THE VAMPIRES (VI)- HOLD ON reloaded

The Vampires with "Huevo"

THE VAMPIRES' STORY
VI: FROM 1969 TO EVOLUTION.

In early March, Joe and Paul flew for a few days at home. On 13 March visited Mickey and Wolfgang visited Cinema in Castelldefels. When they left the theater after midnight, where there were a couple of young guys who were asking which of them was Det Ferring. They were from the criminal police in Barcelona, ​​though there were a few inconsistencies, and to clarify this, would come Det. Micky and Wolfgang followed the police car, then back to Det take home with them. They took him to an office in the notorious police station in Via Layetana. The point was something about the seduction of a minor! Talking with a recognized layer, Wolfgang could know that Det and Mickey were moved temporarily to the prison in Barcelona. The whole thing was "muy dificil" very difficult because they are suspected of kidnapping and child predation. Then there were many years in prison. Teresa and her friend had run away from home, but they could do not know, and their totally distraught parents had turned in desperation to the police. The rest was a matter of research by the well-organized, powerful police apparatus. At that time women were in Spain until age 23, men since 21^st. The two were 21 and 22 years old., so the law still a minor and the Spanish judiciary was relentless on this point. Nevertheless, Mickey and Det came into freedom eight days later.

Tony Secunda

From 14 May they were back for a few days in the recording studio in Madrid, because they had worked four soul tracks. There were two original compositions: Your time has gone and I can go down. Furthermore, two of them arranged Dock of the Bay by Otis Redding and the traditional piece A Shot of Rhythm and Blues, a traditional piece. And they had committed the brass section of the band Los Canarios and the British organist of The Mode band: Graham Bircumshaw. The Mode had as manager to Tony Secunda (24 August 1940 - 12 February 1995), who was also of Procol Harum. 

The Mode

The arrangements for the wind Paul had written. 15th during the summer months, up to and including September 1968, they played with breaks again in Calella, where they acted in the past year so successful. From 14 to 30 August they made guest appearances in Madrid, Toledo, and in Bilbao. On their drive towards Euskadi, the Basque Country. According to their guest performances they back to Calella to bring their contract to end. This was followed by galas in all parts of the country. End of the year:  Joe left the group and went along with his Rosie to Germany, back in their hometown of Trier.

ABC journal, July 29, 1967

The gap that he created was of the French guitarist Dominique LeBeau, whose cradle was in Tahiti, closed more bad than good. Dominique had a soft spot for Jimi Hendrix, and was thus not necessarily on their wavelength. But what could they do? Suddenly, Mickey and Wolfgang were the only ones that dated back to the early days. Earlier 1969 this year two men were standing in front of their door to tell them that they were in breach of Spanish customs regulations: they drove by with a non-imported and unregistered vehicle on Spanish roads. Mickey had to hand over the car keys and sign a waiver. Then they seized their loyal Volkswagen bus. They went inevitably to a junkyard, where they acquired a used Citroën van, called by Wofgang “huevo”. In March 1969, Mickey and Wolfgang back to Germany to visit their parents few days.

Tony Ponce today

In early summer, they had a gig near Barcelona, ​​a Spanish band as the opening act. The band was called "Los Agnis". The guitarist of the band could have been visually the twin brother of Joe. Only his hair was jet black even longer. He impressed and fascinated them with his incredible playing technique. During the break they started talking, because they could vividly imagine integrating it into their ranks, as finally happened. The next day appeared Antonio Ponce Fernández, Tony briefly (facebook), and expressed his willingness to join with them immediately. From then on they were rehearsing almost every day in a friend's house, and during this session they created a number of original compositions. (“Domino”, Dominique left the group at the same time and moved to Zaragoza). Now Tony knew all people in Barcelona, which was a great advantage for them, because they fervently hoped for a new recording contract, since the agreement with Sesión Records in Madrid had gone and they had never heard from them again. During one of their first gigs with Tony, the manager of a Barcelona new record label (Ekipo) talked with them. His name is Artur Mas and he had the idea for his company with a new label called Dimension, to call progressive music to life. They were exactly according to his ideas. However, a name change would be inevitable, because he had to give the group a completely new image. The Vampires would have fizzled in his opinion. He was right.

Evolution

In October, they completed an agreement with Artur Mas, and called them Evolution, also an idea of ​​Ekipo. Evolution became oe of the most recognized progressive rock band in Spain. But this is another story well documented in the www.

