was a popular project in the 80s and reached the top ten in Italy, Germany, Switzerland, and Sweden with hits like “Future Brain”, “Mad Desire”, “Bad Boy”, “Don’t Break My Heart”, “Day by Day”, and “Catch the Fox”, all from the first two albums Overpower and Day Read more…

By , ago
Gazebo singer 80s

Gazebo

Gazebo (Paul Mazzolini) is an Italian musician. He has a legend status among fans of the Italo disco music style, a variation of 1980s Eurodisco.Mazzolini was born in Beirut, Lebanon, the son of an Italian diplomat and an American singer. As a rather cosmopolitan teenager Mazzolini began a career in a variety of jazz, rock and punk bands before meeting Rome based producer Paul Micioni. The first release, Masterpiece, was a minor hit in 1982.     Gazebo’s footnote in pop history is his 1983 release “I like Chopin”, popular opinion notwithstanding, the piano motif herein is not a Chopin Read more…

By , ago
Sandra Lauer Cretu

Sandra

Sandra (Sandra Ann Lauer) was born in the German town of Saarbrücken In 1979, now seventeen, Sandra joined Arabesque, a disco group consisting of Michaela Rose and Jasmine Vetter, and would become the band’s lead singer. At that time Sandra met a keyboardist named Michael Cretu. Arabesque became successful with their cheerful music and flamboyant, sometimes daring costumes, winning a massive following in Japan and scoring a top 10 hit in Germany in 1981 with “Marigot Bay”. After nine albums, emerging differences in musical interests of group members and decreasing popularity of disco music signaled the group’s break-up. Sandra and Read more…

By , ago