Puhdys
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1969 |
| Headquarters | Oranienburg , East Germany |
| Products | Rock music albums and live performances |
The Puhdys () emerged as a German rock ensemble originating from Oranienburg, East Germany, in 1969, although their musical activities date back to 1965 under different formations. They gained considerable popularity particularly in East Germany but also achieved recognition beyond the GDR’s borders, becoming one of the pioneering East German bands to perform tours in West Germany. Their status ranks among the most successful rock groups performing in the German language.
History
The origins of the Puhdys trace back to the Udo-Wendel-Combo, established in 1965. Following the departure of guitarist and vocalist Udo Wendel, the remaining musicians—keyboardist Peter Meyer, drummer Udo Jacob, bassist and manager Harry Jeske, along with guitarist and singer Dieter Hertrampf—formed a new band named Puhdys, derived from their initials.[1]
By 1969, with Gunter Wosylus taking over on drums from Jacob and Dieter Birr joining as guitarist and vocalist, the lineup solidified. The group officially marks its foundation in this year. Their inaugural performance took place on 19 November 1969 in Freiberg, Saxony. Drawing inspiration from British hard rock and American artists such as Elvis Presley, their early repertoire mainly consisted of cover songs due to restricted access to Western music within East Germany. After Erich Honecker assumed leadership in 1971, the band received approval to record under the state-controlled Amiga label, contingent on singing exclusively in German and steering clear of political topics.
Their first single, "Türen öffnen sich zur Stadt" (1971), displayed elements of progressive rock and positioned them as a leading act within East Germany’s music scene. The composition was by Birr with lyrics by Wolfgang Tilgner. In 1972, they featured in Heiner Carow's film The Legend of Paul and Paula, which stirred political controversy yet attracted wide audiences; tracks from this soundtrack became popular hits. The Puhdys performed before their largest crowd up to that point at the 10th World Festival of Youth and Students held in East Berlin in 1973.
Their debut album (1974) compiled earlier singles including selections from Paul and Paula, though some tracks were modified due to political restrictions. The sophomore album (1975) contained prominent songs such as "Steine" and "Lied für Generationen", which helped shape their distinctive style. Their third release, Sturmvogel (1976), enjoyed significant popularity featuring fan favorites alongside a rendition of a lullaby originally by Polish group 2 plus 1.
"Alt wie ein Baum" (1976), performed by Hertrampf, became their hallmark anthem frequently performed at concerts and included on their first greatest hits compilation (1977).
Though touring other socialist countries since 1973, their most substantial fan base outside East Germany was located in West Germany. Despite official hesitance regarding western travel permits, they toured Belgium and the Netherlands in 1974 and commenced performances in West Germany with a concert in Hamburg in November 1976. Remarkably, they retained a portion of their royalties paid in hard currency. From 1977 onwards, their albums were officially released within West Germany.
Following Sturmvogel, they issued Rock 'n' Roll Music (1976), which became a bestseller in East Germany featuring covers from the 1950s and ’60s rock era but met with less success westward. Subsequent albums included Perlenfischer (1977) and 10 Wilde Jahre (1978), which featured "Doch die Gitter schweigen" commemorating the GDR’s 30th anniversary.
After releasing a live double album recorded at Berlin’s Friedrichstadtpalast theater, Wosylus departed and was succeeded by Klaus Scharfschwerdt on drums. The first album with Scharfschwerdt was Heiß wie Schnee (1980). By this period, their popularity beyond the GDR peaked alongside contemporaries such as Karat and City; they played an influential role in inspiring the Neue Deutsche Welle movement. The album Schattenreiter (1981), recorded in West Germany, included "He, John", a tribute to John Lennon that became East Germany’s top-selling single that year. An official fan club was established in Paderborn, West Germany. In recognition of their artistic contributions, they were awarded the National Prize of East Germany in 1982.
In pursuit of broader international appeal, the Puhdys produced an English-language album titled Far From Home recorded in London with assistance from West German singer Wolfgang Michels on lyrics. This album featured English renditions of their German hits but did not achieve international breakthrough due to accented vocals; nonetheless, it facilitated performances abroad including shows in the United States.
Incorporating elements of new wave and synthpop on Computer-Karriere (1983), a concept album themed around technology, they achieved a dance hit with "TV-Show", featuring Scharfschwerdt as lead vocalist. Its successor Das Buch (1984) prominently utilized synthesizers; however, its track "Ich will nicht vergessen" faced censorship because it referenced "Deutschland," a sensitive subject under GDR censorship.
They followed with another live double album Live in Sachsen, recorded in Karl-Marx-Stadt, then released Ohne Schminke (1986). By this stage regarded as veteran rockers within East Germany inspiring younger bands like Rockhaus and Pankow, members also explored solo ventures: Birr released Intim (1986) collaborating with Meyer and future member Peter Rasym; Hertrampf issued Liebe pur (1987).
In 1988 Teldec issued a CD version of Das Buch, marking their first CD release available in West Germany.
The band intended to disband following their orchestral album Neue Helden (1988), featuring politically nuanced lyrics written by Kurt Demmler under an alias. The original cover displaying Soviet and American flags was banned domestically; it was replaced by a green cover for release within the GDR but remained unchanged internationally via Koch Records. To mark their 20th anniversary, they embarked on a farewell tour alongside Czechoslovak group Turbo and veteran West German band The Lords.
The fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 led to diminished interest in artists from East Germany as Western music flooded local markets; Birr’s new project Maschine und Männer struggled to draw audiences.