Hold on

THE VAMPIRES (5) - SOMETHING YOU GOT reloaded

THE VAMPIRES' STORY

V: FROM 1967 TO 1969

Cine Victoria

On January 12, 1967, they played in the studio: Sunny, Get Off My Life Woman and Gimme Some Lovin, the latter of the Spencer Davis Group. This movie was unfortunately never published. On 13 married their producer Señor Tenorio. The pompous celebration took place at the Hilton Hotel. The Vampires played there. On 14 in the morning they flew to Barcelona in the TVE studios in Hospitalet for the TV recording of Walking in the sand. On 15 they went back to Madrid, where we performed in the evening at the club Nicca’s. On 17 they played a gala at Club Victoria (Francisco Silvela 48, bajos del cine Victoria). 

Sala Victoria

On 20 January, they gave an interview to Radio Peninsular, which was broadcast live. On 22 they were in their apartment by the music magazine journalists interviewed TELVA. On 30 they were at 18.00 on Radio España, then back at the club's Nicca. On 31, 1.00 am in the morning they gave an interview in the studios of Radio Madrid. In the meantime, the record company prepared them for a music festival, the Second Certamen Internacional de Conjuntos Musico-Vocales, from 1 until the 4th February in León took place in León. Each of the participating groups had to play three tracks: A piece of your choice, then the mandatory title Déjala Dormir, and a leonesisches folklore piece that each group had to arrange themselves. The third piece of a previously unpublished original composition. The cover of their choice was Walking in the sand. 

Mike Kennedy

Déjala Dormir was arranged in the style of Michelle or Nowhere Man by the Beatles, with a lot of choir La-la-la. Their own song: Vamos a Cantar (Let's sing), with Spanish text, and never immortalized on board. On Tuesday, January 31, they went to Leon, capital of the province of León in northeastern Spain, where arrived the next morning at 6 o’clock, and rested in Hotel Riosol (Avenida de Palencia  3), in which all participants were accommodated. 

Hotel Riosol (León)

In the evening they stood to classify for the finals on the main stage of the theater, where the festival took place. They reached the 3^rd place, and won 25.000 pesetas (150 € today). From 6 to 12 they appeared again in Nicca's Club. In November appeared a song destined to be a worldwide hit: Black is Black by Spanish group Los Bravos, immediately used by them to expand their repertoire. Their singer, a Berliner named Michael Kogel aka Mike Kennedy, entered the club's Nicca and sat right in front of their panel. Det who knew Mike from Germany volatile encouraged him to come on stage and be with them to sing Black is Black to sing, which was now in all the charts of the world in the first place. Mike said yes, and Black is Black was sang in Nicca’s Club. From then on, Mike spent his free time with The Vampires. From then on, they became friends, more than compatriots, with much annoyance of his manager Alain Milhaud and the rest of the band. 

Alain Milhaud

Mike even came back and back to their gigs to sing together with Det Black is Black. This increased their success and reputation enormous. On 19 we played a gala for the magazine TELVA. On Sunday, the 26th, they played their songs success of the festival: Walking in the sand and Déjala Dormir in the concert hall of the station Gran Musical. The songs are from our record label, to an audience, a live recording. This was done primarily for the archive of this station. On the plate was then later the screaming of the guests heard. From March 1, 1967 they played back in the club Consulado, along with Dave Dacosta and the Spanish band Los Canarios. On 9 they were again on TV in the show Hi-Fi on the stage. On the 12th, a Sunday, at 14:30 clock, they gave back the Gran Musical honor. On 13 they were again in the recording studio to record new tracks. From 20 to 27 they did not play, but skiing in Navacerrada, the nearby mountains called Sierra de Guadarrama. On March 30 Wolfgag celebrated his 23rd Birthday. Then they had gigs in clubs Kursal, Versalles, and Victoria.

Seyyal Tanner (1969)

On 6 April, a Thursday, they had another recording session in the recording studio. Harald had fallen in love with a young Turkish film actress, who has been riding in the Western Pancho Villa, and participated in the strip along with Yul Brynner and Robert Mitchum. The film was made for Paramount Pictures in Almeria. He had moved in with her and said that after he went with it very well, to have to hide from our music business. From then on, they played our concerts without him. Eventually, he took his leave of them. Finally Harald moved to Turkey with Seyyal Taner, the name of his girlfriend (she is still a celebrated singer and actress), backing after to Germany. In 1968, she married in Hanau, on 9 November 1969 saw her daughter Melanie the light of day. 

