(Bass) und
Micky Kluge (Drums).
THE VAMPIRES' STORY.
I: FROM THE TORNADOS TO THE VAMPIRES
The Vampires opened their first appearance with
the instrumental “Walk, don’t run”, by The Ventures, at the Astoria Hall, located
between Schweinfurt and Sennfeld besides a materials company building. This
song become later their theme song from these day: Satuday, September 1, 1962. The
Astoria hall - one of those dance halls, as they were, could not be marked by
the presence of thousands of American soldiers, which the dollars were very
loose in his pockets, in almost every district of Schweinfurt. Drummer Micky,
the only one of the group with stage experience (he was drumming in a known
Schweinfurt dance band) had given them this job because the owners of the
Astoria hall, Adolf and Lissy, knew him quite well. Lissy conjured after work
most exotic dishes that they were allowed to enjoy. Always surrounded by loyal
followers, friends, and friends who have enjoyed the privilege - to be allowed
to stay with them still there - even after curfew.
Wolfgang Jünger (March 30, 1944) discovered his
love for music years before, when suddenly out of nowhere, a devastating
hurricane in the form of rock 'n' roll swept across Germany. Much to the dismay
of the older generation, with this, awful black music 'could absolutely do
anything. Nor with the associated side effects, such as Levi's jeans, white or
striped shirts, black leather jackets, bubble gum and landscaped with lots of
pomade hairstyles for male followers who emulated the screen idol James Dean -
and petticoats or skin-tight jeans, tight blouses, ponytail and high-heeled
pumps with the girls, who wanted to be like Liz Taylor. The rock 'n' roll was
in the 50's as a social conservative scandal! The new form of music was felt
even as an attack on morality, decency and order. Instead performers like
Caterina Valente, Freddy Quinn, Bully Buhlan, or Gerhard Wendland and songs
like “Oh Mister Swoboda”, or “The Blaedel Polka”, had to fight against songs from the radio receivers: Bill Haley’s
Rock Around the Clock - ABC Boogie - See You Later Alligator - Shake Rattle and
Roll, or hammer title of a young truck driver from the southern United States:
with Elvis Presley Hound Dog, or Don’t be Cruel. That spurred Wolfgang on to
excel in English class because he wanted to finally understand what the lyrics
of these songs were acting. So they were fascinated, preferably the American
soldiers Radio AFN (American Forces Network), who played these songs to their
delight day and night. Wofgang, finally, was caught by Cliff Richard's backing
group, The Drifters, who later called themselves for copyright reasons, The
Shadows, and by Apache, FBI, or Guitar Tango.
This was something completely
different than the boring song and Studies, with which he had to toil as a
child. From his eleventh birthday, Wolfgang had piano lessons, and by the
related exercises the joy very quickly lost. In the spring of
Mickey did have concerns, but agreed. From then
on, they were rehearsing twice a week ever Tuesday and Thursday evenings in the
City Hall Park. Then they visited the newly-opened Vienna Woods. At the end of
August, and at the end of the trial, Micky said casually to Wolfgang:
"What do you think of it as if we were going to play next Saturday in
Astoria hall? I've already cleared everything, it works in any case. We must
make up only a band name! " When Wolfgang had caught something of his
dismay, he noticed spontaneously "tornadoes" field. As their music
originated in America and England, they settled on The Tornados and crafted them
a great logo, which they paint with green luminous color to it to hang over the
stage, so that the situation also looked really professional.
After their first and successful presence in
the Astoria hall they played there regularly. First Saturdays only, then Friday
and Saturday and Friday after a few weeks, Saturday and Sunday. They always
played from 20:00 to closing time at 1:00 clock in the morning, 6 DM per man
hour. Through the routine they got through their regular performances, they got
better and better, which is rumsprach quickly with the many other pubs owners,
increasing their value and demand.
 |
| Logo |
They deal that reached after Gerolzhofen and
Kitzingen, where there were the three most famous dance clubs in the area with
professional bands. In Schweinfurt, there were two shops where bands played
every evening. The Tivoli, on the ground floor of a red brick building in the
Luitpoldstraße, and secondly, the Lilli Marlen Bar, opposite the main entrance
of the American barracks. They were there during the week for a regular guest. What
they will also occasionally made, was the choice of the musicians, they even
replace for 'an hour to even play properly on expensive instruments on top of
the amplifier. The bar owner had no objection to the musicians were happy about
the unexpected pauses and our reputation grew so steadily. In such an action
addressed to Wolfgang one evening a
former classmate and asked him why they were playing without a bass player? He
was bass player and would like to join us. After a brief consultation they
agreed and invited Karl Heinz “Charly” Dees to a rehearsal. It turned out that
he had never played bass. As he promised them new professional speakers and an
echo unit, they finally consented. Wolfgang then teaches Charlie to play bass.
They met every day and he made progress very soon. Soon later Charlie finally was
at their first show in Zehnthof Gerolzhofen starred and also earned some vocal
tracks. If a piece was that he has not mastered, he simply turned off his bass
guitar, and Wolfgang mean a little darker, what has struck anyone.
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| The Vampires in Tivoli, with Billy Sanders |
Wolgang had time for a few weeks to work night
shift and then every time after work in the Lilli, because there during that
time played an extraordinary group: The Strangers from Innsbruck, the perfect
Cliff Richard with his Shadows.
In autumn 1962, the disaster came two months
later with full force from the speakers of the jukebox, which stood to the left
of the podium in the Astoria hall. Instrumental started chirping, humming, and
other strange noises. Then took over a whimpering the organ melody. Telstar was
the mature work, in line with the first American satellite television. All this
would be for them but still have been a problem if not for the name of the
artist of this tune would have been: THE TORNADOS was written on the tag
attached to the box, and the title of this American band was on the way, not a
huge hit to be only in Germany. They were thunderstruck. Just at the moment, as
their reputation grew steadily under this name, something like that! Everyone
we spoke to them: "Are you that? That you're really not ...! " What
should they do? Look around for a different name, was the only alternative. But
which? It was heartbreaking. For Charley, who had a passion for the mystical,
came up one evening with a proposal, which they liked right away and convinced:
"How would it be if we would call The Vampires?” Immediately they had the
idea of how we should
design the band logo. Under this name they were then - but with a rotating cast
- up to 1969 and also produced several records. Changing our band name came
under the circumstances to general understanding and had no adverse effects in
terms of exposure or amount of the fees. As Vampires they were immediately
accepted, since the new name was more interesting.
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