Celebrate the Nun
| Company type | Music group |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1986 |
| Founder | H.P. Baxxter, Rick J. Jordan, Britt Maxime, Slin Tompson |
| Defunct | 1992 |
| Headquarters | Hanover , Germany |
| Products | Synth-pop music |
Celebrate the Nun was a synth-pop ensemble from Germany, established in 1986 by H.P. Baxxter, Rick J. Jordan, Britt Maxime (H.P.'s sister), and Slin Tompson (also known as Nils Enghusen, formerly associated with The P.O.X.). This group eventually evolved into the band Scooter.
Biography
The band's first album, Meanwhile (1989), included the modestly successful track "Ordinary Town" alongside the hit single "Will You Be There", which climbed to number five on the Billboard Dance Play chart in June 1990. Their subsequent release, "She's a Secretary", reached number twelve in December of the same year. In 1990, Slin Tompson departed to focus on a solo path. Their sophomore album, Continuous (1991), experienced reduced commercial impact amid waning interest in synth-pop, culminating in the group's dissolution in 1992. Following this, Baxxter and Jordan joined forces with Baxxter's cousin Ferris Bueller to create Scooter. Britt Maxime was approached to serve as vocalist but declined; instead, Rick J. Jordan's wife Nikki assumed the role. Initially intended as a temporary project, Scooter transformed into a permanent act after their second single "Hyper Hyper" achieved significant success.
Legacy
In 1998, Slin Tompson revived the band under the name Celebrate the None alongside Phoen X and Skye Burns. Currently, he imparts drum lessons at the Fit in Music academy located in Garbsen. In 2009, Celebrate the Nun’s complete discography—including all remix versions—was re-released digitally on iTunes. Additionally, Tompson made early demo recordings and a live performance from 1987 available on his personal website.
Baxxter and Jordan have expressed appreciation for their origins in new wave music while highlighting their shift toward contemporary dance genres to maintain relevance. Scooter has occasionally paid homage to Celebrate the Nun’s sound, most notably through their rendition of the Chameleons' "Second Skin" featured on Under the Radar Over the Top. The album's bonus disc titled "Dark Side" also contains references to this period.
Members
- H.P. Baxxter – lead vocals, guitar (1986–1992)
- Rick J. Jordan – keyboards (1986–1992)
- Britt Maxime – vocals, electronic drums, keyboards (1986–1992)
- Slin Tompson – drums, percussion, keyboards (1986–1990)
Albums
- Meanwhile (1989)
- Continuous (1991)
Singles
- "Ordinary Town" (1988)
- "Will You Be There" (1989)
- "She's a Secretary" (1990)
- "Patience" (1991)
- "You Make Me Wonder" (1991)
Official bootlegs
- Live 1987 @ Hanover Capitol
- Unreleased Songs & Side Projects (demo recordings and assorted tracks)
Bibliography
Matthias Blazek: Das niedersächsische Bandkompendium 1963–2003 – Daten und Fakten von 100 Rockgruppen aus Niedersachsen. Celle 2006, pp. 34–35