Glyn Johns (r) and some other (l) (1967)

After the failure of her marriage Seyyal returned to Turkey after Istanbul, starring in numerous films. It applies since the 80s as the Tina Turner of Turkish pop music and appeared in 1987 as the representative of Turkey to the Euro Vision Song Contest in Brussels. Unfortunately, their energetic performance as Tina & Türker Lokomotif came with the jurors to not good, because they came in last place with 0 points. This placement she has still not digested and retired in subsequent years of the music industry. Meanwhile, she lives in Bodrum, brings sporadically released albums and playing with some telenovelas. The Vampires’ apartment in Paseo de la Habana was in the 4^th floor. Meanwhile Det became their frontman. On 6 May the Vampires met The Shadows while the last ones were playing in Ponciano (Madrid), and, during a break, tgey were talking with Bruce Welsh, the rhythm guitarist of the Shadows. During May they keep playing in club-Nicca's, when one evening the manager came to the podium with a bottle of Johnny Walker, four glasses and ice, and asked them if they played songs by the Rolling Stones? When they said no, he said that the whiskey was by a member of the Rolling Stones, who was among the guests. Sat in the back of the club, surrounded by several people, the Stones bassist Bill Wyman was there in person! During the break Wolfgang took his glass, and went to met with Bill Wyman to thank personally for the whiskey. He tells Wolfgang that he and the singer Glyn Johns and the London band The End (wait for my next post on The End in Spain), with whom he is friends, stayed on promotion tour in Madrid, because he wanted make it a success in Spain. 

Playing in León

The Vampires rapidly became friends of the members of The End. The Hi was great when they later met again by chance in Barcelona. Gordon Smith, the saxophonist was a very rustic type. His girlfriend was beside himself with fear, because Gordy hosted a live snake in a bucket in his room. Thus escape the snake could not, he had placed a newspaper on the bucket ...

The End

Then they played on radio El Gran Musical, at the U.S. Air Base Torrejon, in the theater of Valencia and even in Zaragoza. From 22 to 27 they then made holidays in Benidorm. On Tuesday, 6th June, we went in the morning to Barcelona, ​​where we are at the 7th should play for the opening of the nightclub Romano di Capri. During the breaks we surrounded the elegant invited guests, clad in tuxedos and evening gowns, clinging to their whiskey or champagne glasses. There they played until 22 June. The concerts followed in Cataluña, and they quickly realized that they had there, the much better opportunities to develop, as in Madrid, which is like a desert island in the central Spanish plateau.

The Vampires Record Session

From 6 July to 31 August they made guest appearances in Calella. There we were at the club on a daily basis Bergantin, only interrupted by numerous concerts on the coast or inland. Calella was a typical German tourists stronghold, in other words: folk festival around the clock. They inspected all the pubs and made friends with Jordi, the owner of Kiki's Bar. The liked the casual way, as we put on the day. Who had a white painted Willy's Jeep, he left us and with which we, the narrow streets of Calella made uncertain.

In Calella they also met the Dutch saxophonist Lodi van de Bliek, who from then starred as a time with The Vampires and enriched their sound with his skill. Then they expanded their occupation with the German musician Kurt “Paul” Waldhecker, a brilliant saxophonist and arranger geur. On 24 November they again stood before the television cameras of TVE in Madrid Casa de Campo. Then they said final goodbye to Spain's capital in December 1967. They lived from then on in Castelldefels, down ten kilometers south of Barcelona, in a home that was of the most famous Spanish architect, Antoni Gaudí was, where Wolfgang lived till his departure from Spain in late 1972. They rented two apartments in apartment house near the beach El Alba, where we spent the next few months. During their rambles around the houses they met  in early 1968 two Dutch girls, whose parents owned an apartment building in Castelldefels, which they rented out during the summer, on a Dutch travel agency, to tourists. They made friends with her family very soon. 

The owner was Ms. Erkelens, and her eldest daughter Susanne, “Suze “, with whom Det has been married since 1971. One day there was a knock on our door at El Alba and outside were two girls: Tere and Elisa, that they knew fleetingly of Madrid. They had left Madrid behind, because they wanted to look for work in Barcelona and would like to, if possible, hatched with them for a while. In their infinite goodness, Micky and Det presented them their beds available. A real living community, since Joe's girlfriend Rosi, who had come from Germany in the spring, also lived with them. She stood a little later in their performances as Go Go Dancer on stage and enriched their performances visually, because she was very pretty. Once, when they made guest appearances on Menorca, the organizers had printed even own posters for them. 

