Duck and Cover (German band)
| Company type | Music group |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1983 in West Germany |
| Defunct | 1984 |
Key people | Chris Cutler, Heiner Goebbels, Alfred Harth, Tom Cora, Fred Frith, Dagmar Krause, George Lewis |
| Products | Avant-rock music performances and recordings |
Duck and Cover was an international avant-rock septet established in West Germany in 1983. The lineup included Chris Cutler (UK), Heiner Goebbels (GER), and Alfred Harth (GER) from Cassiber; Tom Cora (US) and Fred Frith (UK) representing Skeleton Crew; Dagmar Krause (GER) of Art Bears; and George Lewis (US) affiliated with the ICP Orchestra. The ensemble was commissioned by Burkhard Hennen, director of the 1983 Moers Festival, to Alfred Harth.
In October 1983, Duck and Cover presented a 45-minute composition titled "Berlin Programme" at the Berlin Jazz Festival, followed by a repeat performance at the Festival of Political Songs in East Berlin in February 1984. Both concerts were recorded and broadcast nationally. An edited version of the East Berlin concert was subsequently released in September 1985 on one side of Rē Records Quarterly Vol.1 No.2 LP record.
Name
The group's name alludes to the Cold War-era "duck and cover" drill taught to American schoolchildren. The formation of the band and their musical direction were inspired by heightened Cold War anxieties and the extensive 1983 European protests opposing the deployment of Cruise, Pershing II, and SS-20 missiles. Prior to their performance in East Berlin, Heiner Goebbels remarked:
"Berlin Programme"
The "Berlin Programme" was structured by Alfred Harth with compositions by Heiner Goebbels, integrating excerpts from pieces by Goebbels/Harth (Duo Goebbels/Harth), Cutler/Frith (Art Bears), Bertolt Brecht/Hanns Eisler, alongside collective improvisation by the ensemble.
Its debut took place at the JazzFest Berlin in West Berlin on 29 October 1983. West Berlin Radio (RIAS) recorded the 45-minute set, which aired on 28 August 1984. The program included:
- "Rats and Monkeys" (Cutler/Frith)
- "The Song of Investment Capital Overseas" (Cutler/Frith)
- "Kein Kriegsspielzeug Für Jonathan" (Duo Goebbels/Harth)
- "Easter Day 1935" (Brecht/Eisler)
- "Dunkle Wolk" (Duo Goebbels/Harth)
- "Und Ich Werde Nicht Mehr Sehen" (Brecht/Eisler)
- "Freedom" (Cutler/Frith)
The second rendition occurred at the Berliner Ensemble in East Berlin on 16 February 1984, captured directly onto master tape by engineers from Rundfunk der DDR. This approximately 40-minute performance was broadcast throughout East Germany later that month and featured:
- "3000 Explosions"
- "Dark Cloud" (Duo Goebbels/Harth)
- "Walls are Loosening" (Cutler/Frith)
- "Rats and Monkeys" (Cutler/Frith)
- "Pause"
- "Easter Day 1935" (Brecht/Eisler)
- "Kein Kriegspielzeug Für Jonathan" (Duo Goebbels/Harth)
- "The Song of Investment Capital Overseas" (Cutler/Frith)
- "The Address"
- "Fragments"
- "On Suicide" (Brecht/Eisler)
- "Und Ich Werde Nicht Mehr Sehen" (Brecht/Eisler)
For the release on Rē Records Quarterly, Cutler and Goebbels edited the East Berlin recording to create a more concise listening experience. Although they could not remix the source material, they condensed it to a 28-minute version, omitting the final track, "Freedom." Cutler observed that despite these reductions, the LP effectively conveyed the intended contrast between modern life's pressures and moments of distraction.
Members
- Tom Cora – cello, bass guitar, tape recordings, electronic instruments
- Chris Cutler – percussion, electronic devices
- Fred Frith – guitar, bass guitar, tape recordings
- Heiner Goebbels – piano, synthesizer, guitar, tape recordings
- Alfred Harth – tenor saxophone, bass clarinet, trumpet, trombone, mouthpieces
- Dagmar Krause – lead vocals
- George Lewis – trombone, mouthpieces
Discography
- Rē Records Quarterly Vol.1 No.2 (LP, Recommended Rē 0102, UK, 1985)
- Side One: "Berlin Programme" (Brecht/Eisler, Cutler/Frith, Duo Goebbels/Harth, Cora, Krause, Lewis) – 27:44
- Live recording of "Berlin Programme" performed at the Berliner Ensemble, East Berlin on 16 February 1984.
Re-issues
- RēR Quarterly Selections from Vol.1 (CD, Recommended RēR QCD1, UK, 1991)
- Track 2: "Berlin Programme" (Brecht/Eisler, Cutler/Frith, Duo Goebbels/Harth, Cora, Krause, Lewis) – 27:41
- Slightly modified version of the original "Berlin Programme" from Rē Records Quarterly Vol.1 No.2.
- The Art Box (6xCD, Recommended RēR ABox, UK, 2004)
- Disc 6, track 2: "The Song of Investment Capital Overseas" (Cutler/Frith) – 3:42
- Segment extracted from the "Berlin Programme" incorporating the Art Bears composition.
See also
External links
- Duck and Cover. Chris Cutler home page