Wallenstein (band)
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1971 in Viersen, West Germany |
| Founder | Jürgen Dollase |
| Defunct | 1982 |
| Headquarters | Mönchengladbach , West Germany |
Area served | West Germany, Europe |
Key people | Jürgen Dollase (founder), Peter Gielen (manager), Corrado Faccioni (road manager) |
| Products | Music albums, singles |
Wallenstein was a rock ensemble originating from West Germany, established in Viersen within the Lower Rhineland region, and later operating out of Mönchengladbach. Their period of activity spanned from 1971 until 1982. The band became notable within the 1970s Krautrock movement.
History
The group initially formed in the summer of 1971 under the name Blitzkrieg. It was created by an art student from Viersen who had a background in classical music as well as experience in skiffle and jazz genres. The band's formation was supported by Peter Gielen, a businessman and manager associated with Octopus Productions based in Mönchengladbach-Hehnerholt, alongside Corrado Faccioni, who acted as the Italian road manager for Dollase. Early on, Dollase and Faccioni gathered musicians from other existing bands to complete the lineup. The original lead guitarist was Wolfgang "Ginger" Steinicke from Erkelenz, who later left due to his academic commitments in physics and mathematics, being succeeded by American William (Bill) Joseph Barone from Philadelphia. Additional members included Harald Grosskopf from Hildesheim and Dutch bassist Ger (Jerry) Berkers hailing from Brunssum.
The band changed its name to Wallenstein in early 1972 after discovering that Blitzkrieg was already claimed by an English group and that the term carried political sensitivities for German record labels. The new name honored Albrecht von Wallenstein, a military leader during the Thirty Years' War. Their debut album, also titled Wallenstein, was recorded between September and December 1971 at Dieter Dierks' studio located in Stommeln near Cologne. Subsequently, the German label Pilz released their following album, Mother Universe. Notably, the cover photo for this album was taken by Harald Grosskopf and featured Dollase's grandmother.
In 1978, after changes in their musical direction, Dollase restructured the band by replacing all existing members. The single Charline, released in 1979 and promoted on the ZDF television program Disco hosted by Ilja Richter, achieved a peak position of number 17 on the German pop charts. Another hit was Don't Let It Be, which appeared on their successful album Blue Eyed Boys. Wallenstein continued touring from March through June 1981 before ultimately disbanding in 1982.
Discography
- Blitzkrieg (recorded 1971, released 1972)
- Mother Universe (1972)
- Cosmic Century (1973)
- Stories, Songs & Symphonies (1975)
- No More Love (1977)
- Charline (1978)
- Blue Eyed Boys (1979)
- Fräuleins (1980)
- SSSSS…TOP (1981)
External links
- Krautrock musical groups
- German hard rock musical groups
- German space rock musical groups
- German symphonic rock groups
- German progressive rock groups
- RCA Victor artists
- Harvest Records artists
- Musical groups established in 1971
- Musical groups disestablished in 1982
- 1971 establishments in West Germany
- 1982 disestablishments in West Germany
- Cultural depictions of Albrecht von Wallenstein