Something you got

THE VAMPIRES (IV) - LITTLE WOMAN reloaded

THE VAMPIRES' STORY.
IV: FROM ZARAGOZA TO 1967

Since the savings were nearly exhausted, Joe rationed meantime even the food and cigarettes to reduce spending to a minimum. They hope to have anagreement in Benidorm. But even that proved to be a flop, because they had committed their bands during the last winter. Joe showed them a calendar of events in which they discovered the photo of Indonesian band that they knew well from Germany: The Black Dynamite. 

Here in Spain they called themselves Los Indonesios. They played in Madrid: in Florida Park So, they gone to Madrid, since they believed that Los Indonesios could, and would help them.

Kurt Dohan Show in Madrid November 5, 1949

Completely unnerved Micky turn on the six-lane Gran Via St. from the right to the left lane. Eventually we stood still in front of the portal of the Florida Park, in the center of the city park Retiro. A man appeared and they tried to get into conversation with him. He asked, "Do you speak English, parlez vous Française, you speak German, Dutch praat U?" "We are German," they replied. "Well then, we speak German. My name is Doğan, I am a Turk and the owner of the Florida park, what can I do for you? " (Kurt Dogan was a Hungarian violinist how moved to Spain about 1949, getting great succes during few decades)

"We are a German beat band and seek opportunities to perform in Spain," Wolfgang said. "Let's see, maybe I have something for you: Tomorrow will take a celebrity wedding and I have no music. Would you be willing to play for the young guests? "

"Yes, yes, I like the Spaniards. You are exactly right. See you tomorrow! "

The guests sat quite Coliseum moderately in a semicircle around the stage, which ranks in ascending order. The countless youths were from totally excited and freaked out literally! During the break, a man in his fifties came to the podium and introduced himself in German with the words: "Excuse me, my name is Fernando García Morcillo, I have served under Adolf Hitler in The Blue Division. We have a recording studio in the street Vallehermoso Numero 14 - I am the owner. You could come next Thursday at 12 clock for test shots? ". 

Fernando García Morcillo

Belatedly they finally arrived. The recording room was a room with soundproof walls and ceiling. And lots of Neumann microphones were available (the best studio mics worldwide). Later, they all went to lunch at a restaurant across from where they spent the next three hours with starter, main course and dessert, with red wine. Then, they smoked cigars, drink Brandy, and then had enjoyed the coffee with anisette. Then, they went back into the studio. "Now you play something”. It was the first time they could listen to their music, and it does not even sound bad. "They have to play their own songs, so we can make on the plate," said Señor Tenorio, the enterprising producer.

"Let's write texts, Wolfgang. You speak the best English of all of us", encouraged the others to Wolfgang. In the meantime they were at the campsite Osuna, who was just outside of Madrid. Finally, Wolfgang wrote something like this:

       Well you got something, yeah

       That's something I need, baby

       Come on now, give it to me.

       That's something you know, yeah

       That thing that I need, baby

       Give me your love now, baby please ...

Later, he wrote three other texts: Hold On, Change Your Mind and New Love. Then Joe come up with the melody. They practised the rhythm, the song inserted at specific points to choir and finished was they first original song that they immortalized immediately. The result was an EP, a 45 plate with four titles. Then they had to audition for the representatives of the great clubs of Madrid, and signed the lucrative contracts they offered them.

Their first gig was at Club Caravelle Barceló St, 11), a Youth Dance Hall, very similar to the German Star-Club. From then on, things really took off with them. They rented a luxury apartment with a maid, just behind the Bernabeu football stadium: Paseo de la Habana No 82. From the opposite, the restaurant Casa Pepe, where they could deliver. Many beautiful senoritas visited them constantly, and mountains of fan mail rainning over them. In Casa Pepe they saw on television the final of the World Cup, in which Germany lost against England (Juny 30, 1966).

They picked up quite a few EPs were passed for the purpose of advertising by all radio stations in Madrid, and enjoy their lives to the fullest as stars, with fans on the streets ran after them. Once they were even with “Something You Got” before the song Yellow Submarine by the Beatles in eighth place in the charts. One afternoon seemed Señor Morcillo, the full-time director of a Madrid Crime Commissioner was, in their apartment and made them a proposal to include the scooter company Vespa a musical speech in chis recording studio: CIMA SA., in which we recorded our songs, was his second leg. Morcillo was also the composer of a love song, which was known in the Spanish-speaking world each. Maria Dolores was the title, and he had this song for his wife, Maria-Dolores,) written.It would be a good thing, because they would then be heard constantly on the radio. Unfortunately, they should adhere precisely to the specified text and the melody:

Vespa for the mountains, the beaches for Vespa,

Vespa for the country and for the city.

