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my loveliest vinyl, part 45

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DOS ALERT

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Hermann's Orgie - Die Moderne Welt Und Andere Disharmonien... (Moderne Musik Tronträger MOD-004, 1981)
Hermann’s Orgie – Die Moderne Welt Und Andere Disharmonien… (Moderne Musik Tronträger MOD-004, 1981)

Hometown Punk. But one of the lesser known ones as were not really part of the live circuit and the city crowd, as they originated from a southern suburb. They only played a few shows before disbanding over both the need to flea the army to Berlin and the fact that their studio, that also served many other bands, was robbed (as in emptied).

They also turned to other music, Tom Meyer specifically, though he still was able to put up a new setting (Neuland Studio) that provided some bands with recording capabilities (and was home to the production of the now legendary “Waterkant Hits” in 1983).

What was so special with Hermann’s Orgie? Their not so (hardcore) punk sound? No, don’t think so – i think it was one of the first outfits to give way to the use of the German language, something at least in Hamburg not really known: Local heroes Big Balls, Buttocks and Razors all tried to master English – with questionable quality…

The verdict:
1977 – yes, i think they can claim that big time and more then others!
published by a cool label – sure, local and self-made, just class!
found in a cool shop – Konneckschen, where else?
catching sound – Back then for sure, today it sound “tame” but that is because i have been spoiled with 35+ years of listening to punk rock
the lyrics – i could relate to German better back then because my school english was poor, hence i loved the ones singing in a language i did fully understand. And this message was so simple and sound (i felt home and “being like them”)

My loveliest song from that one is coincidentally called “1977” and was recorded live in 1979. Back then to me “studio” or “live” did not make any difference, specifically on this one as it seems recorded without any audience audible:

In unseren Strassen
In unser Stadt
Eine Revolte
Was wir brauchten

1977 - in unseren Strassen
1977 - in unser Stadt
1977 - es gab nicht viel zu tun
1977 - macht trotzdem Spass

Sie spielten laut
Sie spielten schnell
Sie waren wie wir
Wir waren wie sie

1977 - in unseren Strassen
1977 - in unser Stadt
1977 - es gab nicht viel zu tun
1977 - wir hatten Spass

Sie spielten laut
Sie spielten schnell
Sie waren wie wir
Wir waren wie sie

1977 - in unseren Strassen
1977 - in unser Stadt
1977 - es gab nicht viel zu tun
1977 - wir hatten Spass

English version:

On our streets
In our city
A revolt
Was what we needed

1977 - on our streets
1977 - in our town
1977 - there was little left to do
1977 - we had fun

They played loud
They played fast
They where like us
We where like them

(c) 1981 Moderne Musik Produktion

They did not like to continue to be part of the – back then – ever growing and more violent leather clad punk scene and they also did not like the so called “Neue Deutsche Welle” that washed away good new music in favor of mu-sick industry (just like the punk re-break in the US in the 90s). Hence they called it a day as a band and moved their own directions. Tom Meyer is a mastering guru today and Clement Hülse is a web developer in London – like so many they choose not to hang around forever, but left a classic legacy. Thanks for that!

Comments

2 responses to “my loveliest vinyl, part 45”

  1. Clement

    Thanks for the generous write-up, 1977 was always one of my favourites, written by Tom and this recording really captures the pure sound of a Vox AC30 with an SG, no effects, just a perfect roaring, super-hot, EL84 valve sound through alnico speakers.

    The whole thing was recorded in the River Kasematten, a legendary (i.e. smelly and dark) jazz club by the harbour and somehow we managed to convince the guy running the place that punk must be some sort of new kind of freeform jazz, I don’t know, but it was so hard to get gigs at the time we just took whatever we could get.

    Lars and Tom had hired a huge mixing desk, 16 tracks or so, and somehow managed to get everything wired up. I think it ran straight into a 2-track tape deck. Some of the recordings were used for the first EP.

    The song reminds me of seeing bands at the Markthalle, (ideally getting in by copying the stamp on the wrist from someone and sneaking in past the doormen), running from Teds that chased you across the DOM, listening to Peel on BFBS, the British Forces Radio, and Radio Luxemburg who played the Jam, the Ramones and the Adverts, on an old, crappy, transistor radio while the medium wave sound weaved in and out.

    Gigs, or decent venues, were hard to come by, and after splitting from Frank, the drummer, we found it hard to get a suitable replacement. Punkrock was still a niche genre, and we weren’t really part of any scene, and then, just as quick as it appeared the whole thing was over. Or rather, we were starting to look at other musical directions.

    I still like everything about the ’77 sound though, Buzzcocks, Ramones, I still love the Stooges and the New York Dolls, especially Johnny Thunders, that turned us onto the stuff in the first place.

    Reply
    1. DOS ALERT

      Clement, thanks for dropping by and indeed also for me this song nicely sums it up with all the annotations you provided: Markthalle, John Peel & BFBS and indeed copied stamps on the wrist. But what stands the test of time is this song – both lyrics and mu-sick just match perfectly and all-in all it is – in my humble opinion – even over the Razors “Tommys Gang” and Platzangsts “An der Waterkant”- the ONE Hamburg hymne. Keep enjoying! D. (Custodian of the archive)

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