Reuniting for a one-time concert at Brandenburg Gate in 1991 met with enthusiastic reception amid growing Ostalgie and regional identity movements; thereafter the Puhdys resumed activity issuing Wie ein Engel (1992). Though not a major national success (~24,000 copies sold mostly within eastern Germany), it included notable tracks like "Was bleibt," inspired by East German author Christa Wolf.
Their silver jubilee concerts at Huxleys Neue Welt theater sold out unexpectedly; these shows coincided with releasing Zeiten ändern sich, which addressed challenges following German reunification with songs such as Scharfschwerdt’s "Deutschland Deutschland". Bassist Harry Jeske made his vocal debut on "Halbzeit". The band resumed extensive touring supported by live albums including In flagranti (1996).
Jeske retired for health reasons after his 60th birthday concert; he was succeeded by Peter "Bimbo" Rasym. This lineup produced Wilder Frieden (1999), reflecting influences from contemporary hard rock acts like Rammstein—who collaborated on "Wut will nicht sterben". The Puhdys sold out Berlin’s Waldbühne for their landmark 3000th concert celebrating their 30th anniversary; this event was also released on DVD.
Birr, Meyer, and Hertrampf appeared together in the television film Comeback für Freddy Baker. They additionally performed at Berlin’s millennium celebration concert held at Alexanderplatz.
The 2001 album Zufrieden? featured cover art selected through a tabloid contest; Birr consolidated his position as principal songwriter alongside Meyer while Hertrampf’s lead vocal contributions decreased compared to earlier releases. That same year saw release of the secular Christmas-themed album Dezembertage, supporting annual holiday concerts.
In 2003 they produced Undercover, an album covering classic East German rock tracks proposed by manager Rolf Henning—marking their first such project since covering Lift’s "Wasser und Wein" twenty years prior. While attracting media attention especially across western Germany, some fans criticized its conservative song selection focusing predominantly on major hits by Karat and Silly.
During that year Birr contracted Lyme disease but recovered; he composed all songs for their 2005 album Alles hat seine Zeit. Its cover photo reportedly caused internal disagreements within the band.[2]
Current members
- Dieter "Maschine" Birr – guitar, lead vocals
- Dieter "Quaster" Hertrampf – guitar, lead vocals
- Peter "Eingehängt" Meyer – keyboards, saxophone, backing vocals
- Klaus Scharfschwerdt – drums (joined in 1979; deceased 2022)
- Peter "Bimbo" Rasym – bass guitar, backing vocals (since 1997)
Former members
- Harry Jeske – bass guitar (1969–1997; passed away 2020)
- Gunther Wosylus – drums (1969–1979)
Discography
Most albums by Puhdys released before Neue Helden featured a sequential release number alongside the title. These numbers differed slightly between editions issued in East and West Germany. For instance, the album Schattenreiter was labeled as number 9 in West Germany but as number 10 in East Germany, with corresponding changes to the cover design.
Notable albums include:
- 1974 Die Puhdys (1)
- 1975 Puhdys (2)
- 1976 Sturmvogel (Stormbird)
- 1977 Rock'n'Roll Music — a collection of 1950s rock covers
- 1977 Perlenfischer (Pearl Fisher)
- 1979 10 wilde Jahre ... 1969–1978 (Ten Crazy Years)
- 1979 Puhdys live (also titled Live im Friedrichstadtpalast)
- 1980 Heiß wie Schnee (Hot As Snow)
- 1981 Far From Home — album performed in English
- 1981 Schattenreiter (Shadow Rider)
- 1983 Computerkarriere (Computer Career)
- 1984 Das Buch (The Book)
- 1986 Ohne Schminke (Without Makeup)
- 1989 Neue Helden (New Heroes)
- 1992 Wie ein Engel (Like An Angel)
- 1994 Zeiten ändern sich (Times Change)
- 1997 Frei wie die Geier (As Free As Vultures)
- 1999 Wilder Frieden (Crazy Peace)
- 2001 Zufrieden? (Satisfied?)
- 2003 Undercover — album of cover songs
- 2005 Alles hat seine Zeit (Everything Has Its Time)
- 2006 Dezembernächte (December Nights) — second Christmas-themed album
- 2009 Akustisch
- 2009 Abenteuer (Adventure)
- 2011 Live Aus Der O2-World
- 2014 Rocklegenden, featuring Puhdys, City, and Karat
- 2016 Das letzte Konzert
In addition to these core releases, the band's extensive catalog includes numerous compilations and live recordings that highlight their enduring presence in the music market over many years.
See also
- Bell, Book & Candle — musical group founded by Andy Birr, son of Dieter Birr, and Hendrik Röder, son of Peter Meyer; best known for their hit "Rescue Me" in 1998
References
- W. Tilgner, V. Ettelt "Die Puhdys", Berlin 1983
- M. Fehlberg "Lebenszeit. Ein Puhdys-Porträt", Berlin 1979
- K. Wolf "Wenn Träume sterben – Puhdys zwischen Vision und Realität", Dresden 1993
- L. Hannover, P. Wicke (eds.) "Puhdys. Eine Kultband aus dem Osten", Berlin 1994
- H. Jeske "Mein wildes Leben und die Puhdys", Berlin 1997
- U. Beyer "30 Jahre Puhdys", Complete discography of Puhdys, Berlin 1999
- U. Beyer "Die Puhdys: Lieder für Generationen: Die komplette Diskographie", Berlin 2002