For the whole family Vespa ... For the whole family Vespa ...

Vespa - Vespa, Vespa - Vespa.

Vespa yet modern, Vespa still potent ...

María E. Alvarez & Los Pekes

On 1 October 1969, during a military parade, thye could see to Generalísimo Franco for the first time, in the Gran Vía way to Plaza de España. At the Club Monaco played a Spanish beat band named Los Pekes. Their beautiful singer María Esther Álvarez was seen exclusively in the company of her feisty mother who stayed scrupulously sure that none of the Señoritos her daughter came too close to her daughter. The mother was standing each time as a guard dog in front of her dressing room door when she was changing. This band Los Pekes asked one day desperate to Wolfgang if he could help them. Their bassist was ill and would turn out for a while. Wolfgang was delighted about their confidence, and so he stood there for the next two weeks.

Casa Pepe

One night, just coming out of a cinema, their manager was standing in front of. He made it clear to them that they had to immediately bring our instruments to the airport because they were playing from the next day for two months in Casablanca. Rora the club in the Rue d'Antibes, in which we should guesting October and November, was in Ain Diab, a suburb of Casablanca. They were housed we were at the hotel Notre Alsace, 59 Boulevard de la Corniche, the beach promenade of Ain Diab. I mention it because this name sounded so strange and exotic. On one of our walks on the beach we had the idea for the song: Walking in the sand shots, we were rehearsing on site and on our return to Madrid immediately. The album cover was decorated with a hand-colored photo of us, walking in the sand '.

Atocha Train Station

Theye reached again in early December the Iberian Peninsula. Because they owed their landlady Doña Manuela de Leccea, a member of the Spanish nobility, the last two months' rent, we drove immediately after arriving by taxi to her villa to pick up our keys. So that he also could be sure to get her money, they showed her the wad of money they had. Since they wanted to spend Christmas with their parents in Germany, they flew on 22.12. to Frankfurt. Micky and Wolfgangt sat on the train to Schweinfurt. Joe and Harold's parents lived in Hanau. It had much closer. As agreed, they met at 27.12., 24.00 for the celebration of Mickey's Birthday, at the main train station in order to beat a trip together to Spain. There they met again with Det Ferring, the Trier singer. They shook hands, told him of their existence as disk stars, gave him some of their records and asked him if he had no desire to join them. He said he would have to think twice about that and would call them. On 6 January 1967 they met Det at the Atocha train station. 

Little woman

THE VAMPIRES (III) - DÉJALA DORMIR reloaded

Juny 8 - 1967. La Vanguardia Journal 

THE VAMPIRES' STORY 
III: FROM LUXEMBOURG TO ZARAGOZA

They came from the deepest winter in the northern German to the Luxembourg spring. Since they were free, they went to Verdun to visit the I World War battlefields. The disco at the Hôtel Luxembourg, where The Vampires appeared twice for one hour each evening was chaired by Ferdy, the disc jockey. Ferdy took them to the Letzebuerger (as that is in the local language) day and night life, and brought them many other forms in culture. Another highlight during their stay was a visit to Luxembourg and a tour of Radio Luxembourg. This legendary station is located high above the rooftops of Luxembourg in the castle itself. They met then-known presenter Camillo Felgen personally and smell his live broadcast in Studio Four. 

After their stint in Luxembourg they gave concerts in northern France and in Trier, from where the members of a band with a great soul singer were. The Soul was up, but they never could find Det and his band: The Gents. I am talking of The Gents (aus Trier), and of the singer Det Ferring. They were then: Klaus Obermeyer, Det Ferring (facebook), Klaus Horman (†), Peter Binz (†), and Manfred Plenkers (facebook). Later, The Gents changed few members.

The Gents

In late April, Joe said to Wolfgang that their next job in May was broken, since The Star-Club in Kohl has gone bankrupt. Their tour was finished at these moments. Joe proposed a holiday in Spain. Joe had two years previously played with another group in Zaragoza on the American air base and was pleased with Spain. His saying: "links the mountains, the ocean right. Since they had more than a thousand dollars per man, they took the equipment, and their VW van. For sleeping: an olds army tent for Harold and Mickey, and the van for Joe and Wolfgang.  

Zaragoza AB Logo

The first day drove Micky (the only one with car drive license) via highway to Nimes, where they rested. The goal of their next stop was the Spanish border: Port Bou, near the coast. They cross the border the next morning driving along the Costa Brava to Barcelona. In Bercelona, they parked the van close to the beach to take a relaxing break. In the evening they reached Sitges, sat close to the water, drank wine and threw rocks into the sea, on the crests of waves reflected the light of the full moon. The next morning - it was Sunday – they finally reached Zaragoza. In the evening they finally reached their destination and neighborhood based on the campsite Helios. 

