The Stripes
| Company type | Pop ensemble |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | July 2, 1979 in Hagen, Germany |
| Defunct | March 3, 1982 |
| Headquarters | Hagen , Germany |
| Products | Music albums and singles |
The Stripes were a pop ensemble originating from Germany, established on 2 July 1979 in Hagen by guitarist Rainer Kitzmann. The band's frontwoman was Gabriele Susanne Kerner, who later gained fame as Nena and formed the band Nena. The group’s lineup was rounded out by drummer Rolf Brendel, who was Kerner's partner at that time, and bassist Frank Röhler. Performing solely in English, The Stripes released one studio album and five singles before their breakup on 3 March 1982. Their song "Ecstasy" experienced modest chart recognition.
Studio album
The Stripes represents the only studio album issued by the band and marks the debut album of its vocalist, Gabriele "Nena" Kerner. Initially released as an LP record, it saw reissues on CD in both 1997 and 2004, the latter including additional tracks that had previously appeared only on certain singles.
Track listing
Side A features tracks numbered 1 through 6, while side B comprises tracks 7 to 13.
Notes
- Track number 8 is a rendition of a song originally performed by Hall & Oates.
Credits
- Gabriele Kerner – lead vocals
- Rainer Kitzmann – guitar
- de:Rolf Brendel – drums and percussion
- Frank Röhler – bass guitar
- Andy Kirnberger – keyboards, various guitars, harmony vocals, production
- Manfred Nauner – recording engineer at Tonstudio Hiltpoltstein
- Nigel Jobson – English vocals on tracks 4 and 9; recording and mixing engineer at Hotline Studios
- Udo Arndt – mixing engineer at Audio Tonstudio, Berlin
Singles
The band’s singles were all issued as 7-inch single vinyl records spinning at 45 RPM under the Columbia Records (CBS) label. The tracks "Ecstasy" along with B-sides "Normal Types" and "Lose Control" were added as bonus material on the reissued album editions.
| Title | Year | B-side |
|---|---|---|
| "Ecstasy" | 1979 | "Normal Types" |
| "Strangers" | 1980 | "Lose Control" |
| "Tell Me Your Name" | "Weekend Love" | |
| "Strangers" | "Observer" | |
| "Don't You Think That I'm a Lady?" | 1981 | "On the Telephone" |
Epilogue
Gabriele Kerner has acknowledged her early involvement with The Stripes, notably during Howard Jones' twentieth anniversary concert held in London in 2003, where she donned apparel bearing the band's name. Additionally, the live album Made in Germany Live features performances of two songs from The Stripes recorded during a 2009 concert in Berlin.