Camping Helios (Zaragoza)

That same evening, this explored this great city where thousands of people were out, visited several tascas (specialty pubs). After a week in Zaragoza, and without have played in the Air Base, they decided to practise with their instruments, in the open, side by side with the van. They began to play, and soon after hundreds of people were sitting on the wall that surrounded the facility to listen to our music. Enthusiastically, The Vampires received  thunderous applause. The people gave them wine, food, cigarettes, and some even gave them money for these shows. Then they asked a young man who spoke English very well, if they could give a concert in the Auditorium of the University the next Sunday. He would arrange everything. They were thrilled and were dressed in our fur pants, matching shirts and Beatle boots, which they had bought in Hamburg. The hall was packed to the rafters and the primarily female audience screamed during the entire. They threw handfuls of autograph cards in the set, which beat so fast. Thus, they had what the Beatles have felt at their concerts. Such an enthusiasm we had never experienced before! 

Benidorm 1966

Words failed them. 

In Spain was their future, here they had to settle down. This was aware of at that moment. These exploiters in German pubs where you had to work as a human jukebox could, in the future, remain stolen. After such success, unfortunately for them, Zaragoza offered no further opportunity to perform, they packed and went for Benidorm, because this place was a term tourist center.

Déjala dormir

THE VAMPIRES (II) - NEW LOVE

THE VAMPIRES' STORY

II: FROM SCHWEINFURT TO LUXEMBOURG.

After several unsuccessful works elsewhere, Wolfgang renounces to the last one. It was mid-September 1963. On the same afternoon he submitted his resignation as TV repairer, he went to Tivoli, where this month played a Swedish group and saw with amazement the empty podium. "What's happened here?" he asked the manager, who came at the same moment from the kitchen. "The boys have turned on the boss on the worst one, and since we have just kicked! But tell me, do you play it with the Vampires. Would you play to end the month and you would have like to be professionals?, then we would help you. Our connections extend over the whole of Germany." (At that time, the German gastronomy, especially the nightlife, were firmly in Jewish hands). That was the opportunity for which they had been waiting for so long, and the rest of the band had not at all superior. 

Billy Sanders

So they stood on the same evening as a professional musician at the Tivoli and felt great. Then came one evening a smartly dressed man to the podium and asked if he could join us in singing a few twist tracks. The twist was inexorably losing its stage on the top. They a little sceptical, since they had never practised unrehearsed. He just said: "When I raise my hand, you're playing a semitone higher, and when I show down, you go back!" It was the known records star Billy Sanders, known for the hit Hello Mr. Twist (1961. Ariola 45.260). (See in youtube). Billy had wandered by chance to Schweinfurt. The interaction worked so perfectly, as if they had never done anything else.  In November 1963 they started as professional musicians at Bamberg. The long-awaited moment had come: The Vampires gone to an “wide world” unknown musical adventure.

Bamberg: 

The Vampires - Florida Bar

The Atlantic was a typical Amikneipe (Pub) at the first floor of an old apartment building, in the Franz Ludwig Street in Bamberg.  It was a long room, in the middle was on the left side of the podium places. Opposite we went into the kitchen and at the front there was the bar, behind the shrewd young women chanted the Americans busily their dollars out of the pockets. See VeteransBenefits Network > Social Chat> Anyone Stationed in Bamberg, Germanyin the 60's?. The Americam Army in Bamberg was at the Warner Barracks. The proprietor was Rudolf “Rudy” Ochs, who also was the owner of several apartments  in Bamberg (E.g.: 7 Poodledorfer Strasse). Under the Atlantic Ocean, on the ground floor, there was the Tivoli, a high-level local, or Nepplokal, where always were playing excellent musicians. They had many opportunities to listen these musicians in their breaks.

Fights between American soldiers were commonplace. Almost every night, after 22.00, when they go to the break, again entered the podium, it popped. Then, the U.S. military police came immediately alerted by Rudi, on the scene and made again for peace and order. On 22 November occurred the next disaster. They had just returned after 22 clock started playing when Rudi said: "Wolfgang light on, music off. President Kennedy has just been shot!". Rudi entered the stage, grabbed my microphone and held only in English and then in German a poignant speech to the guests. Some made embarrassed faces, some began to cry, and others shouted hurray again, and the next moment the wildest brawl was in progress. Since a chair flew across almost the whole restaurant. The probably had to have been thrown with tremendous force, as the room was not too high. When after a while the situation had relaxed. They were really so good that Rudy committed them for another month. So they we played in December in the Atlantic Bar.

An evening in late December, a song from the jukebox, made Wolfgang sit down: “From me to you”, from an unknown group called The Beatles! That sounded very different than what had come to their attention until then. The guitar did not sound shrill metallic, such as in the Shadows or, specifically, the Spotnicks, whose sound they ever tried in vain to imitate, but soft and full. Since harmonica was involved. The polyphonic singing in some passages highly creepy. The harmonic progression completely unconventional, not after the 12-bars blues scheme, as usual, most of their titles. It just sounded different, it was revolutionary. They tried to replay this song, but failed to have the polyphonic singing, because with the choir they were overwhelmed. The only singer in the band and Wolfgang were Charley, and Charley had often problems with the correct intonation. Shortly afterwards: “I Wanna Hold Your Hand” and “She loves you”. They were under pressure, because audience demanded the same from them.

Erding Air Station Handbook

Fortunately, Beatlemania was not yet reached in the Upper Palatinate. Fifteen days after they were playing at Café National since January 1, 1964, the January 15 shortly after 22 clock, suddenly came back a man in uniform - a postman - to the stage and asked: "Who among you is Wolfgang Junger?" "A write-in Express letter, please sign here! It was his call-up: April-2, 1964, near Nuremberg, 1st Air Force Training Regiment 2nd, Company ... 

Warner Barracks -1963

Since the accommodation in the hotel in Bamburg was very hard and poor, they decided totake way up North. They spent February and March in the far north, in Schleswig. It was also the first time that they have, since they were professionals, working for a German restaurateur. They got the boss, Mr. Callsen, we got on brilliantly from the start. We were obviously just as likeable as he them. The songs from the music boxes and their interpreters were almost totally unknown to them: The Searchers, Tony Sheridan and the Beat Brothers, The Swinging Blue Jeans, The Liver-Birds, The Rattles, The Phantom Brothers and of course, The Beatles.

Wolfgang, Harald, Micky & Joe

It had even got round to Schweinfurt that in the city of Hamburg should be a famous temple of music. They awaited to their first day off, the Monday, to satisfy their first cause: to inspect the famous Star Club (Grosse Freiheit 39), opened two years earlier with its the famous slogan: "The need has an end”. Above the name on the large illuminated panel above they could read some guest appearances: Bill Haley, Tommy Roe, Joey Dee, Fats Domino, Chubby Checker, Jerry Lee Lewis, Vince Taylor, Ray Charles, The Beatles, Brenda Lee, The Everly Brothers, Johnny and the Hurricanes... the list was endless. Soon later, Wolfgang Junger did go to a military centre and airport in Ergind Air Station (Bavaria). Just after back to Schweinfurt at late 1964, Wolfgang tried to contact with the rest of the Vampires’ members, so he visited Mickey's mother in Bergrheinfeld who then told him that they played this month in Nuremberg in the Scotch-casino. She showed him some pictures and he saw with amazement that none other than Mickey from the old master-band was more here. On an autograph of them shone right above the Star-Club Records logo! They looked nice and had hairstyles, like the Rolling Stones on their first LP. 

Wolfgang went to Nuremberg and I entered the Scotch Casino Bar. Micky recognised him immediately and rushed over to me and introduced me to the rest of the band. Harald, the second guitarist was immediately appealing to Wolfgang. Joe, the lead guitarist, was an ace on his instrument. Ede, the bass player said he would get out in December anyway, the others did know nothing about it and if they would be right, Wolfgang could take his place. Wolfgang just hoped that Joe and Harry would be in agreement. In Micky, he was sure about that.

Cafe Schmidt 

Wolfgang spent the nexttwomotnhs as a car radio mechanic in the Bosch Service on Marienbach in Schweinfurt, because he needed money for a completely new system that the boys were looking forward continue to make music with me. In late November, Wolfgang drove to Crailsheim, where The Vampires stayed in the meantime. Together with Joe, he immediately went on to Stuttgart from Barth music store where they bought a Selmer bass amp system, a Höfner Beatles Bass' and a Shure microphone.

From 1 December 1965 they stood together in Bonner Taboo, which belonged to Blatzheim Hotels During this time, was a Berlin band called The Lords storming the German charts with “Poor Boy”. But The Lords obviously had no idea what they were singing there. Their English was horrible.  - and on vinyl! I am also disturbed their visages arrogant that they set up photos on display. On Thursdays there was a talent competition with a view of a recording contract. A kind of DSDS (Deutschland sucht den Superstar), or American Idol (in USA) in miniature. The audience evaluated the candidates and a jury (consisted of a disc jockey, and an employee of the record company), who made it to the next round. Someone had brought all their relatives and friends to vote. For The Vampires this was an horrible experience. The January 1 1965, the next day, they had to play in the Scoth Casino for all the month long, a place full of smoke. They played there from 20.00 to 04.00. Sundays and public holidays - and there were many in January - 15 to 19, with 15-minutes breaks after 45 minutes playing: four human jukeboxes. Then an hour break and again 20 to 4 clock. Always 45 minutes at a time then we took a break of 15 minutes. From 20.00 came the girls working during the day at Grundig in production, who stayed until about 22 clock, since most of them were not yet eighteen. After 23.00 appeared the girls working at night on the Frauentormauer to enjoy their well-earned breaks or after work. Ending January was coming the day of the final bill. One of the two Jewish owners took before the payout. The man was a walking safe. For all his jackets and pants he pulled out thick wads of money with hundreds of which he flipped through it several before them on the table. Of the bags had been lined with tens of thousands of D Marcs. In the showcase near the entrance they could see for themselves that would occur with a Spanish band called Los Bravos. The Vampires sincerely said to their coleagues: sorry!

Rolling Stones 1st LP

Ansbach, the capital of the district of Middle Franconia - again a typical garrison town - with about 29,000 inhabitants and 10,000 U.S. soldiers, was the next stage of their musical odyssey. Ms. Schernack, a lovable old lady, our landlady, was very concerned for the welfare, their boys', "Be me just be careful at night. Ansbach is a dangerous place! "How right they are so, we should very soon lesson the hard way. They played atThe Florida Bar - again a typical Amikneipe - whose owner, Mr. Perekalski also had the Star of David on its national flag. There were four live music clubs in Ansbach then: Schwarze Bär; Cafe Schmidt (renamed today as Old Ansbach), Florida Bar, and Regina Club (today at Rezatparkplatz). The main trouble was the relations with Americans in the free time. On the very first free Monday they went to Hamburg, that was only a stone's throw away, and it could hardly be expected to enter again the Star Club. What on earth is happening here in the meantime? The stage seemed much smaller and behind was a shirred curtain the whole gave the charm of a rural beat shed. Bands played only on weekends. This seemed to them the beginning of the end, and actually the star of the Star Club was unstoppable on the wane. On 12/31/69 finally closed its doors with a concert by Hardin & York. This fact made them think what they should do differently. Joe started from then to put their own ideas and improvise at will. And Harald sang his songs in the way he always did: in Blues. The end of March, it was snowing like crazy and they thought with horror of the journey ahead, as from 1 April they should guesting for 2 weeks in Luxembourg.

THE VAMPIRES - NEW LOVE

THE VAMPIRES (I) - WALKING ON THE SAND

Joe Schilken (Lead Guitar), Harald Münnich (Rhythm. Guitar), Wolfgang Jünger

(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 1962, in front of the window of a music store, Wolfgang saw a guitar, as futuristic as if it came from another world, stood there all alone at the top in the window display. The body, painted red consisted of a solid board, which was cut at the point where the neck of the guitar was screwed onto the body, to allow for the game in the highest positions: a Hofner (360DM). Nevertheless, he began to save money, and along with a small reserve, after a few weeks he was able to finally realize his dream. Shortly before he met Hans, a friend who lived in the neighborhood and wanted to know what he was wearing under my arm. So I showed him my newest pride. Hans said: "Come up to me, I have to show you something too. Since when do you play real guitar? " They entered the small living room and there in the corner stood a white board Framus guitar and a small, self-built amplifier with speaker. "Does not matter, sit down, I'll show you something simple!", Hans said. From this day on Wolfgang worked tirelessly in every free minute with his guitar. He met with Hans to practice and after several weeks, they both had a considerable repertoire, both instrumental and vocal tracks on. "How about if we stopped once for a drummer for?" On a Saturday night Wolfgang attended a dance performance in Wallbräu-basement and could not believe what his eyes are seeing: a colleague from his apprenticeship: Mickey Kluge behind drums climbed out. "Oh Mickey, since when do you play drums? By the way, we have formed a guitar band. Would not you feel like time to come to a rehearsal because we are looking for a suitable drummer! "

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.

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.

THE VAMPIRES - WALKING ON THE SAND